101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

Time

45 minutes

Related Activities

• Stereotype [10]


• We Have Met the Problem and It Is We [48]


• Super Heroes [80]

Procedure

1. Instruct the participants verbally as follows:
   
   
   • Release all your tension and try to relax as much as possible.
   
   
   • Visualize a soft, glowing white light surrounding your body. Allow the light to
     make you feel secure and comfortable.
   
   
   • Think of your favorite place (house, mountain, forest, stream, boat).
   
   
   • Visualize yourself walking into this place. Notice all the details. Try to imagine
     what it looks like. Experience any sounds, textures, or smells. Absorb as much
     as you can.
   
   
   • Imagine your personal mentor walking toward you. Look closely at his or her
     face. What are you experiencing? Think of any special feelings or emotions.
     Include as much detail as possible.
   
   
   • Say to your mentor, “Please be my guide and help me think of new ideas. Lead
     me in resolving my problem.”
   
   
   • Tell your mentor about your problem. Give him or her as much relevant infor-
     mation as you can. Try to keep your interaction realistic. Listen carefully when-
     ever your mentor speaks to you. Don’t be discouraged if ideas don’t pop out
     suddenly. It takes time.
   
   
   
   


2. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it®Notes (one idea per note) and place
   them on flip charts for evaluation.

Debrief/Discussion

It is difficult to fathom the full potential of the human mind, especially the subconscious.

We should try to appreciate its ability to help us resolve problems. Imaginary Mentor is a

good start. However, some people may have difficulty being engaged by this technique. It

may be too abstract or esoteric and not concrete enough for them to respond with new

ideas. Try to engage the participants in a discussion about the usefulness of such visually

oriented approaches and what types of people might benefit most from them.

Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:

• What was most helpful about this exercise?


• What was most challenging?


• What can we apply?

194 101 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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