Heading elsewhere...

I'm excited to write that The Idea Girl has her own home at www.Idearella.com. I'll post there from now on.

My two faithful readers... I hope to see you there!

Bonnie

The Idea Girl

Idearella

Front and Back Brains And How This Blog Can Help

"Let me sleep on it.” We’ve heard the phrase, probably even used the phrase. In essence “sleeping on it” is using the "back brain." In day to day functioning, we use the front brain. When someone asks an easy question, we think about it, in the front brain, and respond. A more difficult or challenging question requires using the back brain. This isn't to imply that every challenge needs a nap (indeed wouldn't that be great!), only that it is important to allow time for the back brain to engage.

This blog will contain many exercises to distract the front brain while allowing the back brain to work. Like in hypnotism, you have to force the conscious to take a hike so the subconscious can be accessed and taught. The back brain doesn't work with our help. It works on its own.

Generally the process works like this:
1) Encounter a problem.
2) Think about the problem in the front brain.
3) Allow the back brain to think a while.
4) Think about the problem again in the front brain.

When you encounter a problem, your front brain gives it structure, starts the work and then you can take a break. The back brain kicks in and does the internal processing so that when you come back to the problem the front brain can apply the processing to the structure and come up with a solution.

These blog posts will aid in all four steps. You might think that you don't need assistance in encountering problems, and perhaps you don't. Upon reading many of these blog posts, though, you may find that you create your own "problems." You will find patterns, curiosities and things to ponder in your everyday world.

These posts will help with step two by exercising your front brain so it can analyze and dissect the problem. In essence, laying the foundation for the back brain to work.

The posts will teach the front brain ways to exercise itself while staying out of the way of the back brain. Practicing the skills in these blog posts will give the back brain more fodder on which to play.

Finally, they will help you be able to unite the back brain with the front brain to solve the problem.

Keep in mind that these are designed to get your brain in gear so it can handle all these steps. What you won't find in this blog are discrete "plug-n-chug" methods for solving a problem through the steps. Lifting weights doesn't teach you how to play sports, it gives you the strength power so when you learn a game you can do it better. Think of this blog as your brain's time in the gym.

Enjoy!

Throw away the box!

"We need to think outside the box."

We've all heard it. When it comes down to it, what IS this box anyhow?

The Nine Dots Puzzle goes like this: using four straight lines, connect nine dots arranged in a square (the "box") without lifting your pen. (Spoiler below, so solve it before you look to the next paragraph.)

The solution requires you to extend three of the lines outside of the square in order to acheive the goal. It has been interpreted traditionally as requiring the puzzler to "think outside the box." We have extended this to be an analogy of creative thinking - don't let the perceived boundaries inhibit you in your solution of a given problem.

The thing that is bothersome about this is not that people want to think outside the box but that they discount anything INSIDE the box. They are so frantically struggling to think OUTSIDE to come up with a solution that they neglect to consider what is before their very eyes. Even Dorothy figured out that things are usually found in her own backyard.

The challenge is to practice enough "throw away the box" thinking so that when a problem arises, we have the skills to think. Just think. Period. Not think inside the box. Not think outside the box. But just think.

Welcome to the fun!

It's like starting over...

I'm planning on my new book and my friend Dawn suggested that I start a blog. Since the book will be about improving one's creativity, I just hunted down an old blog.

Kinda like pulling out an old notebook that already has stuff written in it (but only a few pages) and using it again.

Which incidentally I just did the other day.

So I'm going to start posting again to this site and hopefully this will turn into the book of my dreams.

bon

Idea 005 - The Color of Coffee

It would be great if someone figured out a way that we could visually tell the difference between regular and decaf. Maybe decaf glows? Weird color tint to it? How about if it left a ring on the cup so all you would have to do was tilt it and you could see if it is decaf?

b

Random Thought 002 - God's Save Point?

The reading this Sunday was of Genesis: the story of creation. Sitting in the pew (front row, as is my custom) I pondered why the passage kept reading, "And God saw that it was good."

Did this imply that God had doubts that it would be good. I can imagine him sitting there and going, "Whew! I'm glad that turned out okay. It was a big risk, but it turned out alright." This, of course, gets translated into, "And God saw that it was good."

The other thought was that maybe God did some not so good things. But, being God, decided to go back and undo the crap that didn't turn out so good. So what wasn't written in the passage was:

"And God saw that this was pretty crappy, so he went back to the point in time before he made that choice and started over. ... And there was light. And God saw that it was good. Which was a relief especially since he just made that other screw up."

Filtered by the B.C. version of Reader's Digest into: "And there was light. And God saw that it was good."

Amen. (Which is the pious version of "period.")

b

Idea 004 - Organic Batteries

We focus on conserving fossil fuels, but when we run, we want to burn as many calories as possible. Why can't we use the energy we waste so thoroughly in exercise to fuel our cars and homes? Here are some brainstorming ideas on how to make this work:

1) Prisoners - can we make them run treadmills? Couldn't the energy created power a small city?

2) Non-functioning humans - this is a little non-PC, but hey, what are we to do with our family members that we just can't pull the plug on? You still want to visit them. You are too selfish to do the right thing and make that decision to let them go. And they are probably taking up good health care money. So let's somehow use them as organic batteries.

You want to save the earth? Step up to the plate and do something. I'm definitely going to put in my living will to make a Duracell out of me.

b