An oracle is a memory tool. Many cultures have developed tools that take advantage of our ability to make sense out of ambiguous situations. These tools are called oracles. Some examples that you may have heard of are: the Egyptian Tarot and the Nordic Runes. Traditionally, the purpose of using these oracles was not so much to foretell the future, as it was to enable the user to delve deeper into his/her own intuition when dealing with a problem. 

Most oracles consist of a system of messages from which the user randomly selects one or more in a specific pattern. The random selection is important. Many people use the same problem-solving approaches repeatedly, and as a result, they come up with the same old answers. A random message forces you to deal with the problem in a way that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise, and as a result, you are forced to look at it in a different way.

THINK ABOUT THIS AND TAKE ACTION:

The following suggestions have been adapted from  a modern-day oracle called the Creative Whack Pack, by Roger von Oech. Challenge your creative thinking...

How can you "whack your thinking"?

The more often you do something in the same way, the more difficult it is to think about doing it in any other way. Break out of this “prison of familiarity” by disrupting your habitual thought patterns. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Sleep on the other side of the bed. Such jolts to your routine will lead to new ideas! What can YOU do to “whack your thinking”?

Where is your creative space? 

When creative thinking is required to “attack” a project, it is often helpful to go to your creative space, either physically or mentally. Have a meeting at a picnic bench. Sip a cup of tea at Chapters. Go for a run. Where do you go when you want to think? 

What off-beat “what if?” questions can you ask?

Put some magic in your thinking by asking “what if?” questions. What if animals became more intelligent than people?…if we had mouths in the palms of our hands?…if men also had babies?…if we elected politicians by lottery? Such questions will stretch your thinking and lead to new ideas. What off-beat “what if?” questions can you ask?

See the obvious

“Only the most foolish of mice would hide in a cat’s ear,” says designer Scott Love, “but only the wisest of cats would think to look there.” Don’t miss the obvious. What are you overlooking? What’s the most obvious thing you can do? What resources and solutions are right in front of you?

Hear the knock of opportunity

A leading business school did a study that showed that its graduates did well at first, but in ten years, they were overtaken by a more streetwise, pragmatic group. The reason according to the professor who ran the study: “We taught them how to solve problems, not to recognize opportunities.” Where do you hear opportunity knocking? How can you answer it?

Flex your risk muscle

As comedian Woody Allen puts it, “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign that you’re not doing anything very innovative.” Everyone has a “risk muscle”. You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies and you’re no longer able to take chances. How can you exercise your risk muscle?

Be dissatisfied 

An inventor was asked why he spent sixteen hours every day tinkering with his work. “Because I’m dissatisfied with everything as it currently exists in its present form.” Dissatisfaction can be beneficial to the creative process. Otherwise you lose the prod you need to spot potential problems and opportunities. What are you dissatisfied about? How can you turn irritation into inspiration?