Creativity matters now more than ever. In today’s fast-moving, interconnected world, industries and disciplines are constantly evolving.

Whether you’re a designer, marketer, engineer, or teacher, success often depends on your ability to adapt, innovate, and navigate an unpredictable landscape.

We all need to be 'ideas people' – innovative thinkers capable of quickly creating new work, products, or services. However, despite its importance, we rarely learn and foster our ability to think creatively and develop.

Even in art schools, where creativity is at the forefront, the focus is often on practical skills like painting, sculpting, and designing rather than fostering the imaginative thinking required to conceive original concepts.

Why is this the case? Especially when creative thinking is now essential, not only in art and design courses and proffesions, but also in many fields of study and practise.

Creativity Isn’t Random—It’s Always Within Reach!

The traditional approach to art education focuses on teaching students how to master techniques before being encouraged to generate ideas.

As a result, imaginative thinking can sometimes feel like a mystery to students. Creativity is often seen as something that arises purely from random and spontaneous inspiration, but in reality, it involves a combination of curiosity, practice, and structured thinking.

Creativity is not a passive process; it's an active one. You don't need to wait for inspiration to strike, you can seek it out and, with the proper techniques, you can summon it seemingly out of nowhere.

Be Original—Learn to Generate New Ideas!

With proper idea-generation skills, you can avoid copying others or producing work that lacks originality, depth, or lasting impact.

Unfortunately, many art students often find themselves studying the achievements of historical figures or top peers rather than learning how to develop their unique processes for generating ideas. This focus existing ideas leaves students adept at imitation but less skilled at problem-solving.

To truly thrive as creative thinkers, you must learn to seize unexpected opportunities, design something entirely new, and use your imagination in a way that leads to surprising and effective solutions.

Teaching Creativity Through Process, Not Product

But how can we teach creative thinking and imaginative innovation effectively? The answer lies in focusing not on the end product but on the creative process itself.

Through my research into artists and designers, I discovered that they often use specific methods to generate ideas. They mastered techniques for generating creative ideas, empowering them to develop multiple concepts for any subject or situation.

These insights became the foundation of the City Lit Art and Creative Thinking course with Rod Judkins. The course is structured to address a different aspect of creative thinking, from understanding the creative process to overcoming common obstacles.

It’s about understanding creativity and applying it in real-world challenges.

6 Practical Steps to Unlock Your Creative Potential

1. Point to something

I often feel a desperate urge to be creative, but I can't think of a subject. Whenever this happens, I turn to the great conceptual artist John Baldessari.

Baldessari pointed out that an artist points to things. He produced a series of paintings showing a hand pointing at objects such as a cooker, a light bulb, a crack in a wall, and others.

An artist draws attention to something they find interesting. I love this idea of creativity because it's down to earth. A Campbell's soup can by Warhol, a John Constable landscape, or a Jeff Koons Balloon Dog is a finger pointing at something the artist is enthusiastic about and wants to share.

If you're stuck, remember, all you have to do is point. Your audience will feel closer to you and your work if you show what you love. I'm a fan of John Baldessari, so I'm sharing my enthusiasm with you.

2. Be proactive

To produce anything worthwhile, you have to be proactive and generate it.

One of my creativity workshop participants was an actor interested in Shakespeare. He was attending endless auditions but wasn't getting any roles. We analysed his predicament. He needed the approval of theatre directors to pass the auditions. "Why not become your theatre director?" we suggested. Put on the play yourself? No money for other actors? Play all the roles yourself. No props? Make them yourself out of cardboard boxes. He became a one-person Shakespeare company. He staged Hamlet and played all the parts. His shows were unique, fascinating, and unexpected. He became such a huge success he was offered parts in Broadway plays. He turned them down. Why go back to being at the mercy of others' decisions?

Be proactive. This principle applies to everyone. We come alive when we generate something worthwhile. It's not about waiting for inspiration to strike but about actively seeking it out. This proactive approach can create a sense of fulfilment and a deeper connection with your work.

3. Start digging

The creative looks deeply into their subject. They discover truths. The artist doesn't search for answers but to illuminate their subject. Everything is deep – if you dig into it deeply. Every day seems to throw up new questions about our culture.

So, every time you find yourself asking a question, start digging. Trust me, eventually, you'll discover something significant – something that has meaning for you. It will mean so much to you that you'll want to share it.

Take the Kawaii craze in Japan, for example. It's an obsession with all things cute. I only understood it once I discovered the work of artist Takashi Murakami. He questioned why Hello Kitty and Pokémon had a massive following in Japan. His paintings and sculptures delve into the attraction of anime and manga. Murakami pulled apart Japanese culture and showed us the tug-of-war between childhood innocence and the adult world.

4. Copy nature

Nature is the ultimate problem-solver, refined over 3.8 billion years of evolution. Animals, plants, and microbes are master engineers, offering ingenious and enduring solutions.

Creative thinkers don't extract from nature—they learn from it. By studying its designs, they imitate and innovate to address human challenges.

The bird's nest inspired Herzog and de Meuron's 'Bird's Nest' Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics with its strength and elegance. Its steel lattice mimics twigs, while translucent panels replicate mud and moss-insulating qualities, shielding spectators from rain and wind. Sunlight filters through to nourish the grass, and natural ventilation flows seamlessly through the structure. This breathtaking design became an iconic global landmark and showcased the potential of drawing ideas from nature.

Whatever your field, nature offers inspiration. Explore its systems, and think of it as a library of ideas, not just a resource to consume.

5. Go ahead and try

School and society make us feel our abilities are limited and rob us of our creative confidence. Although we are born with incredible imagination, intuition, and intelligence, many people are trained not to use these powers, and as a result, they wither. Our schools, families, and friends project a limited view of our abilities onto us. But if the creative wants to do something, they try.

Salvador Dalí’s skill was painting. But when a manufacturer asked him to design furniture, he had a go. His sofa of Mae West's lips became a design classic. So too with jewellery, theatre sets, clothes, textiles, houses and perfume bottles. He had no skill in these areas but had a go. Dalí could have thought, 'I don't need to do these; I'm a famous, wealthy surrealist artist who has a place in art history,' but he didn't; it sounded fun, so he gave it a go. He had no rules in his head about what he could or couldn't do.

6. Think for yourself, aloud

Everyone searches for originality. Ironically, it is within, but most people are too busy being someone else. Creative people are prepared to be themselves. They make the most of their own experiences.

'To be irreplaceable, one must always be different,' said eccentric, pioneering French designer Coco Chanel.

From the beginning of her career, Chanel defied convention. Women were forced to be uncomfortable to look fashionable. She changed that. She didn't like corsets, so she replaced them with casual elegance and comfort. The fashion press heavily attacked her but she was unrepentant: 'Luxury must be comfortable; otherwise, it is not luxury.' Her new vision made her one of the most important figures in fashion history. 'The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud' she said.

Like Chanel, you have to make the most of your uniqueness. Nobody else can draw from your childhood and teenage experiences, schooldays, or relationships with your parents.

Receive a FREE Signed Copy of The Art of Creative Thinking by Rod Judkins

Success today requires the ability to generate ideas and turn them into creative solutions. Learning from an expert can help you unlock this skill, building your confidence to make a real impact in your field.

The Art and creative thinking course taught by Rod Judkins offers practical methods for navigating the creative process. Instead of staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration, you'll learn techniques to spark ideas and keep creativity flowing.  

By the end of the course, you’ll have a toolkit to tackle any creative challenge—whether starting fresh or rescuing a stalled project—so you can problem-solve and innovate with confidence.

As a bonus, every student on the course receives a free signed copy of The Art of Creative Thinking. This resource is both an inspiration and a guide, supporting your creative journey long after the course ends.

Boost Your Creativity at City Lit

Whether you're an artist, a professional, or looking to enhance your creativity, this course offers you the tools and insights to unlock your imaginative potential and thrive in today's dynamic world.