The phrase 'thinking outside of the box' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone coming up with an imaginative, creative solution to a problem that goes beyond the conventional approach. For example, "The team used innovative thinking outside of the box to come up with a unique solution to the problem."
When I recently wrote on Huffington about the necessity of all of us "Thinking outside of the box," Kubrick is a perfect example of that.
And as for thinking outside of the box, think back to Newton's apple falling on his head or Archimedes jumping into his tub and displacing water.
"There is something refreshing and important about thinking outside of the box, and I do think that new ideas from all different backgrounds can reinvigorate the discussion and techniques we use to approach all these major issues," said Lauren DeBellis.
But the book got us thinking outside of the box.
This often requires thinking outside of the box, which is why we're referred to as great problem solvers.
"That means staying within the rules but thinking outside of the box because the control mechanisms are too tight to take a risk".
I share many of Rudresh Mahanthappa's views, i.e., blending contemporary with tradition, space for collaboration, thinking outside of the box, etc.
So, no, Wilmore isn't thinking outside of the box or ripping down the format of late-night television to build something completely original.
These do not replace raw creativity, but they make the process more productive and provide a practical process for involving the whole organization in thinking outside of the box.
"These companies have not been entrepreneurial; they haven't been thinking outside of the box," says Michael Greenman, executive director of the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council, a trade group based in Westerville, Ohio, that represents the country's major players.
