Category: Thinking out loud

  • Subverting the dominant paradigm?

    Subverting the dominant paradigm?

    A phrase jumped out at me in a recent radio broadcast, reportedly seen on a car bumper sticker years ago – “Subvert the Dominant Paradigm”. The person who placed the sticker on their car, way back when, may have been targeting the dominant paradigm of that day. But, what if it was a call to…

  • Unexpected creativity

    Unexpected creativity

    The opportunity for creative insight increases when we encounter new and unexpected experiences, so claims a documentary I saw recently. I’m onboard for new experiences, but why would the unexpected make a significant difference? This is the last in a short series of posts triggered by …

  • Bricked creativity

    Bricked creativity

    It is said that insight is the movement from the known to the novel. It’s called divergent thinking, and the scientists have developed a test for it. You are given a brick – a house brick. In one minute, how many new uses for that brick can you think of?

  • Bubbling creativity

    Bubbling creativity

    Some people are easily distracted. Mid sentence, the topic shifts. Something new has come into view. A song obstructs the train of thought. Creative insight might thrive on unexpected connections, but it is hampered by distractions. This post is another in a short series capturing key points from a recent …

  • Connected creativity

    Connected creativity

    This post is building on my recent ponderings about creative insight. It’s a selection of posts summarising a great documentary I saw but my Mum missed – Horizon’s “The Creative Brain: How Insight Works”, broadcast recently on SBS. So far, I’ve written about the way creative insight is …

  • Scrunch-free creativity

    When I was young, I could only wink with one eye. Silly. Winks are only one eye. No, I mean I could only wink on one side. Yesterday, I managed to wink on the other side. It wasn’t a proper wink, with scrunched up muscles, deeper wrinkles and a crooked smile. The right lid closes…