The Power of Thinking Differently

Here’s the table of contents for the the latest version of the manuscript.

PART I

>Introduction: Now For Something Completely Different 5

>Chapter 1 – Looking Beyond Our Island 8

…Things Can Be Different Than They Are 8

…What Do Creative People Have in Common? 9

…Creative Guidance 9

…The Time To Think Differently 10

…So How Do We Usually Think? 11

…The Stories We Live By 13

…The Need for Multiple Perspectives: Beyond Common Sense & Towards a Sense of Humor 14

…The Problem of Over Exaggerated Seriousness 15

…Saved Through Stories 18

>Chapter 2 – Mommy, Where Do New Ideas Come From? 21

…Not Just Pickles and Doughnuts 21

…Constellating The Creative Process: “How do I find new ideas? Let me count the ways…” 23

…The Magic of Creative Genius: Luck, Skill, & Hard Work 24

…Stepping Into Intersecting Streams: Generating Creative Ideas 26

…Stepping Out of The Stream: Non-Linear Problem Solving and Divergent Thinking 28

…Ruminations of the Unconscious Mind 30

…The Altered Mind 32

…Releasing the Creative Spirit: Being in Touch With the Divine 35

…The 4 Step Process 37

…Neuroscience: Activating Unique Neural Networks 38

…Summary From The Observation Tower: The Elephant in the Dark 39

Part II – The Creative Journey

>Chapter 3 – The Science of Common Sense: Origins of Our Ordinary World 42

…Why We Only See Pickles and Doughnuts: A Neuroscientific Explanation 44

…Visual Perception 45

…Common Sense Thinking 52

…The First Aspect of the Creative Journey: The Ordinary World, The Stage of Innocence 61

>Chapter 4 – Answering The Call To Think Differently: Should I Stay or Should I Go? 64

…Thinking About The Possibility of Alternatives 65

…The Second Aspect of The Creative Journey: The Call To Think Differently, Becoming an Orphan 68

>Chapter 5 – Venturing Out into the Unknown: Entering The Sea of Possibilities 71

…Examining The Origins of Our Dominant Ideas and Behaviors 72

…Scientific Evidence For The Possibility of Thinking Differently 76

…The Third Aspect of the Creative Process: Into the Abyss of the Unknown 82

>Chapter 6 – The Trials and Tribulations of Creating New Ideas 86

…Exploring New Ideas 90

…Implementing Creative Heuristics 97

…Exercising Our Creative Muscles 99

…The Fifth Aspect of The Creative Process: Trials and Ordeals 101

>Chapter 7 – How to Attract Flashes of Insight: Entering the Darkened Cave 104

…The Sixth Aspect of The Creative Process: Retrieving the Reward 105

>Chapter 8 – The Return Home: Manifesting Ideas into Reality 111

…The Seventh Aspect of the Creative Journey: Integrating the Two Worlds 113

…Answering the Call to Think Differently 116

Part III

>Chapter 9 – Thinking Differently: Purpose, Pitfalls, Applications, Implications 122

…Thinking Differently as Creative Journey 122

…Being Open To The Journey 122

…Trapped in The Abyss 124

…The Paradox of Creative Habit 126

…Implications: Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Meaning 127

Highly Praised Public Speaker, Trainer, & Workshop Leader

“The exercises and insights he presented helped me to hone my own creative process, and opened new doors in seeing how I could be more innovative and collaborative in my work with colleagues.” – Matt Harvey, Executive Director at the Stanford Tech Ventures Program *** “Javy provided a Creative Thinking talk to our group a few years ago. The talk was very interesting, engaging, informative, and a lot of fun. Javy is a great speaker and found ways to keep the audience engaged and involved.” – Roni Kornitz, Director of Customer Quality at SanDisk *** “Javy is well versed in this subject and his talks are engaging and full of insight. I invited Javy to come talk to a group of entrepreneurs. Afterwards, many members contacted me and let me know how much they enjoyed the talk.” – Prasun Prakash, Founder of Silicon Valley Entrepreneurial Creatives

Table of Contents

Author of Best Selling Guide to Creativity & Creative Thinking

Provider of Engaging Creative Thinking Workshops and Talks

Highly Praised Public Speaker, Trainer, & Workshop Leader