A CHILD in Us: The Creative Thinking Handbook is your personal guide to activating the bold, brilliant problem-solver within you, using a clear, research-informed framework for modern life and work. Instead of treating creativity as a mysterious talent, this book turns it into a deliberate, learnable process you can apply to real problems, projects, and decisions.
In a world where the World Economic Forum ranks Creative Thinking as a top skill for the coming decade, this handbook shows you how to actually build that skill step by step. It closes the gap between what the future demands and what most of us were ever taught about thinking differently.
Most books on creativity either inspire you for a weekend or drown you in theory. A CHILD in Us sits in the middle: practical enough to use on Monday morning, deep enough to change how you think for years.
You learn how to:
Turn everyday curiosity into powerful questions that unlock new ideas.
Use the CHILD Framework to break down complex problems into solvable parts.
Generate original ideas without waiting for “inspiration.”
Apply creative thinking to career, business, learning, and personal decisions.
At the core of the book is the CHILD Framework – a structured way to rediscover how you naturally thought as a child and upgrade it for today’s challenges. Each letter in CHILD represents a key cognitive trait that fuels creative problem-solving, forming a repeatable pattern you can use in your work and life.
Across the chapters, you’ll see how these traits show up in real stories, exercises, and prompts designed to make you think, not just nod along. By the end, you don’t just “know” the framework, you start catching yourself using it.
These are people whose primary job function directly relies on generating new ideas and solutions.
Professionals specifically tasked with product development, process improvement, and future-proofing the organization. Their need: Systematic frameworks for breakthrough ideas.
Beyond general “Designers,” include specific roles like UX/UI Designers, Service Designers, Industrial Designers, and Architects. Their need: Techniques to move beyond incremental design and solve complex user problems.
Individuals building new ventures who constantly face resource constraints and need creative ways to pivot, acquire customers, and solve novel business challenges. Their need: Mindsets and tools for risk-taking, rapid prototyping, and non-traditional problem-solving.
Copywriters, Content Strategists, Marketers, Artists, and Filmmakers. Their need: Methods to overcome creative blocks and consistently produce original, engaging work.
These individuals need creative thinking skills for strategic decision-making, team leadership, and fostering a culture of innovation.
Focus on mid-level and senior managers who need to inspire innovation in their teams, run productive brainstorming sessions, and create a safe environment for idea sharing. Their need: Leadership skills to coach creativity and facilitate divergent thinking.
Leaders focused on high-level strategy, digital transformation, and competitive advantage. Their need: Strategic thinking models that incorporate creativity to foresee future market shifts.
Professionals hired to solve the most difficult problems for their clients. Their need: New, powerful models and techniques to deliver unique value and creative strategies.
These are the groups focused on learning, teaching, and preparing for the future workforce.
K-12 Teachers, University Professors, Corporate Trainers, and Curriculum Developers. Their need: Tools to teach creative problem-solving as a transferable skill and integrate it into various subjects.
Especially those in Business, Engineering, Arts, and STEM fields. Their need: A competitive edge in the job market, aligning with the WEF’s future skills list.
Individuals making the transition into the workforce who are highly aware of the need for “future-proof” skills. Their need: Practical steps to stand out in interviews and navigate a rapidly changing career landscape.
Individuals who actively seek to acquire new skills for personal growth, regardless of their current job title. Their need: A structured, effective way to ‘retrain their brain’ for a post-industrial economy.
These are groups facing specific complex challenges where creative solutions are mandatory.
Those dealing with complex societal issues, budget constraints, and bureaucratic challenges. Their need: Creative and collaborative methods for public service innovation.
Individuals who analyze large amounts of information and need to translate data into novel, actionable strategies. Their need: Techniques to add ‘imaginative’ interpretation to ‘analytical’ rigor (Analytical Thinking and Innovation is another top WEF skill, closely related).
Those who build systems and products that require not just technical competence, but also innovative design and user-centric solutions. Their need: Bridging the gap between technical possibility and creative utility.
If you’ve ever felt that creativity is in you but not fully accessible, this handbook is designed to be the bridge.
Automation and AI are rapidly taking over routine tasks, but they’re also making one human skill more valuable than ever: the ability to think creatively and solve new problems. A CHILD in Us is written for this moment, giving you a mental framework that complements technology instead of competing with it.
Whether you are designing products, leading teams, making career moves, or simply trying to navigate uncertainty with more confidence, this book helps you think with clarity, originality, and courage.
