Visual thinking and creativity have a lot in common. A whole lot. So much I did my master's project on the topic!

One key part of creativity and creative thinking is visualizing. That's really just another word for using and being aware of your imagination. Most people don't think about it much, but your imagination uses a lot of pictures. Just try to imagine a red rose without seeing a picture of it in your head...not gonna happen!

Getting those ideas and pictures out of your head is the first step towards creativity and innovation. As long as those ideas live only in your head, they're only a part of your imagination. They're dreams, not reality.

When you start putting those ideas down on paper, it helps you see them more clearly. And flesh out your idea more fully. Then you can better explain them to others. And they'll be more likely to understand them.

That's why visual thinking is not only powerful, but productive. Visual thinking leads to clarity. Clarity leads to confidence. And confidence is much more likely to lead to action.