What would you do with an unlimited š°budget, š§ resources, and ā°time? Let's begin by acknowledging...
Innovate with Your Noseš: The Power of Scent in Creativity š¤š”
When it comes to the realm of creativity, our sense of smell is often the unsung hero.
Unlike our conscious engagement with sightšļø and soundš, scentš possesses a remarkable ability to circumvent our logical minds and dive straight into our reservoir of memories and emotionsš. How many times have you been whisked away to a specific moment in your past by catching a fleeting whiff of a fragrance?š¤š
A Journey into Sensory Creativity:
"Smell That" is more than just a brainstorming exerciseš§ ; it's a sensory odyssey that taps into the evocative world of scent to ignite your creative potential. Here's how it takes your senses on a captivating journeyš:
Step 1: Scented Scribbles
Begin by chronicling the scents and fragrances naturally linked to your creative challengeš. These may include scents tied to environmentsš², emotionsš¶, or experiencesš intricately woven into the very fabric of your problem.
Step 2: Inhale and Immerse
With your olfactory paletteššØ before you, breathe in each scent, one at a time.
Let the fragrances transport you to a symphonyš¶ of memories, emotions, and mental landscapes. These aromas act as the gateway to prime your sensory consciousness.
Step 3: Fertile Ground for Imagination
Now, with your mind steepedšµ in aromatic recollections, it's time to embark on a journey of creative ideationš”. Solutions to your challenge begin to bud like delicate blossomsš·, either in solitudeš¤ or through collaborative pairingsš„.
After 5-10 minutes, share your initial thoughts with the team, enriching your collective wellspring of ideas.
The Science Behind the Scent:
"Smell That" is deeply rooted in the science of sensory memoryš§ . Our olfactory system and the brain's limbic system, responsible for emotions, memories, and creativity, share an intimate connectionš¤. Engaging with scents becomes a catalyst for the revival of vivid memories and the stimulation of imaginative thinking.šŖš§©šŖ
As you embark on this sensory adventureš, you'll witness your mind unfolding to embrace new vistas of ideas, and your creativity will flourish in the most unexpected ways. The next time you yearn for an inspirational sparkš”ā”, remember to pauseāøļø and immerse yourself in the sensory symphony of... Smell That.
Have Funwareā¢ Syncer help you facilitate 'Smell That'
Step 0: If you haven't done so already, sign-up for Funwareā¢ Ideator. We have taken our years of facilitation experience, and designed software that expertly guides your team through 30 minute ideation sessions.
Step 1: Start a Funwareā¢ Ideator session and share the link with anyone you want to ideate with.
The meeting should take about 30 minutes if you have 4-6 people.
Step 2: When on the game wheel, instead of spinning the wheel to get a random exercise, click āSmell Thatā to select that specific exercise.
Step 3: Funwareā¢ Ideator automatically prompts meeting participants to start generating smells associated with their challenge and then prompts people to start coming up with solutions to their challenge.
Step 4: Funwareā¢ Ideator will pick different people to share their ideas at random to ensure all voices get heard, not just the loud extroverts like Devin and myself.