Reflection Blog #5

I hope that this final reflection Blog is about all the things I have learned in our class of Creativity and Problem Awareness (because that is what I intended to write). Just in case, I would like to share with you our first-hand experience in applying all we have learned through the Creative Pitch Project and at the same time, I’ll tour you inside my canvas, my notebook for this Semester (ignore the handwriting, it is written in a language that only I could understand. LOL)

Phase 1

VISUAL THINKING

           

Before our group mates even discussed what will we be doing for the Creative Pitch, I have thought of random ideas and visualize them as if it was already done and I am already using. Yes, what I first imagined for this project was an invention; like pants that is especially designed to be worn for both land and water, shoes that can be transformed into slippers and into sandals and a piggy bank money dispenser (now that’s ambitious!). Yes, all of these are just fun visions for the upcoming plan but I think this kind of exercise, if I would define it, is a good preparation for the creative process that our group will encounter for the Final Project.

  Phase 2

CREATIVITY

            When the time has come for our group to meet and think of what we would be doing for the Creative Pitch, we all expected that everyone would be in their “creative mode” so that we could have a lot of ideas to choose from and to develop these ideas to be our final project. Of course being in a “creative mode” is not as easy as eating a cotton candy. It takes time before one could be engaged into this mode. There are different strokes for different folks. Some may pertain to food, setting or even their physical appearances for their motivation. While other cling to an “inspiration”, which is sometimes indefinable, and often just an excuse, oh well different stroke for different folks. For our group, for us to be in our own “creative mode”, I would say we talked about anything under the sun while eating lunch. After we ate, we find a perfect location to have our creative process. After we have decided the place we will be having our creative process, then that was the time, I would say, that our group was already in our own “creative mode".

 Phase 3

CREATIVE PROCESS

The Creative process is not as easy as you’ve imagined.  Because all of the techniques have the same use and benefits, it is hard to choose a technique to follow with our creative process. After having an initial sharing of our random creative thoughts, we have decided to use the Mandala of Japanese Creativity (Tatsuno, 1990). It is nice to know that we could really use a Japanese technique in our project since it is not really the usual technique to be used, especially for us Filipinos, but I really respect their method since it had helped our project to reach it full potential.

 

Phase 4

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION & IDEA GENERATION

Within the creative process, Problem Identification and Idea Generation took place. We did not perform the mind mapping technique, because I personally think that it may not help us in generating ideas when we identify the problem. We had a fusion of Problematique method and Brainstorming. We had the type of discussion wherein we tell the problem then we pitch in the solution. This problem was still being broken down through asking the question WHY and after answering it, another suggestion was pitched for the development of the solution. I am not sure if it has been 100% effective but it surely save a lot of time and avoids our minds to be stressed out of all the creative thinking (because the left brain should also work, even in this situation, to balance everything), just my opinion. ;) For the evaluation part, we used the Six Thinking hats for the so-called idea-refinement of the Mandala of the Japanese Creativity. I personally believed that the Six Thinking hats would fit the demands asked by the Idea refinement and actually it has been helpful and successful.

 

Phase 5

ORGANIZATIONAL CREATIVITY

For this phase, I would say that even after the creative process, the group is still in their “creative mode” when it comes to its refinement and testing/implementation. This just shows how my group mates used their creative qualities into the group work. Everyone has been open to comment and suggestions even after the evaluation. What is more interesting after finishing the Creative Pitch, we went back from where we started which is a good conversation about almost anything then decided to dismiss the creative process. I am happy with what we have accomplished all throughout the semester and I am thankful for what I have learned in my 1^st semester here in Ateneo.

Goodbye Blog….

At least for now…

Thank you and God bless everyone!