mind. So start with a couple of obviously absurd problems for practice. Try
“20 uses for a tomato” or “20 things that float.”
This method will give you a peek at how creative you already
are. Think of this as building your creative muscle; it’s like
weight lifting for the mind. You have to work it out and push it
to the limits. Otherwise, it will not grow. Imagine what it would be like to
apply this limitless creativity to the opportunities and challenges facing
you today.
Write at the top of a sheet of paper “20 Uses for a Tomato” or “20
Things that Float,” and number from 1 to 20 down the left. Do this now!
Give yourself two minutes to complete a list. Write as fast as you can.
Speedis the only thing that matters. Neatness, accurate spelling, or “cor-
rect” answers are not important. Don’t censor any ideas, just write as fast
as you can. It’s even OK to write “I can’t think of anything to write” or
“This is so frustrating that I can’t think straight.” Write in whatever lan-
guage your mind gives you even if it is a language you never heard be-
fore. It may seem like you are accomplishing nothing by this exercise, but
you are strengthening your creativity by simply acknowledging its output
without criticism.
After the two minutes are up, look the list over and evaluate what you
have written by drawing a circle around those items that actually are uses
for a tomato or things that float. When we teach this technique in Training
sessions, sometimes people ask, “What if some of my answers are
wrong?” Do not consider the items on your list as “answers.” There is no
right or wrong here. They are possibilities, some better than others. The list
increases your choices, thus increasing the possibility of having a good
choice not considered before.
Once you can make a list of 20 possibilities in two minutes or less for
an absurd problem, you are ready to move on to “real” problems. For
most people, “real” problems tempt them to “think.” Don’t think, just write.
Thinkafterthe list is made. Some practical lists that you could make are:
- 20 businesses that express my purpose
- 20 things I coulddo to increase my income
- 20 ways I couldreduce my expenses
- 20 skills I coulduse to enjoy life more
- 20 people who couldhelp me with this problem
- 20 things I couldlearn from applying this material
- 20 things I coulddo to express my purpose
We have italicized the word “could” in the preceding examples to
emphasize that in making your list, you are looking for possibilities, and
not answers. Only after the list is finished do you analyze it to identify a
good solution.
Access Your Creativity for Problem Solving 141