Creative
Imagination
1. Some bits and pieces about creativity in solving
problems:
(1) State
problem, etc. or Have a random session where anything comes to mind.
(2) Brainstorm -- write down many possible
solutions -- anything goes.
(3) Time out -- sleep, do other
chores, etc.
(4) Brainstorm some more. Possibly look at
list of Creative Imagination next page.
(5) Restrict choices and choose. Creative
Imagination list?
(6) Set new problem. Go to (1).
-
Some advice: (1) Don't let assumptions stifle your
creativity. Throw every one of them out.
(2) Look at all possible alternatives. Tell yourself you are creative.
(3) Make it a hobby? Pick a problem and solve it. Set modest goals.
Brainstorm:
- ask yourself questions.
- also look at the obvious.
- quantify.
- what else?
- plenty of variation.
- talk your problem out -- prayer (talking to yourself) and
meditation.
- social encouragement -- talking it out.
-
eventually narrow your target.
- Some categories --
Bloom's Taxonomy:
Knowledge
Understanding
--
SET - each new time, link to something
Application
to
last time (by repeating?)
-------------------
-- Summarize at end --
go over what
Analysis
should be known, understood, etc.
Synthesis
Evaluation
CREATIVE IMAGINATION
Brainstorm -- possibly look at
after some brainstorming
4 ways of association:
(1) Contiguity -- nearness
(2) Similarity
(3) Contrast
(4) Cause and effect
1. ALTERNATE
USES:
(1) To what other uses could this be
put? (thought, talent, principle, thing)
(2) In what other products could this be
used?
(3) In what other ways could this be used?
(4) To what use can waste be put?
(5) What new use? What other use?
2. PARALLELS --
make similar to:
(1) What is there like this, from
which I might get an idea?
(2) Is there something similar I could
partially copy?
(3) Whose style can I emulate?
(4) What can I make this look like?
(5) What can I copy into this?
(6) What other process could be adapted to
this job?
3. MODIFY -- make
different. not:
(1) What if this were somewhat
changed?
(2) How can this be altered for the
better?
(3) How about a new twist?
(4) How could we do this differently?
(5) What change can be made in the
process?
(6) How about changing the shape? In what
ways?
(7) In what forms could this be? In what
other package?
(8) Could the package be combined with the
product to provide a new twist?
(9) What other changes can we make to
provide more sense appeal?
-colour, motion?
- eye appeal
- odor?
- smell appeal
- sound?
- ear appeal
-
taste?
- touch appeal
4. ADD,
MULTIPLY, OR MAGNIFY +,_X, > :
(1) How about making it bigger?
(2) What strength can be added?
(3) What about extra value?
(4) Could this be multiplied?
S (5) How
about more time?
I (6)
What if this were done more often? Greater frequency?
Z (7) How
could this be reinforced?
E (8) What
can I add to make this stronger?
(9) What if this were higher?
(10) Should it be wider?
(11) Suppose it were longer?
(12) How about a jumbo?
____(13) What ingredient can be added?
E (14) What
if I should duplicate this? What about more of the same?
X (15) How about
doubling it?
A (16) How can I
"kill 2 birds with one stone"?
G (17) What if
this were duplicated on a large scale?
G (18) What if
this were blown up to the n'th degree?
E (19) What
if this were preposterously over-stated?
R (20) How
could I carry this to such an extreme that it would really make a dent?
ATE
5.
SUBTRACT, DIVIDE, MINIFY -. /, <:
(1) What if this were smaller?
(2) What could I omit?
(3) What about dividing?
(4) How could we make this more compact?
(5) How about miniature?
(6) What if this were lower?
(7) How about less length?
(8) How about condensing?
(9) How about separating this from that?
(10) What if the weight were less?
(11) Could this be done faster? How could
this be speeded up?
(12) What waste motions could be cut out?
(13) What can be eliminated?
(14) Suppose we leave this out?
(15) Why not fewer parts?
(16) Instead of eliminating parts, even
whole units can sometimes be eliminated.
(17) Elimination of the objectionable?
(18) How can this be streamlined?
(19) What could be left unsaid?
(20) What if this were divided?
(21) Suppose I split this up?
(22) How about separating into
assortments?
(23) How about partial division?
(24) How can we go at it piecemeal?
(25) What if this were said far short of
the expected? Understatement -- humor.
6. SUBSTITUTE:
(1) Substituting --
changing this for that?
(2) What can I substitute? Trial and
error?
(3) What else instead?
(4) What other part instead of this?
(5) Replace something with nothing?
(6) Changing components?
(7) What other ingredient?
(8) What other process? --
Roasted, toasted, steamed, under pressure?
(9) What other power might work better?
(10) Who else?
(11)
Who else could do this better?
(12) Where else? -- may change emotional setting. I
(13) Substitute
one interest for another?
(14) Sublimate?
7. RE-ARRANGE - PARTS. MANY
ALTERNATIVES POSSIBLE. TRANSPOSE:
(1) How else can this be arranged?
(2) What if the order were changed?
(3) What about sequence?
(4) What should come after this?
(5)
Should this come before that?
(6) What other layout may be better?
(7) Where should this part be placed in
relation to that?
(8) Should the cart be put before the
horse?
(9)What other floor plan would work
better?
(10) What about cause and effect? -- what
if they were transposed?
(11) What other possible causes?
(12) What method of pay would provide the
most incentive?
(13) What about timing?
(14) How about a change of pace?
(15) What if the tempo were changed?
(16) How about schedules?
(17) Should this be done earlier or later?
(18) What would be the best time for that?
Time for irritation?
8. VICE
VERSA -- DO
OPPOSITE:
(1) What about the opposite?
(2) What if this were reversed?
(3) What if this were upside-down? or
up-ended?
(4) Why not turn it around?
(5) Why not try it on the other end?
(6) How about building it upside down?
(7) Why not have light go upward instead
of downward?
(8) How about reversing the roles?
(9) How about transposing the use?
(10) Into whose should I put myself?
(11) How about a turnabout?
(12) How about saying it in reverse?
(13) How about doing the unexpected?
(14) What surprise can I pull?
(15) Opposite to the usual?
(16) Reverse tradition?
(17) How can I turn the tables?
(18) What if I turned the other cheek?
9.
COMBINING:
(1) What if this and that were put
together?
(2) What other commodity might well be
merged with this?
(3) Combine this idea with that idea?
(4) What materials could I combine?
(5) What other article could
advantageously be combined with this?
(6) What goes with this that might better
be combined into a single unit?
(7) What can I combine to multiply the
use?
(8) What could be done with combination in
packaging?
(9) What could we do by way of putting
things together in ensembles?
(10) How about assortments of assortments?
(11) Science creates largely by
combination-compounding.
(12) Grafting?
10.
LEAVING AS IS:
(1) Should things be left unchanged?
(2) What can I make a habit or routine so
I don't have to think anew each time I do it?
(3) Should I keep doing the same thing?
(4) "If a thing are not broken, why
fix it"?
O.
Hooge,
Chilliwack, B.C., Canada