Right Brain Workouts

185 aerobic exercises for the creative side of your brain

Right Brain Workouts stimulate creative thinking, champion the pursuit of humane ideas, illustrate the benefits of thinking creatively, and urge you to exercise your creative abilities.

Right Brain Workouts, listed below, appear here on goCreate.com and on Idea Connection in the Right Brain Workout section and on Brain Change, my personal blog. All Workouts will remain listed here and take you to the proper location.

Use Right Brain Workouts regularly to inspire your own creative thinking. Show your friends, family, trainees, and employees that you are serious about your commitments making the world better. Commit yourself to progressive, forward-thinking innovation.

♪ Sing Along! Right Brain Workouts with a note in front of their title include a link to a thinking song by Peter Lloyd or a friend.

And now you can buy the book—170 Right Brain Workouts bound for reading.

Your comments are always welcome by email.

Latest Right Brain Workout June 27, 2009

*Title*	Subject
99 Bottles of Beer	If you're the kind of person who prefers variety in the work you do, this might help explain why that makes you a more creative and valuable worker.
Abominations	It's been a long time since anyone updated the Biblical list of abominations. Let's get to work.
Affinity: A Cage of Context	How who you know gets in the way of greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. See also The Four Cages of Context.
Ammo for the Uncreative	Equal time for left-brainers.
Anger	Introducing the sixth of seven Creative Juices
The Art of Barking	When a French Poodle meets a German shepherd, do they have any trouble understanding each other? Of course, not. We might want to learn how to talk from those that don't.
The Art Instinct	We have all the visual arts for our eyes and music to please our ears, but no art addresses itself to our noses. What gives?
An Atheist Who Prays	What? Heresy! Aren't all atheists narrow-minded rejecters of all things holy?
Bandwagon Innovation	It feels great to be part of a popular movement, but belonging can be deadly for innovation.
Batman	How do you feel about bats? Here's one good reason for opening your mind to "batty" ideas.
Beethoven	Everybody knows the story of this musician and his handicap. What about his attitude? UPDATED
Believing Is Seeing	When is it okay to lie? What about when you tell you kids about Santa Claus?
Big Kid Innovation	There's a Mozart inside every one of us. Someone who wants to play instead of work. How do your bring out your own little genius?
Birds and Bees	There's nothing new about it. The birds do it, the bees do it. And now, let's do it.
Black and White	Is cutting someone with a knife always a bad thing?
Blockbusting the Ether	Praise for the way kids like Einstein destroy what they've just created.
♪ Boss	What do you do when you know you're right and your boss is wrong? Imagine this scenario.
Boss Brains	In my never-ending, ever vigilant search for news you can use in your personal crusade for right brain supremacy where you work, I found a survey.
Brautigan Library	Attention all frustrated, unpublished writers: Here's a library willing to put your work on its shelves.
Breaking the Rules	What The Year of Living Biblically taught me about law breaking.
Cats and Dogs	A good example of how mixing opposites can yield the best hybrid results.
Centered Eye	Have artists throughout the centuries been following intuitive rules they do not even realize exist?
Christmas List	Before you make your list, check it twice, check out what one man wished for more than a hundred years ago.
CigArson	A lawyer joke with a lesson in the art of the yarn.
Collaborating with the Customer	Who would you rather have invent your next new product? An engineer, a designer, a marketer, or your customer?
Conformity	Who's more beautiful, Barbara Hershey or Betty Grable? I disguised myself as a 1940s news photographer to answer this momentous question.
Courage and Autonomy	The Cowardly Lion and Howard Dean come together for a lesson in what makes people get up and do what needs to be done.
Crazy Bosses	No, you're not crazy. You boss is. At least if he's one of the five kinds of crazy bosses you're about to meet.
Creative Accounting	It's time to play oxymoron. How many word combinations can you think of that turn out to be contradictions?
Creative Fire	Every idea begins with a spark of inspiration. But most ideas flash and fade before they have a chance to set the world on fire. How can you keep your creative fire hot without getting burned?
The Creative Judge	Ideas are everywhere. The problem is often choosing which one to chase. Here's some advice.
Creative Monopolies	If you were ever caught copying in school, you were probably punished. But in real life, some people get paid to imitate. Time to settle the score.
Creative Space	Many companies understand that creativity takes time. Some thoughts on what to do about space.
Creative Traditions	It would seem that tradition would be the bane of creative people. Not necessarily.
Critics	Ever catch yourself tapping your foot at the Symphony? It may be gauche, but it's not as bad as listening to the music with half a brain.
Crosscuts	Unrelated ideas head for each other on a certain collision course. Why you want to witness this wreck.
Crossword Creativity	We can learn to innovate, invent, and be more creative from just about anything. Here are seven lessons I learned from working crossword puzzles.
The Crown of Creation	In defense of the most dangerous animal on earth.
The Curb-Cut Effect	If you live long enough, ride a bike, or push a baby buggy, you're just one of the many who are grateful for an invention not even meant for them.
Dangerous Dreams	While there's no such thing as a bad idea, even a beautiful concept can get out of hand.
Darwin Does It Again	Who's the greatest—Charles Darwin or Mohammad Ali? Depends on whom you ask.
Dead Teachers	Attention academics everywhere. The best teachers are dead teachers.
Deadlines	Want to know what one of the world's foremost physicists does when he runs out of ideas? He gets depressed. Until he gets something creative people dread.
Different Drummer	I hope your hungry. We're going to an Italian grocery for a lesson in how to keep life interesting.
Discovering America	So many inventions are the result of accident and error, it makes you want to make mistakes on purpose. But that's not quite the right the idea.
Discovering Columbus	Who was Christopher Columbus? Let's not be so sure.
Disturb the Peace	When is peace not such a good idea?
Drawing on Yourself	Tickets, please. Now boarding for the most unique place in the universe.
Dream Power	Problem-solving success demands that we meet on common ground and coordinate our attack with common purpose.
Dreams	Sorry to wake you up, but I think it's time we talk about your dreams.
Dumbth Rule No. 9	Here are all sorts of wise sayings. Half of them might even be true. Read them now, the sooner the better. Or later, after all, patience is a virtue.
Earth Name	Earth... the planet with the name only a mother could love. But wait, she is the mother, after all.
Eating Outside the Box	Why do we avoid not only what can’t hurt us but also can help? Even when the upside might put a dent in world hunger!
Education Factories	You've seen those bumper stickers... "My child is an honor student at such-and-such a school." I think they're a bad sign. UPDATED
Emergency	Instructions on how to avoid the world's worst possible catastrophe.
Envy	Introducing the fifth of seven Creative Juices
Equal Time	Why it's not necessarily fair to act as if there's no such thing as a bad idea.
Evaluation Apprehension	Not unlike the sexual issue performance anxiety, this group dynamic has a lot to do with the difference between a good and a great brainstorming session.
Even More Idea Sources	As a follow-up to The Source of Ideas, I asked a group of writers to describe the sources of their ideas.
Evolation	Where could scientists and believers possibly meet and agree on the idea of evolution? Read and see.
Face on the Egg	When you look at the front of a car, do the you see a face? One very successful car designer nearly lost an important assignment because he didn't.
Failing Observations	Five important lessons about failing from someone who knows the score.
♪ Fear of the Unfamiliar	A great way to capture your ideas is to speak them into a pocket taper recorder. In fact, the following Right Brain Workout is taken from a tape I made on a walk around the block.
Firefly Idea Seller	Those elusive lightning bugs you used to catch—now they can help you catch clients.
♪ Fire the Boss	Why you should never criticize your boss.
Foreigners	No, I'm not running for President, even though I've chosen to address the subject of foreign relations in this Workout.
Formula for Invention Genius	Here it is: T + E = P. All you have to do now is read what the letters stand for.
The Four Cages of Context	As a Creative Animal, your natural is to create, invent, and innovate. This Workout begins an introduction to the four contexts that cage your natural creativity.
Frozen Smoke	Sound like something out of Star Trek? Read about the man who invented Frozen Smoke by doing the impossible.
Funeral Fashion	This Right Brain Workout is about funerals. Actually, what you should wear to a funeral. That is, your own funeral, your final fashion statement.
The Game of the Name	A chrysanthemum by any other name would be... well, easier to spell, for one thing. Names—what's in them for you? UPDATED
Garbage Pickers	Need a big idea? Ideas are everywhere, including inside your trash can. Let's take a look.
Getting It Wrong	Film director and creative director Stein X Leikanger examines why people will never be computers and vice versa.
A Girl's Touch	Who says kids can't change the world? Read about a fourth-grader who's well on her way to doing just that.
Gluttony	Introducing the second of seven Creative Juices.
Greed	Meet the third of seven Creative Juices.
Handcuffing Creativity	Why do corporate control freaks stifle the most valuable or powerful source of innovative energy at their disposal?
Hippocrates	Raise your right hand and repeat after me... "I swear by Apollo the physician... and Aesculapius... and all the gods and goddesses..."
Homespun Innovation	Have you called your mother lately? She just might have some worthwhile advice. UPDATED
How Am I Doing?	Sorry, this is not a comment card, but it contains a comment on comment cards.
Idea Dialog	If it's true that opposites attract, then the two hemispheres of your brain ought to get along quite well. As usual, I have other ideas.
IdeaFisher	Tired of fishing for new ideas all by yourself? Try the software program that turns your computer into a supermarket of ideas.
The Idea Place	The Shangri La of great ideas. You know where it is? Why don't you go there more often?
Idiot	Do you have what it takes to be a creative leader? You might be surprised at what it takes.
Imaginary Friends	What happens when you put sworn enemies in the same place? What happens if they're just puppets?
Imagination Gone Mad	Some creativity advocates claim that there's no such thing as a bad idea. Read about man who collects them. UPDATED
I'm Not Creative	Anyone can be creative with a little help from a carnivorous grapefruit.
Inadequacy, the Slave Driver of Invention	Enough with this "Necessity is the Mother of Invention nonsense." If you want invention, innovation, creativity... go straight to the inadequacy of the present situation.
Innovative Animals	Match your creative muscle against Koko the gorilla. Do you dare?
Innovative Singles	Workout writer seeks interested audience to consider what would happen if personal ads were more creative.
In Order to Serve You Better...	An exercise in translating the blizzard of blarney you get from your customer service representative.
In Praise of Anarchy	Any one who's ever had their knuckles rapped for violating the rules of English grammar, I give you permission to re-think those rules. UPDATED
Insights	Maybe I've finally gone too far, but at least listen to my complaint about teachers who were too educated.
Intelligence vs. Intuition	You'd think that the intuition of the mathematically inclined should top that of the average person. There's a problem.
Invention from Adversity	If you think necessity is the mother of invention wait till you meet these four people who turned adversity into innovation.
Its Own Sake	This is a defense of being creative for the sake of being creative.
Jack Daniel, Innovator	One of the original marketing innovators of this century makes his product in a county where selling it is illegal. The company's record of law breaking goes back to 1865. UPDATED
Just Say No	Ever complain about not having enough time to be creative? Some advice from Marlene Dietrich.
Knowledge: A Cage of Context	How what you know gets in the way of greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. See also The Four Cages of Context.
Lemons	When life serves you lemons, make lemonade. Right? Read what one very creative woman did to her career when her company served her a pink slip.
♪ Let Your People Go	Liberating words of wisdom from Doug Hall of the Eureka! Ranch.
Living with Ambiguity	A few words of wisdom from an airport baggage handler on the logic of lemmings. UPDATED
Losing Your Butt	A lesson in recovering from disaster from the humble skink lizard.
Lust	An introduction to the fourth of your seven Creative Juices.
Making It Real	Faint praise can be worse than insult. Consider the value of using words that mean what you want to say.
Making Mistakes	Read carefully. If I practice what he preach, I'm likely to make a few mistakes. UPDATED
The Malfunction of Intellect	Somewhere along the way Americans lost their ability to think Stephen R. Grossman offers what it will take for us to regain this most important skill.
More Idea Sources	As a follow-up to The Source of Ideas, I asked a group of writers to describe the sources of their ideas.
Mother Nature, Inventor	Mother Nature deserves so much more than our admiration. She is always ready to help us invent.
Mothers of Invention	Would the real Mother of Invention please stand up? I'm not sure you are who you say you are.
Naming Your Invention	Naming a invention, product, service, or company doesn't have to be torture. Here are three guidelines to help you through the ordeal.
Natural Genius	Zoos, aquariums, and nature programs extol the innovative genius of animals and plants. But few take the next, natural step.
♪ Not Invented Here	Where do successful innovators like 3M, Xerox, and Sony get their great ideas? They probably don't care.
Not Knowing	Why is there only one word for Thesaurus? I contend that the answer to this and a lot of other imponderables can be summed up in three little words.
Nitpickers	Some helpful tips for anyone who's ever been accused of nitpicking.
Old Advice	The great German poet-philosopher Friedrich Schiller joins us with advice on how to stop thinking so hard.
Old Habits Die Hard	An experiment in adapting to change.
Operation Based Innovation	New-product developer Jim Tobergta goes onto the factory floor to uncover overlooked product concepts.
Order	If you're wondering why there's not any order to these Workouts, read this one.
Order: A Cage of Context	How arranging what you think you know gets in the way of greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. See also The Four Cages of Context.
Persistence of Ignorance	What to do when people start shoveling it.
Pillow Babble	In a matter of 18 translations, a simple proposition turns into utter nonsense.
Placebo	Creativity can make Creativity can make e-commerce more than just another tool, according to Rick Wehder.
Playing Binocular Soccer	Wanna see something really ridiculous. Watch the video in this Workout or a group of high-level executives trying to edit a memo.
Please Don't Pray for Me	In the largest study of third-party prayer, the prayed-for don't do so well.
♪ Pledge	How blind followers of tradition compelled a seven-year-old boy to swear allegiance to four invisible witches.
Pride	Meet the first of your seven Creative Juices. UPDATED
Problems	Do you have a problem? Would you like a problem?
Protecting Baby Ideas	An innovative lesson from the clever dolphin on giving your new ideas a head start in life.
Random Answers	If you're like most people, you talk to your computer. It's when your computer starts talking to you that you have to worry... or do you?
Rebellion	If a statement is true, it doesn't matter who says it. Right? Or wrong? You be the judge.
♪ Rewards	A lot of companies are trying all sorts of programs to make their employees more creative. It's easy to inspire creativity, especially if you know what not to do.
NEW Rocket Slips	The value of making mistakes has been demonstrated throughout history by some pretty impressive blunderers.
Routine	How often do you find yourself following the same routine, without ever questioning why? Why?
Save the Queen! Lose the Supervisor.	Spontaneity Rules! That's the secret of ant-colony organizational genius.
Say You Like It	Three simple rules to help you get the best possible work out of your creative people.
The Scatological Conception	Is there any way to keep really great ideas from going down the toilet?
Selling Out	Thinking of selling your company? Rick Wehder has some advice about your most valuable asset.
sdrawkcaB	How a dyslexic banker made his handicap the key to success.
Sears Catalog	Great ideas are anywhere you can find them. Doug Hall 's had great success looking in one place you might never have considered.
The Seven Creative Juices	What does it really mean to get your creative juices flowing? Could it be those urges you've been told you have to hold in check. Here's why you should check them out instead.
Shoot the Moon	It's a hit! Going... going... gone! That could be the moon if a certain scientist has his way.
Six Thinking Colors	Research says that Dr. Edward de Bono didn't follow the paint-by-numbers palette when he assigned colors to his Six Thinking Hats.
♪ Skink the Lizard	Sometimes losing can take you farther than the alternative—holding on to what you may not need. A lesson from a lizard.
Slicing Pi	Yes, it's irrational, but if you want to create you have to fudge.
Sloth	Meet the last of the seven Creative Juices.
The Source of Ideas	You'd think great creative minds could at least agree on the source of their great ideas. No such luck. Here's a catalog of creative explanations.
Space and Time	Creative people get a bad rap for a lot of eccentric behavior—like always being late. Here's how to make tardiness pay off in the long run.
Spiderman	He's been called Spiderman. But unlike the imaginary web- slinger, he may actually save lives someday.
Spontaneity Rules	What makes creativity? Letting go, acting silly, and lavishing encouragement or discipline, determination, and demanding sacrifice?
Staying Invention-Ready	What can you do to make sure your talent and energy to invent are ready when inspiration strikes and vice versa.
Steps	Here's a sure-fire way to generate ideas. However, do not attempt this technique without consulting your physician. UPDATED
Stop Sign	Order in the court. Peter Lloyd is about to make his closing remarks to the bench. You be the judge.
♪ Strange but True	Despite the fact that creative people often work themselves to death, I can demonstrate that art is easy.
Subconscious Invention	You're getting very sleepy... Sinking deeper into your subconscious... Ask for anything you want, and it's yours! So says the man you're about to meet.
Success: A Cage of Context	How thinking you've won gets in the way of greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. See also The Four Cages of Context.
Supreme Originality	So you've got a great idea. Copyright it, quick! Sorry, you can't. Sandra Day O'Connor and I explain why ideas are free, and should be.
Taking Pictures	If you hate to see yourself on videotape, maybe you should take another look at the way you look at yourself.
Talent	Come on, admit it. You not only sing in the shower, you sometimes wish you had followed your dream of becoming a rock star.
Telephone Booth	How good are you at recognizing great ideas? How about a little creativity test?
Testing the Waters	A few simple guidelines for distinguishing between creative and crazy ideas.
Thinking Young	Thinking like a kid is not just fun. According to one experiment, it can put you in better contact with reality.
♪ Thomas Edison Blues	What really happened up in Tom's lab the night he invented the light bulb?
Toilet Seat Aesthetics	Yes, even the commode can teach us something about truth, beauty, and how to get along.
Told You So	Tired of your best ideas nose-diving in the trash can? Here are some words of encouragement.
The Training Sandwich	One poop in the pot does not a potty-trained kid make. The same goes for company training programs.
Truth in Business	Oxymoron? Business Management Consultant Rick Wehder says, no, it doesn't have to be. In fact, it's the secret behind a vision that works.
Understanding Doodles	New insights into the effects of doodling makes me wonder whether we should encourage it at boring business meetings.
Unintended Benefits	Some innovators and inventors have learned that, when defending their work, offense can be the best defense.
Vive la Différence!	What can the Beatles and the Boston Consulting Group teach us about coming up with breakthrough ideas?
Walrus Teeth	Attention, starving artists, inventors, musicians, and companies on the cutting edge of innovation. A lesson in survival from the walrus.
Waiting for Invention	What's the difference between a really great idea and a really great new product? All the difference in the world.
Watering Hole	Hanging around the water cooler, at least the way these folks do it, can make your workplace more productive and profitable.
What Do I Know?	How the Wall of Knowledge gets in the way of knowing.
What Dummy Taught Baseball	Would you sign a baseball player who couldn't hear and didn't speak? The Cincinnati Reds did back in 1894 and improved baseball.
Why Not Hip Hop?	How C-Span, beacon of democracy, could demonstrate greater inclusiveness, diversity, and keep some of us from falling asleep.
Who You Callin' Stupid?	Invention demands that we question, check, and re-check everything. Even the blindingly obvious. And especially if we don't want to look stupid.
The Wisdom of Collaboration	Now that the whole world can collaborate online, who can argue with the proposition, nothing is impossible?
Work Acting	You're about to hire someone or interview for a job. Here's how to do it all wrong.
The Wright Stuff	What does it take to get a great idea off the ground? The answer is easy if you ask the Wright guys.
Why Windows Makes You More Creative	It takes more than a super-cool operating system to bring out you r creative best. It's actually the other way around. UPDATED
Wikilegislation	When you consider who makes our laws, you have to conclude, it can't be that difficult. So why not laws for the people written by the people?
WYSIWYG	What happens when you look this word up in dictionary tells us a lot about authority.
You Gotta Wanna	Rick Wehder reminds us of the importance of aligning your work with your life interests.

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