pf » Oblique Strategies

As creative professionals we are often forced to be creative. I've always found that creativity does not come naturally, you can't be forced to be innovative. Additionally we are also often tasked to solve difficult problems, where the solution is not easy to come by. So how to you stoke creativity?

Oblique Strategies was originally developed in 1975 by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt as a deck of cards with sayings that help you think differently about your problem. When you get stuck with writers block, or in the middle of an algorithm, or with an empty canvas you pick out a card and hopefully get stoked.

I've never owned a deck of the cards, but someone has built a dashboard widget for Oblique Strategies. You simply click on the widget and it shows you a card at random.

Here are some examples of oblique strategies:

• Retrace your steps
• Abandon Desire
• Don't stress one thing more than another
• Voice your suspicions

There are over one hundred worthwhile dilemmas in the widget for your creative enjoyment.