Several months, I was reading and commenting in a group discussion on LinkedIn where the facilitator was curious if creative techniques might be organised more efficiently, such as developing a periodic table of (creative) elements. The conversation had the typical voices: the Activists started devising charts, the Theorists sorted and graded the techniques, the Reflectors asked questions to clarify questions, and the Pragmatists criticising the whole exercise by asking (rightly) “why? what’s the point?”
But, the germ of the thought stuck in my head. Not that I think a table of elements would be particularly useful (I might be convinced though). But rather: could one isolate the different mental processes that the brain uses to create an idea? In other words, might there not be “master recipes” which the brain uses repetitively, which form the foundation of brainstorming? And, to keep the food analogy going, does the brain need specific ingredients – outside of its own imagination?
I have exactly 32 books on my work shelves which specifically list and outline creative techniques, although no single system prevailed with very little common terminology. Still, over the past month or so, I’ve reviewed almost every book, trying to see if there were similar thought processes with made each idea 'work.'
The ingredients came fairly easy, as many authors have already articulated the same elements but rarely used the same words.
First, the brain needs to have a clear understanding of the Problem, or Conundrum. Not necessarily bad or good, the Problem is the...
- Topic/Subject to be brainstormed, or
- Issue/Concern to be addressed or resolved, or
- Need/Wish to be fulfilled and satisfied.
The second ingredient is a Stimulus, an element which your brain uses to inspire its imagination.
Using those two ingredients as a guide, I sorted and organised the techniques. In the end, they generally fell into four – perhaps five? – categories.
Attributes and Elements – The brain breaks down or separates the Problem into discrete attributes. Once isolated, this element might be changed, adapted, removed or replaced with a different element. The new order of elements creates a new idea.
Metaphors and Analogies – The brain compares the Problem with another similar or unrelated problem. A solution the other problem might be a potential option to the existing Problem. The comparison to a different problem, or distancing oneself from the existing Problem, creates a new perspective, and thus, a new idea.
Free Association – The brain randomly expresses a thought as it develops – even if irrelevant – when posed with the Problem, or more generally, such as a concept, an object or a thing. This stimuli – even if it’s another idea – suggests or sparks a new idea to solve the Problem.
Force Fitting – The brain forces two unusual or dissimilar elements together, often against logic or reason, to create a new idea. This fusion can be deliberate, but - more likely - is a unconscious act.
A fifth area – still not sure about this one – would be called Forecasting. The brain imagines a future situation (“what if?”), and then retro-actively creates ideas or steps to achieve this situation. I go back and forth on this one because, in practice, the what if scenario is the same as the Wish – which is actually part of the Conundrum.
Once I came up with these four areas, I listed the creative techniques under each category. Some techniques were simple, others elaborate. Other techniques – like Mind-Mapping or Synectics – were combinations of the four recipes.
Where am I going with this? Not sure. I hear the Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist arguing in my head, but that's nothing new. But I do wonder: if you could teach the four basic recipes, would you be able to help someone learn to be more creative? I’m going to use this concept in several creativity workshops I’m conducting during the next two months, and will report back.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear your feedback and comments.
