One of the challenges workplaces and individuals both have with being more creative is the tendency to seek closer too soon or to be overly critical of ideas they can not immediately see working. This week let's practice holding back and giving our creative brain cells time to work in a positive and supportive way in order to encourage greater creativeness.

This week's Challenge is to try to be positively supportive for 15 to 30 minutes each of ideas that may initially seem totally strange, off-the-wall, out-in-space, etc.

So each day work with one or more of the ideas provided and list reasons why the ideas might be very useful and profitable. Remember the goal is to be positive. Use your creativeness to find ways that the ideas might be great.

The idea list was provided by Vince Angeloni through the internet a few months ago.

MONDAY Randomly choose one of the following ideas and spend 15 to 30 minutes thinking of ways it might work or reasons why it ought to be made possible.

• A black highlighter pen
• A book on how to read
• A dictionary index
• A Pedal powered wheelchair
• AC adapter for Solar powered calculators
• Battery powered Battery Charger
• Braille Drivers Manual

TUESDAY Randomly choose one of the following ideas and spend 15 to 30 minutes thinking of ways it might work or reasons why it ought to be made possible.

• Do-it-yourself road map
• Double sided playing cards
• Ejector seats for Helicopters
• Fireproof Cigarettes
• Fireproof Matches
• Glow in the dark sunglasses
• Hand powered Chainsaw

WEDNESDAY Randomly choose one of the following ideas and spend 15 to 30 minutes thinking of ways it might work or reasons why it ought to be made possible.

• Inflatable Anchor
• Inflatable Dartboard
• Mechanical Pencil sharpeners
• Non stick Cellotape
• Pedal-powered wheel chairs
• Powdered water
• Reuseable ice cubes
• Seatbelts for Motorbikes

THURSDAY Randomly choose one of the following ideas and spend 15 to 30 minutes thinking of ways it might work or reasons why it ought to be made possible.

• See-through toilet tissue
• Silent Alarm Clock
• Skinless bananas
• Smooth Sandpaper
• Solar Powered Flash Light
• Submarine screen doors
• The water-proof towel

FRIDAY Randomly choose one of the following ideas and spend 15 to 30 minutes thinking of ways it might work or reasons why it ought to be made possible.

• Toe implants
• Turnip ice cream
• Watermelon seed sorter (my personal favorite!!)
• Waterproof sponge
• Waterproof tea bags
• Zero proof alcohol

Have fun this week letting your creativeness reach greater levels working with other people's ideas.

Best wishes for a highly creative week.

© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 Robert Alan Black, Ph.D. CSP