Unlocking your mind with Solomon’s creative model

If you are in search of an handbook that would do this three basic things for you: Learn, relearn and unlearn, especially when you hit a low point in self-motivation and self-belief, look no further than Akin Odidi’s Creativity and Mindset: The King Solomon Creative Model.

The 70-page book printed in Poland by Amazon Fulfillment and published in 2020 is a text for all classes of people, adolescents, young adults, career persons and busy executives. While exploring in great details the creative mindset of King Solomon, who has always been venerated for his wisdom, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery that shatters long-held beliefs and unlocks hidden creative potentials waiting to be unleashed.

Sometimes, good things come in small packages. There is a reason why the book is an handbook; every phrase, sentence and paragraph is a loaded dynamite laced with real-life nuggets from accomplished individuals across all spheres of human endeavours. And it is for a single aim, which according to the author, is to set in motion a chain of multiple reactions and introspection to set the reader on the path to creative thinking that is at the base of all exceptional human activity.

Devoid of technical jargons and religious text with a crisp clear print, the reader is left enthralled from the introduction to the book – A person’s inner mind, which not only espouses why the human mind is one’s greatest asset, determining the ability to function effectively, but also how the biggest and most complex obstacle one will ever have to overcome to greatness and accomplishment is also one’s own mind. Because we are slaves to our habits, a simple thing as changing our mindset could end up being a very tedious task.

The book in 23 short chapters takes the reader through an unknotting of creativity – its component, barriers, application and misconceptions – to the unmasking of King Solomon like never seen before, as a creative model.

Some of the concepts from King Solomon’s model include creativity as calculated risk, organizing is teamwork, great attention to detail, determination as the fuel for crossing the finish line, how culture and tradition stifle creativity, cultivating patience, prioritising and great listening skills, developing passion, decisiveness, thirst for knowledge, and more importantly, living in the moment but gazing ahead into the future.

The book then ends with the inspirational story of one of the greatest modern-day creative minds to have come out of the United Kingdom, Sir James Dyson. Dyson’s story shows that determination, persistence, passion, self-belief and quick mindedness are all major ingredients of creativity.

James Dyson is a British inventor, industrial designer and entrepreneur currently aged 73. In a story on the James Dyson Foundation website titled: ‘Our Story –The Accidental Engineer,’ this was written about him: “Unafraid to stand apart, Dyson has always done things differently. After toying with classics and art at school, he studied furniture design at the Royal College of Art, but instead of dowels and drawers, he found engineering; and with it, his passion.”

It is a book worth reading over and over just as one would do to a podcast that inspires and fires up the creative juices buried within. It also makes for a necessary addition to the family library, while introducing kids to challenge stereotypes, a first step towards solving problems with a creative mindset.