Crash Course in Creativity

by Clegg, Brian; Birch, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780749438333
• ISBN10: 0749438339
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-09-01
• Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd

Summary

* Crash Course Series books offer rapid, structured introductions to key managment skills The "Crash Course in Creativity" is an easy way to improve your creativity, but it is far from a dry traditional course. As the authors say, "be prepared to learn, but also be prepared to have fun." After an exploration of the key skills that will help you to nuture creativity, the course itself consists of a program of 150 exercises and techniques to help you develop your creativity, either alone or as part of a group. Targeted reading ensures that the practical exercises are backed up with expert knowledge. This dynamic personal development program is split into 30 units, each designed to be completed in your spare time in one week. Alternatively, if you are under great pressure to get results, a whole unit can be completed within a day. The final section provides a refresher course that pulls together key learning points, ideas for further reading, and detailed tables that will help you to select the right techniques to use in specific situations. Includes URL link to dedicated website.

Author Biography

Brian Clegg is a business and popular science writer and a creativity consultant. Paul Birch is a change and creativity consultant and trainer.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Getting the basics	p. 3
Why creativity?	p. 3
Creativity primer	p. 4
Culture	p. 7
Techniques	p. 9
Personal development	p. 12
Mental energy	p. 22
Fun	p. 26
Getting started	p. 28
Work plan	p. 29
Introducing the course	p. 29
Checklist	p. 30
The course	p. 39
A taster	p. 40
Exercise/Technique: Surveying your mind	p. 41
Technique: Knots	p. 42
Exercise/Technique: Random picture	p. 43
Exercise: Life saver	p. 44
Technique: Ideas to get you fired	p. 45
Getting to know you - loosening up a new group	p. 46
Technique: This is my friend	p. 47
Technique: Tower of Babel	p. 48
Exercise: Twisters	p. 49
Technique: Follow my leader	p. 50
Technique: True and false	p. 51
Clarifying the problem - just what are you trying to do?	p. 52
Exercise/Technique: Compass	p. 53
Technique: Obstacle map	p. 54
Exercise: Water into wine	p. 55
Technique: Destination	p. 56
Exercise/Technique: Chunks and breaks	p. 57
Challenging assumptions - thinking differently about a problem to understand it better	p. 58
Exercise/Technique: Do nothing	p. 59
Technique: Up and down	p. 61
Exercise: Round the world	p. 62
Technique: Time slices	p. 63
Exercise: Questioning everything	p. 64
Good vibrations - positive thinking	p. 65
Exercise/Technique: Altered states	p. 66
Technique: Yes!	p. 67
Technique: Circle of energy	p. 68
Exercise: Pub quiz	p. 69
Technique: Beam me up	p. 70
New 'how to's - getting different cuts at the problem	p. 71
Exercise/Technique: Excellence	p. 72
Technique: Restatement	p. 74
Exercise/Technique: Versatile coat hangers	p. 75
Technique: Mud slinging	p. 76
Exercise: Going down	p. 77
Incremental creativity - step change techniques	p. 78
Exercise/Technique: The level chain	p. 79
Exercise/Technique: Car and goats	p. 80
Technique: Attributes	p. 81
Exercise/Technique: Found story	p. 82
Exercise/Technique: Technical creativity	p. 83
Distortion - idea generation techniques that modify the nature of the problem	p. 84
Technique: Challenging assumptions	p. 85
Exercise/Technique: Distortion	p. 86
Exercise: Birthday bonanza	p. 87
Technique: Reversal	p. 88
Technique: Size matters	p. 89
Pure energy - injecting oomph	p. 90
Technique: Spoon and string	p. 91
Technique: Piggyback plus	p. 92
Exercise: Get another life	p. 93
Technique: Sit on my lap	p. 94
Technique: The paperclip race	p. 95
Seeking knowledge--building a personal knowledge base to feed creativity	p. 96
Technique: Broken CD	p. 97
Exercise: Sense and sensibility	p. 98
Exercise/Technique: The little black book	p. 99
Exercise: All that glisters	p. 100
Exercise: Programmed thought	p. 101
Seeing it differently--looking at solutions through different eyes	p. 103
Technique: Fantasy	p. 104
Technique: Someone else's view	p. 105
Exercise: Get a laugh	p. 106
Technique: Metaphor	p. 107
Exercise: No time to read	p. 108
A swift kick--random stimuli to generate a new starting point	p. 109
Technique: Random word	p. 110
Exercise/Technique: Cool site	p. 111
Technique: Found objects	p. 113
Technique: Quotations	p. 114
Exercise: An excellent mistake	p. 115
Looking somewhere else--taking a good look beyond the obvious	p. 116
Technique: It's a steal	p. 117
Exercise/Technique: Inside view	p. 118
Technique: Evil genius	p. 119
Exercise: School daze	p. 120
Technique: Morphology	p. 121
Simple fun--laughter makers	p. 122
Technique: Row of eyes	p. 123
Technique: I am and I know	p. 124
Technique: Makeover	p. 125
Technique: Steeplechase	p. 126
Technique: Giants, witches and dwarves	p. 127
Breakdown--techniques that break down a problem into components	p. 128
Technique: Components	p. 129
Technique: Substitute	p. 130
Exercise: Different views	p. 131
Technique: Been there before	p. 132
Exercise/Technique: Long division	p. 133
Touchy-feely--generating ideas using right-brain activities	p. 134
Exercise/Technique: Set it to music	p. 135
Exercise/Technique: Da Vinci scribbles	p. 136
Technique: Touch me, feel me	p. 137
Technique: Draw it	p. 138
Technique: Squirrel box	p. 139
Natural input--using nature and science as tools to generate ideas	p. 140
Technique: Frontiers	p. 141
Exercise: Leaf mould	p. 142
Technique: Auntie gravity	p. 143
Exercise: The thrill factor	p. 144
Technique: It's only natural	p. 145
Memories are made of this--memory techniques	p. 146
Exercise/Technique: Extremes	p. 147
Technique: Story chains	p. 148
Technique: Take a note	p. 149
Exercise/Technique: Number rhymes	p. 150
Exercise: Strengthening your ghosts	p. 152
Strange translations--generating ideas from misunderstanding	p. 153
Technique: It's silly	p. 154
Exercise: Cloak and dagger	p. 155
Technique: Lost in translation	p. 156
Technique: They're winning	p. 157
Exercise: Spinning knowledge	p. 158
Creative comms--stimulating new approaches by forcing different modes of communications	p. 159
Technique: In the dark	p. 160
Technique: Out for the count	p. 161
Technique: Buy me	p. 162
Technique: Blindfold birthday	p. 163
Technique: Lego construction	p. 164
Going green--environmental techniques to enhance creativity	p. 166
Exercise/Technique: Something completely different	p. 167
Technique: Unconscious creativity	p. 168
Exercise/Technique: Go gallery	p. 169
Technique: Game theory	p. 170
Technique: Snapshots	p. 171
Spatial thinking--right-brain group sessions	p. 172
Exercise/Technique: The magic tunnel	p. 173
Technique: Handcuffs	p. 175
Exercise: Quick on the draw	p. 176
Technique: Towering	p. 177
Technique: Plane sailing	p. 178
Selection techniques--which idea is best?	p. 179
Technique: The [pound]100 bid	p. 180
Technique: SWOT	p. 181
Exercise: Material gains	p. 182
Exercise/Technique: Basic option evaluation	p. 183
Exercise/Technique: Sophisticated option evaluation	p. 184
Changing group dynamics--more energy and fun	p. 186
Exercise/Technique: You're an animal	p. 187
Technique: Bursting with energy	p. 188
Technique: On the square	p. 189
Technique: Magic carpet	p. 190
Technique: Peer groups	p. 191
Refinement techniques--polishing up your ideas	p. 192
Technique: Signposts	p. 193
Technique: Hazard markers	p. 194
Exercise: Horse whispers	p. 195
Technique: Second-best solution	p. 196
Exercise/Technique: Stakeholders	p. 197
Knowledge expansion--more techniques to help personal knowledge management	p. 198
Exercise: On the box	p. 199
Exercise/Technique: Category magic	p. 200
Exercise: Doing and knowing	p. 201
Exercise: Fact quest	p. 202
Exercise: Binning paper	p. 203
Spock rules--logic exercises to challenge the brain	p. 204
Technique: One spare square	p. 205
Technique: Contract fishing	p. 206
Exercise/Technique: Ands	p. 207
Technique: Rules rule	p. 208
Exercise/Technique: Racing demon	p. 209
Making it happen--techniques to expedite implementation	p. 210
Technique: Planning for selling	p. 211
Technique: Planning for implementation	p. 212
Exercise: Story time	p. 213
Exercise/Technique: The top ten list	p. 214
Exercise: Scribbling	p. 215
Right-brain teamwork--more exercises to encourage groups to engage the right brain	p. 216
Technique: The wrong drawing	p. 217
Technique: Abstract drawing	p. 218
Exercise/Technique: PR from Hell	p. 219
Technique: Passing the buck	p. 220
Technique: Fontastic	p. 221
Mental workout--personal creativity exercises	p. 222
Exercise: Metaphorically speaking	p. 223
Exercise: Holistic awareness	p. 225
Exercise: On the edge	p. 226
Exercise: Muddled model	p. 227
Exercise: Rapt concentration	p. 228
Review	p. 229
Pulling it together	p. 229
Collected reading list	p. 230
Appendix	p. 232
Random words	p. 232
People for 'Someone else's view'	p. 234
Techniques with high culture ratings	p. 236
Techniques with high techniques ratings	p. 236
Techniques with high personal development ratings	p. 237
Techniques with high mental energy ratings	p. 239
Techniques with high fun ratings	p. 240
Techniques suited to stage 1--understanding the problem	p. 241
Techniques suited to stage 2--generating ideas	p. 241
Techniques suited to stage 3--selection and refinement	p. 242
Techniques suited to stage 4--planning for selling and implementation	p. 243
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction 1. Getting the basics Why creativity? Creativity primer Culture Techniques Personal development Mental energy Fun 2. Work plan Introducing the course Checklist 3. The course Unit 1: A taster Unit 2: Getting to know you - loosening up a new group Unit 3: Clarifying the problem - just what are you trying to do? Unit 4: Challenging assumptions - thinking differently about a problem to understand it better Unit 5: Good vibrations - positive thinking Unit 6: New 'how to's - getting different cuts at the problem Unit 7: Incremental creativity - step change techniques Unit 8: Distortion - idea generation techniques that modify the nature of the problem Unit 9: Pure energy - injecting oomph Unit 10: Seeking knowledge - building a personal knowledge base to feed creativity Unit 11: Seeing it differently - looking at solutions through different eyes Unit 12: A swift kick - random stimuli to generate a new starting point Unit 13: Looking somewhere else - taking a look beyond the obvious Unit 14: Simple fun - laughter makers Unit 15: Breakdown - techniques that break down a problem into components Unit 16: Touchy-feely - generating ideas using right-brain activities Unit 17: Natural input - using nature and science as tools to generate ideas Unit 18: Memories are made of this - memory techniques Unit 19: Strange translations - generating ideas from misunderstanding Unit 20: Creative comms - stimulating new approaches by forcing different modes of communication Unit 21: Going green - environmental techniques to enhance creativity Unit 22: Spatial thinking - right-brain group sessions Unit 23: Selection techniques - which idea is best? Unit 24: Changing group dynamics - more energy and fun Unit 25: Refinement techniques - polishing up your ideas Unit 26: Knowledge expansion - more techniques to help personal knowledge management Unit 27: Spock rules - logic exercises to challenge the brain Unit 28: Making it happen - techniques to expedite implementation Unit 29: Right-brain teamwork - more exercises to encourage groups to engage the right brain Unit 30: Mental workout - personal creativity exercises 4. Review Pulling it together Collected reading list Appendix Random words People for 'Someone else's view' Techniques with high Culture ratings Techniques with high Techniques ratings Techniques with high Personal development ratings Techniques with high Mental energy ratings Techniques with high Fun ratings Techniques suited to stage 1 - understanding the problem Techniques suited to stage 2 - generating ideas Techniques suited to stage 3 - selection and refinement Techniques suited to stage 4 - planning for selling and implementation