An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity - always yours

230 CREATIVE THINKING HABITS
Ellis Torrance on creativity
1. Don't be afraid to fall in love with something and pursue it with
intensity.
2. Know, understand, take pride in, practice, develop, exploit, and enjoy
your greatest strengths.
3. Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk
away from the games they impose on you. Free yourself to play
your own game.
4. Find a great teacher or mentor who will help you.
5. Don't waste energy trying to be well rounded.
6. Do what you love and can do well.
7. Learn the skills of interdependence.
EXERCISES
24.1 In this exercise, your task is to connect all nine dots in the diagram using
only four straight lines, to be drawn in one continuous stroke without the pen ever
lifting off the paper. How would you do it?
o o o
o o o
o o o
24.2 Refer to the nine-dot diagram again.
a) Can you connect all nine dots using only three straight lines with no lifting
of the pen?
b) Do you think it is possible to do it with just one line?
24.3 Ê3 Suppose there is a bakery that sells cookies. Business is fine but could
be better. Apply the SCAMPER technique to think of ways to improve business
which might be worth exploring.
24.4 l£] Go through the seven items in Torrance's Manifesto for Children. Have
you been following these guidelines? To what extent? Is there any item which you
think you ought to pay more attention to? What concrete steps can you take to
make this happen?