Problem-solving is part of our nature. That’s great, but it can stifle creativity when we are stuck with something we can fix. If you’ve had one of those the-more-you-try-the worse-it-gets-situations, you’ll know what I mean.
Problem-solving is about thinking. One way to think about this is that if a problem seems intractable then you are probably thinking about it the wrong way.
Maybe ‘wrong’ is the wrong word, but that’s how the mind often works – by placing things in opposition to each other in an either/or way (such as when we judge things to be right/wrong).
What I should say is that is that there are different ways of thinking about a problem, and they are not all equally valid. Taking a solution focused perspective (which has it that the attempted solution is part of the problem), can allow you to step back and look at the situation from new perspectives.
Think of it this way; if the questions you ask determine the type of response you get, then when you are stuck with something it can help to change your questions.
