Introduction to Creative Problem Solving: 4C's of Creativity

Описание: Most people think creativity starts with brilliance. It doesn’t. It starts with permission.

In this fast, practical mini-lecture, Professor Steve walks you through an introduction to Creative Problem Solving (CPS), a research-backed method for generating better ideas and solving real problems in school, work, and life. You’ll start with a powerful warm-up, the 30 Circles Exercise, to reveal how you naturally approach ideas under time pressure and how to shift from perfection to momentum.

You’ll learn why creativity is not magic or a rare “genius trait,” but a trainable skill defined as producing ideas that are novel and useful. In the age of AI, when content and tasks are easy to replicate, the skills that differentiate you are judgment, context, empathy, framing, and taste, which are all rooted in creative thinking.

This session breaks down the Creative Problem Solving process into four clear stages:
Clarify → Ideate → Develop → Implement
and introduces the key mental engine behind it: expand then contract. Most people contract too early and kill ideas before they grow. This lesson shows you how to separate the steps so your ideas can breathe before you evaluate them.

You’ll also learn the 4C Model of Creativity, which explains four levels of creative development:

Mini-c: personal insight and meaning-making

Little-c: everyday creativity, practical problem solving

Pro-c: professional creativity built through deep expertise

Big-C: legendary creativity that changes history

Finally, you’ll master the difference between divergent thinking (generating many diverse options) and convergent thinking (selecting and strengthening the best ones). You’ll also do a quick Creative Audit to identify whether you tend to over-diverge or over-converge and what skills or reps you need to level up.

If you’ve ever said “I’m not creative,” this video will change how you see yourself. Creativity is a discipline. A muscle. A method.

In this video, you’ll learn:

✅ What Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is
✅ The 4 stages: Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement
✅ The engine: Expand then Contract
✅ The 4C Model (Mini-c, Little-c, Pro-c, Big-C)
✅ Divergent vs. Convergent thinking
✅ The 30 Circles Exercise (fluency + flexibility)
✅ A simple Creative Audit you can use immediately

Try this challenge:

Next time you’re stuck, ask yourself:
Do I need to diverge… or converge?
That one question changes outcomes.

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