During every workshop on creative thinking, creative problem solving or creative solution generation the mood always changes when the discussion moves from idea generation to idea selection. During the idea selection stage we choose an idea to turn into the solution we will use to solve the problem or produce new results. Most of the time this seems to produce mental or emotional pain.

Why?

Well, most of the time people do this by being critical. Instead of being analytical or merely selective they are critical by deliberately finding fault among ideas, looking for what is or might be wrong with the majority of ideas.

This week let's strive to have fun in order to discover a link to how to change this paradigm. Instead of picking the best by finding fault find the best of the best.

One cause of the mood swing downward might lay in the criteria we always use.

Monday
Create a list of 12 silly criteria for choosing the best of the best

Tuesday
Create a list of 12 ways to select ideas that do not involve thinking or evaluation

Wednesday
Create a list of 12 fictional people to use as idea selectors

Thursday
Create a list of 12 ways to improve ideas that appear to have weaknesses

Friday
Create a list of 12 people (fictional or real) who always would find positive things to say about any idea

These are experiments that very well may lead to clues that may lead directly or indirectly to ways of eliminating the mood killing nature of the idea selection or idea evaluation stage in the creative process.

While you are doing each of these strive not to consciously think about what you are doing, why you are doing them or what they will produce.

Have a great week having fun being creative.

© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 Robert Alan Black, Ph.D. CSP