In this lecture, I changed the format and invited my class to learn form playing games and exercises to boost creativity. The students loved these games, and participated enthusiastically in this format of learning!

1. Creativity#4: Creativity Exercises and Games
Tathagat Varma
Knowledgepreneur
http://thoughtleadership.in

3. LEGO, 1974
http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/that-powerful-lego-letter-to-parents-from-the-1970s-its-real--eJ9eAn1Vug

4. LEGO, 1981

7. Read this first!
"I cdn'uolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdanieg: the phaonmneel pweor of the hmuan mnid.
Aoccdrnig to a rseearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it
deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the
olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the
rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed
it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos
not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Scuh a
cdonition is arppoiatrely cllaed Typoglycemia .
"Amzanig huh? Yaeh and you awlyas thguoht slpeling was
ipmorantt.”

8. Let’s confuse the brain J

9. Let’s draw

10. Easy does it!
http://glencoe.com/sec/busadmin/entre/teacher/creative/stimulate/exer8.htm

11. 30 Circles Test
https://hbr.org/2013/11/three-creativity-challenges-from-ideos-leaders

12. How did do you?
https://creativiteconsultants.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/30-circles-doodled.png

13. Draw a coin
Work as pairs
One person draws
something, and passes
on the paper to the
second one
The second one does the
same
Time: 3 min

14. Rube Goldberg

15. https://www.rubegoldberg.com/artwork/how-to-get-rid-of-a-mouse-2/

16. A breakfast machine!
https://youtu.be/2K7ntQyglWg

17. https://youtu.be/FjuCwnoNWQw

18. Chindogu?
Coined by Kenji Kawakami, Editor of “Mail Order Life”
Means “Unusual Tool”
Chindogus solve everyday problems
“Unuseless” = useful (i.e. not useless) but very crazy or
inconvenient to be usable
If it is worth stealing, then it is not Chindogu!

19. No real use!

20. It must exist!

21. Anarchic!

22. Universally useless!

23. Not for sale!

24. Not funny!

25. No propaganda!

26. Always decent!

27. Free for all!

28. For everyone!

29. Why build something “unuseless”?
What’s the use of a newborn baby?
– Benjamin Franklin, 21 Nov 1783

30. “I have coined the term
“bisociation” in order to make a
distinction between the routine
skills of thinking on a single
“plane”…and the creative act,
which…always operates on more
than one plane.”
- Arthur Koestler,

31. Bisociation Examples
Louise Braille: pinecone + reading => Braille system
George de Mestral: burr from burdock plant + zipper
=> Velcro
Jake Ritty: ship’s engine room + cash problem =>
(eventually) NCR!
Edwin Budding: clothes factory + outdoors => lawn
mower
Christopher Sholes: saw piano and thought if it each
key could write a letter => Typewriter

32. Let’s play Bisociation
Think of an object
Think of any activity you can do with it
Exchange the “object” with anyone in the room
Exchange the “activity” with another person in the
room
Now think of something you can do with what you
have!

33. Now let’s work together as a
team
Form teams of 5-6 each
Think of a problem you want to solve, maybe even a
fictional one – product, service, design…even think of a
story if you want, or draw something if that works for
your team
Each team needs only one paper
Taking turns, each person writes their idea in just a
line. The next person builds on it.
Time: 5 min

34. Bebrief
Use the whiteboard
What did you like / dislike
How was working alone vs working as a team?
How was working on a given task vs. creating
something?
What did you learn?