Desirable thinking

Main idea and its purpose

The key to using desirable thinking as a creativity technique is to make it focused and deliberate, and to hold an awareness of what you want to achieve. Focused daydreaming requires some simple preparation to get the desired results.
Most people think of desirable thinking as a waste of time – something you might do during lazy moments in between actually working. But it can enhance creativity to a massive degree.
This method helps you keep focused on what you really want, even if you have complicated relationships with your desires. Even if it seems to be completely impossible and there are so many obstacles towards the desirable, the method helps you to objectivize it as soon as you let yourself focus and feel it you will see how things look from that perspective. This is a great opportunity to get distanced from the position here and now which is overloaded with “why not” and see the path from another spot. The inner space broadens, and you can notice things which you were not able looking from one perspective only. While using this method,
flexibility is required as the desirable goals might get transformed in the end same way.

Application guidance: scope of application, for example, when working with a group of a certain age and composition; in individual work, etc.

1. Describe the situation or problem that is important to solve.
2. Assume that everything is possible and that there is a solution to the problem, even if it seems impossible right now.
3. We translate the problem into a desire.
Formulate 10-20 desires without limitations and consideration of reality that would solve the problem.
At this stage, it is important to go beyond internal and external limitations. Imagine what the ideal solution to the problem would be. How would it affect the world around us? What would become more in the world? What would you do to have unlimited resources?
4. Stage of transformation of dreams into goals.
It is important to consider each idea from the point of view of its innovation, usefulness in application, and the possibility of its implementation. We divide the implementation of the idea into stages, calibrating the opportunities here and now, and the search for resources and
opportunities in the future. Formulate what exactly is needed to implement the idea. Based on the most fantastic wishes, we formulate unique ideas and turn them into more realistic ones.
5. We embody at least one idea, or realize at least one desire.
6. We review what has changed, and if necessary, repeat the algorithm.
One of the examples of what used to be impossible and is now real is a video call or an online meeting. Previously, the distance from home or workplace made it almost impossible to participate in the work process or communicate with loved ones. But someone's realized dream changed our life

The results of applying the method, for example, increasing the ability to go beyond standard solutions, etc.

The result of the implementation of the method is the creation of new ideas, the construction of the path to their implementation, the same implementation, based on dreams that seemed fantastic at the beginning. The result is development, through the creation of something new, and going beyond limitations.

Instructions for combining creativity methods

  • 1. Determine the goal

    Determine why you want to use creative methods in your work and for whom, that is, what is the purpose, goals, meanings, audience, for whom it is happening.

  • 2. Read

    Read the description of the methods and recommendations for their use.

  • 3. Choose

    Choose those that best suit your purpose and tasks. When choosing methods, pay attention to the fact that they can be conditionally divided into several groups:● procedural, those that help answer the question HOW TO DO IT? How to optimize the process? How to do the process differently?● horizontal, those that answer the question WHO? WITH WHO? FOR WHOM? This is about the distribution of responsibility, and about clarifying the interests, association or for whom we are doing it.● vertical, those related to WHY? WHAT IS A PURPOSE? WHAT IS THE MAIN? It is about clarifying the hierarchy in the structure, the essence of the problem and its solution, what it consists of and what one wants to achieve.

  • 4. Make it specific

    Add the missing aspect to the vector. Depending on the task, one of the vectors will be the main one, and the other 2 will be auxiliary.● For example, you need to start the learning process in a different, new way: you choose the most suitable methods for your task and audience, and add methods for vertical and horizontal questions. This will add specificity towards the goal of this process and the distribution of tasks for everyone in the process, will help determine who and what it will be useful for. This creates a habit of thinking in different directions and structuring the process.● For example, the "Blooming Lotus" method allows you to determine the vertical vector, disassemble the problem into components, detail it by seeing the entire system of the problem at the same time, show the connections between different elements and find a solution for each element separately. If we add a horizontal and procedural layer of questions from the SCAMPER method, adding and concentrating on what is still missing, what can be added, what aspect has not yet been revealed, then we will get an even more complete picture and a solution that will cover the maximum fields of the same problem.

  • 5. Сombine methods

    Find and add polar aspects. You can combine methods that are more structural with playful ones based on the principle of combining polarities. This can make the process emotional but also structured at the same time. Yes, you can first choose the method that, in your opinion, is most suitable for your problem and task, then immediately determine the one that you would rather not use, which highlights the opposite sides. Moreover, your determined polarity can be conditional, that is, you yourself can determine what is polar in your case, what is the opposite. ● For example, if in one method there is a lot about the connections between elements, their detailed description, diving into the essence of details, then choosing a method that will consider the system of the problem from above, the whole whole, the system as a separate element in the environment around it, this will add scaling in finding a solution.

  • 6. Application time

     Different methods require different periods of time when applied. When combining methods, it is better to take this into account by adding a simpler and time-limited method to a method that is time-consuming and more difficult to use.

  • 7. Calibrate the original purpose

    During the whole process, calibrate from time to time with the original purpose, goals, meaning for what it all happens and for whom, because in the exciting creative space it can be easy to lose the axis on which the whole process should rest.

  • 8. Experiment

    Having created a combination of methods, it is important to experiment and be ready for changes and adaptation of the newly created to the needs, goals and tasks even more, because during the approbation we can just see the fact that was not taken into account. Here we can go back to points 4 and 5, adding aspects that are missing.● Note: try to feel the process, be present in it as much as possible, and allow imperfection and something spontaneous to arise, because the marker of novelty is your surprise, expansion of space and emergence of unexpected details, solutions, ideas.

Instructions for combining creativity methods

  • 1. Determine the goal

    Determine why you want to use creative methods in your work and for whom, that is, what is the purpose, goals, meanings, audience, for whom it is happening.

  • 2. Read

    Read the description of the methods and recommendations for their use.

  • 5. Сombine methods

    Find and add polar aspects. You can combine methods that are more structural with playful ones based on the principle of combining polarities. This can make the process emotional but also structured at the same time. Yes, you can first choose the method that, in your opinion, is most suitable for your problem and task, then immediately determine the one that you would rather not use, which highlights the opposite sides. Moreover, your determined polarity can be conditional, that is, you yourself can determine what is polar in your case, what is the opposite. ● For example, if in one method there is a lot about the connections between elements, their detailed description, diving into the essence of details, then choosing a method that will consider the system of the problem from above, the whole whole, the system as a separate element in the environment around it, this will add scaling in finding a solution.

  • 6. Application time

    Different methods require different periods of time when applied. When combining methods, it is better to take this into account by adding a simpler and time-limited method to a method that is time-consuming and more difficult to use.

  • 3. Choose

    Choose those that best suit your purpose and tasks. When choosing methods, pay attention to the fact that they can be conditionally divided into several groups:● procedural, those that help answer the question HOW TO DO IT? How to optimize the process? How to do the process differently?● horizontal, those that answer the question WHO? WITH WHO? FOR WHOM? This is about the distribution of responsibility, and about clarifying the interests, association or for whom we are doing it.● vertical, those related to WHY? WHAT IS A PURPOSE? WHAT IS THE MAIN? It is about clarifying the hierarchy in the structure, the essence of the problem and its solution, what it consists of and what one wants to achieve.

  • 4. Make it specific

    Add the missing aspect to the vector. Depending on the task, one of the vectors will be the main one, and the other 2 will be auxiliary.● For example, you need to start the learning process in a different, new way: you choose the most suitable methods for your task and audience, and add methods for vertical and horizontal questions. This will add specificity towards the goal of this process and the distribution of tasks for everyone in the process, will help determine who and what it will be useful for. This creates a habit of thinking in different directions and structuring the process.● For example, the "Blooming Lotus" method allows you to determine the vertical vector, disassemble the problem into components, detail it by seeing the entire system of the problem at the same time, show the connections between different elements and find a solution for each element separately. If we add a horizontal and procedural layer of questions from the SCAMPER method, adding and concentrating on what is still missing, what can be added, what aspect has not yet been revealed, then we will get an even more complete picture and a solution that will cover the maximum fields of the same problem.

  • 7. Calibrate the original purpose

    During the whole process, calibrate from time to time with the original purpose, goals, meaning for what it all happens and for whom, because in the exciting creative space it can be easy to lose the axis on which the whole process should rest.

  • 8. Experiment

    Having created a combination of methods, it is important to experiment and be ready for changes and adaptation of the newly created to the needs, goals and tasks even more, because during the approbation we can just see the fact that was not taken into account. Here we can go back to points 4 and 5, adding aspects that are missing.● Note: try to feel the process, be present in it as much as possible, and allow imperfection and something spontaneous to arise, because the marker of novelty is your surprise, expansion of space and emergence of unexpected details, solutions, ideas.

Other methods of creativity activation

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Desirable thinking

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List of control questions

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The Phoenix Checklist

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SCAMPER

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The method of "Blooming Lotus"

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The method of fictional characters

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Freewriting

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Dream magazine

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K. Jung's test - 16 associations

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Koberg and Bagnell – „A Universal Traveller“

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Disney Creative Strategy 

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Game perception 

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"TRIZ"

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The method of inversion 

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Transform 

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The reframing matrix

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