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Exercise
#1: Kindred Relationships
There have been many efforts to define or explain the creative
process. Psychologist Sarnoff A. Mednick of the University of Michigan
thinks of it as the forming of associative elements into new combinations
or arrangements.
That may not be the whole story, but the person who can marshal
a great number of associations and ideas and bring them to bear
on his problem has the best chance of coming up with an original
solution.
In this exercise, think of a fifth word that is related to the preceding
four words. (Compound and hyphenated words or commonly used expressions
are allowed.)
Examples:
- Elephant,
bleed, lie, wash
Answer:White (white elephant, bleed white,
white lie,
white-wash)
-
Sleeping, contest, spot, shop
Answer: Beauty (sleeping beauty, beauty contest,
beauty spot, beauty shop)
Now
train your own associative powers with the following sets:
| 1. |
bug
|
rest |
fellow |
cover |
____________________
|
| 2. |
cross |
baby |
blood |
ribbon |
____________________
|
| 3. |
see |
carpet |
hot |
cent |
____________________
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| 4. |
touch |
palate |
soap |
sell |
____________________
|
| 5. |
easy |
hush |
belt |
order |
____________________
|
| 6. |
tree |
cup |
cake |
forbidden |
____________________
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| 7. |
wagon |
stand |
aid |
dance |
____________________
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| 8. |
dust |
movie |
gaze |
sapphire |
____________________
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| 9. |
tooth |
talk |
potato |
bitter |
____________________
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| 10. |
alley |
date |
snow |
spot |
____________________
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Answers: 1. Bed 2. Blue 3. Red 4. Soft
5. Money 6. Fruit 7. Band 8. Star 9. Sweet 10. Blind
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