Memory, creativity and unconventional thinking (“out of the box”) form a triangle that I have been exploring lately, from the perspective of the ways in which the three complement and support each other in the process of innovation and problem solving.
Distinct roles, common goals
Memory is the reservoir. The experiences, knowledge and information we accumulate are in there. This reserve is the primary source of inspiration and raw material for creativity.
Creativity, in turn, represents the ability to associate seemingly disparate ideas and generate new and original solutions. It depends on cognitive flexibility, that is, the ability to navigate through memories and rearrange them in new ways. In other words, we open the warehouse, choose and combine in the most diverse ways everything we find there.
Going further, unconventional thinking involves the ability to transcend ordinary thought patterns and access ideas that are not immediately obvious. This way of thinking requires not only a good memory, but also the ability to ignore or suspend judgments based on previous experiences to allow for the exploration of others.
More simply summarized, memory fuels creativity by providing a rich fund of information, while creativity is manifested by the ability to reconfigure this information in an innovative way. Thinking “out of the box” completes this process, allowing overcoming mental barriers and opening up to novel solutions.
Why did I tell you all of this?
Because I intend to complete the series of exercises designed to maintain and improve memory with challenges in the area of critical thinking.
Start.
A. Find the rule by which you can continue the string:
One bee.
Two days.
Three times.
Four minutes.
Five ….
B. What do the 8 words in the list below have in common?
Pets
Level
Live
Devil
Gum
Blub
Star
Stop
C. Find the rule of equalities below:
assault = 1
classroom = 5
backstage = 4
admissibility = ?
What to do with all of this
I really enjoy inventing games like the ones above. Routine is OK sometimes, with its familiar things and traditional activities. But mental flexibility, so necessary when it comes to adaptability, is maintained with such juggling. It encourages the development of diverse neural connections and approach problems from unusual, surprising perspectives.
When faced with challenges that do not follow standard patterns, the brain seeks alternative strategies, maintaining our ability to make quick decisions in unforeseen situations.
Look for such games or invent them. They are also a very valuable contribution to improving memory and attention, because they require a higher degree of mental involvement. Suddenly, we are no longer in our comfort zone, we use our imagination and curiosity at unusual rates, and over time, our ability to cope with the changes and uncertainties of our ever-so-dynamic world increases.
If you found the solutions to the games proposed in this article, leave them in the comments. If you’re just shying away from solutions, share that too.
The more curious minds the better for us all.
