Divergent
Thinking

Sometimes inspiration comes from surprising contexts. When we make connections between two seemingly unrelated ideas, we might push our thinking in unexpected directions. Add a tool to your creativity toolbox by practicing divergent thinking!

Divergent
Thinking

Skill
Creativity
Time
25 min
Materials
Pen + Paper
Bookmarked
Bookmark

Divergent
Thinking

Sometimes inspiration comes from surprising contexts. When we make connections between two seemingly unrelated ideas, we might push our thinking in unexpected directions. Add a tool to your creativity toolbox by practicing divergent thinking!

Time
25 min
Materials
Pen + Paper
Bookmarked
Bookmark
STEPS
1

Part of the creative process is an approach, called “divergent thinking.” Divergent thinking can happen by bringing in new perspectives or by mixing up unexpected combinations to push your thinking in new and surprising directions. Start by getting in a creative headspace— maybe clear your mind by doing some stretches, jumping jacks, deep breaths, or whatever works for you.

2

Pick one activity you spend time on right now or an interest you are excited to explore more. You might focus on an activity that you want to get more experimental with and dive deeper into.

3

Without thinking too hard, record the first ideas you can think of to mash up each idea with the activity/interest you chose.

REFLECT

video games
How might your interest be inspired by video games?

stargazing
How might your interest be inspired by stargazing?

singing karaoke
How might your interest be inspired by karaoke?

RunningHow might your interest be inspired by tennis shoes?

BakingHow might your interest be inspired by fresh cookies?

FlyingHow might your interest be inspired by an airplane?

4

Getting creative is inherently a collaborative process. The more collective knowledge, resources, and inspiration you can gather, the more you push your ideas. Choose 2 or 3 of your ideas to share and get feedback on, either from a few people directly, or by posting to your story and asking for comments. You might use one of these questions to ask for feedback:

For Example

  • What excites you about these ideas?
  • Does this remind you of anything that exists?
  • What ideas does this inspire for you?
MARK AS COMPLETED
COMPLETED
Take a look at our habits below!
SkillWave2
HABITS

Say “yes and..”

The most creative ideas tend to be a team effort. Grab a friend and try this quick creative exercise— design the best chair. Here’s the trick— one person thinks of an idea and the other person can only respond with “yes and…(their own idea)”. Build on each others’ ideas and you might come to some totally new directions!

Flip your ideas upside down

When you’re feeling a little stuck and don’t know how to approach a problem, think of the worst solution possible— something that really wouldn’t solve this problem. What’s the complete opposite of this solution? Sometimes the very thing that makes an idea unhelpful is the inverse of a really useful solution.

Create with constraints

It might seem counterintuitive, but putting limitations on your ideas, can actually help you get more creative! Think about a problem you are facing right now. Pretend you had to solve it with no money— what would you do? What if you had to solve it today? What if you could only use recycled materials? Get creative with your constraints and see where it takes you.