2012:  If Only...
by Bobbie Marquis

There is a technique of brainstorming called Synectics.  Developed and trademarked by a creative think tank in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this technique utilizes a variety of tools to help people to think out of the box.   

The premise is that coming up with new and creative ideas requires that judgment be suspended, that fear be eliminated, and that by doing so, the participants are able to tap into childlike creativity.  The relationship of fear to creativity is: more fear, less creativity; less fear, more creativity.  When criticism is waiting to pounce, we all strive to be safe.
 
I studied Synectics, and then utilized it in several workshops.  I was constantly amazed at the unexpected and often brilliant ideas that would emerge in a session.  One of the techniques was to begin an idea - it was called spring boarding.  Begin with words like, "If only..."   and then follow the statement with a stretching idea, a reaching into the world of possibility.  Feasibility takes a back seat during that part of the process.  Building feasibility into highly creative ideas comes later.
 
If only we would introduce more creativity into our lives, as we search for solutions to big problems.   If only we would suspend judgment and open the door for brilliance.  If only we could remove the haze of fear which clouds us as we become adults, and tap into the child-like brilliance that resides within us all.  This is one of my wishes for 2012... what a spring board that would be!