creative skills dossier

Creative Skills Dossier

Tamara Pater, 479562, 2ICMA

25-10-2010

Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4

What is a creative session? ................................................................................................................. 4

Creative techniques ............................................................................................................................. 4

Direct analogy .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Something good ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Slice and dice ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 6

Gallery method ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 6

NAF-technique ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 6

Wishful thinking ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Random stimulation ................................................................................................................................ 7

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 7

COCD-Box ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Superheroes ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Post-it brainstorm ................................................................................................................................... 8

Example ............................................................................................................................................... 8

How can a trainingslesson be the most inspiring trainingslesson ever? ................................................. 9

Mind map ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Ideas .................................................................................................................................................... 9

What is the wildes idea I can think of? ................................................................................................ 9

Most appealing idea ............................................................................................................................ 9

Assignment training 1 ............................................................................................................................ 11

What have I learned and what can I do when I have finished the training creative skills? .............. 11

Some examples of creative techniques ............................................................................................. 11

How does our brain work in relation to creative skills? .................................................................... 11

CPS model .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Energizer ............................................................................................................................................ 12

Three techniques that can be used in the problem area of the CPS model ..................................... 12

Assignment training 6 ............................................................................................................................ 13

Goal orientation ................................................................................................................................ 13

Wishful thinking ................................................................................................................................ 13

Redefining .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Brainstorm ......................................................................................................................................... 14

Personal analogy ............................................................................................................................... 14

Restructure ........................................................................................................................................ 15

NAF-technique ................................................................................................................................... 16

Something good ................................................................................................................................ 17

Introduction On this weblog you can read the explanations and examples of techniques used during the creative

sessions. The explanations are written in such way that those who have zero knowledge of these

techniques can understand them easily.

What is a creative session?

A creative session is a session to generate ideas on how to solve a particular problem. When

organising a creative session, you can use the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model. This

model divides the session into six areas, each area beholds some phases. To make sure the creative

session goes the way it should go, there are some rules to it:

Defer judgement

Be open when in session (respect privacy)

Give extra thought to naive ideas

Everybody’s equal, there’s no place for arrogance

Go for quantity

BE CREATIVE!

Creative techniques

Craetive techniques are methods to stimulate the creativity during a session. These methods help

people to come up with more and different ideas. The creative techniques that will be discussed on

this blog are:

Direct analogy

Something good

Slice & dice

Gallery method

NAF-technique

Wishful thinking

Random stimulation

COCD-Box

Superheroes

Post-it brainstorm

Direct analogy Direct analogy is a technique which uses so called analogies or brain

patterns. These analogies are connections people make between different

objects. You will be using two objects, one inside the problem context and

one outside the problem context. You can use the connections between

these objects to come up with lots of new and surprising ideas.

Example Problem/challenge: Coming up with ideas for a new shampoo

Object inside the problem context: Shampoo bottle

Object outside the problem context: A cup of tea

Connection: They both have a certain smell

Idea: Shampoo that smell like tea

Something good The technique something good starts with categorizing the ideas. After

you’ve divided all the ideas into categories, you are going to pick the best

idea out of every category. You will be doing this by thinking about which

ideas give you the feeling of something good. After you’ve selected the best

ideas in each category, you will be narrowing it down to one best idea.


Categories: Ideas related to colour, smell, hair type and ‘more than

shampoo’

Best idea per categorie:

Colour: A colour that appeals to everyone

Smell: A scent that makes you feel relaxed

Hair type: A shampoo that can handle curles and straight hair

More than shampoo: A shampoo that stimulates hair growth

Overal best idea: A shampoo that can handle curles and straight hair

Slice and dice Slice and dice is an attribute listing technique. It focuses on analysing and

dividing the problem or challenge in parts or attributes. Every parts defines

a piece of the problem or challenge. Dividing a problem or challenge in

parts can help you with finding a solution. You will be looking at one part at

a time and you will be coming up with solutions for every part. Later on you

can combine these solutions to an overall solution.


Parts/attributes: Smell, colour, hair type, ‘extras’, hair colour, ‘ingredients’,

etc.

Gallery method When using the gallery method, you will be placing all ideas in a gallery kind

of way. Every participant has his/her own section in the galery. Everybody

shows his/her ideas as art and at a certain moment during the session, you

will walk around to check out the ideas of others. The gallery method is

fairly the same as the brainstorming method. The most helpful thing of

showing the ideas as a gallery is that you have an overview of the ideas.

When looking at all the ideas from different angles, you can come up with

more and more ideas.

Example

Problem/challenge: Coming up with ideas for a new shampoo

Ideas: Shampoo with vanilla smell, shampoo for grey hair, shampoo that

stimulates hair growth, etc.

NAF-technique The NAF-technique is a technique you can use at the end of your session to

choose the best idea. NAF stands for New, Attractive and Feasible. With the

NAF-technique you will categorize your ideas in three categories, being

new, attractive and feasible. When choosing your final idea, its best if an

idea is new, attractive and feasible. With the NAF-technique you can check

if you have ideas like that.

Example


Idea: Shampoo with a new smell/colour, creating a shampoo with a new

smell/colour is new, attractive and feasible.

Wishful thinking With wishful thinking you will be thinking of your ideal situation or solution.

By using your ideal you can come up with more practical and realistic ideas.

You can also use your ideal as an aim for your solution, you can think of

how far you want your solution to meet your ideal.

Example


Ideal: A shampoo perfect for every hairstyle with a smell and colour

everybody likes

Ideas: Shampoo with a pleasing smell, shampoo that can handle curls and

straight hair, etc.

Random stimulation Random stimulation makes you think of ideas you probably wouldn’t think

of without the random stimulation. To start with the random stimulation

you pick a word, picture, quote, etc. After you’ve chosen, you’re going to

think of new ideas using the chosen words, pictures or quotes.

Example

Problem/challenge: Coming up with ideas for a new shampoo.

Random stimulation: Tree

Idea: Shampoo with tree leaf extract

COCD-Box The COCD-Box is a selection method with a specific goal. Normally there’s a

threat in the convergence phase that people will fall back into their

patterns and chose routinely and defensive, but the COCD-Box requires you

to also chose and elaborate the unusual ideas. With the COCD-Box there

are no ‘good’ ideas, you will be dividing the ideas in blue, red and yellow

ideas.

Blue ideas are known and doable. There’s not a lot of effort in executing

these ideas.

Red ideas are new and doable. These ideas have something innovative and

they’re exciting, but there will be more effort in executing them because of

the newness.

Yellow ideas are new, but they’re not doable. With the yellow ideas you will

have no clue about how to execute these ideas.

Example


Blue idea: 2 in 1 shampoos

Red idea: Shampoo with a new smell/colour

Yellow idea: Shampoo that stimulates hair growth

Superheroes With the superheroes technique you start with making a list of several

superheroes. This can be ‘real’ superheroes like Superman and Spiderman,

but also people who are seen as heroes, like Maradona or Oprah Winfrey.

After you’ve made the list, you chose one of the superheroes. You’re going

to look at the problem through the eyes of your chosen superhero. You will

be thinking about who this superhero is and what his/her characteristics

are. You’ll be thinking of ideas how this superhero would solve your

problem. The ideas you’ve come up with can be used to come up with more

ideas later on.

Example


Superhero: Superman

Ideas: Shampoo that gives you superpowers, red/blue/yellow shampoo,

etc.

Post-it brainstorm The post-it brainstorm is a creative technique were post-its are used to

write down all the ideas you can come up with. All post-its are placed on a

big piece of paper, so you have them all together. With the post-it

brainstorm all ideas are welcome; it’s about quantity before quality.

Example


Ideas: Shampoo with vanilla smell, shampoo for grey hair, shampoo that

stimulates hair growth, etc.

How can a trainingslesson be the most inspiring trainingslesson ever?

Mind map The first step I took was creating a mind map of things that inspire me. The mind map includes

people, places, activities and so on.

Ideas After I had finished my mind map, I started developing it. I used the thoughts in my mind map to

create ideas.

Thoughts Ideas

Friends Fun, boys, girls, gossiping, laughing, trust

Football Playing, winning, Feyenoord

Holiday Relax, sunshine, abroad, beach, flying

Love Boyfriend, trust, friends, family

Party Going out, drinking, having fun, cocktails, music

What is the wildes idea I can think of? Organising a trainingslesson in a country abroad, lying at the beach, enjoying the sunshine, listening

to relaxing music and drinking some delicious cocktails.

Most appealing idea To me the most appealing idea would be a trainingslesson at the beach during the summer. It’s a

place where you can relax and have fun. When I feel relaxed, I can work or follow a trainingslesson

best.

A thing about this idea that are good, is that you can feel really relaxed at the beach. I also think that

sunshine contributes to an inspiring trainingslesson. For me it is important to be in environment

where you feel comfortable, relaxed and inspired and the beach is that place for me.

Assignment training 1

What have I learned and what can I do when I have finished the training

creative skills? During the training creative skills I have learned how you can stimulate creative thinking. After

finishing this training I will able to organise a creative session with a small group of people. I will

know how I can stimulate them to come up with creative ideas. I will also know how to work with the

CPS model by Osborn & Parnes. At the end of this training I will have developed the following skills:

Thinking outside the box

Awareness of brain patters and starting a creative process

Knowledge of creative techniques and choosing the right technique to solve a problem

Full partnership in creative sessions

Prepare, facilitate and evaluate creative sessions

Some examples of creative techniques Some examples of creative techniques are:

Superheroes

Brainstorm

Wishful thinking

Direct analogy

NAF-technique

How does our brain work in relation to creative skills? Our brain works with fixed patterns. Learning is nothing more than internalize a certain thinking

pattern in such way that it will work automatically. This mechanism brings peace and stability to our

brain. Once our brain has ‘learned’, it will take decisions about information that comes to us via our

sentences unconsciously. So when it comes to creative thinking you could say: ‘Minds are like

parachutes; they only work when they’re open.’

CPS model The CPS model, Creative Problem Solving model, is a model which can be used to solve problems in

an organised way. The CPS model exists of two process stages, six phases and four areas. These two

process stages are diverge and converge. Each of those two stages beholds several phases and areas.

Diverge

Problem area: Problem orientation, collect data, problem definition

Ideas area: Generating ideas

Converge

Evaluation area: Between ‘generating ideas’ and ‘development of ideas’

Selection are: Development of ideas, develop action plan

Energizer One of many energizers is ‘Who am I?’. With this energizer, one person has to stand outside the

room while the others think of a famous person he/she will be. When the person returns he/she has

to ask questions which can only be answered by yes or no. By using these questions the person has

to find out who he/she is.

Three techniques that can be used in the problem area of the CPS model Three possible techniques you can use in the problem area of the CPS model are:

Goal orientation

Ladder of abstraction

Wishful thinking

Assignment training 6

Goal orientation 1) How can we avoid aggressive behaviour at big concerts?

2) Goal: avoiding aggressive behaviour at big concerts

3) Internal factors

Different kinds of audiences

Different kinds of music

Weather

4) External factors

People want to have freedom

The atmosphere has to be good

5) How can we avoid aggressive behaviour, without ruining the atmosphere and while keeping

the different people and music, at big concerts.

Wishful thinking In an ideal world...

Everybody’s happy

The sun always shines

There wouldn’t be drugs and alcohol

Weapons wouldn’t exist

Music/pictures wouldn’t stimulate aggressive behaviour

Police and civilians would get along great

Ideal Ideas

Everybody’s happy Music that stimulates happiness Lights that stimulate happiness Giving away free stuff

The sun always shines Creating fake sunshine Bright lights Stimulate vitamin D

There wouldn’t be drugs and alcohol Don’t sell alcohol Drug & alcohol control Stop & search

Weapons wouldn’t exist Stop & search

Music/pictures wouldn’t stimulate aggressive behaviour

No provocative lyrics No provocative pictures

Police and civilians would get along great No arrogant police officers Undercover police

‘

Redefining I have redefined ‘How can we avoid aggressive behaviour at big concerts?’ to ‘How can hostile

behaviour at big concerts be evaded?’.

Brainstorm

Personal analogy If I would be at a concert I would not get aggressive if...

The sun shines

The music has a good quality

I feel safe

It is not too crowded

They serve real beer instead of 0% alcohol beer

The police/security acts normal

There’s a good atmosphere

There’s no discrimination

Conditions Ideas

The sun shines Organise concerts in the summer Create fake sun shine

The music has a good quality Don’t play the music too loud Use good audio equipment

I feel safe Stop and search

It is not too crowded Make sure there are not too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that many people

They serve real beer instead of 0% alcohol beer Serve real beer No alcohol at all, just lemonade

The police/security acts normal Hire police/security who aren’t arrogant

There’s a good atmosphere Stimulate happiness Play positive music, no provocative music

There’s no discrimination Strict rules concerning discriminating pictures and lyrics

Restructure Create fake sunshine

Use bright lights

Stimulate vitamin D

Stop and search

Ban provocative lyrics and images

Don’t hire arrogant police/security

Use undercover police/security

Drugs and alcohol control

Don’t sell fake beer

Don’t sell alcohol

Organise concerts in the summer

Don’t play the music too loud

Use good audio equipment

Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people

Stimulate happiness

Play positive music, not provocative music

Strict rules

Give away free stuff

Make sure there’s good service

Ban hooligans

Use plastic cups, no bottles/cans/glasses

Don’t use too many lasers

No dark decors

Better and more security

Use lights that stimulate happiness

NAF-technique

New Attractive Feasible

Create fake sunshine Stimulate vitamin D Use lights that stimulate happiness Undercover police/security

Create fake sunshine Stimulate vitamin D Don’t sell fake beer Organise concerts in the summer Don’t play the music too loud Use good audio equipment Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people Stimulate happiness Play positive music, not provocative music Give away free stuff Make sure there’s good service Use lights that stimulate happiness

Create fake sunshine Use bright lights Stop and search Ban provocative lyrics and images Use undercover police/security Drugs and alcohol control Don’t sell alcohol Organise concerts in the summer Don’t play the music too loud Use good audio equipment Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people Play positive music, not provocative music Strict rules Give away free stuff Make sure there’s good service Ban hooligans Use plastic cups, no bottles/cans/glasses Don’t use too many lasers No dark decors Better and more security Use lights that stimulate happiness

To me the best idea is to use lights that stimulate happiness. This idea is new, attractive and feasible.

Something good

Categories Ideas

Lights Create fake sunshine Use bright lights Don’t use too many lasers No dark decors Use lights that stimulate happiness

Performance Stop and search Ban provocative lyrics and images Don’t play the music too loud Use good audio equipment Play positive music, not provocative music

Police/security Don’t hire arrogant police/security Use undercover police/security Drugs and alcohol control Better and more security

Drinks Don’t sell fake beer Don’t sell alcohol Use plastic cups, no bottles/cans/glasses

Organisation Stimulate vitamin D Organise concerts in the summer Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people Stimulate happiness Strict rules Give away free stuff Make sure there’s good service Ban hooligans

Best idea per category

Lights - Use lights that stimulate happiness

Performance - Ban provocative lyrics and images

Police/security - Use undercover police/security

Drinks - Use plastic cups, no bottles/cans/glasses

Organisation - Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people

Best overall idea

Don’t place too many people in an area that doesn’t allow that number of people When you place too many people in a smell area, people get irritated and will easily show aggressive behaviour. When people have enough space for themselves, they will not feel crowded and will probably be more relaxed and less aggressive.

creative skills dossier

Documents

creative session

creative techniques

table of contents introduction

direct analogy

gallery method

wishful thinking

random stimulation