Creativity
Systematically visualize and manipulate all kinds of things. Do weird and unusual things with many things in the person's world.
1. Unblocking -
Use any unblocking keys to free up the subject of creativity:
"As regards to creativity, has anything been .."
stopped
accelerated
diverted
misdirected
enforced
inhibited
changed
frozen
labeled
explained
failed
misused
refused
2. Remembering -
Remember many instances of creation.
"What have you created?"
"Remember creating something?"
"Remember something that was being created?"
3. Say Words #
Ask the client to say words, whatever random words pop into her mind. The idea is to get beyond the censor of the mind. People will usually after a few words start getting self-conscious about it or will make a "safe" system of doing the exercise. We need to get beyond that to the point where she can say whatever comes into her mind without analyzing and judging it first. She might have a mechanism of evaluating if it is "proper" to say, if the words would give a bad picture of her or something. Discuss that if necessary and use any technique to resolve it with. We work towards giving words instantly without prior thought. The speed gives you a clue about whether she is doing that. And the words should not be logically associated in any way. We are not telling a story or methodically going through the room, the words need to be as random as they can get. You might not want to push the client too much on this the first time, but it can be an exercise you can get back to from time to time.
"Say a word"
4. Word Story #
This is a variation of the exercise of just saying words. Here the client and facilitator will take turns saying a word. And here the words need to form sentences so that we are writing a little story together. However, it should still be without thinking about it. Each person adds just one word at a time that fits in. No writing ahead, just produce one word. This might be an easier exercise for the client than saying words all by herself, in that the facilitator takes part. The facilitator's task is to stretch the client. Move the story towards being a little more ridiculous or risqué than she is comfortable with, and make it fast. Needless to say the facilitator should be facile at this exercise already.
5. Space Objects #
Coach the person into creating objects out of empty space and exploring them. We need some interesting objects with as many accompanying senses as possible and they need to become real. The best way is for the facilitator to play along, act as an example, and invite the client to do it too. For example, act as if you have a tea cup in your hand, with a tea spoon. Drink from it and then hand it to the client and let her explore it. A tea cup has weight, temperature, texture, etc. How does it look, how does it sound. Get her to describe the details. The most important is the kinesthetics, getting her to feel it as real, actually feeling the weight of that cup. She needs to be moved away from doing it as a general idea into actually dealing with an object in a reality. Great attention to detail is important.
6. Sense Memory #
Have the person recall a past event in great perceptual detail. Like, ask her for a time when she felt wet. Then get all the perceptual distinctions and have her actually perceive them around her as if she is there. What sounds are in front, in the back, to the left, right, above, below. Make it 3D. Sounds and feelings most important here. Have her feel her clothes, the temperature, etc. Have her find an object and explore it, the texture, temperature, weight, smell, taste of it. The point is to be able to recall something with great realism.
7. Creativity Strategy -
Elicit strategies for when person is creative. What does she see, hear, feel, where, when, under what conditions, etc. Discover how it works. Strengthen it.
8. Modeling -
Have the client think of somebody she knows of who is creative. An acquaintance or a public person, that doesn't matter, just somebody that is well known. Work on finding out what that person does, how she thinks, feels, what order she does things in, etc. Then test that strategy by having the client do the same and see if it works. The theory is that if you follow the same strategy you can do the same thing.
9. Word Categories #
Play a word category game with the person. Each participant takes turns saying a word. Each word must be in "same" category as the one just given. But one is allowed to change the category along the way as long as one can justify that both the last and the current word is in that category. Like, "banana", "apple", "orange" are in the category of colors. The next person could say "grape fruit" or she could say "blue". Why? Because she can justify that "orange" and "blue" are both colors. And the next person would either have to continue with colors or think of something else that can be in category with blue. We are not talking free association here, the words must logically be in the same category. "Blue" and "ocean" are not in the same category or at the same logical level, that is a free association. "Blue" and "sad" could be in the same category as names of emotions. This exercise trains the ability to recognize and shift logical levels and think quickly.
10. Creative Acts -
Whenever you see a chance, reframe to that the purpose of life is creativity and everything is a creative act. That might be a little hard to plan. But while this module is being done, use that as a guideline. If the client comes in with a problem in life, show how it consists of creative acts. If something isn't quite working, show how creativity would take care of it.
11. Boring -
Find something the client considers boring or unchanging in her life. Process it. Particularly reframe it to show that there is a change or discovery process in it. In part do that by examining it from different viewpoints. Take it back to its underlying intention, show how it is actually supporting what the client wants. Find ways of making it more creative.
12. Source -
Get the person to connect with her source of creativity. Most people, when you push them a little will come up with a fairly uniform place or visualization that there creative impulses come from. Like, it might be a big bight ball of energy up in the sky. Or it might be a simmering ocean below. Or, it might be an expanding feeling inside her body. It is for sure something, it isn't just an abstract idea. Get in contact with whatever it is. Communicate with it, get the person to clear up any upsets or blocks. Find what is needed or wanted. Establish a system of it always being available as necessary.
13. Swish -
Have the person visualize some model of creativity. Either herself the way she wants to be, or some inspiring model. Use Swish patter or any other threshold processes to set a direction towards the creative states. Whenever she would otherwise feel uninspired she should automatically move towards her creative, resourceful states.
14. Creative Machinery #
Set up any necessary creative machinery to introduce creative input whenever things appear stuck. Can use swish to install it. And future pace the use of it. You can first work out in theory what would work for the person in terms of creativity. Then visualize the different component parts really thoroughly. Drill any required responses. Connect up different elements or entities. Wire up some circuits that will do the job.
15. Polarity Integration -
Most likely our client will have a creative and a non-creative side. Find out how it works for her. Treat them as polarities. Find out when the creative side is active, and what it is good at. Find out when the non-creative side is there, and what else it is good at. Get them in communication and get them more integrated.
16. Goal Package -
Work over this 4-way goal package:
| Create | To not be created |
| Not create | To be created |
Examine thoroughly all the different angles and perceptual positions. How is to be created, to not be created, to not create etc. This gets us out of a fixed focus of "To Create" which is only one part of the puzzle.
17. Create or Not Create -
Explore the limits and consequences of creating or not creating.
"What would happen if you created something?"
"What would happen if you didn't create anything?"
"What would not happen if you created something?"
"What would not happen if you didn't create anything?"
18. Right Creation -
Unfix any stuck rightness about being creative or about creating.
"What is right about creating?"
"What is right about not creating?"
"What is right about being created?"
"What is right about not being created?"
"What is the right way of creating?"
"What is the right way of not creating?
19. Mind Contents #
Have the client write down everything that goes through her mind. Just keep writing and writing for hours, without any need for logical thread though it. Just being honest. This can be a homework. She doesn't have to show anyone, it is just to get the flow going and to be aware of what is there.
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