Zig Zag

Keith Sawyer, PhD, is associate professor of psychology, education, and business at Washington University in St. Louis. An accomplished jazz pianist and former video game designer for Atari, he has published widely on the topics of collaboration and creativity. His book Group Genius won awards from Library Journal and (800) CEO-READ and has been translated into many languages. He is the proud owner of a collection of vintage Grateful Dead bootleg tapes, his childhood piano teacher’s old (but working) accordion, and a 1982 BMW motorcycle (also working). To learn more, visit keithsawyer.com.The cover shows a surprising solution to a classic creativity challenge. See page 123 to learn more.

• Introduction: Choosing Creativity 1Step One ASK: How the Right Questions Lead to the Most Novel Answers 19Find the QuestionSearch the SpaceTransform the ProblemStep Two LEARN: How to Prepare Your Mind for Constant Creativity 49Practice DeliberatelyMaster Your DomainLearn ForeverBalance Specialty with GeneralityStep Three LOOK: How to Be Aware of the Answers All Around You 73Use Fresh EyesGrab New Sights and Cool SoundsRender It VisibleStep Four PLAY: How to Free Your Mind to Imagine Possible Worlds 101VisualizeRelaxFind the Right BoxBe a BeginnerStep Five THINK: How to Have Way More Ideas Than You’ll Ever Need 129IdeateTransformScheduleStep Six FUSE: How to Combine Ideas in Surprising New Ways 153Force-FuseMake AnalogiesDo a People Mash-UpStep Seven CHOOSE: How to Pick the Best Ideas and Then Make Them Even Better 173Know What You’re Looking ForHost an Idea CompetitionLook Past the GoodEdit, Revise, ImproveStep Eight MAKE: How Getting Your Ideas Out into the World Drives Creativity Forward 195Draw ItSee ItBuild ItMake It ConcreteReflect on ItConclusion 215Appendix A: Outline of All of the Steps, Practices, and Techniques 229Appendix B: The Research Behind the Eight Steps 237References 243Acknowledgments 261About the Author 263Index 265

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