Books provide frameworks, examples, and questions, but they do not replace practice. Choose a reading based on the capability you want to develop and pair it with a small application.
| Reading | Contribution | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral Thinking, Edward de Bono | Changing perspective | Reverse one constraint |
| Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono | Group perspectives | Facilitate a short round |
| Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace | Culture and learning | Review one team norm |
| The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron | Habits and blocks | Keep an idea log for a week |
| Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon | References and influences | Adapt an observed principle |
Read critically: ideas belong to a context and must be adapted to responsibilities, resources, and obligations.
Exercise
Write a card with the main idea, intended context, limit, and an experiment lasting less than a week. Ask another person for a perspective.
Conclusion
Reading broadens a repertoire when it becomes observation and practice. Digital tools can support that process when they are chosen deliberately.
Creativity Course: From Ideas to Solutions
Module 1: Understanding and Activating Creativity
- What creativity is and when it creates value
- Creativity in the professional environment
- Myths and realities about creativity
Module 2: How Creative Thinking Works
- The creative process as an iterative cycle
- Divergent, convergent, and lateral thinking
- Personal and environmental barriers
Module 3: Techniques for Exploring Alternatives
- Brainstorming: generating without judging
- Mind maps: visualising connections
- SCAMPER
- Lateral thinking: challenging assumptions
- Six hats: thinking from several perspectives
Module 4: From Challenge to Solution
- Identifying, defining, and reframing problems
- Generating alternatives for a defined challenge
- Evaluating and selecting ideas with criteria
- Prototyping, implementing, and learning
Module 5: Creativity Lab
- Guided workshop: collaborative brainstorming
- Guided workshop: building a mind map
- Guided workshop: redesigning with SCAMPER
- Case study: innovation in a technology company
- Case study: a creative solution in healthcare