Often, in art, the most creative are those who come up with new perspectives. For example, Brancusi broke away from Rodin & Picasso broke away from the Impressionists. Touring the Museum of Modern Art in New York City with a group of business leaders, we came upon a suspended shovel. There was great debate regarding whether this was art or not.
The experience of observing this shovel and having the discussion regarding whether or not it is art raises doubt about preconceived notions, and encourages attendees to explore the world in front of them. This is a pattern of diverging thoughts (brainstorming with different backgrounds and experiences) and then converging (synthesize all ideas for evaluation). This shovel creates an environment in which one can be creative.
A “simpler” activity than debating a shovel’s worth as art is putting yourself in the shoes of someone else, and asking “How would this person tackle this problem?” Or, or “How would I tackle this problem at a different time?” This assists us in questioning our current belief system, and opens ourselves up to new possibilities.
Do you challenge preconceived notions, explore options, and diverge/converge thoughts?
