Dear reader,
In this article, I want to tell you a little bit more about the tools that the Creative Platform uses. The mind map, the stimuli cards and the 3D cases are illustrated below:
Mind Map - each and every one of us has a mind map. What is that you might ask? Well, everything you know about - every topic you have any knowledge of - that is your mind map. For example, in my mind map, you will find knowledge about business administration, tourism management, Switzerland, Bulgaria, salsa dancing, the languages I speak, cooking, cleaning, movies, etc. These more or less are the topics I use on a daily basis. However, the Creative Platform wants you to reach out to those topics you don't even remember having in your mind map. That is why this is the first task you receive, when you arrive in the group room. They take your telephone and all other electronic devices, they give you a piece of paper with a picture of a brain on it and the words mind map and your process guide tells you - write down everything you know about. You have no idea how much time you have, but I assumed around 10 minutes. In these 10 minutes, the first 10 seconds you write fast and it is easy to fill in the blanks. Afterwards, you start to struggle. You can't think of anything at all. In the end, you want this exercise to end, because you simply start staring at the paper and you start feeling dumb! But the interesting part is that somehow you have managed to put down some topics of interest you have had as a child, for example, you started remembering about stuff you did way before and the interests you once had. So in the end, this feeling of being dumb is just a negative reaction towards the fact that you are making your brain think as hard as possible.
The tools that helped a lot in the creativity process were the stimuli cards. Imagine playing cards - some of them have pictures, some words, others have principles, challenges, etc. They all have the same aim - to stimulate your brain to find those topics in your mind map that are locked away. Some of them don't make any sense, some of them are quite helpful. However, each card is specified for different types of people. Each card stimulates the participant in a different way. Some cards work for me, some don't.
Other tools that we use in the Creative Platform are the 3D cases - meaning exercises that connect body, mind and attitude into one. This tool is used both in a group setting and when all participants are together and not working on the task at hand. These cases have the aim of taking the participants away from their everyday life and on to the platform itself. We all have things that distract us, we all think about our chores and tasks of the day. Once you enter the Creative Platform it takes you through a completely unique journey - you are no longer thinking in a box, you are not judged, you definitely don't think about chores and you are completely focused on the task at hand. These exercises remove all barriers, they tell you how to feel, they are the energizers, when you are almost asleep halfway through the night
I am going to share my favourite one, which is called "Yes, we made a mistake":
Go ahead and make it right now! Please, stand up and stretch your arms above your head. Rapidly lower your hands by saying "Yes, we made a mistake". Energized? You can find more of these on the website of the Creative Platform. They are also a good start for daily team meetings. It will definitely wake everyone up, if the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.
Another aspect of the Creative Platform that I want to mention today are the rules of the Platform. Without obeying the rules, creativity might not occur. I already mentioned the rules in my previous LinkedIn article. But let me state them again here as well:
1.     All watches and electronic devices are removed by the process guides
2.     Drinks and food are not allowed in the group rooms
3.     Nobody else except the facilitator can come into a group room
4.     Anything that is not related to the task at hand should not be on the working table
5.     If a participant needs any sort of a break, they can have one alone
These rules are invoked by the process guides in the group and they are followed throughout the entire creativity process. Remember, how before I talked about an environment with no distractions, judgement and obstacles - well, one of the things that the Creative Platform uses, in order to achieve this environment.
As a conclusion to this article, I want to tell you that being a participant on the Creative Platform opened up my eyes for a whole new world. The 24-hour camp that I attended 8 years ago is still something that is valid and its novelty can create a lot of possibilities for different developments, whether it is a product or service development or simply a new concept to optimize the working process of a company. In my opinion, such workshops can still be used, because they empower the employees to strive for progress in the company they work. It will allow them to be part of the problem-solving process and will increase their loyalty towards the company. If you are willing to take this journey, your company can be one of the innovators of its industry.Â
Thank you for reading this article!
Cheers from me!