Class Notes on Creative Thinking Skills

Exploring the Vision

Identifying Goals, Wishes and Challenges

If we are to start at the beginning of the creative process, this is the time to vision, to imagine and to dream about hopes and desires for a future ideal state.

Imagining what is desirable activates a mindset focused on possibility. Many, if not all of the things we have now began as an imagined thought. Imagine that!!

Through Visionary Thinking

Imagine a magazine or newspaper front cover a year from now with your vision. What would it say?

Let’s say becoming fluent in English is the headline. Seems pretty reasonable, if not a stretch for an ESL cohort. For now anyway.

And this is why visions matter.

Act Toward the Direction of Intention

With a vision in mind, a destination is set. It may be far out in the distance. It may seem lofty or even far-fetched. That’s fine. That is what visions are: big hairy audacious goals or BHAGs.

Unconstrained free thinking in order to expand horizons beyond what might be normally considered…yep, that’s where visions have the headspace to emerge.

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Exploring the Vision

Visionary BHAG

Statement starters for visionary thinking:

“It would be great if…”
“Wouldn’t it be great if…”

To explore negative images of the future:

“It would be awful if…”