As mentioned in Monday's post about Saturday's #Ideachat, I am writing a creativity book on Brainzooming tools which can help you be more creative when faced with a creative block. The subject has expanded to considering when the problem isn't really a lack of overall ideas, but a lack of ideas you can actually implement successfully. In reviewing the book draft with Jan Harness last week, we discussed structuring the book with ideas that are most helpful in situations you (potential readers) typically encounter so you can best apply your creative thinking talents.
Two Types of Creative Thinking Talents
Each of us has a personal set of creative thinking talents. Some people are visionaries who dream up incredible possibilities few can imagine. Having worked for several individuals with this gift, I suspect their brains and personalities are wired differently to enable game-changing creativity. They don't experience boundaries and roadblocks to creativity in the same way others do. It's as if the "Nos" that bind others' imaginations don't exist for them. They are truly thinking with no creative boundaries.
Extreme creativity, as described above, isn't my strongest suit; turning creative visions into reality is. My talents are understanding what needs to be accomplished and developing multiple ways to accomplish an objective. My strength is pushing and bending the roadblocks to creativity which stand in the way of great results. I describe this as having "creative playmaking" ability.
Both Kinds of Creativity Need to Work Together
Both creative thinking talents are important, although much of the Brainzooming blog content focuses on improving playmaking. That's where I've done the most work to compile tools and exercises to help anyone effectively display creativity and implementation skills, even if they don't come naturally.
For my own development, additional background for the book, and the benefit of both clients and the growth of The Brainzooming Group, however, I'm turning my attention to enhancing the game-changing creativity tools in our toolkit.
What's our strategy to identify these new tools?
The same strategy used to develop all other Brainzooming tools: looking at situations where I've seen game-changing, extreme creativity and reverse engineering them to identify critical questions and perspectives which would lead to the same results multiple times. Some of these ideas have already been shared through extreme creativity posts and the "Change Your Character" exercises which ran during the Brainzooming blog's first six months. These are just a start, though.
What's Next on Game-Changing, Extreme Creativity?
Tomorrow, I'll share "Peter's Law," and how this list of 19 principles suggests extreme creativity-inducing questions any of us can use to be more creative in a game-changing way. - Mike Brown
For an additional innovative boost, download the free Brainzooming ebook, “Taking the NO Out of InNOvation” to enhance your creative perspective! For an organizational boost, contact The Brainzooming Group to help your team be more successful by rapidly expanding strategic options and creating innovative plans to efficiently implement. Email us at brainzooming@gmail.com or call us at 816-509-5320 to learn how we can deliver these benefits for you.
