Creative Thinking Techniques - Forty Uses For a Brick About the Author Sandy Cormack is a consultant specializing in creativity training, innovation training, personal development training, and organizational development training. Read the companion article

Problem: How many different ways can we use a brick?

Step 1 – Empty Your Mind Build a wall Build a mailbox Side a house Use it for a desk paperweight Use it as a melee weapon (whack someone on the head) Use it as a projectile weapon (throw it at someone) Use it to pave a sidewalk or patio Build a deck Running total: 8

Step 2 – Group Into Common Themes Building Materials: Build a wall Build a mailbox Side a house Use it to pave a sidewalk or patio Build a deck Flowerpots Landscaping Mailboxes Barbecues Smokehouses Outhouses Shelving Outdoor bar Running total: 20 Small, Hard, Relatively Heavy Objects Use it for a desk paperweight Use it as a melee weapon (whack someone on the head) Use it as a projectile weapon (throw it at someone) Doorstop Bug whacker Ballast Hold down sheets of cloth, plastic etc.

Step 3 – Consider Common Attributes Hard Durable Rectangular Smallish Holds heat well/insulates Compact Come in several earth-tone colors Cheap

Step 3 – Consider Common Attributes "Holds heat well" Kiln Lining for a metal grill Something to protect a vulnerable surface from a hot pot or pan Mount a metal grill/smoker on a wood deck Mount a hot water heater on a wood/tile/linoleum floor “Hard" High explosives/hazardous materials storage buildings High explosives/hazardous materials handling facilities Backstop for a shooting range Firing position Vault Running total: 30

Step 4 – Forced Connections Random words: nut - small, tasty, almond, walnut, squirrel, fiber, pecan, pie, cookie, peanut, sold in bags, baseball games, sold alone or mixed pet - dog, cat, hamster, gerbil, snake, lizard, sold in specialty stores, cute, pet food, fish tank Mass - Catholic, church, service, Eucharist, sanctuary, baptism, wafer, wine, Pope, priest, nun, prayer, forgiveness, collection hospital - emergency, rooms, beds, patients, doctors, nurses, operations, x-ray, MRI, expensive, health care, ambulance, surgery, healing trophy - prize, engraving, given to the winner, valuable, prestige, mantle piece, display case, pride

Step 4 – Forced Connections Pet - dog - Build a doghouse Nut - squirrel - Build a squirrel/bird feeder Mass - service - Build a memorial Mass - service - Build an outdoor altar Hospital - x-ray - Line an X-ray or radiology room Mass - baptism - Build a baptismal font Trophy - mantle piece - Build a fireplace Trophy - display case - Build a trophy case Pet - fish tank - Build an aquarium stand or case Trophy - engraving - Create engraved pavers for fund raising Running total: 40

Summary Empty your mind of the ‘usual’ ideas Group ideas into common themes and focus on them to create more ideas List attributes and focus on those to create even more ideas Force connections with random words to create novel ideas