The document discusses the importance of creativity as a choice that can be fostered at individual, leadership, and organizational levels. It outlines various creative thinking traits, tools, and techniques to overcome creative blocks and enhance innovation. Key concepts include the use of divergent and convergent thinking tools, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. checklist for idea generation, and various warm-up exercises to encourage creative thinking.

1. C r e 8 n g : Getting to Eureka and Beyond: Dr. Robert Alan Black

2. Who Might Be Creative

3. All of US!!!

4. Land of Eureka! Land of Eureka!

5. Being creative is a choice… Individuals, leaders, entire organizations can make the choice. a daily choice!

6. Getting to Eureka & Beyond Overcoming Blocks 32 Creative Thinking Traits 12 Creative Thinking Tools 4 Systems: Whacky to Real 12 Jumpstarters 6 Ways to set up a… Cre8ng Community

7. Don’t Just Sit There! Be Creative!!! Developing Creative Thinking in & S.P.R.E.A.D.ng it throughout Your Entire Organization

8. The Whole Box G.A.P.S of Creativity Breaking the Box Warming UP for Creativity Sparking Creative Thinking

9. GIFT ATTITUDE PROCESS STRATEGY G.A.P.S. of… G A P S

10. BREAKING THE BOX

11. Paradigm 2016 a. If it ain’t broke.....leave it alone. b. If it ain’t broke….break it. c. Better fix it before it breaks d. Keep using it until it breaks

12. Find the people who can 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 size as yours Has never been to Disney World Has had the most jobs Has traveled In at least 4 countries Knows the names of 10 US presidents Has read a Stephen King novel Knows who first stepped On the Moon & when Owns An Apple computer Collects coins or stamps Liked math in school

13. No More Creative Blocks!

14. What Causes Your Creative Blocks ?

15. NO TIME GRIEF DEPRESSION ILLNESS NATURAL RHYTHM

16. SOMETHING'S PERCOLATING BRAIN'S RECHARGING EX CESSIVE SELF-CRITICI SM PERFECTIONISM

17. Creative block?

18. What We Can Do w/ Creative Blocks !

19. What Do You Do w/ Creative Block ?

20. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

21. Add one ritual behavior Brainstorm Change clothes Do one chore Write somewhere else

22. Make a pointless rule (end in vowel) Meditate Quit beating yourself up Read Relax

23. Take a walk Taking a break, Talk to a toy, stuffed animal Try " chunking " Try free-writing

24. Creative Thinking Tools Can help Remove or Eliminate Creative Block

25. OBSESSING ON ONE PIECE / STORY TOO HARD EXPECTATIONS: FANTASY & REALITY LOSING FAITH IN THE PROCESS THE WELL IS EMPTY STRESS & PANIC BEAT YOURSELF UP SET UNREALISTIC SCHEDULES NO TIME GRIEF, DEPRESSION, & ILLNESS NATURAL RHYTHM SOMETHING'S PERCOLATING BRAIN'S RECHARGING EXCESSIVE SELF-CRITICISM PERFECTIONISM WRITING WHAT YOU SHOULD INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU LOVE Causes

26. Add one ritual behavior Brainstorm Change clothes Do one chore Do something important that’s very easy Do something out of the ordinary Get away from the computer Listen to new music Make a pointless rule (end in vowel) Meditate Quit beating yourself up Read Relax Return to writing after a lapse Set a time, write whatever comes to mind, w/o stopping Stretch Take a shower Take a walk Taking a break, Talk to a toy, stuffed animal Try " chunking " Try freewriting Watch movies, plays or tv for inspiration. Work on the title Write a basic plot outline of the story Write about an experience of your own Write crap Write five words Write from a persona Write or type out a complete short story by one's favorite author Write someplace new Write the middle Aides/Cures

27. See possibilities Self- knowledgeable Self-actualizing Self-disciplined Sense of destiny Sensitive Severely critical of… self, their work, potential of field potential of other people Specific interests Synthesize correctly often intuitively Tolerant of ambiguity Adaptable Curious Divergent thinker Energetic Fantasize, able to Flexible thinker Fluent Future oriented Humor Idealistic Imaginative Independent Ingenious Learning, always Non-conforming Not motivated by money Observant, highly Open-ended Original - uniqueness Passionate about their work Perceive world differently Question asker

28. 32 Traits See possibilities Self- knowledgeable Self-actualizing Self-disciplined Sense of destiny Sensitive Severely critical of… Specific interests Synthesize correctly often intuitively Tolerant of ambiguity Adaptable Curious Divergent thinker Energetic Fantasize, able to Flexible thinker Fluent Future oriented Humor Idealistic Imaginative Independent Ingenious Learning, always Non-conforming Not motivated by money Observant, highly Open-ended Original - uniqueness Passionate about their work Perceive world differently Question asker

29. 32 Traits See possibilities Self- knowledgeable Self-actualizing Self-disciplined Sense of destiny Sensitive Severely critical of… self, their work, potential of field potential of other people Specific interests Synthesize correctly often intuitively Tolerant of ambiguity Adaptable Curious Divergent thinker Energetic Fantasize, able to Flexible thinker Fluent Future oriented Humor Idealistic Imaginative Independent Ingenious Learning, always Non-conforming Not motivated by money Observant, highly Open-ended Original - uniqueness Passionate about their work Perceive world differently Question asker 28 All born with….

30. 32 Traits See possibilities Self- knowledgeable Self-actualizing Self-disciplined Sense of destiny Sensitive Severely critical of… self, their work, potential of field potential of other people Specific interests Synthesize correctly often intuitively Tolerant of ambiguity Adaptable Curious Divergent thinker Energetic Fantasize, able to Flexible thinker Fluent Future oriented Humor Idealistic Imaginative Independent Ingenious Learning, always Non-conforming Not motivated by money Observant, highly Open-ended Original - uniqueness Passionate about their work Perceive world differently Question asker All are learnable…

31. Thinking Tools Divergent & Convergent Creative

32. Using Tools & Techniques

33. What? What Else! Why? Why Not! W W W W W H

34. Forced Obj. Metaphors Excursions Bionics Classics!

35. Improv Imagination Perspective Non-Human

36. 5 Sensing Idea Grids! Excursions? Super Heroes!

37. Cartoons Imaging! Famous Folk Alphabetizing!

38. = Divergent Thinking Tool Brainstorming Quantity breeds Quality Freewheeling of ideas Hitchhike/Combine Ideas No Judgement

39. = Divergent Thinking Tool Brainwriting Quantity breeds Quality Freewheeling of ideas Hitchhike/Combine Ideas No Judgement

40. = Divergent Thinking Tool Alphabetizing A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

41. Accounting Restaurant Discount Advertising Hotel/Motel Software Architecture Insurance Sports Automotive Interior Design Travel Beekeeping Health/Exercise Trucking Call Services Janitorial Vending Dentistry Legal Undertaking Engineering Real Estate Yacht Design Forestry 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

42. stretch it raise the price make it breakable combine it make it terryifying make it funny appeal to kids separate it cushion it Winterize it appeal to seniors make it fly illuminate it darken it do it backward go clockwise slow it down magnetize it freeze it loosen it make it invisible misspell it go under it put it in pictures sweeten it put it to music make it weaker Throughout our schooling we are asked “WHAT IS IT?” To expand our creativeness and our creative skills we need only change the question to… ” WHAT IF WE?” or “WHAT ELSE MIGHT IT BE?” “ What If We?”

43. English is a Funny Language There is no egg in eggplant No ham in hamburger Apple nor Pine in pineapple English muffins weren’t invented in England nor French Fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads are not sweet. Quicksand works slowly, Boxing rings are square Writers write, fingers do not fing Grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham If you get rid of all but one of your odds and ends Is it an ODD or an END? What are some you can think of? The English language is funny and filled with oddities.

44. 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 Step Write 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 Step Write out what the 7 letters stand for. Third Step Then 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 Step Read over the ideas you have produced and select the best To work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use. = S. = substitute C. = combine A. = adapt, adopt M. = minify, magnify P. = put to other uses E. = eliminate R. = reverse Divergent Thinking Tool

45. Forced Relationships This is an idea generating technique that appears in many books about creative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools. First Step choose something totally unrelated to the problem or challenge You or your group are working on. Second Step List everything you or your group know about it. (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?… physical, visual, tactile,…all senses, good and bad) Third Step List everything you or your group know about your problem or challenge. (WWWWWH…and using all the senses) Fourth Step Take 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 soft Yellow + chair is ship gray = add color Divergent Thinking Tool

46. Sample + = Idea 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ideas 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Idea 2 Idea 4 Vertical 2 = make the chair out of wood Horizontal 4 = make the color changeable Ideas might be….cover, removable film or skin Idea Grids First Step With this Cre8ng Tool we first generate 12 to 24 ideas through Brainstorming or any other technique. Second Step Then draw a grid made up of as many vertical and horizontal Cells as you have ideas. Third Step Combine 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 can Then produce 36 ideas, 12 can produce 24, 100 - 10,000 Fourth Step Read over the ideas you have produced and select the best To work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use. Divergent Thinking Tool

47. Idea or Morphological Grids This 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 Step Generate list of variables of problem or story Second Step Generate lists for each of the variables: i.e.: heroes: cowboy, Rancher, sheriff, shopkeeper, teacher, minister. Third Step Number each list for each variable 1 to 2 to 3 to …... Fourth Step Randomly pick one number for each variable column from 1 to ? Fifth Step Then write a story using one from each of the columns Sample 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Divergent Thinking Tool heroes heroines villians crimes locations Variables of story

48. Wild, Whacky, Weird To Real

49. Easier to take a WILD , WHACKY , WEIRD Idea & TAME IT DOWN Then to make a boring idea EXCITING

50. Useless Inventions

51. Useless Inventions

52. 1. A black highlighter pen 20. Powdered Water 2. A book on how to read 21. Reusable ice cubes 3. A dictionary index 22. Seatbelts for motorbikes 4. A pedal powered wheelchair 23. See through toilet tissue 5. AC adaptor for solar calculators 24. Silent alarm clock 6. Battery powered battery charger 25. Skinless bananas 7. Braille drivers manual `26. Smooth sandpaper ` 8. Do-it-yourself road map 27. Solar powered flash light 9. Double sided playing cards 28. Submarine screen doors 10. Ejector seats for helicopters 29. Waterproof towel 11. Fireproof matches 30. Toe implants 12. Fireproof cigarettes 31. Turnip ice cream 13. Glow in the dark sunglasses 32. Watermelon seed sorter 14. Hand powered chain saw 33. Waterproof sponge 15. Inflatable anchor 34. Waterproof tea bags 16. Inflatable dart boards` 35. 17. Mechanical pencil sharpener 36. 18. Non-stick cello-tape 37. 19. Zero proof alcohol Useless Inventions?

53. Value Grids This is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used to select ideas to turn into solutions First Step Generate ideas Second Step Select a workable number of ideas you or the group like Third Step Generate a list of values that final solution can be evaluated with. Fourth Step Examine each idea one by one for each value. Or Examine each value one by one comparing the chairs. Fifth Step If 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. Values 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Idea B Value 4 Idea B = make the chair out of wood Value 4 = better aesthetics Wood would make it easier to tool, the grain will Give a natural beauty to the chair Convergent Thinking Tool

54. 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 Step Narrow down the number of ideas to a comfortable number (3 to 6) Second Step Then one by one write out 3 lists of thoughts about each idea. Pluses of the ideas Concerns Potentials Third Step Then compare the results. Fourth Step If 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 1 Make the chair out of XXX plastic and apply electrical lighting to it. Pluses - Plastic will be cheaper Lighting will make it more useable The plastic will provide more color options Concerns - We have no experience with plastic Electrical wiring will add cost It may be too easily tipped over Potentials - Could lead to a product that could be sold anywhere in the world. Could expand our technical capacities Could open up new markets for our other products. Convergent Thinking Tool

55. Hits & Misses Hits & Misses is a convergent thinking tool used for quickly choosing ideas from several that have been generated. First Step Generate 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 Step Tell 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. Or Tell 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 Step Then discuss, organize by popularity, group, cluster the ideas by categories. Fourth Step Select 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 Convergent Thinking Tool

56. Jumpstarting Your Creativeness

57. Normal Ordinary Regular Boring Unique Unusual Wild Exciting

58. Be Childish Be Childlike

60. http://www.cre8ng.com

61. MONDAY squiggle 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 C r e 8 n g Challenges THURSDAY in 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.

63. Think/Act Like Mavericks

64. Created Laughter Table Envy

66. Cre8ng Communities

67. What Some Corps Do…

68. What Some Corps Do…

69. % 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 What Some Corps Do…

70. % 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 What Some Corps Do… None do it Systematically or Throughout or for more than 18 months

71. UPPORTING ROMOTING ECOGNIZING NCOURAGING PPLYING EVELOPING S.P.R.E.A.D. S P R E A D

72. May you live In the Land of Eureka Whenever You Choose!

73. They laughed at Columbus, Fulton, the Wright Brothers. They also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” Carl Sagan, founder & first President of The Planetary Society

74. 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

75. “ 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

76. Dr. Seuss "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”

77. “ All it takes is one idea to solve an impossible problem.” -- Robert H. Schuller

78. The highly Creative Thinker looks at every idea as a possibility. Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP

79. Your Beginning!