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My favorite book on the process of idea generation is Serious Creativity by Edward DeBono. One of the creative thinking devices invented by DeBono is the use of creative provocations. Debono invented the word “po” in 1968 to symbolize the process of engaging in a creative provocation.
A provocation is a “forward use” statement. It is designed to propel your creative thinking forward towards further creative exploration. DeBono points out the words like hy(po)thesis, sup(po)se and (po)ssible all indicate this aspect of a present activity that prepares us for insights in the future.
The word “suppose” and the phrase “what if” are mild provocations that nudge our creative thinking in the right direction. DoBono’s “Po” is intended to be more radical and disruptive to our normal ways of thinking. His provocations can involve things “we know to be impossible, contradictory, or logical nonsense.” A provocation knocks off our normal path of thinking, pushes us out of the rut, and leads us down new and unexplored paths.
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