APPENDIX C
Everyday Creativity Worksheet
For use with “Everyday Creativity” video by Dewitt Jones
Major Points:
• Creativity is the ability to look at the ordinary and see the... extraordinary.
• Creativity is a matter of perspective.
• There’s always more than one right answer.
• Re-frame problems into opportunities.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
• Break the pattern.
• Train your technique.
• You’ve really got to care.
How can you start to put the techniques of Dewitt Jones into
practice? Use this worksheet to apply the concepts to your
planning, decision making or problem solving.
Concern: Your congregation has just completed the month of October and
you are $20,000 short of your budget of $200,000 for the year.
The major expenditures are salaries and the mortgage payment on the
building. You have an active Christian education program, give
10% to Our United Outreach, support presbytery’s programs, and do a
number of outreach ministries in the community (including Habitat for
Humanity and the local food pantry). However, the slowing economy and
reduced returns on investments have caused people to give less than in
previous years. The trend doesn’t seem to have an end. You must
make some decisions on what to do at this point.
Goal (at least for now) that you want to reach:________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Change your perspective.
Describe your current perspective. _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
What is another way to think about this concern?______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
There’s always more than one right answer.
What is your first right answer to this concern?________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
List at least two more possible answers to your ministry/program/concern/topic of study.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Reframe problems into opportunities.
What problems do you anticipate facing while working on this concern?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What “opportunities” might arise because of these “problems”? _________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Break the pattern.
Describe the “rule” you are using to solve the problem. ________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
If you did not have to follow this “rule,” how would you solve this problem? _______________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Train your technique.
Describe the skill you will have to develop to solve this problem. ________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Describe what you will have to learn to improve this skill. ______________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
You’ve got to really care.
Why is solving this problem important to you? _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How will solving this problem help others? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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