Thursday, November 18, 2021

Stages of CPS

11/18/21, 0.5 hours


Creative Problem Solving stages


Mess Finding:  Think of a real problem or challenge you have (not enough time, raising money for a vacation, raising GPA, etc.)


General Problem: I need to do my 12-hour creative practice project.


Data Finding:  What do you know about the problem?  List all the relevant information you need to consider about this problem.  


  • What is my project? Finally making my office MY office, and creating a place for myself.

  • How will I do it? I will brainstorm ideas, allow myself to try out colors or ideas without “knowing” it will work, and I will give myself freedom to do and redo things as ideas come to me.

  • Why is it important? It’s symbolic of how much I put into the world around me and others and yet leave myself for last

  • What materials/technology do I have available? I have the internet and there are websites where you can try out different colors on a picture of your room. I think I may be able to find other creative avenues for trying out different ideas in a virtual setting first. This would save money! Also, I have money to purchase materials, I have some furniture already, I have pictures I can print, and art I can put up. I have paint brushes. I am working with a door, a closet, and two windows.

  • What is the cost? I am going try to do this as cheaply as possible, which includes going to thrift stores and local antique shops before shopping for any expensive furniture or art.

  • What will others think of it? It doesn’t matter! This is totally for ME and my own benefit and acceptance.

  • It will be therapeutic not only for my creative mind, but also for my working/professional life and mindset.

  • Available time (This Sunday, Wednesday before/ Friday & Sunday after Thanksgiving, the 4th, 5th, and the 11th) 

  • It needs to be a project that is meaningful to me

  • requires me to stretch my creative thinking

  • Once completed, I must be able to provide: 

    • A description of the creative practicing project I selected and a rationale for why I selected it 

    • Examples of the practicing at various stages/evidence

    • Descriptions and reflections of blocks to my creativity that occurred and what techniques I used  to overcome those blocks

    • A summary assessment of what I think was accomplished, how I feel about the experience, how I might change your creative practicing, and what avenues I plan to address with creative practicing in the future




Problem Finding:  List at least 3 different ways of framing the problem using “In What Ways Might I” statements:


  1.  IWWMI: In what ways might I create a space that is both calming and encourages productivity?


  1.  IWWMI: In what ways might I ensure I enjoy the process of creating?


  1. IWWMI:  In what ways might I maximize my enjoyment of this creative practice?


Select and highlight one problem statement you would like to work through the rest of the model.  


Idea Finding:  Brainstorm a minimum of 15 ideas for how you might address this problem statement.  

  1. Allow myself time to brainstorm.

  2. Give myself permission to make mistakes.

  3. Not dismiss my ideas before trying them (whether through technology or tangible implementation)

  4. Spend time in creative thought without pressure of an immediate product

  5. Start with a clean slate (empty the room)

  6. Share ideas with my friends and partner, hear what they have to say

  7. Peruse the designs of others

  8. Give myself permission to make changes; there is no final product - I can always change it

  9. Not lose sight of the objective → to practice (and enjoy) meaningful creativity

  10. Try new things (colors, ideas, themes)

  11. Challenge myself with making things if the thoughts arise

  12. Not lose sight of the objective → to create a space that helps me mentally and gives back to myself!

  13. Document the process through journaling 

  14. Document the process through photography

  15. During exploration phases, not allow myself to look at the price tag. Instead, look for creativity and satisfaction! (I can deal with the price tag later, or get creative to make  or find an inexpensive version!)


Review your list and highlight the 4 most promising ideas from the list.  



Solution Finding:   Determine 4 different criteria that you will evaluate each of your ideas against.    Examples of criteria include:  Will it work?  Ease of Implementation?  Cost?  Time? Appeal?


Once you determine your criteria, evaluate each idea against each criterion on a scale of 1-5 with scores on the low end being less favorable and scores on the higher end being more favorable.  For example, if your criterion is cost, and the solution is not very expensive, it would get a score of 4 or 5.  If it is very expensive, it would get a score of 1 or 2.   Or, if your criterion is ease of implementation, and your solution would be complicated to do, then it might get a score of 1 on that criterion, and if it would be no trouble to implement, then it would earn a score of 5.  Please fill out the matrix below and total your scores.  Highlight the solution with the highest score.


Use the table below to create a matrix for evaluating your ideas.   On the top

Ideas/Criteria

Will it work?  

Ease of Implementation?  

Cost?  

Time? 

Total

Give myself permission to make mistakes.

5

2

3

4

14

Not dismiss my ideas before trying them

3

3

4

1

11

Try new things (colors, ideas, themes)

4

3

4

5

16

Start with a clean slate (empty the room)

5

5

5

4

19


Acceptance planning:  Now that you have reached a potential solution, describe a brief action plan that you could do to put the idea into play:  


I will start with a blank slate by emptying out the room the day before Thanksgiving. I will explore colors and themes through research and conversation that are all over my tastes (and maybe outside my initial tastes). I will brainstorm regularly and write down these ideas WITHOUT editing them so that I do not dismiss ideas before I give them the credit they are due. I will give myself permission to simply spend the 12 hours being creative; so that I can make mistakes, I will not expect to complete my project and have the final iteration within those 12 hours - This will allow me to truly enjoy the creative process!


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