In my last post I cited James Webb Young’s definition of an idea as being a new arrangement of existing elements. He goes on to suggest having an idea is like using a kaleidoscope. As I explain in this second video on creative thinking, in my teaching I encourage participants to create their own kaleidoscope dedicate to generating ideas – a Kalideacope.

Think of the Kalideascope as an imaginary machine for generating ideas. To have ideas you must first fill the Kalideascope with the raw material of idea generation – information, questions, existing ideas, clues and diverse miscellany; and then you must turn the Kalideascope – rearranging the elements until they form a pattern you like, a new idea.

To build a Kalideascope is to construct an assembly of all your creative inputs and to structure them in such a way as to allow rearrangement and new connections to be formed.