In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed — right-handed against left-handed pitchers, and left-handed against right-handed pitchers (Wikepedia).
For baseball followers this is second nature.
But what relevance does this have to creativity?
Well the answer is this.
What if we could switch our thinking at will.
What if we could switch our thinking depending on the situation.
What if we could switch from left brain to right brain approaches at a moment’s notice.
At the moment most of us use an analytical, convergent way of thinking at work and in our education system.
But increasingly value is generated by thinking in a more divergent or creative way.
However this often requires planning, timing and effort.
We need to set up formal brainstorming or planning type sessions.
It seems we need to plan to be creative.
But what if we could access a more creative way of thinking — on demand.
By simply switching.
By saying to yourself and others — let’s switch.
The word ‘switch’ becomes a kind of trigger movement to move to another way of approaching a problem.
It might mean using a different part of our brain.
One that is less controlling.
To switch might mean to use a new creative thinking tool or to recapture a moment when you felt at your most creative.
To switch is to feel more open to new ideas and perspectives.
The great news is that like hitters in baseball, switching can be learned.
To be sure you might be better on one side than the other but you can do it.
Imagine in a meeting or presentation saying to everyone lets switch.
Now let’s consider the problem again.
After a few minutes you can switch back to a more logical way of thinking.
Switch……………..
Can you imagine the possibilities of being able to ‘switch’ at a moment’s notice.
Creativity on demand.
Creativity without the planning.
Big, new, ideas and solutions without filtering.
It’s all within you.
Try it.
Love your thoughts on the idea of ‘switch’.