miscellaneous

Necessity is the mother of invention

Jonathan Swift said that he was "not the gravest of divines", and we should take him at his word. He was famous for his wit, usually in his hand a most ferocious weapon, but he should have been no less famous for his irrepressible humour. He could take a most severe view of the human condition, but often used mockery as the best cure. One of the keys to creative thinking is the ability to laugh at others ...., and yourself. Below are given some simple statements which may sound very familiar to you. They denote an uncreative attitude. They usually determine everyday behaviour. By turning these around and questioning their validity (laugh at them or satirize them in a role play) you may be able to create your own techniques. It also may help you to evaluate your own attitude towards creativity and that of others.

- Yes, but .....
- Don't be ridiculous.
- We've already tried that once.
- Don't be foolish.
- That's impossible and you know it.
- That's not your / our responsibility.
- That is too drastic a change, they'll never buy that.
- Nice idea, but there's no time.
- Let's be realistic.
- We are not ready for that, you're ahead of your time.
- Don't bother me I'm just doing my job.
- They'll never accept that at the 'top'.
- That's not in the budget.
- Let's think about it.
- Why change, things are good as they are.
- So far it never has caused any problems, so ....
- That won't work here.
- Yes, but can you guarantee that it will work?
- Let's put a committee on that.
- That's not official policy.
- Since when are you the expert?

There many other statements like the ones above. They indicate the way many of us regard new ideas. For many creativity is just an empty word. So when you really want to be creative, listen to the little voice inside, your dreams and :

do not

erring is wrong
play is frivolous and a waste of time
you are not creative
it's someone else who always has the bright ideas

creativity >>> while you try it, you fix it.