Method 35 Disney Creative Strategy (R. Dilts)

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Main idea and its purpose

The Disney creative strategy is a method of brainstorming and problem-solving that was developed by Walt Disney. The strategy consists of three main stages:
● the dreamer
● the realist
● the critic

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

The purpose of the Disney creative strategy is to provide a structured approach to creative thinking that can help individuals and teams to generate innovative and practical solutions to problems. By separating the ideation process into distinct stages and roles, the strategy encourages creativity while also promoting critical thinking and practical considerations. The Disney creative strategy has been used in a range of industries, including film, advertising, and business, and can be applied to a variety of challenges and goals.

Application guidance

The dreamer is focused on generating wild and imaginative ideas, without worrying about the practicality or feasibility of the ideas. To be a “dreamer” it is important to answer these following questions as carefully as possible, without carrying about their plausibility:If everything is possible, without any restrictions, without any pressure, how do you describe your vision, your career, your business, your life, your next step?What will give you passion and what will make you feel happy?If your dreams come true, what will you see and what will you gain? Try to imagine in your mind how your dreams come true.The realist then takes these ideas and considers how they could be implemented in the real world, looking at the logistics and resources required. Basically, the “doers” focus on “How to do it” thus they believe that ideals portrayed by the dreamers can be realised and they are guided by these questions:How will I take action? How to make a plan and what are the relevant steps to success?What needs to be done today, tomorrow, next week, and next month?What resources do I have? How to make good use of these resources?With whom? Where can I get assistance?How to get more resources and a wider platform?Finally, the critic evaluates the ideas and considers potential challenges or drawbacks, helping to refine and improve the ideas. Critics can maximize the plan and their focus is on giving explanations while answering the following questions:● How do I really feel about it? Is this the best I can do?● What can make it better? Does this make sense?● How does it look to a customer? A client? An expert? A user?● Is it worth to work on this idea? Can I improve it?

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

As Robert Dilts puts it “Creativity as a total process involves the coordination of these three subprocesses: dreamer, realist, and critic. A dreamer without a realist cannot turn ideas into tangible expressions. A critic and a dreamer without a realist just become stuck in perpetual conflict. The dreamer and a realist might create things, but they might not achieve a high degree of quality without a critic. The critic helps to evaluate and refine the products of creativity.” (Robert B. Dilts, Strategies of Genius: Volume 1)

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.

Desirable thinking

Instructions for combining creativity methods

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.

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

5. Сombine methods

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

Instructions for combining creativity methods

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.

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

3. Choose

4. Make it specific

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