Sorry for the blog silence from here of late. In addition to watching hours of NASA press conferences (Ron Dittemore is now my hero, and I'm not alone there), I have been getting ready to travel to where I am now - in San Diego, at the Creative Problem-Solving Institute's Winterfest, which starts today.

A little CPSI background: This foundation exists to teach creativity skills, most notably using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process developed by Dr. Sid Parnes and Alex Osborn (who coined the term "brainstorming"). CPS is the basis for almost all other creativity and innovation processes. It's also the basis for the Triz creativity and innovation software products.

I'll spend the next three days with the same group of 18-22 participants also going through what's called Springboard training in CPS, since although I've had some creativity training, Springboard is a prerequisite for all other CPSI programs. Updates to follow!

LATER #1:  While I was waiting for the opening remarks to begin, an older gentleman with a twinkle in his eye and no nametag hurried in and sat down at my table. "Hi, I'm Sid," he announced to us all. It was Dr. Sid Parnes, one of the creators of CPS. His main interest these days: Planning for next year's 50th anniversary of CPSI.

LATER #2:  A terrific keynote presentation by Kerry Ruef of The Private Eye, and certainly the first time in years I've seen a presentation given using transparencies and an overhead projector! Ruef wielded these low-tech tools masterfully and artfully. We were each given bags containing two jeweler's loupes (singly, each offered 5X magnification; we put them together for 10X) and a variety of everyday items. Looking closely at an object through a jeweler's loupe, Ruef said, "helps strip the ordinary of its cliche."  She stepped us through her process of working with the questions ("What else does it remind me of? What else does it look like?")  she calls "the tools of the private eye." Next step: Use analogy and its "compressed forms - metaphor and simile" to theorize - and create. Powerful and fun.

Here's Ruef in her own words:

In a hot summer day, five years ago, I'd been thinking about the enormous power of the metaphor mind, the mind that sees the world but through the lens and network of analogy. The doors of my studio were open and bees sometimes swept in and began banging their heads against the skylight. The bamboo outside was rustling like taffeta skirts and it was an altogether lovely day to be thinking.

LATER #3:  Springboard participants were split into groups, so we'll spend the remainder of the daytime sessions this week working with the same 20 or so people. Three facilitators led us through the six steps of CPS, teaching us at the same time the process and tips on how to facilitate the process in a group setting.

I've already had some training in the "generate ideas" step since we use that in our ideation sessions, so I'm focusing on picking up more insights and tools there and learning more about the rest of the steps in the CPS process. The six steps are:

1. Identify goal, wish, or challenge
2. Gather data
3. Clarify the problem
4. Generate ideas
5. Select and strengthen solutions
6. Plan for action

We'll be delving more into these six steps the next two days. It's clear to me that the CPS process is complex when done correctly, but still I wonder what we'll do to learn it that will take up two entire more days?!!