Creative Thinker exercises

7.

Unexpected places no.

1 11no.

7.

7.

7.

Unexpected Unexpected 7.

Unexpected Unexpected places places places places no. no. no.

1 1 no. 1

Here’s Here’s Here’s aalittle Here’s little a little worm worm a little worm looking looking worm looking for for looking an an for adventure! adventure! an foradventure! an adventure!

Your YourYour job jobYour isis job to tofind is job find tois new find new to find and new andnew and and interesting interesting interesting interesting places places places for for places him him forto him to for visit. visit. him to visit.

Draw Draw to visit.

Draw your your Draw your ideas ideas your ideas around around ideas around the the around worm. worm. the worm. the Try Try worm.

Try Try o find new and to goand forsurprising fun and surprising solutions. to togo go to for for go fun fun for and fun and surprising surprising solutions. solutions. solutions. the worm.

Try

LITTLE LITTLECREATIVE LITTLE CREATIVE LITTLE CREATIVE THINKER'S THINKER'S CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE EXERCISE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK BOOK EXERCISE BOOK BOOK 22 22 22 22

This exercise has been reproduced from the Little Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Katrine Granholm and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

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8. Rethink the object no. 1

8. Rethink the object no. 1 8. Rethink the object no.

1 8. Rethink the object no. 1

Train your mind to make new connections by thinking of alternative uses for a doughnut. Challenge your imagination to go beyond the most obvious uses. Seek Train your mind to make new connections by thinking of alternative uses for new, a doughnut. fun, wacky,Challenge or different uses.

They to can be sensible or crazy, useful as your imagination go beyond theuses most obvious uses. or useless, Seek Train your mind to make new connections by thinking of thinking alternative for Train your mind to make new connections by of alternative uses for long as they newor alternative Draw your ideas by adding to the doughnuts new, fun,are wacky, different uses. can the be sensible or crazy, useful or useless, as a doughnut.

Challenge your imagination to uses. goThey beyond most obvious uses.

Seek a doughnut.

Challenge your imagination to go beyond the most obvious uses. Seek on the following pages. long asorthey are new alternative Draw your ideasuseful by adding to the as doughnuts new, fun, wacky, different uses.

They canuses. be sensible or crazy, or useless, new, fun, wacky, or different uses. They can be sensible or crazy, useful or useless, as on the following pages. long as they areas new alternative uses. Draw uses. your Draw ideas by adding doughnuts long they are new alternative your ideas to bythe adding to the doughnuts on the following pages. on the following pages.

CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK 24 CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK 24

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CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK

This exercise has been reproduced from the Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Katrine Granholm and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

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NIELSEN & GRANHOLM

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NIELSEN & GRANHOLM

8. Visual connections no. no.

1 1 8. Visual connections

LeT’s GO!

Train your mind to make visual connections. Look at the images below.

Think of the grid as a visual multiplication table: Pencil x bee = pencil with wings. Sketch an idea that connects the two items in each of the empty boxes.

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LITTLE CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK

This exercise has been reproduced from the Little Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Katrine Granholm and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

Have Fun!

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The walk Challenge Challenge 11 The walk The walk Thinkers from Einstein to Emerson were great believers in taking a walk. The American writer Gretel Ehrlich noted, “Walking is also Thinkers from of Einstein Emerson were great believers an ambulation mind.”toThe walk we want you to takein is taking no ordinary Thinkers from Einstein to Emerson were great believers in taking a walk.

Thewalk American writerto Gretel Ehrlich noted,and “Walking is also walk.

This is a chance look at the world see it differently. aan walk.

The American writer Gretel Ehrlich “Walking ambulation of mind.” The walk we want you to noted, take is no ordinaryis also an ambulation walk weworld wantand yousee to ittake is no ordinary walk.

This walkof is amind.” chanceThe to look at the differently. walk. This walkwalk is a chance to look at the world and see it differently.

Tips for the • Bring a notebook Tips for the walk and a camera along.

•• Look at things of what Bring a notebook andthink a camera along.they might be or could be.

Tips for the walkand •• Photograph andofscenes thatmight spur be your imagination.

Look at thingsobjects and think what they or could be.

• Bring a notebook and a camera along.

Photograph objects and scenes and that connections. spur your imagination.

•• Imagine new combinations •• Look at things and think of what they might be or could be.

Imagine combinations connections.

• Jot downnew at least ten ideasand (e.g. how to turn a gutter pipe into •• Photograph objects and scenes that spur your imagination.

Jot airport down athangar least tenor ideas (e.g. mower how to turn pipebox, intoetc.). an a lawn intoaagutter jewelry • Imagine new combinations and connections. an airport hangar or a lawn mower into a jewelry box, etc.).

• Jot down at least ten ideas (e.g. how to turn a gutter pipe into an airport hangar or a lawn mower into a jewelry box, etc.).

Recommendation Recommendation Do on your yourown. own.Give Give yourself a block of time (anywhere Do this this on yourself a block of time (anywhere from from sixty ninetyminutes). minutes).Focus Focus seeing things you look sixty to to ninety on on seeing newnew things whenwhen you look Recommendation at things.Focus Focus having ideas.

Don’t do grocery your grocery atordinary ordinary things. onon having ideas.

Don’t try totry doto your Do this on your own. Give yourself a block of time (anywhere from shopping atthe thesame sametime time walk or have a phone conversation. shopping at oror walk thethe dogdog or have a phone conversation. sixty to ninety minutes).

Focus on seeing new things when you look This time time is thinking.

This is for foryou youand andyour your thinking. at ordinary things. Focus on having ideas. Don’t try to do your grocery shopping at the same time or walk the dog or have a phone conversation.

Bonus This timeactivity is for you and your thinking.

Bonus activity Choose a photograph from your walk and create a “before” and “after”

Choose a photograph from your walk and create a “before” and “after” picture series to show the image you saw and the vision you created. picture to show the image you saw and the vision you created.

Bonusseries activity On the a opposite page, you seewalk the connection Louise Arve Choose photograph fromcan your and createthat a “before” and “after” On the opposite page, you can see the connection that Louise made on her walk between some old water pipes and the hooves of a Arve picture series to show the image you saw and the vision you created. made horse.on her walk between some old water pipes and the hooves of a horse.

On the opposite page, you can see the connection that Louise Arve made on her walk between some old water pipes and the hooves of a horse.

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nielsen & thurber

This exercise has been reproduced from The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Sarah Thurber and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

24.24.

The Connectioniser no. 3 The Connectioniser no. 3 A “Connectioniser” is a great machine that makes new connections.

Look at the things that go into the “Connectioniser”. Imagine what comes out at the other end. Experiment with new combinations and draw different solutions.

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LITTLE CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK

This exercise has been reproduced from the Little Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Katrine Granholm and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

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Exercise 20 Roll and write Exercise 6 10-15 minutes Making headlines 10-15 minutes

s story that could The four categories “Who, When, Where, and What” are the key elow. Look them ingredients of your story. Under each category, there are six alternatives. e connected inRoll a a die to determine which item under each category goes into your Here’s another story. Try not tostorytelling cheat. Thenexercise. write theImagine story. a news story that could somehow include and connect all five images below. Look them over carefully. Think about how the images could be connected in a newspaper article.

Who? 1.

A bus conductor and a stranger

2.

A pole dancer and her mother

3.

A college professor and a kindergartener

4.

An inventor and a janitor

5.

A star and a fan

6.

A bank teller and a fortune teller

Where? dline and caption

rber

1.

In the Eiffel tower in Paris Take ten to twelve minutes to write a newspaper headline and caption that2.incorporates all five images.

At a shopping mall 3.

On Wall Street

4.

At the opera

5.

A casino

6.

On safari

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1.

A misunderstanding

2.

Something important went down the drain 3.

An explosion

4.

A bad hair day

5.

There’s a blizzard

6.

A homicide

When?

1.

In the middle of the night

2.

The 18th century

3.

2050

4.

At the crack of dawn

5.

During a nap

6.

When the mail comes

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This exercise has been reproduced from The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Sarah Thurber and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

What?

14.

Product creation no. 1 14.Product Productcreation creationno. no. no.1 11 14.

Here’s conceptualexercise. exercise.Your Your job create a new product.

Randomly choose Here’s aa conceptual job is is toto create a new product.

Randomly Here’s Here’s a a conceptual conceptual exercise. exercise.

Your job Your job is is to to create create a a new new product. product.

Randomly Randomly choose choose Here’s a conceptual exercise.

Your job is to create a new product.

Randomly choose one word each the four categories: Positioning, Product category, Target choose onefrom word fromofeach of the four categories: Positioning, Product one one word word from from each each of of the the four four categories: categories: Positioning, Positioning, Product Product category, category, Target Target one word from each of the four categories: Positioning, Product category, Target category, Target audience, of and Style/Tone of voice. audience, and Style/Tone voice. audience, audience, and and Style/Tone Style/Tone of voice. voice. audience, and Style/Tone ofof voice.

Write down the four chosen words ininthe Creative Brief onon thethe next page.

Think Write down the four chosen words the Creative Brief next page. Think of Write Write down down the the four four chosen chosen words words in the the Creative Creative Brief Brief on on the the next next page. Think page. Think of Write down the four chosen words inin the Creative Brief on the next page. Think ofof of ideas for a new product that connects the four selected words.

Draw, record, ideas for product that connects the four selected words. Draw, record, or make a ideas ideas for for anew new new product product that that connects connects the the four four selected selected words. Draw, words. Draw, record, record, or make or make ideas for aaanew product that connects the four selected words. Draw, record, or make a aa or make a written description of your new product in the box below the brief. written description of your new product in the box below the brief. written written description description of your your new new product product in the the box box below below the the brief. brief. written description ofof your new product inin the box below the brief.

C Cr

A. Positioning A.Positioning Positioning A. A. Positioning

B.Product Product Product category category B.B. category B. Product category

High end Highend end 1.1.1.High 1.

High end Handmade 2.Handmade Handmade 2.2.

2.

Handmade Sporty 3.Sporty Sporty 3.3.

3.

Sporty Discount 4.Discount Discount 4.4.

4.

Discount Educational 5.Educational Educational 5.5.

Eco-friendly 6.Eco-friendly Eco-friendly 6.6.

5.

Educational

Shoe Shoe 1.1.1.Shoe 1.

Shoewater 2.Bottled Bottled Bottled water water 2.2.

2.

Bottled water 3.Toy Toy Toy 3.3.

3.

Toy 4.Car Car Car 4.4.

4.

Car 5.Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate 5.5.

6.T-Shirt T-Shirt T-Shirt 6.6.

5.

Chocolate

6. Eco-friendly

6. T-Shirt

Target audience C.Target Targetaudience audience C.C.

Style/ Tone of voice D.Style/ Style/Tone Toneof ofvoice voice D.D.

C. Target Women Womenaudience 1.1.1.Women

D. Style/ Tone of voice Humorous Humorous 1.1.1.Humorous Exclusive 2.Exclusive Exclusive 2.2.

1.

Humorous Friendly 3.Friendly Friendly 3.3.

2.

Exclusive Playful 4.Playful Playful 4.4.

Serious 5.Serious Serious 5.5.

3.

Friendly Artistic 6.Artistic Artistic 6.6.

4.

Playful

Men 2.Men Men 2.2.

1.

Women Kids 3.

Kids 3.3.

Kids 2.

Men Teenagers 4.Teenagers Teenagers 4.4.

60+ 5.60+ 60+ 5.5.

3.

Kids Everyone 6.Everyone Everyone 6.6.

4.

Teenagers

5. 60+ 6. Everyone

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CREATIVE CREATIVE THINKER'S THINKER'S EXERCISE EXERCISE BOOK BOOK CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK

CREATIVE THINKER'S EXERCISE BOOK

5. Serious 6. Artistic

fofo

Create A. a

A.

that that is is

that is

D.

C.C.

C.

D. D. for

or or

A.

B. B.

B.

Solution: Solution: Solution:

NIELSEN & GRANHOLM

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This exercise has been reproduced from the Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book with kind permission of the authors Dorte Nielsen & Katrine Granholm and BIS Publishers to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Meet us at www.creativethinker.com. The book is available from Amazon and www.bispublishers.com

Create reate a a