Creative Exercises

Each of the situations below is followed by four responses; two are common; the other two are uncommon and display original thinking. Which ones would you consider uncommon?
  1. If all the major countries began constructing bomb shelters, guaranteeing the survival of at least five percent of the population, there would be
    1. the rise of a new aristocracy
    2. domestic strife
    3. a fight over who gets to use them
    4. a class-action suit initiated by the remaining 95%.
  2. If one superpower developed an impenetrable defence against intercontinental ballastic missles:
    1. The other superpower would stage an immediate ground and sea invasion.
    2. There would be an accelerated effort by the others to catch up.
    3. The whole world would organize against it.
    4. Spies would proliferate, and moles would come out of hiding.
In the following series, you're given a simple image followed by two common and uncommon equivalent images. Which ones do you think are uncommon responses?
  1. The sound of a foghorn
    1. The belly of a beast
    2. A lonely visitor in a strange city
    3. The despair of a great unseen animal
    4. A cow mooing
  2. The floating feather
    1. A parachutist
    2. A gentle gesture
    3. A whispered word
    4. A falling snowflake
  3. Sitting alone in a dark room
    1. A person in a crowd
    2. The sound of a violin with no strings
    3. Insomnia
    4. Patience
Give the first word that comes to mind when you read each of the following:
Table king lake ball pet
Uncommon responses: floor, mountain, kangaroo, kong, dance

Picture of the following images. For each, think of a scene that is different but equivalent.
  1. Wind-borne leaves
  2. A train entering a tunnel
  3. A candle burning low
  4. Tall trees in a field
  5. Empty bookcases
Uncommon image equivalents:
  1. A civilian population fleeing before invading forces.
  2. A nail being driven into a plank
  3. A smile ending in sadness
  4. A council of elders
  5. A ghost train
Here are a few groups of words. Rearrange them in orderly fashion.
  1. common cause patterns Word of
  2. universe the doesn't dice God with play
  3. prefer phenomenal not unless unrelenting display complex simple mark To to a couple creativity is of a an it with drive is find order
  4. more can of creativity use make The of no if we good more the we about or the all
Below is a word group of 25 words. Make up a story using all of them. You might try using as few other words as possible.
chandeliers cool wizened politician blazing negate heterosexual shapely magician blatent nuclear gruesome freedom quick academic mushrooms skewered magician blatentnuclear gruesome freedom quick academic mushrooms shewered optimistic psychedelic end speed quark swim praise galaxy
Choose your own 25 words at random. Then compare a story, using all the selected words.

The following events haven't occured but could. If they did, what might the results be?
  1. Earth's ozone layer is virtually destroyed.
  2. One country develops an impenetrable defense against intercontiental ballistic missles.
  3. The choice of having a boy or a girl baby can be made safely, reliably, and legally by every mother.
  4. The average human life span is 150 years.
  5. Time travel is achieved.