eureka ending

Cre8ng: Getting to Eureka and Beyond Robert Alan Black, Ph.D.

Cre8ng

Cre8ng: Getting to Eureka and Beyond:


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Cre8ng: Getting to “I Have Found It!”and Beyond:


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Who Might Be


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Cre8ngLand of E

ureka!


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Being creativeis a choice…


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a daily choice!


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Individuals, leaders,entire organizationscan make the choice.


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Find the people whocan answers yes to these questions.

Then have them sign their name on one of the faces. Only one per person.

“Who Are We?”

Same astrological

sign

Likes avacados

Is from a town

same sizeas yours

Has neverbeen toDisneyWorld

Has had the most

jobs

Has traveledIn at least

4 countries

Knows the names of10 US

presidents

Has read aStephen

Kingnovel

Knows whofirst stepped

On the Moon & when

OwnsAn

Applecomputer

Collects coins orstamps

Liked mathin school


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WhatCauses

YourCreative

Blocks

WhatCauses

YourCreative

Blocks??


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SOMETHING'S PERCOLATING

BRAIN'S RECHARGING

EXCESSIVE SELF-CRITICISM

PERFECTIONISM


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Creative block?


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What WeCan Do

w/ CreativeBlocks!!


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What Do You Do

w/ CreativeBlocks??


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1.2.3.4.5.6.


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Add one ritual behavior

Brainstorm

Change clothes

Do a basic simple chore

Write somewhere else


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Make a pointless rule (end in vowel)

Meditate

Quit beating yourself up

Read

Relax


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Take a walk

Take a break,

Talk to a toy, stuffed animal

Try free-writing


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Who Might Be


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32 TraitsSee possibilitiesSelf- knowledgeableSelf-actualizingSelf-disciplinedSense of destinySensitiveSeverely critical of…Specific interestsSynthesize correctly ( often instantly )Tolerant of ambiguity

AdaptableCuriousDivergent thinkerEnergeticFantasize, able toFlexible thinkerFluentFuture orientedHumorIdealisticImaginative

IndependentIngeniousLearning, alwaysNon-conformingNot motivated by moneyObservant, highlyOpen-endedOriginal Passionate about workPerceive world differentlyQuestion asker


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32 TraitsSeverely critical of…

self, their work, potential of field potential of other people


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32 TraitsSee possibilitiesSelf- knowledgeableSelf-actualizingSelf-disciplinedSense of destinySensitiveSeverely critical of…Specific interestsSynthesize correctly ( often instantly )Tolerant of ambiguity

AdaptableCuriousDivergent thinkerEnergeticFantasize, able toFlexible thinkerFluentFuture orientedHumorIdealisticImaginative

IndependentIngeniousLearning, alwaysNon-conformingNot motivated by moneyObservant, highlyOpen-endedOriginal Passionate about workPerceive world differentlyQuestion askerALL Learnable

ALL Learnable


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UsingUsingTools & TechniquesTools & Techniques



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What?What Else!Why?Why Not!

WW

WW

WH


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Forced Obj.MetaphorsExcursionsBionics

Cla

ssic

s!


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ImprovImaginationPerspectiveNon-Human


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Thinking ToolsDivergent & Convergent



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=Divergent Thinking Tool

Brainstorming

Quantity breeds Quality

Freewheeling of ideas

Hitchhike/Combine Ideas

No Judgement



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Brainwriting

Quantity breeds QualityFreewheeling of ideasHitchhike/Combine IdeasNo Judgement

Getting to Eureka and Beyond Robert Alan Black, Ph.D.


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Alphabetizing

ABCDEFG

HIJKLM

NOPQRST

UVWXYZ



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Accounting Restaurant DiscountAdvertising Hotel/Motel SoftwareArchitecture Insurance SportsAutomotive Interior Design TravelBeekeeping Health/Exercise TruckingCall Services Janitorial VendingDentistry Legal UndertakingEngineering Real Estate Yacht DesignForestry Retail/Discount Zoo Keeping

Too often we allow our experience and expertise to cloud our visions and thinking.

In order to break out of such traps we can take time to imagine how other industries, businesses,

professions, occupations might view the problem and possibly solve it.

OTHER INDUSTRIES


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stretch it raise the price make it breakablecombine it make it terryifying make it funnyappeal to kids separate it cushion itWinterize it appeal to seniors make it flyilluminate it darken it do it backwardgo clockwise slow it down magnetize itfreeze it loosen it make it invisiblemisspell it go under it put it in picturessweeten it put it to music make it weaker

Throughout our schoolingwe are asked “WHAT IS IT?”

To expand our creativenessand our creative skills we need only change the question to…”WHAT IF WE?” or “WHAT ELSE MIGHT IT BE?”

“What If We?”


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S.C.A.M.P.E.R. CHECKLISTING

S.C.A.M.P.E.R. is a form of CHECKLIST. A CHECKLLIST is a prepared list of words, verbs, questions that you can use that can spark new ideas, change your thinking or your point of view or even you mood and the direction your thinking at the moment and take you into many directions.

S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was created by Bob Eberle, teacher/educational consultant in the 1970 s to teach the concept of CHECKLISTING to school children by using a memory device (acronym) that they could easily remember when they needed to generate new ideas or remember existing or past ideas. It is used as the foundation for Michael Michalko’s excellent Creative Thinking Tools book…THINKERTOYS.

First StepWrite out the word S.C.A.M.P.E.R. vertically on a piece of paper or on a flip chart/chalkboard or other surface that the group can see.

Second StepWrite out what the 7 letters stand for.

Third StepThen use each of the 7 by asking questions using these verbs to improve/change/revise your challenge or problem to generate potential ideas and solutions.

Fourth StepRead over the ideas you have produced and select the bestTo work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.

=

S. = substituteC. = combineA. = adapt, adoptM. = minify, magnifyP. = put to other usesE. = eliminateR. = reverse

Divergent Thinking Tool


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Forced RelationshipsThis is an idea generating technique that appears in many books about creative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools.

First Stepchoose something totally unrelated to the problem or challengeYou or your group are working on.

Second StepList everything you or your group know about it.(Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?… physical, visual, tactile,…all senses, good and bad)

Third StepList everything you or your group know about your problem or challenge. (WWWWWH…and using all the senses)

Fourth StepTake items/details/aspects from the first list and FORCE FIT them to features Or details from the second list. Your goal is to see if the features from The randomly chosen, unrelated thing/animal sparks ideas for

improving, Changing, correcting features of the problem.

A traditional example or warm-up for doing this consists of…

1st. Ask the person or group to write everything they know about a canary (or a bird in their country.

2nd. Ask the person or group to write everything they know about the chair they are sitting in.

3rd. Then I ask them to combine (FORCE FIT or make a FORCED Relationship) one item from the canary list with The chair’s list with the goal to improve, change, correct the chair design or to generate ideas for designing the ultimate chair.

Sample

+ =

Feathers-Soft + chair is hard = make seat softYellow + chair is ship gray = add color



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Sample

+ =

Idea 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ideas1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Idea2

Idea4

Vertical 2 = make the chair out of woodHorizontal 4 = make the color changeable

Ideas might be….cover, removable film or skin

Idea GridsFirst StepWith this Cre8ng Tool we first generate 12 to 24 ideas through Brainstorming or any other technique.

Second StepThen draw a grid made up of as many vertical and horizontalCells as you have ideas.

Third StepCombine the ideas on the vertical side of the grid With the ideas on the horizontal side one by one and write them into the separate boxes where the two ideas meet.. 6 ideas canThen produce 36 ideas, 12 can produce 24, 100 - 10,000

Fourth StepRead over the ideas you have produced and select the bestTo work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.



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Idea or Morphological GridsThis is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used to generate large numbers of ideas. 6 columns of 10 examples of each variable can produce 1,000,000 possible combinations.

First StepGenerate list of variables of problem or story

Second StepGenerate lists for each of the variables: i.e.: heroes: cowboy,Rancher, sheriff, shopkeeper, teacher, minister.

Third StepNumber each list for each variable 1 to 2 to 3 to …...

Fourth StepRandomly pick one number for each variable column from 1 to ?

Fifth StepThen write a story using one from each of the columns Sample

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.


hero

es

hero

ines

villi

ans

crim

eslo

catio

ns

Variables of story


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Wild

, Whack

y,

Weir

d to Real

Wild

, Whack

y,

Weir

d to Real


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Easier to take a WILD, WHACKY, WEIRD

Idea& TAME IT DOWN

Then to make a boring idea EXCITING


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Then to make a boring idea

EXCITING



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Useless

InventionsUseless

Inventions



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1. A black highlighter pen 20. Powdered Water2. A book on how to read 21. Reusable ice cubes3. A dictionary index 22. Seatbelts for motorbikes4. A pedal powered wheelchair 23. See through toilet tissue5. AC adaptor for solar calculators 24. Silent alarm clock6. Battery powered battery charger 25. Skinless bananas7. Braille drivers manual 26. Smooth sandpaper

` 8. Do-it-yourself road map 27. Solar powered flash light9. Double sided playing cards 28. Submarine screen doors

10. Ejector seats for helicopters 29. Waterproof towel11. Fireproof matches 30. Toe implants12. Fireproof cigarettes 31. Turnip ice cream13. Glow in the dark sunglasses 32. Watermelon seed sorter14. Hand powered chain saw 33. Waterproof sponge15. Inflatable anchor 34. Waterproof tea bags16. Inflatable dart boards` 35.17. Mechanical pencil sharpener 36.18. Non-stick cellotape 37.19. Zero proof alcohol

Useless Inventions?


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1. A black highlighter pen

2. A book on how to read

3. A dictionary index

4. A pedal powered wheelchair

5. AC adaptor for solar calculators

Useless Inventions?


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Value GridsThis is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used to select ideas to turn into solutions

First StepGenerate ideas

Second StepSelect a workable number of ideas you or the group like

Third StepGenerate a list of values that final solution can be evaluated with.

Fourth StepExamine each idea one by one for each value.OrExamine each value one by one comparing the chairs.

Fifth StepIf one idea ends up better from the analysis than one that you or the group have a strong feeling for then go back and re-evaluate the weak areas and strengthen or change them.

Sample

+ =

Idea A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Values1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

IdeaB

Value4

Idea B = make the chair out of woodValue 4 = better aesthetics

Wood would make it easier to tool, the grain willGive a natural beauty to the chair

Convergent Thinking Tool


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PCP-Pluses/Concerns/Potentials

Pluses/Concerns/Potentials a convergent thinking tool used for analyzing a list or group of ideas that have been generated by an individual or a group.

First StepNarrow down the number of ideas to a comfortable number (3 to 6)

Second StepThen one by one write out 3 lists of thoughts about each idea.

a. Pluses of the ideasb. Concernsc. Potentials

Third StepThen compare the results.

Fourth StepIf one idea falls behind the others yet the group seems more excited about it or committed to it, then go over each of the concerns and think of ways to eliminate or strength them with that idea.

Sample

=

Idea 1Make the chair out of XXX plastic and apply electrical lighting to it.

Pluses - Plastic will be cheaperLighting will make it more useableThe plastic will provide more color options

Concerns - We have no experience with plasticElectrical wiring will add costIt may be too easily tipped over

Potentials - Could lead to a product that could be sold anywhere in the world.Could expand our technical capacitiesCould open up new markets for our other products.



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Hits & MissesHits & Misses is a convergent thinking tool used for quickly choosing ideas from several that have been generated.

First StepGenerate many ideas….24, 48, 144…..on Post-It notes or slips of paper or index cards or simply write them on a surface where everyone can see them easily.

Second StepTell the group to go up and scan the total group of ideas and mark which ones their “gut” tells them is a hit. No discussion. Just simply read and react.OrTell the group to go up and move the ideas they think are HITS to an area labeled HITS and the MISSES to another area labeled thus. Leave the “NOT SURE” ones where they are.

Third StepThen discuss, organize by popularity, group, cluster the ideas by categories.

Fourth StepSelect the one or more that can be used at the same time or the ones that can be combined into a single idea

Sample

Hits Unsure? Misses



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Jumpstarting Jumpstarting your Creativenessyour Creativeness



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NormalOrdinaryRegularBoring

Unique

Unusual

Wild

Exciting


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Be ChildlikeChildlikeBe ChildlikeChildlike



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http://www.cre8ng.com


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MONDAYsquiggle versus straight line How have you been a squiggle versus a straight line? What does it mean to be a squiggle? A straight line?

TUESDAY out of the box versus in the box Are you an "in the box" or an "out of the box" thinker? How have you been an "out of the box" thinker in the past? How might you be in the future?

WEDNESDAY off the wall versus on the wall What about being on or off the wall? How have you been an "off the waller"?

Alan’s Cre8ng Challenges

THURSDAYin step versus out of step What are some ways or times that you chose to "step out of line"?

FRIDAY fit in versus dance to a different tune How and when have you danced to a different tune or chosen not to fit in?

Have fun exploring your creative life this week.



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Think/A

ct Like

Mavericks

Think/A

ct Like

Mavericks



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What Some Corps Do…


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% Of Profit

15% Rule

Creativity or Idea Clubs

Company Books (Dupont)

Contests

Creativity/Innovation

Newsletters - Print/Electronic

Creativity/Innovation Rooms

Groups---Oz Group

Guest Speakers

Idea Meetings

Idea Systems

In-House Training

Innovation Fairs

Libraries

Management Support

Newsletters - External

Posters

Problem Solving Teams

Rebel Groups-Unofficial

Retreats

Rewards & Reward Systems

Seminars

Support Conference Attendance

Training Programs

Workshops



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% Of Profit

10% 15% 20% Rule

Creativity or Idea

ClubsCompany Books

(Dupont)

Retreats


Seminars


Training Programs

Workshops



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% Of Profit

15% Rule

Creativity or Idea Clubs

Company Books (Dupont)

Contests

Creativity/Innovation

Newsletters - Print/Electronic

Creativity/Innovation Rooms

Groups---Oz Group

Guest Speakers

Idea Meetings

Idea Systems

In-House Training

Innovation Fairs

Libraries

Management Support

Newsletters - External

Posters

Problem Solving Teams

Rebel Groups-Unofficial

Retreats


Seminars


Training Programs

Workshops


None do it

Systematically

or Throughout

or for more than

18 monthsNone do it

Systematically

or Throughout

or for more than

18 months


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S.P.R.E.A.D.SPREAD

UPPORTINGROMOTINGECOGNIZINGNCOURAGINGPPLYINGEVELOPING



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They laughed at Columbus, Fulton, the Wright Brothers. They also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”

Carl Sagan, founder & first President of The Planetary Society


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If your goal is to create something new and big, you're going to have to do something

that everybody else will laugh at – so that becomes the test. Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape


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“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, humanist


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Dr. Seuss

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.”


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“All it takes is one idea to solve an impossible problem.”

“All it takes is one idea to solve an impossible problem.”

-- Robert H. Schuller-- Robert H. Schuller



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The highly Creative Thinkerlooks at every ideaas a possibility.

Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP


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It’s YourBeginning!

eureka ending

Business