10 Steps for Boosting Creativity

This site has an interesting list of things to do in order to boost creativity.

1) Listen to music by Johann Sebastian Bach
2) Brainstorm
3) Always carry a small notebook and a pen or pencil around with you.
4) If you're stuck for an idea, open a dictionary, randomly select a word and then try to formulate ideas incorporating this word.
5) Define your problem
6) If you can't think, go for a walk.
7) Don't watch TV
8) Don't do drugs.
9) Read as much as you can about everything possible
10) Exercise your brain.

http://jpb.com/creative/creative.php

I thought that some of these things were very intriguing. For example, I thing one could make a good argument about whether watching TV increases creativity. I think this greatly depends on what you are watching. There are some TV shows out there where I think the writers are very creative and people can learn a lot from watching them. I also thought the idea about finding a word in the dictionary was very interesting. I have never heard of this before but its sounds like it could really increase your creative thinking. I know going for walks is a great way for me to let my mind wander and come up with ideas. I think this is a good list of ideas to try when in need of creative thinking. Although some ideas on the list are very obvious, we do not always resort to them when trying to be creative.

By George Vauter

How Did Our Egg Survive?

In Friday's class we did the experiment where using given supplies, the group must construct a container that will allow the egg to be dropped from a height of 8 ft and not break. This happens to be a common activity for engineers.

Our group knew there were two things that at least one but preferably both must be done for the egg to survive. They are the impact intensity needs to be reduced, and the force of the impact needs to be dissipated to away from the egg.

For good measure, we decided to do both. The container itself we made out of two cups. Putting slits in the bottom cup, allowed for the cup to crumple and absorb some of the shock. Also, for good measure we put shredded paper into the cup and this helped the egg not have to stop its momentum as sudden. And the last thing we did was attach a plastic bag to the top of the cups to act as a parachute. This slowed the decent of the contained so the impact was less intense. Thankfully we were successful and our egg did not break.

By: Ben Schnepp

Creativity Activities

I have really been enjoying com class recently. Since we started talking about creativity, it has been a lot of fun. I really enjoy trying to solve problems, but so often the way school is set up limits your options. It seems to be much safer to just go with the standard way of doing things. I think creativity is the thing that gets people excited about learning and often yields the best solutions to problems. I think a lack of creativity in schools is why I have pretty much hated school since around the second grade. You have to keep things interesting and give people a chance to do something their own way. It's the best way to learn. I would enjoy school if more classes had creative activities to do like the ones we are doing now in com 320.

-David Hoff

Constructive Criticism for Me

This past week we were put into new groups to solve a crisis. While working in this group a third party observed our interactions in the new group.

According to the person that evaluated me, I did a good job of keeping my group on topic. I was able to contribute and voice my opinion politely. In doing so, my group listened to me and took into consideration what I had to say.

There are several things I do need to work on though. I need to speak up more, be louder. Sitting up is very important and I need to work on doing so. This will allow my opinion to be more respected. A very big mistake I made was voicing that I did not want to be there. Hopefully with this criticism I will become a better group member.

By: Ben Schnepp

Creative Thinking

Ive been doing some research on creative thinking ideas for our group presentation. I found that one man, named Edward de Bono, is very famous for his work in creative thinking. He is said to be the worlds most famous creative thinking consultant. He has written over 62 books and has worked with governments and major organizations worldwide as a creativity teacher.
He is most famous for his idea of Lateral Thinking. He developed this idea in 1967 to describe the process of breaking out of the habitual patterns of linear thought. It encourages people to change their direction of thinking and to look at things in a totally new way. It also encourages people to reinterpret what you are looking at in fresh, original or humorous ways.
He is also known for his idea of the "Six Thinking Hats. designed as a practical user-friendly way of thinking creatively and effectively. This is a results-orientated method is in use in businesses and schools around the world. It is constantly being taught to people and organizations eager to make the most of their creative potential.
There is a lot more I could write about Edward de Bono, and there are many web pages and youtube videos about him. I would encourage everyone to look to some of his work for ideas on what could be used for a creativity seminary.

By George Vauter

Creative Time of Yer

Today is October 30, the eve of Halloween and creative minds are working overtime. Above are a few examples of what thinking outside the box means. For some it is nearly impossible to come up with a custom that has that much character but for others it just seems to flow. I tend to find myself on the more creative side and have found it to serve me well. While at times it takes me longer to get things accomplished because I want them to be done well and creatively the end results are great.

If you are among those "creatively challenged" our textbook offers a few suggestions to enhance creativity:

-Write the specific problem down (ex. what to be for Halloween)

-Acquire a "try anthing attitude"

-The wilder the ideas, the better

-Approach each idea positively and give it a fair trial

-Try to make your ideas workable

So if you are still having trouble coming up with a creative custom don't be afraid to just let your imagination run wild. Have an open mind and you may be surprised what you come up with.

Christy

Service Project

On Friday afternoon our group went to the Boys and Girls Club to do our project. It ended up going very well. We all had fun playing with the kids, and I think all the kids had fun too. No major problems came up, but it wasn't the best weather outside, so we played inside. It was a good thing we had taken the time to plan out what to do if we couldn't be outside. Playing dodgeball, basketball, and throwing a football around with the kids was a blast. It was great to see them all having fun being active.

-David Hoff