"TIPs & QUIPs" Archive

Subject: Lifescope TIPs & QUIPs [03] "Imagination and Creativity"

TIPs & QUIPs, the free occasional e-mail of helpful hints and quotes (and
sometimes challenging suggestions) for getting the most from life.

In this issue:
     *** WiseWords
     *** This Issue's Theme
     *** Suggested Resources
     *** Thrive On! Recommended Site

*** WiseWords ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
      --Albert Einstein

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you
 will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will."
      --George Bernard Shaw

"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
      --Mark Twain

(For a collection of some of our favorite WiseWords, see our web page at
<http://www.lifescope.com/pages/WiseWords.html>.)

*** This issue's theme:  I M A G I N A T I O N  and  C R E A T I V I T Y
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I'm sure you've heard it many times before: It's estimated that people use
only 10% of their creative potential. This week I'll reference one of the
leaders in the exploration of this area: Edward de Bono, Ph.D.

The root word of imagination, is of course 'image' -- which refers to the
human sense of sight, or visualization. It is one of our most highly developed
senses, or modalities of sensing. (The other primaries being auditory and
kinesthetic -- comprising the trio of seeing, hearing, touching. This
threesome is responsible for gathering more than 95% of the input we take in
from our world.)

In fact, in our society, sight is usually the dominant sense, seeming easiest
to convey meaning than the other senses, primarily due to the symbolic system
of written word and images we've developed over time. Visualization is
obviously not the only source of imagination and creativity (see item about
the Seven Intelligences, below in Thrive On! Recommended Site), but since the
vast majority of us are already so adept at seeing, it offers some of the
quickest and easiest ways to enhance our creative process.

Creativity is imagination in action. What actions you take, in large part
determine the creative result. Edward de Bono has been involved in research of
thinking and creativity for over thirty years and has authored 35 books on the
topic. He created the term 'lateral thinking' which is now in the Oxford
Dictionary, and is defined as: "seeking to solve problems by unorthodox or
apparently illogical methods." In other words, by leaps of imagination --
non-rational thinking.

de Bono has developed dozens of methods and shortcuts to consistently
reproduce those creative connections. One of his oldest and best know methods
is the Six Thinking Hats. For any creative project or decision or issue which
needs to be resolved, imagine putting on each of these hats, one at a time,
and looking at the task from the viewpoint the hat represents:
     White Hat   facts, data and information;
     Red Hat     feelings, intuition, hunches, and emotions;
     Black Hat   problems, mistakes, legalities;
     Yellow Hat  optimistic and positive possibilities;
     Green Hat   rich growth, abundance, alternatives;
     Blue Hat    overview and organization.
[A fuller review of this process is at the end of this e-mail.]

The shortest way to a solution is rarely the step-by-step, linear method of
thinking. As de Bono has proven time and again: with a few tools in our skill
set, we can see massive improvements in imagination and creativity. And very
often, it is mostly about figuring out how the get out of the way and just let
the natural process work.


*** Suggested Resources ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
de Bono's Thinking Course
  by Edward de Bono, Ph.D.
Good thinkers aren't born-they're made. Thinking is not merely a genetic
inheritance; it's a skill that can be improved. In this revised edition,
international thinking guru Edward de Bono shows you how you can think more
effectively through attention, practice, and a series of specific exercises
based upon the latest cognitive studies. De Bono's techniques encourage
broader, more expansive thinking that breaks out of old or detrimental
patterns. You'll soon be a better problem-solver and a more effective thinker,
no matter what the context.

     (softcover book, 196pp) Item# D5226-BK
          SRP$12.95  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com or Amazon.com.


Masterthinker
  by Edward de Bono, Ph.D. 
Retrain your mind to turn problems into solutions, and goals into
achievements. Unleash your creative abilities! Comparing your mind to the
components of your body, among others, Edward de Bono illustrates techniques
to strengthen your thinking skills.

     (1 audiotape, 50 min) Item# D5231-AT
          SRP$12.00  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com or Amazon.com.


     (2 audiotapes, 90 min) Item# D5231-AU
          SRP$17.95  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com or Amazon.com.


IdeaFisher v6.0
  by IdeaFisher Systems
Do you sometimes feel like you're short a creativity gene? Here's the great
compensator! This "thesaurus on steroids" connects related ideas from its
free-association IdeaBank of over 850,000 concepts, phrases,  events, titles,
and things. You click merrily along, following threads of ideas, and
IdeaFisher keeps track, bringing your favorites to the top. Terrific for
brainstorming on any subject. QBank adds thousands of catalytic questions for
some spark if you're really stuck. New low price. Add-on modules provide even
more depth into their topic areas: Creative Writing and Strategic Planning.

     (Windows software on 3.5 disk) Item# D3127-SW
          SRP$68.95  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com.


     (Mac software on 3.5 disk) Item# D3127-SM
          SRP$68.95  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com.


     (Add-on modules to expand the QBank)
       Creative Writing Module, Win - $49 Buy now. (Item# D3251-SW)
       Creative Writing Module, Mac - $49 Buy now. (Item# D3251-SM)
       Strategic Plan Module, Win - $49 Buy now. (Item# D3252-SW)
       Strategic Plan Module, Mac - $49 Buy now. (Item# D3252-SM)


*** Thrive On! Recommended Site ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
WWBC - The World Wide Brain Club  <http://www.silkwood.co.uk>
This site is wonderfully pleasant to navigate, being presented as a notebook,
with tabs for each section. The Tests section provides a number of tests to
allow you to assess yourself:
* Your Seven Intelligences  - See which types of intelligence you use the
  most and which ones you should develop further.
* Learning Modes - Find out how you learn. Are you mainly a visual, auditory
  or kinesthetic mode learner. Find out the best way to learn to use your
  primary learning mode. 
* Reading Quotient - Estimate how your reading habits are affecting your 
  creativity.

Primarily about the works of Tony Buzan (creator of Mind Mapping and SEM3,
a system for remembering 100,000+ items), this site also includes many
activities and goings on in the U.K. around these topics  -- unfortunate for us 
in the U.S. of A. Still, it's interesting fare, and one of the better sites for 
exploring basic techniques of creativity enhancement.


DISCLAIMER
The contents herein are solely the opinions of Lifescope editors, and should 
not be considered as a form of therapy nor advice. There is no guarantee of 
validity or accuracy. Lifescope therefore assumes no responsibility for injury
and specifically disclaims any warranty, express or implied, of fitness or 
merchantability for a particular purpose. Besides, actual mileage may vary.

Copyright © 1997-2007 by Lifescope Inc. 
Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter 
only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged.


----------------------[expanded call-out, from above]----------------------

LATERAL THINKING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

THE SIX THINKING HATS
This process is especially useful in groups, but can also be done individually.

WHITE HAT
Think of white paper, which is neutral and carries information.
The white hat has to do with data and information.
...What information do we have here?
...What information is missing?
...What information would we like to have?
...How are we going to get the information?
When you ask for white hat thinking at a meeting you are asking those present
to put aside the proposals and arguments and to focus directly on the
information. For the moment everyone at the meeting looks to see what
information is available, what is needed, and how it might be obtained.

RED HAT
Think of red and fire and warm.
The red hat has to do with feelings, intuition, hunches, and emotions.
In a serious meeting you are not supposed to put forward your emotions, but
people do this by disguising their emotions as logic. The red hat gives people
permission to put forward their feelings and intuitions without apology,
without explanation, and without any need to Justify them.
...Putting on my red hat, this is what I feel about the project.
...My gut-feeling is that it will not work.
...I don't like the way this is being done.
...My intuition tells me that prices will fall soon.
Because the red hat "signals" feelings as such, they can come into the
discussion without pretending to be anything else. Intuition may be a
composite judgment based on years of experience in the field and may be very
valuable even if the reasons behind the intuition cannot be spelled out
consciously. It should also be said that intuition is not always right, and it
can be wrong.
It is sometimes valuable to get feelings out into the open.

BLACK HAT
Think of a stern judge wearing black robes who comes down heavily 
  on wrong-doers.
The black hat is the "caution" hat.
The black hat prevents us from making mistakes, doing silly things, and doing
things which might be illegal.
The black hat is for critical judgment.
The black hat points out why something cannot be done.
The black hat points out why something will not be profitable.
...The regulations do not permit us to do that.
...We do not have the production capacity to meet that order.
...When we tried a higher price the sales fell off.
...He has no experience in export management.
Mistakes can be disastrous. No one wants to make mistakes or do silly things.
So the black hat is very valuable. It is the most used hat and possibly the
most useful hat. At the same time' it is very easy to overuse the black hat.
Some people feel that it is enough to be cautious and negative and that if you
prevent all mistakes then everything will be fine. It is easy to kill creative
ideas with early negativity. Wine is fine but overuse of alcohol can turn you
into an alcoholic. It is the same with the black hat. The hat is very valuable
but overuse of it can be a problem.

YELLOW HAT
Think of sunshine.
The yellow hat is for optimism and the logical positive view of things.
The yellow hat looks for feasibility and how something can be done.
The yellow hat looks for benefits-but they must be logically based.
...This might work if we moved the production plant nearer to the customers.
...The benefit would come from repeat purchases.
...The high cost of energy would make everyone more energy efficient.
The black hat is much more natural than the yellow hat because we need to
avoid mistakes and danger for survival. Yellow hat thinking often requires a
deliberate effort. Benefits are not always immediately obvious and we might
have to search for them. Every creative idea deserves some yellow hat
attention.

GREEN HAT
Think of vegetation and rich growth.
The green hat is for creative thinking.
The green hat is for new ideas.
The green hat is for additional alternatives.
The green hat is for putting forward possibilities and hypotheses.
The green hat covers "provocation" and "movement" (to be described later).
The green hat requests creative effort.
...We need some new ideas here.
...Are there any additional alternatives?
...Could we do this in a different way?
...Could there be another explanation?
The green hat makes it possible to ask directly for a creative effort. The
green hat makes time and space available for creative thinking. Even if no
creative ideas are forthcoming, the green hat asks for the creative effort.

BLUE HAT
Think of the sky and an overview.
The blue hat is for process-control. The blue hat thinks about the thinking
being used.
The blue hat sets the agenda for thinking.
The blue hat suggests the next step in the thinking.
The blue hat can ask for other hats.
The blue hat asks for summaries, conclusions, and decisions. The blue hat can 
comment on the thinking being used.
...We have spent far too much time looking for someone to blame.
...Could we have a summary of your views?
...I think we should take a look at the priorities.
...I suggest we try some green hat thinking to get some new ideas.
The blue hat is usually used by the chairperson or the organizer of the
meeting, but other participants can put forward suggestions. The blue hat is
for organizing and controlling the thinking process so that it becomes more
productive. The blue hat is for thinking about thinking.


AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ARGUMENT
The Western tradition of argument insists that we try to move forward by means
of position-taking and argument. "A" has a point of view and "B" disagrees.
The ensuing argument is supposed to give adequate exploration of the subject.
Too often the protagonists get locked into their positions and become more
interested in winning or losing the argument than in exploring the subject.
The six hats method allows us to get right away from argument in order to get
more productive discussions. Both "A" and "B" can wear the black hat at the
same time to find out the dangers. Both "A" and "B" can wear the yellow hat to
explore the benefits. Both "A" and "B" can wear the green hat to open up
possibilities. Instead of adversarial thinking there is cooperative
exploration. That is why the method has been so eagerly taken up by those who
have to run meetings. At last there is a way of breaking free from the
traditional argument system.

[Excerpt authorized as Fair Use under Copyright Act of 1976, Section 107]
-----------------------------[end of call-out]-----------------------------

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