Often as leaders we strive to lead teams in a push for creative and innovative problem-solving and solutions or ideas. Creativity can be challenging when a team or a person isn’t inspired or has difficulty connecting all the ideas to find to the most effective one.

Do you think flashes of insight actually happens, that ‘AHA” moment where it all connects?   If so, provide an example. If not, explain why not.

Here is my thought on it:

I absolutely believe that flashes of insight occur and usually when you least expect it. Click the link on TED talk by Steve Johnson to relate to this article and his insight of ‘aha’ moments. https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from/transcript?language=en#t-33180 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

Steve Johnson mentions in his TED talk of the coffee shop opening doorways for creative processing by setting up a network of imaginative thinkers with other creative thinkers, just like our how our brain works (2010). So for all those ideas one has been working on but has yet to manifest, the creative process model suggests to step away from the problem (Penn State, University, lecture, n.d) and your previous brainstorming and find other tasks to do. So these people step into a resource of ideas and energy where conversation flows from one topic to the next stimulating your brain to drift away from the problem at hand. And Poof! You see a flash. The next step in your process, your incubation stage has finally blossomed into a workable idea and now you go to the drawing board and work on making it happen, producing the innovation that has become the creative processes product or result. I think you see this ‘aha’ moment every day from the simplest tasks to the major life altering breakthroughs.

As an example I think of scientists sitting in labs all day trying to find the next breakthrough of a cure and getting nowhere. Frustrated and exhausted at times they almost give up, they come to the breaking point where they just physically cannot think about it anymore. They get up and leave, grab a coffee, close their eyes or talk with a colleague. They let it go. When they decide to let go it’s like the subconscious saying ‘Thank you! Now I can work on the problem because I can tap into your whole brain when you are not using the parts I need.’ And then it comes ‘AHA’ they run back to the lab scribble notes and begin testing the next cure. I see a similar process for an artist painting, almost finished but there’s something more to do, but what? Again they let it go and let the subconscious take over, then go back after the flash to finish a masterpiece.

It also can be simple as when I am trying to teach one of my little ones something either a concept or a skill and we end up both frustrated because no one is moving forward (this is where everyone gets a nice timeout of free play). We both let it go, it isn’t worth all pressure right now. Then later I’m thinking about my approach, what can I do differently to teach her. I sleep on it and sometimes an hour goes by sometimes a couple days (things get busy). Then “aha” I watch my daughter do something completely not related and I see her, just her and it comes to mind how to teach her, how to approach the problem or concept to move forward. It’s not always a brilliant way to teach all kids but it is a flash of insight that my subconscious has been taking notes studying my daughter for the best creative approach to use for her. Just as Steve Johnson pointed out- no one would’ve thought to use car parts to run infant incubators to help lower infant death but the environment is an important element of the flash moments, just like the villagers being able to fix the incubators was the real innovation (2010). I believe these flashes of insight occur when one lets go of the actual problem and lets the subconscious digest the environment around to help it ignite.

Johnson, S. (2010). Where good ideas come from. TED Talks. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from/transcript?language=en#t-33180 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

Penn State University. (n.d.). PSY 813. Lesson 2: Classical Creative Process Models. Retrieved https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802310/pages/l02-introduction?module_item_id=21400551