
Spoiler alert: two weeks ago I wrote ‘How many sides does a circle have & other creativity provoking statements.’ I’ll answer the creativity questions in this post. Didn’t get a chance to see the first post? Check it out here first.
Doing more, doing better
Most of my clients are looking for ways to do better, to do more & to leave a positive impact on their communities. Part of that equation is polishing off sometimes-rusty creativity & innovation habits & skills.
I’ve found that asking creative questions is a gateway to more, overall creative thinking. Here are some of the questions I asked during a treasure hunt activity I facilitated during a learning forum in the Maasai Mara recently, this time with the answers.
- Question:
Why are female ostriches gray & male ostriches black?
- Answer:
Female ostriches protect their eggs during the day & gray blends in better with their daylight surroundings, while male ostriches guard the eggs at night, their feathers blending in much better with the dark.
- Question:
How many sides does a circle have?
- Answer:
I’ve had several answers to this one (if you know others, please add them below in the comment section): infinite, 2 (inside & outside) & if the circle is a disc, 2 (top & bottom).
- Question:
What animal can you hear in the river by our camp (bonus points if you can imitate it)?
- Answer:
Hippos lumbered & lounged in the water beside us. Check out a recording of the odd noise they make here.
- Question:
What’s this → .
- Answer
This is from Roger VonOech’s classic work. One of the most creative responses (from a child) is it’s the view that a crow gets flying over a fence post.
There’s all sorts of ways to be creative. Let the illogical leaps & bursts of unusual connections be your conduit to creative problem solving & increased productivity. Like one of the participants in the learning forum said it made for a “very productive conference.”
Need a concrete example? Thanks to reader Mark, who forwarded me this article, check out the link between saris & protection from deadly bacteria.
Creativity accelerators
Here are 3 specific ways to increase your creativity skills:
- Look for a new way to use an old item (a la the sari example above)
- Look for an usual way to view a commonplace item (like the . example above)
- Find an answer to a problem you’re facing & then find another answer & another (like the ‘how many sides does a circle have’ question above)
Your turn. Take action
- If you haven’t already, join almost 1400 people who’ve used my quick creativity assessment tool
- Based on the questions & answers above, let your mind roam – like a gate newly opened – particularly towards a situation that could use some cranked up creativity & use 1 or more of the techniques above
- Still stuck? Look at this post for added ways to gain a new perspective
- Please let me know how it goes, in the comment section below or by emailing me. I’d love to hear.
Hi Lee-Anne & Family at RPS,
We are really enjoying following your amazing adventures and analogous life lessons in Africa! We appreciate the encouragement to think outside the box yet learn from the past, be aware of our environment and the creatures in it, challenge ourselves, develope skill sets, communicate and find common ground, learn from each other, expand our emotional I.Q.s and be truly successful human beings so we can evolve positively on this planet and beyond! We are sharing your blog with others. We need this paradigm shift more than ever during these politically and environmentally tumultuous times!
Ronnie & Marie
Iconic Tributes
You might like this 20 cent centrifuge that could allow for malaria testing in remote areas:https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/the-string-and-paper-centrifuge/