Summary

Being creative is a state of mind. Techniques may help - though some, like brainstorming, can, surprisingly, do more harm than good. And the climate at work and play matters too. But essentially, creativity is an attitude. We either meet life's challenges with a spirit of adventure - or we keep trying to make it fit old habits that don't work any more. Accountants and receptionists need creativity as much as designers and song-writers. Creativity is not just for budding Mozarts and Einsteins. In uncertain times, we all need to be able to come up with fresh ideas, to sort out the good ones, and make them work. You don't want to move to Scotland, but I don't want to carry on in this dead-end job. Dad is getting frail, but the house isn't big enough to have him. We are afraid to let Sophie go to France, but she says that is 'so not fair '. Creativity is about discovering other possibilities that we have not dreamed of yet.