BLOCKS TO CREATIVITY

To survive in a constantly changing and competitive business environment driven by technological

advancements, firms not only have to manage change but more importantly make the appropriate
changes to remain relevant in a highly competitive market. Change is a catalyst for creative
thinking and creative problem solving (C.P.S) so both organizations and individuals need to be
equipped with the necessary tools to manage and function within changing environments.

Creative thinking and C.P.S are not restricted processes yet many persons do not possess these
inherent skills. These skills do not come naturally to individuals and as a result this inadequacy
creates 'blocks' to creativity and problem solving which occur at both individual and organizational
levels. These blocks suppress an individual’s creative talents but if used constructively can
transform into creative thinking and problem solving which overcomes ingrained mindsets.

MINDSET BLOCKS

The reality of individuals encountering problems in their daily lives is inevitable. Duncker (1945)
illustrates that:

a problem arises when a living creature has a goal but does not know how this goal is to be reached
[and] whenever one cannot go from the given situation to the desired situation simply by action,
then there has to be recourse to thinking.
To overcome problems, an individual must be creative. Being creative implies that an individual
must avoid conventional thinking and stereotypical associations to bypass mindset blocks.
(Sassenberg and Moskowitz 2005)

Proctor (2014) defines mindset as 'the condition where an individual is over sensitized to some
part of the information available at the expense of the other parts'. Mindsets are useful because 1)
it sensitizes the individual to pertinent information and 2) ensures that one learns from past
experiences by focusing on ways that solve past problems. However, the mindset can obstruct an
individual’s creative thinking process and hinders progress.
Furthermore, Proctor (2014) cited Luchins (1942) highlighting how the mindset produces fixation
and stereotyping in problem solving under definite conditions. This results when the individual
discovers a problem solving strategy which initially works well in specific situations. However,
this mindset blocks easier solutions to less complex and similar problems, thus creating blockages
to rational thinking.

OTHER BLOCKS TO INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY

People are not creative as they should be because they encounter blocks to creative thinking and
problem solving. John E. Arnold refers to these as Perceptual, Cultural and Emotional blocks.

1. Perceptual blocks are inhibitions which prevent an individual from receiving valid
information about the problem and how to solve the problem.
2. Cultural blocks are obstacles which are a result of social influences.
3. Emotional blocks are barriers which results from anxiety, fear, insecurity and stress.

Table 1

Individual blocks to Creativity

These blocks affect our understanding of external events and the relation between objects and
processes. It manifests as individuals fail to understand the core of a problem and to acquire true
and valid information. Our cultural environment and norms are factors which contribute to an
individual’s narrow perception limiting how ideas are generated. (Arnold 2016)

In addition to Arnold’s Perceptual, Cultural and Emotional blocks to creativity, James Adams
included a fourth grouping: intellectual and expressive blocks. Intellectual blocks results in ‘an
inefficient choice of mental tactics or shortage of intellectual ammunition' while Expressive blocks
obstruct the ability to communicate ideas to yourself and others. (Adams 1979)