How to become more creative? Learn from an orange

How can an orange help us become more creative?

In this blog, I’ll share a concept that will allow you to look from a new angle and stop overthinking whether your ideas are good enough, therefore – become more creative and adaptive in work and life.

Why? Because it’s not a question whether your idea is good. The question is, when.

And knowing it helps you to get out of your mind and into the action.

Before we get to the orange, let me explain the context with a short theory.

One of the most thought-provoking concepts for me, exploring creativity and skills that allow us to be more flexible, has been the Paradox of Structure.

What is it?

Paradox of Structure is that 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

M. J. Kirton.

It seems that everything of the Earth Experience can be observed through the lens of the paradox.

Let’s take an orange as an example.

It’s a healthy fruit with vitamin C that makes you feel and be healthy.

However, if you only eat oranges, there will be a moment when your 

• teeth become sensitive,
• stomach hurts and 
• you start to feel not well,

because a person needs more nutrients than an orange fibre, sugar and vitamin C.

So, an orange is a good idea – but up until a point when it becomes damaging.

It’s the same elsewhere.

• Being positive can harm you.
• Poison can become a remedy.
• Even oxygen can be too much.

Makes you think, right?

That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves about oranges from time to time, as a symbol of the paradox.

No idea is “the best idea”.

It’s a question of “when is it helping and when – limiting”.

So, let’s get to the practical part now.

How to use this concept practically?

A few suggestions that have worked for me that can help you become more creative – and therefore, adaptive:

1. Use it as a tool to see from a new angle.

Define the point on an imaginary scale from “limiting” to “enabling” and ask:

• what would be a situation where the obstacles I’m facing would start to work for me? 
• What would I need to make this limitation a success enabler? 

This will help you and your team, if you lead one, to think from a new perspective.

2. During idea or risk analysis.

When my favourite idea can actually limit the success of the project/business/vision? 
Asking this question will help you to check for the blind spots of the best idea (the one you call your “baby” and cannot let go, maybe) and to prepare well. 
As Maya Angelou has said: “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.”

3. As a regular creative thinking exercise.

Take a look around and think. 
What is the (pen, laptop, window) next to you enabling, and what is it limiting? 
This, if made a habit, will give you the ability to think from more than one angle at the same time.

Want to know more on how to become more creative and able to adapt in work and life?

See this blog on 5 steps how to achieve flexibility at work (and life)

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Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash