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Thinking tools

By Debbie Carter (January 2008 Issue)
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The use and practice of creativity is the best way to develop the mental skills and mental habits of creative thinking. If you want to become good at golf you need to practise hitting the ball. If you want to develop the skill of cooking, you had better get into the kitchen. The same applies to creative thinking, and in this regular slot TJ readers are encouraged to develop their thinking skills by practising these exercises frequently.

Before we get started on the first exercise, here are some pointers to remember when carrying out the exercises. There is no need for a time limit to the exercises or games, although you may want to set yourself five minutes per exercise, and as you get better you may want to reduce this to two or three minutes. With creativity there is no one ‘right answer’; any answer that fits the stated requirements of the exercise is equally valid. However, you will soon recognise which answers are more practical, unusual or offer a higher value.

This month we look at grouping and pairing where the creative process involves examining the concepts, associations and functions of random words.

Exercise 1

Obtain six random words and divide them into two groups of three on some basis, and explain the basis for the grouping. Avoid grouping on an alphabetical basis – seek to deal with the meaning of the word, not its physical appearance.

EXAMPLE Using the following six random words: tears; night; prejudice; spinach; angle; pyjamas. create the two groupings such as: ‘Prejudice’, ‘night’ and ‘tears’ are dark in nature and the others are not.

‘Angle’, ‘tears’ and ‘prejudice’ are all ways of looking at something.

VARIATIONS Use the same random words but seek to obtain different groupings on different bases. Use four or eight words to start, and divide six or more random words into three groupings on some basis.

Exercise 2

Using two lists of four random words, pair a word from each list together and explain the basis for the pairing.

EXAMPLE List A: toast; prophet; chip; tail
List B: runway; formula; lollipop; pyramid

‘Toast’ and ‘lollipop’ are both edible.

‘Prophet’ and ‘pyramid’ both occur in ancient cultures.

‘Tail’ and ‘runway’ are both to do with aeroplanes.

‘Chip’ and ‘formula’ require mathematics.

VARIATIONS Attempt different pairings: several words on List A may pair with just one word in List B and the other way around. There need not be one word on List B paired with one word on List A. Introduce another random word into List A.

References
1. These exercises are taken from How to Have Creative Ideas: 62 exercises to develop the mind, Edward de Bono, Vermilion 2007. For further information on the work of the De Bono Foundation UK, visit www.debonofoundation.co.uk

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