Solventa
Solventa Creative Thinking Guides
Australia — EN

Solventa — Writing on thinking

Ideas on
creative
thinking

Practical articles on how the mind generates, refines and applies original ideas — without the usual self-help noise.

Abstract visual representing creative thinking process

All articles

Mind Mapping Tools That Actually Fit a Freelancer's Workflow
Mind Mapping Creative Thinking

Mind Mapping Tools That Actually Fit a Freelancer's Workflow

Comparing Miro, XMind, and Coggle for independent creatives

A practical look at mind mapping software freelancers can use to organise ideas, plan projects, and break through creative blocks without overcomplicating their process.

Petra Vanlinden 3 min read
95 68
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Lateral Thinking Resources Freelancers Can Use Between Projects
Lateral Thinking Creative Thinking

Lateral Thinking Resources Freelancers Can Use Between Projects

Books, card decks, and prompt tools worth adding to your creative toolkit

A curated list of books, decks, and online tools that help freelancers practise lateral thinking when they have gaps between client work.

Dougal Firth 4 min read
641 358
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SCAMPER in Practice: Tools That Make the Technique Less Abstract
SCAMPER Creative Thinking

SCAMPER in Practice: Tools That Make the Technique Less Abstract

Notion templates and AI prompting strategies for structured ideation

SCAMPER is a well-known ideation framework, but it works best when paired with the right digital tools. Here is what freelancers should consider using.

Imara Solberg 3 min read
355 74
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Random Input Technique: Tools That Introduce Useful Constraints
Random Input Creative Thinking

Random Input Technique: Tools That Introduce Useful Constraints

Visuwords, Unsplash, and a 20-minute routine for breaking default thinking

Introducing randomness into your creative process sounds counterintuitive, but the right tools make it a reliable method for generating fresh ideas on tight deadlines.

Callum Nweze 4 min read
435 366
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Six Thinking Hats Without a Team: Apps That Make Solo Use Workable
Six Thinking Hats Creative Thinking

Six Thinking Hats Without a Team: Apps That Make Solo Use Workable

Milanote and Airtable setups for running structured solo thinking sessions

De Bono's Six Thinking Hats framework was designed for groups, but freelancers can adapt it for solo use with the right digital tools and a clear process.

Yseult Brennan 4 min read
109 825
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Podcasts and Short Courses on Creative Thinking Worth a Freelancer's Time
Learning Resources Creative Thinking

Podcasts and Short Courses on Creative Thinking Worth a Freelancer's Time

Filtering the noise to find resources built around method rather than motivation

A selective list of podcasts and online courses that teach creative thinking techniques without requiring a significant time investment from busy freelancers.

Tomas Eikeland 4 min read
807 357
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"Original thinking rarely arrives as a sudden flash. It accumulates through deliberate questioning of assumptions that most people treat as fixed."
— Solventa, on the practice of structured ideation

What this publication covers

Solventa has been documenting practical methods for generating and testing ideas since 2015. Each article addresses a specific obstacle — not a general attitude.

The articles here examine how people actually think when they are stuck — and which small procedural changes tend to shift that.

  1. 1 Constraint-based ideation — why reducing options often produces more original outputs than open brainstorming.
  2. 2 Analogical reasoning — borrowing structural patterns from unrelated fields to reframe a problem.
  3. 3 Assumption audits — identifying the beliefs embedded in a problem statement before attempting solutions.

At a glance

6 Articles published
4 Thinking techniques covered
8+ Years of research
1 Focused subject area

Want to go further?

The services page outlines structured sessions for teams and individuals who want to apply these methods to real problems — with a facilitator rather than alone.

See services About the author