Avoid passing along blocks to mental creativity

Life Lessons

August 11, 2010

By David Key Lake Oconee Breeze Lake Oconee Breeze Wed Aug 11, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

LAKE OCONEE — Roger van Oech, in his book A Whack on the Side of the Head, proposed that there were ten mental blocks to creativity. They included the following:

1. The right answer.

2. That's not logical

3. Follow the rules

4. Be practical

5. Avoid ambiguity

6. To err is wrong

7. Play is frivolous

8. That's not my area

9. Don't be foolish

10. I'm not creative

Avoid passing these on to your children and grandchildren. That would be a gift to them from you. Wishing you much love and much light.

—The Rev. David W. Key, director of the Baptist Studies Program, is involved in recruitment, admissions, student life, counseling, placement, and development functions for Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He teaches in the Contextual Education program. He is the founding pastor of the Lake Oconee Community Church at Reynolds Plantation. Contact him at (404) 727-6350 or dkey@emory.edu. His

column appears weekly in this space.

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