Recognizing Mental Blocks: Conceptual Blockbusting

1. Perceptual Blocks are obstacles that prevent the problem solver from clearly perceiving either the problem itself or the information needed to solve it. A few types of perceptual blocks are
   
   
   
   • Stereotyping
   • Limiting the problem unnecessarily
   • Saturation or information overload
2. Emotional Blocks interfere with your ability to solve problems in many ways. They decrease the amount of freedom with which you explore and manipulate ideas, and they interfere with your ability to conceptualize fluently and flexibly:

• Fear of risk taking
• Lack of appetite for chaos
• Judging rather than generating ideas
• Lack of challengeInability to incubate

Cultural Blocks are acquired by exposure to a given set of cultural patterns, while environmental blocks are imposed by our immediate social and physical environment.

1. Environmental Blocks: Distractions (phones, interruptions) are blocks that inhibit deep prolonged concentration. Working in an atmosphere that is pleasant and supportive most often increases the productivity of the problem solver.
2. Intellectual Blocks: This block can occur as a result of inflexible or inadequate uses of problem-solving strategies. Lacking the necessary intellectual skills to solve a problem can certainly be a block as can lack of the information necessary to solve the problem.
3. Expressive Blocks: The inability to communicate your ideas to others, in either verbal or written form, can also block your progress.

Block vs Blockbusters

Block	Blockbuster
1. Negative Attitude Focusing attention on negative aspects of the problem or possible unsatisfactory outcomes hampers creativity.	1. Attitude Adjustment List the positive outcomes and aspects of the problem. Realize that with every problem there is not only danger of failure but an opportunity for success.
2. Fear of Failure One of the greatest inhibitors to creativity is the fear of failure and the inability to take a risk.	2. Risk Taking Outline what the risk is, why it is important, what is the worst possible outcome and, what your options are with the worst possible outcome and how you would deal with this failure.
3. Following the Rules Some rules are necessary, such as stopping at a red light, while others, such as you must take the familiar route to work, (or most efficient) shortest, hinder innovation.	3. Breaking the Rules Remove unnecessary constraints imposed by the solution requirements.
4. Over-reliance on Logic A need to proceed in a step-by-step fashion may unfortunately relegate imagination to the background.	4. Creative Internal Climate Turn the situation over to your imagination, your feelings, your sense of humor. Play with insights and possibilities.
5. Belief That You Aren't Creative Believing that you are not creative is a serious hindrance to generating creative solutions. Believing that you can't do something is a self- fulfilling prophesy.	5. Creative Beliefs Encourage your creativity, by asking "what-if" questions; daydream, make up metaphors and analogies. Try different ways of expressing your creativity.