POINTS TO PONDER: ENHANCING PERCEPTUAL SENSITIVITY

I remember the first time I encountered the book, 'Thinkertoys', it was actually the first edition released during the early 90's. 

That was also about the time I began to explore the various options with regard to my mid-life transition. 

In fact, I had initially spotted a brief but interesting review of the book in the Entrepreneur magazine.

I managed to trace the publisher and had even immediately ordered the first 100 copies for my debut bookstore. It became the best seller in my store for many years. 

Next, came 'Cracking Creativity' a few years later, as well as the accompanying brainstorming card deck, 'Thinkpak', to 'Thinkertoys'.

What impressed as well as benefited me most is not so much the creativity tools outlined in both books. In fact, the most productive learning experiences I got out of both books are a few very important things, which I would like to share with readers.

Let's take a look at the book, ‘Thinkertoys’, first. 

In the Introduction, the author started off with a visual puzzle: 'Can you identify the figure below?'

Only by shifting your focus, you can then see the hidden word within the figure.

In the author's own words, "...by changing your perspectives, you can expand your possibilities..."

Let's move to second book, 'Cracking Creativity'. 

In the Introduction, the author prefaced it with a simple arithmetic equation: What is half of thirteen?

The subsequent passages as outlined in ‘Part I: Seeing What No One else is Seeing’, and ‘Strategy I: Knowing How to See’, by the author, revealed the secrets to getting many possible answers (or perspectives) to the above equation.

No creativity tool outlined in the above two books (or elsewhere in the world, for that matter) can help you to become more creative until you fully understand - & appreciate - what the author is trying to drive home in his two books.

In a nut shell, it basically boils down to one important thing: Use - and  enhance - your perceptual sensitivity to the environment!

The author may not be the first person to postulate this crucial aspect of creativity.

I would consider Leonardo da Vinci to be the first person to have understood and  practised it religiously. 

He said, in order to have a complete mind, one must use all our senses, especially, the sense of sight, among a few other things. 

In other words, one must LEARN TO SEE the world.

Edward de Bono had also broached this valuable concept in his groundbreaking series of lateral thinking books, starting with 'Mechanism of Mind' in the 70's.

I have always believed that you can't do things differently until you can see things differently.

Learning to see the world anew and from different perspectives is imperative if one wants to be more creative.

According to de Bono, creativity starts at the perceptual stage of thinking. He terms it, ‘First Order Thinking’. 

He added very beautifully:

"This is where our perceptions & concepts are formed, and this is where they have to be changed. Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic."

The creativity tools, whether they are from the author's mentioned books or elsewhere, will then automatically fall into place and make more sense when you have first exercised your perceptual sensitivity.

Using any tool is a piece of cake, but changing one's perception - and  maintaining fluidity of perception as well as having multiple perceptions - takes concerted efforts.

It is also important to take note that when things (or tactics) don't seem to work out as planned, always remember to check out your observations of the world first. Simply ask:

- what do you CHOOSE to see?

- where do you DIRECT your attention?

The second most productive learning experience I got from the above two books is realising that all thoughts are simply feats of association and/or juxtapositions - and the crux of creativity (in fact, also learning) are making associations and/or juxtapositions.

Tom Peters, in his wonderful book, ‘Liberation Management’, drives home with this insightful nugget:

"The essence of creation - in all endeavours - is chance connections between ideas & facts that are previously segregated. 

Entrepreneurship is the direct by-product of chance, of convoluted connections among ideas, needs and people."

Jay Abraham, high-powered marketing whiz, once shares these very interesting observations:

- ice cream was invented in 2000BC. Yet it was 3900 years later before someone figured out the ice cream cone;
- meat was on this planet before humans. Bread was baked in 2600 BC. Nevertheless it took another 4900 years for somebody to put together & create the sandwich;
- The modern flush toilet was invented in 1775, but it wasn't until 1857 that somebody thought up toilet paper;

According to him, "once these obvious connections have been made, they seem so obvious. So evident. We can't believe we didn't see them sooner. The endless number of these unmade connections exist to this day, especially in the business world." 

He adds further:

"You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically uncover your income, power, influence, & success, the problem is you just don't see them."

Leonardo da vinci once said, “everything is connected to everything else”.

The recurring question is therefore: CAN YOU SEE IT? 

The creativity exercises outlined by the author are specifically designed for this purpose.

The third most productive learning experience for me is the understanding of the differential between productive and reproductive thinking.

To paraphrase the author:

"...in productive thinking, one generates as many alternative approaches as one can, considering the least as well as the most likely approaches ... in contrast, reproductive thinking fosters rigidity of thought..."

More relevant aspects about the significance of and more specific strategies to develop productive thinking are excellently covered by the author in 'Cracking Creativity'.

In the light of what I have written, I would consider the author's two books as the dynamic duo...to be among the best in the genre! It will be really worth your while to get and carry the ‘Thinkpak’ in your pocket at all times.

[In reality, ‘Thinkpak’ is just an extension of one of the oldest creativity tools (SCAMPER) outlined in 'Thinkertoys'. It's designed as a pack of cards, but they are very powerful triggers for generating multiple perspectives.]