Page 157 - Keys to College Success

KEY 5.8 Ask questions like these to jump-start creative thinking.

• What do I want to accomplish?
To brainstorm ask • What are the craziest ideas I can think of?
• What are ten ways that I can reach my goal?
• What ideas have worked before and how can I apply them?

• How has this always been done—and what would be a different way?
To shift your ask • How can I approach this task or situation from a new angle?
perspective • How would someone else do this or view this?
• What if . . . ?

• Where, and with whom, do I feel relaxed and inspired?
To set the stage ask • What music helps me think out of the box?
for creativity • When in the day or night am I most likely to experience a flow of creative ideas?
• What do I think would be new and interesting to try, to see, to read?

• What is the conventional way of doing this? What would be a totally different way?
To take risks ask • What would be a risky approach to this problem or question?
• What is the worst that can happen if I take this risk? What is the best?
• What have I learned from this mistake?

As with analytical thinking, asking questions powers creative thinking. See
Key 5.8 for examples of the kinds of questions you can ask to get your creative juices
5 flowing.
CHAPTER ideas, solutions, or choices, you need to think analytically to evaluate their quality.
Creativity connects analytical and practical thinking. When you generate

Then, you need to think practically about how to make the best solution or choice
happen.

talk risk and reward . . .

Risk asking tough questions to be rewarded with new insights. Use the following ques-
tions to inspire discussion with classmates, either in person or online.
■ What problem(s) do you see others avoid? What problem(s) do you avoid? What
do you risk when avoiding these problems? What might result from the different
risk you take to address them?
■ What is your opinion of yourself as a creative person? What effect does that
opinion have on your creative thinking skills?

CONSIDER THE CASE: What problems do you think Chanda may have experienced in her
first term as a college student? If you had known her at school, what risks would you have
advised her to take that may have helped her adjust to college life?

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