“This is the time in our economic climate when ideas need to be born,” says Joann Corley. Yet, here is disturbing piece of information she’s discovered in surveying thousands across North America—only 25%-33% believe they are creative.

Creativity, according to Joann, is seeing the same thing everyone else sees with a different perspective. Think back to when we were children. We were all creative; had great imaginations.

Joann—the author of several books including The 1% Edge:
Power strategies to increase your management effectiveness—believes the creative process is teachable. She uses the Left, Right, Right, Left method to boost creativity. In the first step, instruct the Left side of your brain to be quiet. Use the Right side (the creative side) of your brain only. Stimulate or activate imagination in the Right side of the brain by using exercises like drawing with eyes closed. Drawing with eyes closed is especially effective if  you use crayons. Crayons activate a connection to our childhood. Step three, saturate the Right side of your brain with relevant information. Finally, use the Left side of your brain to organize the ideas and test them for soundness.

Joann believes we are especially creative when we’re engaged in the Three Bs: in Bed, in the Bath (or shower) and when we’re Busy.

Listen to the entire interview below: