101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

Handout

• Doodles Handout

Time

45 minutes

Related Activities

• Picture Tickler [17]


• Rorschach Revisionist [18]


• Ideatoons [26]


• Drawing Room [59]


• Modular Brainstorming [62]

Procedure

1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
   they may have.


2. Tell them to think of the major principle underlying their problem.


3. Instruct each group to tape three pieces of flip-chart paper on a wall so that the
   sheets are side-by-side. If a wall is not available, have them put the paper on a
   table.


4. Tell them that one person should draw an abstract symbol that represents this
   principle and not to worry if they don’t have artistic abilities. Say that they just
   should draw whatever pops into their minds regarding the principle and to try to
   elaborate and provide some detail for each drawing.


5. Instruct them to have another person free-associate from this symbol and draw
   another.


6. Have someone different from each group then draw at least three additional sym-
   bols.


7. Tell the groups to examine all their symbols and use them as stimuli to generate
   ideas, writing them on Post-it®Notes to place on flip-chart paper for evaluation.

Debrief/Discussion

This can be a fun activity if participants are not hindered by a fear of ridicule for lack of

natural artistic talent. You might remind them that some of the best symbols (that is, most

useful for stimulating ideas) are those drawn by people without artistic talent. You also

might conduct a discussion on the value of deferring judgment when producing any cre-

ative output. Too much analysis and criticism (whether internal or external) can be detri-

mental to creative activities. Since there obviously is no “correct” way to draw the

174 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving.Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &

Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. http://www.pfeiffer.com

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