Last time, I talked about creativity in general,
discussed creative ‘blocks’ and provided strategies for Generation as a
way of being more creative.

This month, I’d like to focus on the second broad area I identified in the field of creativity – Synthesis.

The word ’synthesis’ is derived from the ancient Greek and
describes an integration of two or more pre-existing elements which
results in a new creation.

Using the creative process of Synthesis results in
modular thinking – “What if I took a feature from this thing and
added it to that one?” The process is one of breaking something down
into its component parts or features and then combining some of those
with elements from elsewhere.

This approach is often used in mechanical engineering,
electronics and other processes which arrive at tangible, practical
solutions in response to an established need.

Inventive Synthesis

Synthesis is often the Inventor’s pattern and a great
example of synthesis at work is the clockwork radio. Here’s how it came
into being:

Inventor Trevor Bayliss watched a documentary about the
spread of AIDS in Africa. The program commented that in many regions,
radio was the only available means of communication, but the need for
batteries or electricity made them impractical. An educational tool was
needed that did not rely on electrical power.

Bayliss experimented in his workshop at home and found
that hand-turning a motor would supply sufficient electricity to power
the radio and a clockwork mechanism could be used to store the energy.
As the spring unwound the motor would turn and the radio would play.

This is an excellent example of creative Synthesis
because the result was not a ‘slightly better’ radio – something
entirely new was created.

I’m not suggesting that his creative process exactly
matched that shown in the diagram above, though it does show how the
process of Synthesis can operate.

Webinars (web + seminar) and Podcasts (iPod + broadcast) are further examples of the creative synthesis of concepts.

Finding Common Ground

A practical method for the integration of concepts is
the ‘visual squash’ technique from NLP. In a therapeutic setting, it’s
commonly used to integrate conflicting values or beliefs. It’s also
possible to use this excellent technique to determine a common ground
between supposed opposites, or to fuse two things to form a new whole.

Also, it’s a great way of removing either/or limitations
in your choices. For example, have you ever been told that you can have
a job done quickly or it can be done well? The presupposition in the word ‘or’ entirely rules out the possibility of a job that is quick and
done well. The visual squash technique can help to change that ‘or’
into an ‘and’, opening up new possibilities for consideration.

Here’s how it works:

Exercise: Creative Synthesis with the visual squash.

1. Identify the two ideas or pieces you want to integrate.

2. Hold your arms out in front of you, hands apart, palms facing up.

3. Imagine one of the ideas/pieces in your left hand.
   Does it have a colour, shape, sound, texture, temperature or weight?
   Make it as real as possible.

4. Imagine the other idea/piece in your right hand. Does it have a colour, shape, sound, texture, temperature or weight?

5. Understanding that at a higher level everything is
   one, allow your hands to move closer to each other only as quickly as
   your unconscious can bring those concepts together.

6. Imagine a line of communication between the two, connecting them as they continue to move closer.

7. When the two concepts fuse/integrate, you might have
   a flash of inspiration, or the two pieces might just seem to work
   better together. Or you may not be conscious of the change and the
   connection will become apparent later.

A note of caution

The concepts (clockwork + radio) work well together, as
do (house + boat). So far, so good. However, it’s necessary to check
for practicality and ecology of the finished idea, otherwise you could
end up with (inflatable + dartboard) or (waterproof + towel) instead!

That’s one of the reasons why this is the inventor’s
pattern – the more plausible solutions can be tried out to see if they
work in practice, though I’ve seen some fairly ridiculous inventions
too! Once the possibility is there, common sense comes in useful.

Further Ideas

If you need further examples of creative invention, a great place to look is Creativity Pool (http://www.creativitypool.com).
It’s a website where people can propose ideas for new inventions or ask
for solutions to a particular need. The ideas range from the brilliant
to the bizarre and it’s a great example of constructive idea sharing,
itself a synthesis of (inspiration + web + sharing).

Famously, Thomas Edison said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” It’s important to remember that you still need that 1% inspiration to make everything happen.

Next time, I’ll explore the third category of creativity – Innovation.

About The Author:

Philip Callaghan is an NLP Trainer and Coach who has been working full time with private clients for several years. He is a Licensed Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and a member of the International Association of Coaches.

Visit Phil’s website http://www.resourcefulchange.co.uk/ for further articles.

Learn NLP with Phil at http://www.bronze-dragon.com/index.shtml

Tags: Change, creativity, Hypnosis, inspiration, NLP, practical, strategies, techniques, timeline

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