Reading an article by a CPSI/CEF friend, Chris Barlow, Ph.D., Values Engineering and creativity consultant and business professor at IIT in Chicago sparked this CC. His article is in the CEF's quarterly The Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol. 34 No. 2 Second Quarter 2000: "Deliberate Insight in Team Creativity". I highly recommend you read the article. A theme of the article that I picked up from my first quick reading was that richer, greater, deeper creative thinking or creative ideas can be achieved through our focus on "Insight Generation" rather than purely "Idea Generation".

One of the ways that popped into my mind while reading Chris' article was "Implication Generation" which can lead to or cause "Insight Generation".

By examining Implications we also examine what Chris recommends we examine: perspectives, paradigms, viewpoints, boundaries, interpretations or mis-interpretations, and finally DEFINITIONS.

This week let's deepen, enrich and expand our creative thinking skills by focusing on developing our skills of definition.

During the next five days choose individually each day from a separate source of information or news.

1. newspapers
2. news magazines
3. television news or news magazines (60 Minutes, 20/20, etc.)
4. radio or other electronic news sources
5. word of mouth on the street, on subways, commuter trains, busses, in your car pool

For 15 to 30 minutes each day take one headline, news item and redefine as many aspects of it as you can, preferably create 6 redefinitions. Examine the details for new definitions. Change the viewpoints or point of view (these really are two different things). Deliberately exchange synonyms for key words to see if a new definition is created.

I.E.: (classic CPS practice problem)
Someone has lost their car keys.

Definition #1 they have a key problem

Definition #2 they have a key replacement problem

Definition #3 they have a how to start the car without the original key problem

Definition #4 they have a how to start the car without any key problem

Definition #5 they have a transportation problem etc., etc., etc.

Please share a sample of your RE-DEFINITIONS.

Have a very creative week.