Imagination First: Unlocking the Power of Possibility

Lincoln Center Institute.

The Authors.

Part One:The Premise.

Introduction.

What, Why, and How.

Part Two:The Practices.

Practice 1: Make Mist.

Ready, get still, go.

Practice 2: Leave the Campfire.

Know your enemy: it is you, scared.

Practice 3: Flip What's Foolish.

Make it wise to be foolish, and every fool will generate wisdom.

Practice 4: Make Way for Awe.

Nurture humility and the wonder that comes with it.

Practice 5: Reinvent the Wheel.

Be willing to give back the givens.

Practice 6: Think Inside the Box.

Make greedy, grateful use of limits.

Practice 7: Hoard Bits.

Collect obsessively; sift; trust that the right bits will emerge.

Practice 8: Mix Your Metaphors.

Change the metaphors that frame your reality.

Practice 9: Renew Your Narrative.

Ask whether your story still serves you.

Practice 10: Untie Your Tongue.

Talk about your work with someone who doesn't understand it.

Practice 11: Swap Bodies.

Lose yourself in a role.

Practice 12: Make a Gap.

Obscure part of the picture.

Practice 12.5: Finish the Story.

Make the ending open-ended.

Practice 13: Chunk It.

Show how small it all starts

Practice 14: Don't Blink.

Snap in slow motion; see how you get primed for decision.

Practice 15: Cloud Appreciation.

Search out ambiguity and sit with it.

Practice 16: Spotlight Off, Lantern On.

Trade sharp focus for full-field awareness.

Practice 17: Play Telephone.

Engage in meaning-laundering.

Practice 18: Help Out a Boobonian.

Make every task a quest.

Practice 19: Teach Nonzero Math.

Expand the pie before dividing it.

Practice 20: Microexperiment.

Test your hunches playfully.

Practice 21: Rewrite History.

Turn "what would've been" into "what could be"

Practice 22: Design for the Hallway.

Let informal spaces thrive.

Practice 23: Routinize Randomness.

Regularly rinse out expectations.

Practice 24: Ride the z-axis.

Find elemental forms, then play with scale.

Practice 25: Challenge Your Challenges.

Find better problems.

Practice 26: Break the Hand.

Unschool yourself periodically.

Practice 27: Yes and . . . .

Never say no to an idea.

Practice 28: Fail Well.

Treat failure like a skill.

Practice X: Make Up Your Own.

Part Three:The Purposes.

Conclusion.

For Further Exploration.

Index.