In the 1980s I did a literature search looking for the number of articles published/written on creativity from 1900 to 1980. After compiling the quantities of articles written each year in the U.S. I looked through books on the American Economy during the same period. What I discovered was that both were cyclical. Both appeared to be increasing in a cyclical, up and down, fashion. Typically their appeared to be on opposite cycles from each other. When one was up the other was generally down.

My synthesis from the apparent pattern was that the interest in creativity during high economic times is often more like a hobby or curiosity. During times of depression or bad economic times the interest is in great need or possibly out of desperation or frustration.

The past couple years has been interesting because the interest in creativity has appeared to increase while the economy has been strong, while there is the ever present threat by some economists that the economy may be heading for a drastic change.

The economy is not my area.
Interest in creativity and creative thinking is.

This week's CC was generated by one of the many articles published in recent months.

This month's Writer's Digest magazine has a few articles about creativity and especially, Micheal J. Bugeja's 10 Habits of Highly Creative Writers which sparked this CC.

Micheal lists the following 10 Habits.

1. Explore the Cosmos
2. Explore Nature
3. Experience the Real World
4. Exercise Regularly
5. Watch Movies
6. Travel
7. Serve Your Fellow Man (Human Being)
8. Be Kind
9. Cook
10. Read

Most of these have been the basis of CCs the past 3+ years.

Your challenge this week is to write the numbers 1 through 10 on individual pieces of paper or index cards. Put them in a box or throw them in the air. Then randomly pick pairs of them to spend time doing each day this week, Monday through Friday.

The deeper challenge is to do each divergently and then convergently, separately.

i.e.: 5   Watch Movies
Rent a couple videos and deliberately watch one of them looking for examples of divergent thinking or deliberately divergently think while watching the movie to create alternate scene changes. Then watch the other deliberately looking for examples of convergent thinking or deliberately convergently think while watching the movie to solve the on-going problems in it before the actors do.

i.e.: 6   Travel
First travel divergently, without a plan, deliberately making turns and changes on whim or newly sparked interest.
Second travel convergently somewhere new.
Analyze, plan, schedule, travel.

Have fun exercizing Micheal J. Bugeja's 10 Habits of Highly Creative Writers.