Learn about phrases that lead to creative thinking. In this blog post, we look at phrases that describe the process of developing ideas. Learn what you can say in terms of brainstorming and the thought process. Learn how to express the journey of developing unique suggestions and solutions.
Before we take a look at the phrases, I wanted to encourage you to read these two articles from English Attained about creativity:
Why is being creative so important?… if you ever ask yourself that question, you might enjoy this article…. Do you ever ask yourself what it means to be authentic in the creative World? Find out right here!
Juggling Ideas
Now, here is a phrase that sums up the mindset we tend to adapt in creative thinking. We don’t generally evolve our thought process around one single idea. We might, but often we have several ideas. Imagine that you are doing something that has to do with a hobby, an interest, or a creative project at work. You would want to deliver a result that is unique and that aligns with the goal of the project.
When you think about how to approach it, you will most likely do some brainstorming. As you start to think, several ideas may come to mind. You probably won’t just pick one idea and go with that one.
Quite possibly, you would select one idea to try out and test it in different ways. Then you might think “or what if we do like this”… In this process you are wondering, twisting ideas to gain various perspectives on the subject. While you do that, you are balancing several ideas until you find the idea to proceed with. In the meantime, one idea might not exclude another one. In other words, you are juggling ideas: tossing them in the air.
Thinking on your feet
Sometimes, we don’t have a lot of time to decide on something. If part of a project has a timeframe that you must follow, you will have to make a decision right there and then. You won’t have time to sit down and think about it. Making a decision or brainstorming in an instant is referred to as thinking on your feet.
thinking outside the box
This is probably one of the most used phrases in English. This metaphor means that we have to come up with new ideas or solutions that haven’t been pursued before. That includes actions such as looking at a subject in ways that are out of the ordinary. It could also imply, that you have to use uncommon techniques to make the project stand out.
You have to push limits and boundaries. You might even have to step out of your comfort zone . To think outside of the box often means to go beyond what is normal and to pursue the untraditional.
pushing the envelope
Yes, this phrase is odd isn’t it? That is part of what makes English so interesting. No, it has nothing to do with accidentally knocking something of a desk. Pushing the envelope is a peculiar phrase that means to push boundaries and limits; not personal boundaries. It rather means to push the limits of what is possible: to experiment and try things that haven’t been tried before. That could either be because they aren’t socially accepted ideas or that they haven’t been humanly possible until now.
Putting on your thinking cap
If there is a problem that needs a solution and you are asked to help solve it, you NEED to start thinking intensely. “Putting on your thinking cap” means that you are pretending to put on a piece of headwear to accelerate the thinking process. That would be to find a solution sooner rather than later.
having a breakthrough
This metaphor is used when you make significant progress or come up with a great idea that could solve a situation or improve something. To have a breakthrough is the concept of thinking of something so extraordinary that it could have a positively important effect on the future.
Off the top of your head
While thinking on your feet is a matter of making a quick decision, this one is a little different. Someone may ask you if you can remember something right that instant. That means, that they aren’t asking you to look it up. They are asking if you know that piece of information fresh out of your memory. They are not asking you, because they can’t access the knowledge, they are asking so that noone has to spend time looking it up. Sometimes an estimate will suffice. Sometimes, they are asking for the exact information.
Do you want to know more? English Attained coaches you in creative communication, career advancement, creative communication, healthy team dynamics, business development, and much more. Would you like to start to receive coaching?
Reach out by either e-mail at: info@englishattained.com or by phone number (or WhatsApp) to +46 (0)70-290 78 10