First published in 1983 Whack lists ten “locks” which limit creative thinking:
- The Right Answer
- That’s Not Logical
- Follow the Rules
- Be Practical
- Play is Frivolous
- That’s Not My Area
- Avoid Ambiguity
- Don’t Be Foolish
- To Err is Wrong
- I’m Not Creative
Von Oech continues to explain how each can be “unlocked” in separate chapters. He also includes various exercises to support his explanations. The book gives you the tools to apply its ideas to your problems in order to find creative solutions.
I know some of you out there don’t enjoy living in the creative space (myself included), but I’ve realized that to continue to offer something new and innovative to clients, we all need to jump on the “creative train”.
I recently read the War of Art by Steven Pressfield and found this book to be more enjoyable from a narrative standpoint. Pressfield weaves his personal struggles with creativity throughout the book which I found completely entertaining. Whack approaches creativity by clearly defining possible barriers and how to break those barriers down.
Whichever book you choose to read, just read one and start confronting your lack of creative juices so you can continue to offer new and fresh ideas to your clients/customers.
