Can you remember the TV series Vicky the Viking (A 1970s German-Austrian-Japanese animated TV series for children about a young Viking boy)? If not, watch an episode. Young, cheeky Vicky always had good ideas and new solutions when the grown up, strong men got into trouble. Any difficulties can be overcome through Vicky’s clever ideas. Psychologists call this creative intelligence. Unfortunately, creative intelligence is not valued very highly in science and pedagogy. Creative people are often called nutters. But exactly these ‘nutters’ invented aeroplanes, the printing press and new academic fields, and discovered new continents. If we don’t want to stall, it is important to continually develop further and cultivate our creative intelligence. We only develop further if we look at our problems and face our problems. Without problems, there are no solutions. The more we avoid problems, the lower are the chances to learn something new and to find creative solutions. We unlearn everything we do not practice. If, as adults, we only copy established solutions, it isn’t surprising that most adults lose their creativity. What can we do to counteract this? Learn to love your problems and mistakes. Every problem and every mistake forces us to look for a solution. Instead of getting angry, ask yourself next time: what can I do now? Don’t force an answer, allow your brain to find a solution. Just like a computer, every brain is equipped with a search function. Sadly, most people are not aware of this. Try it out! Next time you encounter a problem, ask your brain to find a solution, give it time and you’ll come up with a solution. Just like with Vicky the Viking, sudden inspiration will come. It’s not our conscious, it’s the subconscious at work here. Now we only need the courage to express and test our solutions and put them into practice. That is the simple secret of every new invention. Have fun learning and inventing! Please do send me your ideas, I’d be happy to help you put new things into practice.
Gertrud Müller
