Introduction

Our whole method and system and theory first began to evolve soon after I first came into the literature on creativity, in 1967 while I was still serving full-time as a college teacher. My one real contribution was his asking the proposition: if you have a good method for solving problems, one of that method's best uses is on the problem of how to create better methods for solving problems. One of their best uses is on the problem of how to create even better such methods.....

We in Project Renaissance have developed at least 40 "Toolbuilder" procedures by means of which to discover yet other and better procedures. You can make last week's column, "Over-the-Wall" into a "Toolbuilder" with this simple method. Have on display, in the "Answer-Space" on the far side of that garden wall, a highly advanced future civilization where everyone is a solution-finder par excellence. Far beyond anything seen here on our own Earth. Just beyond this point of the wall, let there be whatever it is that's made that civilization a population of ingenious problem-solvers. Let yourself be surprised by what you see there....

When hundreds of methods now exist in the art and science of creativity and effective problem-solving, we may need a map to find our way. Creating a "taxonomy" can provide us some sense of order and relationship among such methods.

Advantages of a taxonomy:

Such advantages are essentially the same as those of the periodic table of the elements in chemistry. Grouping specific elements into more general categories is conceptually easier. It brings into view regularities which in turn suggest potentially useful models and theories.

Please note also the general principle that no categorical system is "right" or "wrong" (except for needing to be reasonably consistent), so much as it is more or less USEFUL for the purposes to which you put it.

This present draft outline is an initial cut only. In no way is it to be regarded as an authoritative taxonomy. It badly needs extensive criticizing, revision, and testing. We hope this present draft stimulates creation of alternative models, comparison of which will lead toward an authoritative (or at least generally useful) taxonomy.

All of the great minds of the past had hit into only one or a very few such methods as basis for their successes. YOU now have all these available to you! Many of the methods listed are self-evident from their descriptions, and so their inclusion here provides you with a wider working toolkit of methods.

Each category or sub-category below contains one or several specific techniques. Some of the more successful techniques involve more than one category.

Sector One

Sector Two

Sector Three

Some Ways to Get At Your Own Real Genius:

Albert says: to practice some form of my Deep Thought Method: Let your imagery play, examine it as closely as possible to see what you can learn from it. We say, practice Socratic forms of Einstein's Deep Thought Method. While observing these free images, describe them in detail to a listener; be surprised at what comes up for you.

Here are a few of the many additional ways to bring up your own very real genius to enrich your life:

1) Find ways to "get on a roll," stay on a roll, get back to being on that roll, until more falls into it.

2) Find ways to verbally describe "the indescribable:" where you have to "reach" to convey an effect, is your growth zone.

3) Pick up on and describe subtleties and nuance. These arise in parts of your brain usually offline from where you are verbally focussed, conscious. Describing subtler impressions reinforces more and more onto line with your immediate consciousness those subtler regions of your brain, together with their intelligence.

4) Improve the physical health and condition of your physical brain:

a) Improve circulation to your brain;
b) Improve nutrition to your brain;
c) Improve your brain's sub-routines.