Cultivating Creativity: Enhance Your Creative Potential

Course Overview

Creativity is the ability to generate new, unique and original ideas, and solutions in an expressive and imaginative way. It involves unlocking new perspectives, leading to valuable insights and innovative solutions. 

The Cultivating Creativity short course blends scientific insights with practical application, empowering you to harness your creative potential. Whether you’re looking to spark new ideas or enhance problem-solving skills, this course equips you with the knowledge and tools to thrive creatively in personal and professional contexts. 

The course begins by exploring the concept of creativity, examining its definitions, historical perspectives, and significance in different areas. You’ll dive into the myths surrounding creativity and understand the factors that influence creative thinking. 

Investigate the neuroscience of creativity, exploring how different brain regions and networks contribute to creative thought.  You’ll examine the roles of the default mode network, executive control network, and salience network in the creative process, gaining insights into how creativity functions in the brain and strategies to enhance it. 

Learn to identify fundamental concepts and theories of creativity and explore impact of creativity on behaviour and cognition. Throughout the course, you will develop practical skills to enhance personal and professional creativity using evidence-based strategies. 

Additionally, you’ll analyze and apply creative thinking techniques to real-world problems, reflect on your personal creative processes and barriers, and devise strategies to overcome them. This course delves into the cognitive, emotional, and practical aspects of creativity, fostering a growth mindset and enhancing your creative potential. It debunks common myths and offers valuable tools and techniques for fostering creativity in everyday life. 

Time commitment

+/- 50 hours to complete this short course.

Is this course for you?

If you want to harness your creative potential, this course is for you. 

What is creativity?

Creativity is the ability to generate original ideas and solutions by thinking outside conventional boundaries. It involves imagination and flexibility, leading to unique expressions in art, science, and problem-solving. 

Dates and Registration

• Class of 2025 April – June
• Class of 2025 July – September
• Class of 2025 October – December

Short course classes are on demand allowing you to register at any time and move through course content at a time that suits you. Learners will have access to the course for the class period they choose when registering.

Certification

Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate of completion. This certificate verifies your newfound knowledge and skills.

This course has been designed and developed by experts in the field of psychology. This course will teach you how to evaluate your creative process and identify barriers and strategies to improve and sustain creativity.  The Cultivating Creativity short course is for anyone needing to upskill in this area and offers 50 hours of learning and application. 

What You’ll Learn

Through course videos, readings and discussions, you will explore the following topics:

• Understanding Creativity 
  • Explore the concept of creativity, examining its definitions, historical perspectives, and significance in different contexts.  
  • Dive into the myths surrounding creativity and your beliefs about creativity. 
• The Science of Creativity – How Creativity Works in the Brain 
  • Investigate the neuroscience of creativity, exploring how different brain regions and networks contribute to creative thought.  
  • Examine the roles of the default mode network, executive control network, and salience network in the creative process. 
• The Creative Process and Thinking Techniques 
  • Explore the creative process and the stages of preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.  
  • Practice various creative thinking techniques namely  
    • 1) brainstorming 
    • 2) mind mapping 
    • 3) metaphorical thinking 
    • 4) lateral thinking 
    • 5) SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Another Use, Eliminate, and Reverse) 
    • 6) Design Thinking 
    • 7) Appreciative Inquiry 
• Overcoming Barriers to Creativity 
  • Understand the common psychological and environmental influences on creativity. 
  • Address common internal and external barriers to creativity, such as fear of failure, perfectionism, stress, mental blocks and environmental constraints.  
  • Explore strategies to overcome these obstacles, foster a supportive environment for creative thinking and maintain creative momentum. 
  • Learn how to foster a creative mindset. 

Course Outcomes

By the end of this short course you will be able to:

• Identify and articulate foundational concepts and theories of creativity. 
• Describe the brain’s role in creative thinking and the impact of cognitive functions on behaviour. 
• Develop practical skills for enhancing creativity using scientifically-backed strategies. 
• Analyze real-world challenges through creative techniques, applying novel solutions. 
• Reflect on personal creative processes, identify barriers, and devise actionable strategies to enhance creativity. 

The Team

Our short course developers are expert practitioners. They have been selected for the breadth and depth of experience in their respective disciplines. The team loves sharing their knowledge and online learning expertise to help you get the most out of your learning journey.