Jun 3

Written by: AaronG
6/3/2009 10:47 AM

So this weekend, I just completed doing a presentation for the Center for Inquiry. 18 people arrived to listen to Shaun Hess and I talk generally about creativity and the processes behind it. The presentation went on smoothly, with the exception of a clumsy warm-up ,flowed into a small group discussion. The discussion asked people how they use creativity in their everyday lives. One process arose that caught me by surprise. I learned that a friend is extremely negative when he generates ideas. He poses a problem and comes up with 7 or 8 things that are extremely nasty responses to it. Eventually, his ideas settle down and he finds a productive option. By identifying those things he should not do, he is able to identify those things that he could.

Though I have only heard about it, I recognize the technique as reverse brainstorming. It is just like a regular brainstorm, but instead it focuses on those thing you should not do.

Cheers

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