The Power of Thinking Differently, An Imaginative Guide to Creativity, Change & The Discovery of New Ideas by Javy W. Galindo

Reviewed by Susan Reimers

In his later years, famed artist Pablo Picasso reflected “. . . at 15 I painted like Velazquez, and it took me 80 years to paint like a child.” Undoubtedly if Picasso had been privy to such a valuable treatise as Javy W. Galindo’s The Power of Thinking Differently, An Imaginative Guide to Creativity, Change & The Discovery of New Ideas, his personal satisfaction would not have taken as long because Galindo clearly explains the roots of creativity in the brain and how to overcome one’s own blockages and obstacles in order to manifest the creation to tangible form and, consequently, reach a higher state of personal satisfaction.

We tend to think of “creators” as those engaging in art, music and writing. However, Galindo argues, creativity can – and should – be found in all fields, including business, governance and science but all too often our culture demands we focus our attention only on that which is logical, rational and reasonable despite the fact that such thinking and behavior continue to lock us into undesired results as evident in the current recession, wars and healthcare debates.

Galindo admits that he is not a psychologist or sociologist, or any other academic expert. In fact, he pursued a career in electrical engineering for nearly a decade while teaching performance art in the evening. A lay-off from his engineering firm was his catalyst to research and study out-of-the-box thinking. His background clearly informs The Power of Thinking Differently in that it is well organized and instructive while at the same time it avoids dry theory and academic jargon. It is clear that Galindo studied much of the literature on creativity. The information presented is solid and pulled from such experts as Flow academic Mihalyi Csikszentmihayi, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Galindo rather brilliantly synthesizes all of this literature and puts it in clear, simple language that the layman can understand . . . and use. At the same time, the material is never simplistic.

The Power of Thinking Differently is divided into three primary parts. The first focuses on “what” creativity is and what some people think it is. It is an introduction to historical figures who have creatively stumbled onto their multi-million dollar idea and the truth behind using chemicals to boost creative thinking. (In short, don’t.) It is also the reader’s introduction to The Island of Pickles and Doughnuts, the allegorical story Galindo weaves through the book to illustrate how to change one’s perspectives and transfer the creative thought to action.

The heart of the book’s message is in its second part, “How.” Here is where we learn how it is that our brain actually works and how it is that our own backgrounds inform our perceptions of incoming information. Throughout this section are riddles and puzzles that prompt the reader to think deeply. Is this what I think it is? Or is it something else? When presented with “two men are found dead in their cabin in the woods. How did the two men die?” one can think of any number of scenarios that may have occurred. The answer results in a paradigm shift. “How” also unpacks how creativity is sidelined by negative thoughts, dominant perceptions and resistance to change but Galindo brilliantly provides the reader with practical techniques to overcome such obstacles all the while, true to his teaching skills, gently encouraging us that we can do it.

Upon understanding how the brain functions and how to overcome our obstacles, Galindo then shares with us the seven not-so-secret secrets to creativity, tools for how to shake things up and reassemble them into new patterns. And, then, the final step, how to take all that right-brain creativity and carry it to the logical, rational and reasonable left-brain in order to manifest its reality. We are reminded that it was by this last act that Albert Einstein was able to convert his visions of riding a light beam through space to the scientific language and mathematical equations of his profession.

The final part of The Power of Thinking Differently is “Why.” While this book should appeal to those in business, government and science, it can equally benefit all persons who go about their lives looking to make their personal islands a bit more interesting and productive. “You may not be the next Mozart,” Galindo writes, “but you can definitely be a more creative you.”

A review copy of this book was supplied to the reviewer by the author.