Unlearning How NOT To Be Creative - Input? Suggestions? Comments?

In message , charlieb writes

Linear thinkers often take just one set of parameters to work with, never for the moment considering by just changing one parameter a fraction can open up a whole new world of opportunities, many of which exceed the original goal.

Its like yesterday I cut drilled and tubed over 60 pen pairs and it took just 2 hours. For many they would take 15 minutes for just one, and don't like the idea of a "production line".

Set up bandsaw for cutting and cut Find jig for drilling. Ensure square and centralised Find Drill bit (probably the hardest part) Drill Blocks Put tools away and clean up

Accepted a "production line" may be harder for some, and unnecessary for others but if you have an idea what you will be doing it can be a great time saver. Can you imagine doing each set 1 at a time that's 15 hours of your time, compared to my 2. So that gives me 13 hours to do more turning

One of the side issues that I have encountered with lateral thinking is that many who are good at it can look at several options at the same time, running the ideas in parallel dropping those that don't suit when they hit a snag, and re-applying later concepts to an older option, when its realised that there is an alternate approach.

It can also be a benefit to look at the problem from start to finish and finish to start. Sometimes we know what the end result should be, but we often consider there is only one way to arrive, by working the process backward asking what could have been done before, we can get other ideas.

And for those with difficulty visualising cut come paper squares, mark each with the task , and use them to sort your process. And as you identify the method you will use to achieve each task add it to the paper. Their may be several methods so add them, do not discount them. Its only when you have all the permutations you can think of you should start to fine tune. Also remember things can go wrong, and some methods offer more get outs than others

I got that the other day in the wreck in response to some recent work. "I'd have never thought to do *that*." When actually "that" wasn't something I sat down and planned to do. I had the materials to work with and it seemed like I had two options, but wasn't happy with either one of them. So I stopped and considered what that led me to only having two bad options, namely the assumption that I must fit a perfect rectangle inside this board. Now I had a third option, a rectangle with one corner clipped off. And that choice led me to make other choices along the way.

1) Challenge assumptions: Recognize when you're making assumptions and challenge them. 2) Part of the process: You don't have to see the entire result at the beginning. One small thing can take you to a different place, if you are willing to take the first step. Don't let fear of having it not turn out right stop you. 3) Limitations are opportunities: So you don't have the right tool to do what you want to do. Now you have the chance to try to come up with another way of doing it that gets you there in a different way. Then maybe along the way you discover a way to diverge from that path to something new.

There is a writing technique called clustering. The technique is "A non-linear brainstorming process, clustering makes the Design mind?s interior, invisible associations visible on a page. Clustering becomes a self-organizing process as words and phrases are spilled onto the page around a center." That quote came from this link:

In the 'Artist's Way' Julie Cameron claims when you do her morning pages (write down your stream of consciousness on three blank pages every morning) you will sometimes experience synchronicity (defined in Wikipedia as "the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a supposedly meaningful manner"). When I looked for a source on clustering for this wood turner's group I found the word 'turn' in the center of the first sample of clustering in the link above. Your guess is as good as mine whether this was a meaningful coincidence. See the first link above to see what I am talking about.

On Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:36:45 -0600, charlieb wrote (in message ):

In my opinion, part of ceativity is having faith in yourself. Another part of creativity is experience... having done a bit of problem solving or "making" something seems to exercise whatever it is in us which is the "creative engine". Part of creativity is being willing to accept some smaller steps in the creating process and then being willing to make changes in those steps.

A thing that consistently works for me is dreaming. Okay, laugh, i don't care ... it works well for me. I seldom remember dreams. The dreams I *do* remember are when I am trying to make a thing or design a thing. I have a pretty good idea what my skills will equip me to do. There are times when I am stumped on how to do a thing, or what to do. I may stew on this problem for several days. I go to bed at my usual time and for what seems like a long time, I will make this thing or work on it in my dreamtime workshop, seeing what works and what doesn't, trying various approaches. I give it a go the next day in my shop. I'm happy with the results, over the long run, and now I rely on my method.

In the context of writing and cussing - relying on the same tired old half-dozen phrases and Very Bad Words, I generally try to avoid them. Overuse dulls their otherwise sharp edges and renders them impotent, leaving behind only the vulgarity and none of the shock. They are best delivered out loud and in person, in any case. My written insults and curses will be verbose, creative, and unambiguous. They will be mutilayered and non-repetitive (within any single given curse or insult).

tom koehler

In message , tom koehler writes

Tom

Have you tried staring into space, looking at an invisible blackboard and sketching ideas on that ? I find it often helps.. Maybe having the ability to visualise is part of the solution.

If I can imagine something , I am sure it can be done, its then just a matter of figuring out how

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:25:48 -0600, John wrote (in message ):

well, it is a process or a way of making the thing, that I work on in my dreams. I already have a fair idea what the "thing" is, I just don't know for sure how to make it happen. I work on it in dreamtime, and see what works and what doesn't. It isn't foolproof of course, otherwise I'd go on the lecture circuit. It is still a visualizing process, I guess.

tom koehler

In message , tom koehler writes

The old saying of "go to bed and sleep on it" seems most appropriate.

Sometimes trying to concentrate on something to much will have the adverse effect of closing the mind as it focuses intently on what must be a solution

I wonder if anyone has tried the other approach of ingesting enough alcohol to relax the mind :)

Sorry about not responding to your suggestions, comments and input earlier. Got side tracked by a LONG series of "conversations" with RRRRALPH EARRRRRRL O'RRRRROURRRRKE on the Porcelin Phone (read

30 hours of trying to turn myself inside out - every half and hour to an hour - as a result of food poisoning).

So here's what I got from your feedback/suggestions

There is an agreement with my starting premise- that - we all start with the ability to be creative and that we are taught how to NOT be creative?

Changing the parameters and questioning assumptions regarding constraints can open up a lot of possibilities overlooked initially? Do you HAVE to use a "spindle gouge" - to turn spindles? Apparent limitations may in fact be opportunities to try and do something in a different way - or see something in a different way.

Getting a bunch of seemingly unrelated ideas outside of your head, on paper (Post-Its, graph paper, backs of envelopes, ...), a white board or blackboard, cut out shapes in paper or cardboard, maybe with different colors, assembling a small collection of textured objects (bark, moss, stones, nuts, leaves, twigs, ...) can get you to "see" things that can be used to "create" a new piece?

[ side note on Arch's rant on Political Correctness applied to "obscene words" - the substitution of *, &, #, etc. for missing letters and the suggestion to develop a ranking such words based on the number of substitutions - I have a theory that the more uncomfortable a society is with a subject - the more euphamisms they develop to avoid talking about them directly. Consider the euphamisms for DRUNK, or BATHROOM or the BIG TABOO - SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.]

It isn't necessary to know EXACTLY how you're going to get from HERE (the starting point) to THERE (the finished piece) - or even know where THERE is - at the beginning of a creative process.

If "brainstorming" is too intimidating - how about BrucePz's link to "Clustering".

Tom Koehler's observation about self confidence playing a role is an important one and plays into the subject of Fear Of Failure. Trying, overcoming fear of failure, and trying again seems to lead to an increase in the ability to be creative.

Tom also points out the importance of being open to adapting to unexpected circumstances - changing when necessary along the path to a finished piece.

He also "admitted" to using DREAMING. Why he thought that might be laughable is kind of funy since Sleep On It is good advice when faced with a problem you can't seem to solve. That's because the Rational Mind - the part we use the most while AWAKE - is what was molded to work a certain way by how we were taught to learn. The creative part of the mind is usually turned off while we're awake - and Wakes Up while we're asleep - plays with seemingly unrelated things, plays with The Problem - and whispers to the Rational Mind solutions and ideas as the "shift changes" from sleep to awake.

John-nobodyhomeforspam - in the UK suggests that being able to visualize may be an important factor in creativity. Staring off into space, or at a blank piece of paper or blackboard may help.

He also note that if you can imagine something it can probably actually be done - it's just a matter of figuring out how.

John also notes that trying to "force" creativity is a sure fire to get Stuck In Stupid - "I tried and tried and tried to solve the problem and I just COULDN'T - so I gave up". That's why I suggest thinking in terms of "play" rather than "work on it".

Anway - I'll try and work this stuff into this set of web pages on Brainstorming. Here's what I've got now.

I just finished reading a book titled "E=mc^2". Much of what's in the book is about is discovering things that couldn't be seen and were thought impossible to measure - or understand.

In message , charlieb writes

Another thought that just came to mind as I was reading , and eating my nice sandwich.

"Food for thought"

Often while we are eating we go into autopilot, but our minds drift, sometimes looking at a problem we have encountered earlier. So remember when you sit down to plan, sketch, daydream, whatever. Make sure you have food and drink to nourish. There is nothing worse than when your closing in on a solution to have need of food, the making of which takes your focus.

Also make sure that you have pen and paper, in workshop, bedroom, bathroom, wherever you go, so that if a thought comes to mind you can record it, you never know when inspiration will hit. Alternatively what I use is a Dictaphone, as I can talk faster than I can write, so can forget before I have written :)

Other things that you may want to consider. Voice recording when your turning, so you can make notes as you go, or even video your turning, so if something goes wrong you can look and see what may have caused it, and on the other hand if you succeed, you have something as the basis of explaining to others :)