Think Like A Kid

Let's pick a card from the Creative Whack Pack. Here goes. It's "Think Like A Kid," one of my favorites. And timely as well! As you read this, think about how this creative strategy applies to a current problem or issue.

A high school teacher drew a dot on the blackboard and asked the class what it was. "A chalk dot on the blackboard," was the only response. "I'm surprised at you," the teacher said. "I did this exercise with a group of kindergartners and they thought of fifty different things it could be: an owl's eye, a squashed bug, a cow's head. They had their imaginations in high gear." As Picasso put it, "Every child is an artist. The challenge is to remain an artist after you grow up." What are the first things a kid would say about your problem?

If a kid were looking at your problem, and asked you the following questions, how would you (thinking like a kid) respond?

• How can you be more playful in how you think about it? • What's really fun about your problem? What's not fun?
• What doesn't make sense?
 • What new rules you can make up?
• What imaginary friend you should have to help you with this problem?
• If your problem or issue were a game, how do you score points? What rules do you need to follow? What constitutes a brilliant play? What puts you in the record books?
• What gets you kicked out? What receives a standing ovation from the fans?
• What do you have to do to get booed? Do you care?

Question: Where are your opportunities to "think like a kid" today?

Comments

[Patrick]

Rodger, I deal with quite a few "older people" in regards to technology issues and this the the main piece of advice I give them when they are stuggling with technical problem. The fact the the "fear" of messing up in regards to interacting with software was one of my primary reasons for starting my Unraveling to Understand site. My wife also deals with the same issues with some most of her adult students as she is a private music teacher.

I'm 40 years old but I love to "play" or rather "experiment" with new things. When I was talking about "older people" I don't always mean that everyone who is over a certain chronological age is "old" but rather it can be a state of mind that can begin not long after traditional childhood.

I love interacting with people of any age who is willing to play in order to learn but as soon as I catch the slightest hint of a fear or someone saying, "I could never do that." I know I'm in for an uphill battle.

[Roger von Oech]

Patrick: Wonderful post! I found a similar thing when I introduced the "Ball of Whacks" a few months ago. People over 40 or so seemed more reluctant to pick it up and start playing with it and making various shapes. Also, some were concerned that it might "break" or they would be unable to put the pieces back into ball form. I noticed that younger people had fewer qualms about just picking it and playing wit it.

[Gavin Heaton]

One of the wonderful things about the ball of whacks is that it explodes. You think you are gently squeezing and playing with it when suddenly, bam!

It is brilliant. Embarrassing. Unexpected. And makes you lose all inhibitions that you may have about playing with it.

I like "think like a kid" ... but I also like "see through a child's eyes". Get down on their level and see how big the world looks. It really is "eye opening".

[Roger von Oech]

Gavin: Looks like you're having fun "thinking like a kid" with your Twitter avatars. You've got a new one every day.

With respect to the Ball of Whacks: when some people play with it for the first time in its full ball form, they think it's like a Rubik's Cube and squeeze it hard — with the results you describe. I usually tell people to be gentle at first so that they get a sense of how strong the magnets are.

[Phillip Marzella]

There is a great quote that says creativity is present in all children until educations pushes it out of them...perhaps we should unlearn...

[Hussein Nasser]

Really nice post.

Kids have an unlimited imagination.

Kids think out of the box because they don't have one to think "in"

Kids imagine.

Kids are optimistic.

I wrote something similar,

http://hnaser.blogspot.com/2009/02/always-think-like-kid.html