So, we have just talked about ideas being infinite, but now you’ve got a blank page or screen in front of you and don’t feel the smallest inkling of an idea. How can that be if ideas are infinite? The simple answer is stage fright–the “fight or flight” response–the specter of “put up or shut up,” staring you in the face. But, as you stare into the abyss, help is on the way.
There are scaffolding tricks that can come to your rescue when stage fright threatens. I use those “tricks” all the time when the source of ideas seems to go dry. Some are well known to designers, some are gleaned from other areas of creativity and critical thinking. They’ve become part of a hidden creative muscle.
In the teaching profession, the concept of scaffolding is a great tool that helps children learn new concepts. It is like training wheels on a bicycle, in which the teacher provides minimal structure to support learning. First they model the way in which a problem is solved. Then they collaborate with the student in solving a similar problem. And finally, as the student increases in confidence, they remove the “training wheels,” so the student can proceed independently.
Here are a few of the scaffolding tricks than can help put us in touch with those infinite ideas that seem to lay dormant:
There’s a concept called SCAMPER (S-C-A-M-P-E-R). S stands for Substitute. Is there something you can substitute that might solve the problem? C stands for Combine. Would combining something streamline the problem? A stands for Adapt. Is there something that can be modified that will lead to a solution? M stands for Magnify–or Minify. Can something be increased or diminished? P stands for Put to another use. Maybe there’s an altogether different purpose for the thing being considered? E is for Eliminate. Maybe remove something altogether from the current mix? R is for Reverse–or Rearrange. You could switch first and last; make what’s long, short or visa versa; make what’s high, low; or make what’s important, unimportant, etc.
Then there’s Variation on a Theme. Think of the many things that can be made from Legos. Legos are just simple rectangles. Or think of balls–the many shapes and styles of balls used in different sports. What fruits or vegetables look like balls. Then Include anything that has a round shape: A Hula Hoop, a coin, a clock, the letter “O,” all things with wheels–a steering wheel, a car wheel, etc. What similarities can you use in your problem? Variation on a theme answers the question, “How many ways can . . .”
Borrow: Is there something from another business, sports, the sciences, the arts, parenting, family life, animal behavior, etc., that reminds you of the situation you are trying to solve? Can you use it?
Free Association: Metaphors, analogies, connections–what does this problem remind me of?
Random Stimulation: Randomly select a word from the dictionary and apply it to the situation you are thinking about. Does it contradict or complement the scenario? Can it change it in some way?
Look at it from another’s perspective–guaranteed freshness.
Water Logic: Think of adjectives. Is there a way the words over, under, around, or through can help you surmount obstacles you run into? (Water usually finds a way.)
Mind Mapping. Lay it all out in front of you like a map. Put the most important thing in the middle of a circle, then draw lines out from the main circle to smaller circles. Label them as the components of the main topic. This will show you all parts of the problem and how they relate. Something will occur.
From Edward de Bono, a writer on critical thinking, comes an interesting concept called Provocative Operation or PO. It is part of Lateral Thinking–an unorthodox way of solving a problem–by coming at the problem sideways, not directly, and assuming there is not just one way to solve it. I will leave you to research this concept, since it’s something to savor. (Water Logic, mentioned earlier, is a title of one of de Bono’s books.) All of the above are ways to stir things up.
Sometimes you just need to makes some marks (doodle) and let momentum carry you forward until something occurs.
At this point, I also need to mention Vertical Thinking, which defines as the conventional or logical approach to problem-solving. It looks for just one right answer. Albert Einstein said “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” With an imaginative approach, when you finally close in on a direction and commit, you’ll have given it your best. At that point, what you choose, becomes the “one right answer.” So, the best use of Vertical Thinking is late in the game–when you put on your “judge” hat and choose which idea to develop. You can always change your mind if it doesn’t work. Then it’s time to try another of the ideas you explored, or make adjustments to the current course.
However, if you are still staring into space after trying a few of the tricks above, it’s time for a break!
I’ll end with a suggested variation on a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote: “Happiness (Inspiration) is like a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but if you sit down quietly, will light upon you.”