GARY A. DAVIS

The Magic of Your Mind:A Gnomes' Review

(Scene: Tiny living room in the Enchanted Forest homeof Fred, the book review gnome. Fred is out, but two visit­ing friends, Rodney Dangergnome and Gnome Rickles, arebusily exchanging insults when a tap-tap is heard at thefront door. They open the door to find a book reviewer inneed of assistance.)

BOOK REVIEWER: Hello, is Fred home?

GNOME Does it look like he's here? Would I be answerin' the door if theRICKLES: master of this humble abode was present? You're a deep

thinker, ain'tcha!

RODNEY (Straightening his tie) Fred ain't here right now. He's over atDANGERGNOME: the library tryin' ta' find me a book on how to get more respect.

Can we help you with somethin'? Come in and sit down.

REVIEWER: (Enters and sits) I've got this super new book I wanted todiscuss with Fred. We do book reviews together.

DANGERGNOME: Book reviews, huh. Sounds very respectable. What's thebook about?

REVIEWER: It's called "The Magic of Your Mind," by SidneyJ. Parnes. He'sPresident of the Creative Education Foundation.

RICKLES: Magic, eh? An' what's so magic about it?Maybe you could sayyour piece an' do a disappearin' act! We got important stuff todo, like snappin' some string beans for supper.

REVIEWER: It's a great book, really. Parnes is a marvelouslycreative personwho has worked full time for 25 years teaching creative prob­lem solving in courses, institutes and workshops. He's triedplenty of ideas and strategies, and the very best ones - the

213 Volume 18 Number3 Thlrd Quarto

The Magic of Your Mind: A Gnomes' Review

ones that work - are in this book, Parnes puts it all together­the attitudes, techniques and problern-solvinq strategies thatwork. Especially, he teaches readers to get into the habit ofusing a five-step problern-solvinq strategy.

RICKLES: It sounds like Mr. Magician knows his stuff!

REVIEWER: He certainly does. He conjures up his most enlighteninginsights into the nature of creativity, creative thinking, creativeprocesses, creative people and especially how to use whatyou've got to become a more effective creative thinker.

DRNGERGNOME: Izzat important? What if I ain't got no problems? I ain't sayin' Idon't, but just 'what if?'

REVIEWER: Parnes knows that the creative thinking attitudes and strate­gies he teaches will do more than help you solve problems.They improve your life. He wants the reader to become a morecreative and flexible person - one who recognizes problems.challenges and opportunities; one who can make effectivedecisions and action plans; and one who is ready to meetchallenges, prepare for the future, and get more out of life. It'svery important.

DRNGERGNOME: SOthis book will guarantee I'll be happier and more successful- so's I can get more respect? I already read a couple' thembooks - they promised to teach me the key to total mindpower an' how to magnify my brain power by a factor of2,401 - exactly. So I bought the books, read 'em, waved acouple' magic wands, said "open Sesame Street" an' aliI gotwas a case of dented wallet!

REVIEWER: Nope, no guarantees. Parnes repeats that his procedureswon't "guarantee" anybody anything. But they will increasethe probability that"creative connections" among ideas willhappen. He doesn't create any illusions.

RICKLES: Creative connections, eh? Sounds like a book on how to buildyour own TV set! What else does Houdini have to say?

DRNGERGNOME: Yeah, if we're gonna' spend 25 bucks on a 800 page book onhow to be more creative and get more respect, there's gotta'be more!

REVIEWER: Actually, the book is short, There are no wasted words, Thereare no excursions into psychological theories of the creativeperson or the creative process. But, there are exercises usingillusions demonstrating creative changes in perception, andthere are descriptions of creative thinking techniques, Thesetechniques can help you find still more ideas after you reachinto your magic hat and can't find any,

214

The Journal of CreatlYe Behavior

RICKLES: Creative thinkin' techniques, eh? My show-biz idea-findln'technique is easy, I just think of insults. Dangergnome heregets on stage and puts himself down with that "I don't get norespect" routine. For him it's easy, 'cause he don't. All creativepeople use idea-flndin' techniques. What techniques does Mr.President Parnes talk about?

REVIEWER: Standard techniques, like attribute listing, morphological syn­thesis, metaphorical thinking, using idea checklists and work­ing backwards from an ideal goal. They can always help youfind a few more ideas. He also gives the reader practice usingmental imagery, which is very important in creative thinking,and in using incubation.

RICKLES: Mental imagery and incubation? Now he's hatchin' pretendchickens!

DRNGERGNOME: Short book, eh? How's he expect to get any respect writin' ashort book?

RICKLES: Whata' you care, dummy? You can't read anyway! Are thereany pictures for this idiot? Some kiddie cartoons maybe?Some that ain't too hard to unnerstan'?

REVIEWER: Funny you should ask. In its total of 232 pages, there are 118full-page cartoons - a bit over half the entire book. The Magicof Your Mind is so unique you'll love it before you read it.

RICKLES: There ya' are Rodney, a comic book for adults! Just what a slowlearner like you needs!

DRNGERGNOME: Now just a minute, Rickles. Maybe those cartoons are deepand thought-provokin'. Maybe only a sophisticated an' respect­able entertainer such as myself could unnerstand 'em,

REVIEWER: When you first pick up the book, you just can't resist flippingpages and reading the cartoons. In fact, my first reaction wasthat Parnes is attempting to motivate interest by entertainingthe reader. I would never do that. However, when you beginreading you realize that every single one of those jokes isrelevant to the message on the previous or following page.Good cartoonists are philosophers with a keen ability to seereality, to lay bare simple truths about human nature, to see thesilliness of social expectations and to see how our habitsinterfere with creative, unconventional thinking.

RICKLES: Look, Mr. High-Class Book Reviewer, are the cartoons funny­like me an' Dangergnome - or are they just trying to teachus somethin'?

REVIEWER: Both, actually.

215

The Magic of Your JlIIInd: A Gnomes' Review

RIC.LES: How about some examples of these trashy cartoons? When itcomes to comedy, me an' Dangergnome know our stuff!

REVIEWER: How about one from Peanuts:Linus: What's wrong with patting birds on the head?Charlie Brown: It humiliates your sister to have people go up

to her and say "your brother pats birds on the head."Linus: I can understand that, but what's wrong with it? It

makes the birds happy and it makes me happy. Sowhat's really wrong with it?

Charlie Brown: Nobody else does it!

RICKLES: That's good stuff. Maybe not for Broadway, but definitelyPeoria!

REVIEWER: Here's another one with the same message:Bird: What are you doing up there? Elephants don't climb

trees. Every animal book published will bear me out.Elephant: Gee ...Maybe I better get down.

DANGERGNOME: Same message? One was elephants an' one was CharlieBrown. Oh, I get it - Elephants and Peanuts! My dad took meto the zoo once. The ·zoo keeper said, "Thanks for bringin'him back!"

RICKLES: The message, dummy, is that people have habits an' traditions,and anybody who does somethin' different can get hisself intotrouble! Any other hysterical themes, Mr. Reviewer?

REVIEWER: Cartoonists are creative people with super insights into thedifficulties of thinking and creating. One I liked was Snoopy,who just says: "Sometimes, when you are a great writer, thewords come so fast you can hardly put them down on paper... sometimes:'

RICKLES: Any more you'd like to recite before I fall asleep?

REVIEWER: Here's one on awareness and sensitivity:Woman: You're completely insensitive to my needs.Man: You're wrong. I just didn't know you had needs.

DANGERGNOME: Say, doesn't that mean that he really was insensitive to herneeds? Is that the funny part?

RICKLES: You got it, Rodney, congratulations! Now shut up, you'rernakin' a fool of yourself!

REVIEWER: How about just a couple more. This one emphasizes thetrouble inflexibility can get you into: "About this, 'liberty ordeath' business, Mr, Henry? Isn't there some reasonable posittion in between?"

216

The Journal of Creative BehavIor

RICKLES: Good lesson on the virtues of creative compromise. Maybeyou can send a copy of the book to the Ayatollah!

REVIEWER: Cartoonists often use the naivete of children in cartoons.

DRNGERGNOME: Absolutely! The other day I wuz tellin' my kid brother about thebirds and the bees, an' he told me about my girlfriend and themilk gnome!

REVIEWER: Parnes recognizes that children often put together fresh asso­ciations and ideas because their minds are not as clutteredwith habits, traditions and conformity pressures. For example,two kids are looking at a little widget one just found. One says,"Mommy said to throw it away, it's nothin' - but it sure lookslike somethin' to mel" And two more are standing in front ofagum ball machine. One says, "You put in the penny and I'llflush it!"

RICKLES: Now that's funny! Bathroom jokes always get a laugh!

DANGERGNOME: Sure, they get a laugh! But they don't get no respect!

RICKLES: SO the book has more pages of jokes than pages of readln'and wrltin'. What else does Mr. Magician tell us about bein'more creative?

DANGERGNOME: What was the one about the peanuts and the elephant again?

REVIEWER: The book is filled with Parnes' insights into the nature ofcreatiVity-little gems. For example:

"Ironically, the child has oodles of imagination, but often verylittle judgment; the adult acquires oodles of judgment, butoften loses the imagination."

"Most of us, through fear of ridicule or censure, tend to playsafe. Ideas are expressed only after we are sure of their worthand acceptance."

"You can make me cut my hair, but you can't make me cutmy ideas!"

"More and more we tend to do exactly what we've done before,erring less often, but rarely finding new ideas for growthand development."

"Occasionally, the most prosaic ideas still turns out best."

DANGERGNOME: I'm beginning to suspect that Mr. Parnes knows that whichwhereof he speaks!

REVIEWER: Indeed he does. Now maybe I should back up. The bookdivides into two parts. The first part, which includes six of thetwelve chapters, is considered an " orientation." In fact, Parnessuggests that the reader could skip Part I if he or she alreadyis acquainted with the basics of creative thinking.

217

RiCKlES:

REVIEWER:

DANGERGNOME:

REVIEWER:

RiCKlES:

REVIEWER:

RICKLES:

REVIEWER:

RICKLES:

REVIEWER:

DANGERGNOME:

RICKLES:

REVIEWER:

218

The M.gJc:01Your Mind: A Gnomes' Review

So we can skip Part I? The dummy writes a book an' then tellsyou to skip the first half!

Actually, it would be a mistake to skip any of this marvelousbook. Part I explains why creative problem solving is important,why humor is used, and ...

I give up, why would a serious and respectable book usehumor?

Because, as Parnes explains, a "fun atmosphere" can makeideas appear, because creativity involves "playing" with ideas,and because the cartoons always have a message related tocreative thinking and creative people, as I mentioned earlier.

Rodney has trouble payin' attention. Straighten your tie, Rod!

Part I also explains some of the purposes of the book, namely,to help you deal more speedily and effectively with challenges,to help you break mental sets that interfere with creativity, tohelp you learn to cope with a changing world, to help you learnto create more options for yourself and to help you take a morepositive, optimistic attitude. In short, to help you become ahappier, more successful and more fulfilled person.

How about some "optimistic" jokes?

The overweight person looks at the scale and announces,"How about that, rm a foot and a half underheight!" And in anapparently true story about a series of thousands of unsuc­cessful experiments, Thomas Edison was said to exclaim,"We've had wonderful results! We know thousands of thingsthat won't work!"

Not bad for an amateur. Now what other rabbits can we pull outof Part I?

He explains "thinking" as making mental associations, andsays thatcreative ideas are new connections among associa­tions. Part I also explores blocks to creativity. Parnes describestwo main blocks. anxiety, fears and insecurities about our newideas, and conformity and habit-bound thinking.

I know about insecurity! My mother used to say she liked me asa friend.

Any "habit-bound" jokes?

Of course. Dennis the Menace, sitting in a corner as punish­ment, insightfully observes, "Nobody ever said, 'Don't paintthe toilet purpler" And a company president hiring a newperson gives this advice: "We expect our young executives toproduce creative, innovative ideas, without upsetting our time­honored customs:'

The Journal of Creative BeNvIor

RICKLES: So we got habits and blocks that interfere with new ideas. DoesSoothsayer Parnes tell us how to rub a magic lamp an' getover 'em?

REVIEWER: Actually, this is where one of the main points of the bookappears - deferred judgment. Parnes describes deferred judg­ment as ". .. a fundamental principle that can open us to thegreatest flow of associations or connections of new ideas. Itfrees us from anxieties about the worth and acceptability orappropriateness of raw ideas .. ,Deferred judgment involveslooking at ideas and seeing where they might take us insteadof merely trying to see what's right or wrong with them." ,"

DANGERGNOME: Now wait a minute! How can such a simple idea be so im­portant? Anybody can learn to postpone their criticisms­except Rickles!

REVIEWER: Parnes explains that deferred judgment is simple to under­stand, but deceptivelydifficult to internalize. It requires practice.

RICKLES: Practice, schmactice! What else you got in Part I? Like I told ya',me an' Rodney got more important things to do - them stringbeans need snappin'. So you don't criticize, an' you come upwith a stack of ideas, right?

REVIEWER: True, Parnes explains that when idea production begins todwindle, it's time to begin evaluating - establishing criteria forassessing the worth of the ideas.

DANGERGNOME: It's easy to evaluate new jokes - if nobody laughs, it ain't agood joke. Did I tell ya' that when I was a kid I thought every­body ate Meow Mix for breakfast?

REVIEWER: Parnes gives great suggestions for finding idea evaluationcriteria. He itemized a ..general checklist" ofcriteria that mightbe relevant for any sort of problem, For example: costs, moralor legal implications, effects on groups involved, materials andequipment, attitudes and opinions, repercussions of failure,new problems created, timeliness, fringe benefits and so on.It's a good list.

RICKLES: Any more? Spit it out, sonny.

REVIEWER: The creative thinking techniques are introduced in Part I, butthey mainly will get used in Part II. Part I also emphasizes theimportance of incubation and mental imagery. With incuba­tion, the thinker gets away from the problem and gives sub­conscious and fringe conscious mental activities a chance toplay with associations. Finally, Part I briefly explains the five­step problem solving model ofFact-Finding, Problem-Finding,Idea-Finding, Solution-Finding and Acceptance-Finding.

219

The ~ic 01Your Mind: A Gnomes' Review

DANGEAGNOMf: And Presto Chango! We go to Part II!

RtVlEWEft: Actually, Part II focuses entirely on teaching the reader to usethe five steps.

DRNGERGNOMf: I wonder if you could elaborate on the steps. Now that I thinkabout it, I do have a problem -Idon'tget no respect! Yesterdaywe played hide and seek an' nobody wanted to find me!

RICKLES: I'll tell you what. I'll read the book quickly, but I won't do anyexercises or practice solvin' any problems. You're makin' mecurious an' I just wanna' know what Mr. President has to say.

RtVlEWEII: I tried that, and it doesn't work. The book is so good and socompelling that it's impossible to resist thinking about andwriting down a list of "problems" and "opportunities" andworking through some of them. After all, Parnes is giving thereader a chance to change his or her life for the better.

DANGERGNOME: SOwhat's in Part II?

RtVlEWER: Remember those five steps - Fact-Finding, Problem-Finding,Idea-Finding, Solution-Finding and Acceptance-Finding? Thesix chapters in Part IIaim at helping the reader understand anduse each of these steps so they will become a quick andhabitual way to approach problems and opportunitles.

DANGERGNOME: Whataya' mean "problems" an' "opportunities"?

RtVlEWEft: Most people, says Parnes, only solve problems when they arefaced with a difficulty that has to be resolved. Parnes helps youto become more aware of opportunities for improving yourlife. On page 143 he lists 26 different areas most peopleprobably could improve, For example:

What would you like to have, accomplish?What would you like to do better?What do you wish you had more time for?What do you wish you had more money for?What more would you like to get out of life?In what ways are you inefficient?What would you like to organize better?

RICKLES: I see whatcha' mean, Now that I think about those areas,Dangergnome could improve in every one! He'd like to havesome respect, he'd like to learn to read an' he needs more timeto practice cookin' - his omelets are so bad the cockroacheshang themselves,

DANGEIIGNOME: I wouldn't talk if I was you Rickles, Wit' your personality you gotproblems that haven't been named yet!

220

The Journal of <:rutfvIe BehavIor

RICKLES: Gettln' back to business, Mr, Reviewer, wouldja' mind elabo­ratln' on those five steps or are we supposed to read your mind!Ain't this the most important part of the book?

REVIEWER: All five steps involve a divergent phase, in which you list lots ofideas, then a convergent phase, where you pick out the bestones to carry over to the next step. For example, with Fact­Finding, you first list all of the facts you can think ofabout theproblem - whatyou know about the situation. Then you narrowit down to those facts that seem most promising.

DANGERGNOME: What if a body can't think of many facts?

REVIEWER: In Chapter 8 Parnes coaches you on fact·finding, mainly byasking you to consider "What, Who, When, Where, Why andHow" types of questions. And in every step he efc"phasizesdeferring judgment, incubating, using imagery, Ie 'ng othersenses -like smell, taste and hearing - suggest deas andother idea-prodding strategies. '

RICKLES: Okay, he takes my hand and helps me find a bunch of facts.What about Problem Finding -I thought we already found aproblem an' were listing facts about it?

REVIEWER: The second step, Problem-Finding, means defining the prob­lem in different ways. Parnes understands that one's particulardefinition of a problem will determine the particular types ofsolutions that appear.

DANGERGNOME: For illustrative purposes, let's say a person has a hypotheticalproblem such as, maybe he don't get no respect. Are thereother ways to look at this problem?

REVIEWER: Any problem can be redefined by asking "In what ways mightl.v.?" In this person's hypothetical problem we might ask:

In what ways might I become a better person?In what ways might I convince others to respect me?In what ways might I improve my self-confldence?In what ways might I improve my looks?In what ways might I improve my professional competence?In what ways might I improve my personality?In what ways might I become"a swell guy"?See how it works? Parnes also recommends that you ask,What is the REAL problem? What is the basic objective? Whatdo I want to accomplish here? These can add even moreproblem statements.

RICKLES: Anything else? You gotta' admit, Dangergnome has identifieda problem of excruciatingly great personal significance. Ifanybody never deserved any respect - it's gotta' be him!

221

'Jbe ,Magic 01Your Mind: A Gnomes' Review

flMEWO: Broadening a problem definition always opens up new ways toapproach the situation. Parnes suggests asking "why" as alead to more and broader definitions. For example, if we ask"Why does Rodney want more respect?" the answer is simple- so he will be happier, A new problem definition thus becomes"In what ways might I become happier?"

DANGEAGNOME: Boy, you said it! When I was born the doctor told my mother, "Idid everything I could, but he's gonna' be all right!" When I wassix years old I hadda' share my sand box with three cats - theykept tryin' ta cover me up! An' you wonder why I ain't happy!

REVIEWER: For even more problem statements you can ask, "What do Iwish would happen? Then you convert each wish into a "Inwhat ways might I .. ,?" problem statement. For example,Rodney probably wishes people would speak more highly ofhim-to show some respect. This would translate into "Inwhat ways might I inspire people to speak more highlyof me?"

RICKLES: But who can speak ~ighly about such a lowly character? Whatabout the ldea-Flndin' stage, any hints for producin' lots ofsolutions for some of those fancy problem statements?

RMEWER: More importantly, defer judgment and let the ideas flow freely.You write, sketch or, symbolize as many ideas as possible forsolving the problem, Another idea source is an idea checklist.You ask yourself, "How can I magnify, minify, rearrange,reverse and so on:'

RICKLES: You mean like maybe Dangergnome might magnify his goodqualities, minify his many bad points and rearrange his life sohe doesn't do so many stupid things all the time!

REVIEWO: That's sort of the idea. Parnes also mentions that you can findsolutions by thinking metaphorically, for example, by thinkingof other settings, like a circus or space ship, and then drawingrelationships from these. And you can incubate, use mentalimagery or take an imaginary trip to a museum, zoo or someother place.

DANGERGNOME: An' abracadabra - more ideas! It's like magic!

RMWER: I think you're getting the idea,

RICKLES: I think we're gettin' down to Solution-Finding - doesn't thisamount to listing criteria for evaluatin' ideas?

DANGERGNOME: Gee whiz, how did you know that?

RICKLES: Because Mr. Reviewer here just said so, stupid. Now take thebanana out of your ear so you can hear the nice man!

222

The Journal of CreathoeBehiMor

REVIEWER: Some solution criteria are obvious. For example: Will it work?Will it cost too much? Will it offend anybody? Generally, Parnessuggests listing all the"will if' criteria that come to mind. Also,you can pretend you are another I~rson or even an animal,and imagine how the solution 10qK5 from that point of view.One of the most important points is to imagine how othersmight react to your solution.

DRNGERGNOME: Let's see, if I was a duck....

REVIEWER: Let's consider a solution of"showing more confidence." Nowhow would you look from another person's perspective? Whatdo you see?

DANGERGNOME: Aha! I see somebodywif independence, poise, finesse, pizzazz- an' no worries about gettin' respect. Am I gettin' close?

REVIEWER: I think so. Now for the final step of Acceptance-Finding, inwhich you itemize ideas for implementing the idea, and forgaining acceptance and insuring success.

RICKLES: Lemme' guess. Mr. Wizard tells you how to do this, too.

REVIEWER: Absolutely. He suggests that we relax and let the ideas flow­ideas for improving the original solutions, overcoming objec­tions and showing advantages. He suggests we use visualiza­tion to see every detail and every reaction. You can deferjudgment and incubate. He even has a nifty 3D-item checklistto help you put together a final plan of action. For example:

What might I do to gain enthusiasm for the idea?What might I do to insure effectiveness?What advantages might exist? How might I dramatize them?What disadvantages might exist? How might I overcome them?What objections, difficulties, limitations, obstacles mightexist?

How might I overcome them?Who might need persuasion?How might I pretest my idea?What follow-up might I plan to measure progress?

RICKLES: Sounds like a lot of hocus-pocus! Does he really expect every­body to carry around a checklist? I can just see it -I'm in thegrocery store and I want a loaf ofwhite bread, butdummy herewants cracked wheat. I subtly pull the Soothsayer's book outofmy back pocket and commence askin' myself: What advan­tages does white have over cracked wheat, an' how can Idramatize'em? How might I pretest my idea - make a coupla'sandwiches on the spot? If I incubate too long, we'll all starve!

REVIEWER: Part II of the book is actually very clever. Again, Parnes isteaching what he knows from experience will work. He takes

223

The ~Jc of YourMind: A Onomes' Re*w

the reader by the hand, leads him or her through each step,and gives plenty of hints, guides and checklists to make itcomprehendable and workable. By the end ofPart" he has youworking through problems quickly, using the five steps in arapid, habitual fashion - defining the problem, finding rele­vant facts, considering different problem definitions, thinkingof several ideas before making a decision, thinking aboutimportant criteria and thinking about ways to implement andgain acceptance. He wants you to be able to use the procedurerapidly and without stopping to think about each step,

DANGEAGNOME: Why?

REVIEWER: Because it works,

RICHLES: C'rnon guys, there's gotta be somethin' wrong with the book!No criticisms? No mistakes? Nothin' left out? What kinda'book reviewer are you anyway- just all jubilee and cherries?An' don't take all day, them string beans is gettin' nervous.

REVIEWER: Irs an exciting, spellbinding book, and I honestly couldn't findanything wrong with it. Parnes did exactly what he promised ­and he promised a lot. He said on page 3 that"My greatest joyis in turning people on to their creative potential" and this bookwill do exactly that, given that people are sufficiently interestedto read it.

DANGERGNOME: Nothin' wrong with it, eh? That book' /Ireally get some respect!

REVIEWER: Indeed it will. There was one problem, however, it didn't havean index. I had to flip lots of pages every time I wanted to findsomething, Other than that, the book is super reading foranyone interested in the topic of creativity or, especially, con­cerned with improving their lives, The Magic of Your Mind cando it, and in a very pleasant way, Now go get at those stringbeans, I'm through talkin'.

Gary A. Davis, Department of Educational Psychology.Address: University of Wisconsin·Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.