Add 2+2
Easy, right? You did it in your head.
Now add 25+47. Still easy?
How about 174713414+104571?
Math teachers urge their students to “show their work” even when the students can find the answer in their head. They do this so that the student can show that the hidden process in their head and the rigorous process on paper arrive at the same result. That way when presented with a different problem that is too advanced to be done in their head, the student will have faith in the process on paper that arrives at the answer.
In other words, you aren’t just showing your work. The work is showing you.
Some people are naturally creative and some struggle. Everybody has come up with at least some ideas, but because they often come unbidden and out of the blue, it can sometimes feel like such flashes of insight are impossible to conjure when needed.
There are many approaches to creativity and innovation. My favourite is SCAMPER because it is easy to use and can be relied on to produce lots of different ideas. Many creative thinkers unconsciously apply several of the idea generating principles within SCAMPER when coming up with ideas.
Teamwork
Not only can stepping through the SCAMPER principles provide inspiration to your own work, it can form a framework for discussing ideas within a team.
By finding a way to take inspiration out of the mind and into the light, it can become a group process.
