When imagination becomes habit, it can transform your work and your life The best corporations know that innovative thinking is the only competitive advantage that cannot be outsourced. The best schools are those that create cultures of imagination. Now in paperback, Imagination First introduces a wide-variety of individuals who make a habit of imaginative thinking and creative action, offering a set of universal practices that anyone can use to transform their life at work, home, and play. These 28.5 practices will enable anyone to become more imaginative and to teach others to do so as well?from corporate executive to educator to platoon sergeant. Bonus content includes Winning "e;practices"e; submitted by the public Guidelines for educators who want to cultivate creativity in their classrooms Expanded resource section The book is filled with illustrative stories of creative leaders, teachers, artists, and scientists that clearly illustrate the original practices and new material that shows how to bring imagination to life.

When imagination becomes habit, it can transform your work andyour lifeThe best corporations know that innovative thinking is the onlycompetitive advantage that cannot be outsourced. The best schoolsare those that create cultures of imagination. Now in paperbackImagination First introduces a wide-variety of individuals who makea habit of imaginative thinking and creative action, offering a setof universal practices that anyone can use to transform their lifeat work, home, and play. These 28.5 practices will enable anyone tobecome more imaginative and to teach others to do so as well?fromcorporate executive to educator to platoon sergeant. Bonus contentincludes* Winning "practices" submitted by the public* Guidelines for educators who want to cultivate creativity intheir classrooms* Expanded resource sectionThe book is filled with illustrative stories of creativeleaders, teachers, artists, and scientists that clearly illustratethe original practices and new material that shows how to bringimagination to life.

Acknowledgments.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 generatewisdom.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 willemerge.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 startsPractice 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.