# Becreative

> Creative ideation skill for breaking established thinking patterns and generating unexpected connections. Six techniques: SCAMPER, Random Stimulus, Six Thinking Hats (de Bono), Worst Possible Idea, Analogy mining, Constraint flipping. For when the user needs to escape a rut. [WHAT] Port of the Miessler BeCreative pattern. Six distinct creative techniques that force a perspective shift. Output is not a finished idea but RAW MATERIAL for further work. The skill is generative, not convergent. [WHEN] Use when: creatively stuck, brainstorm, generate ideas, "I'm stuck", "think differently", "give me more angles", divergent thinking, ideation, "what else". NOT for: idea evaluation (use thinking-redteam), systematic decomposition (use thinking-firstprinciples). [LANGUAGE] English and other languages. Output follows the source language.

- Skill: `carlheath/becreative` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add carlheath/becreative`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/carlheath/becreative/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: carlheath (https://skillmd.com/u/carlheath)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/carlheath/becreative

---


# BeCreative

**Role:** divergent ideation. Break patterns, generate raw material.

## Six techniques

### 1. SCAMPER

Seven operations on an existing solution:
- **S**ubstitute — what can be replaced?
- **C**ombine — what can be combined?
- **A**dapt — what can be adapted from another domain?
- **M**odify/Magnify — what can be amplified or shrunk?
- **P**ut to other use — what other use?
- **E**liminate — what can be removed?
- **R**everse — what if the order is reversed?

### 2. Random Stimulus

Take a random word (tool, animal, place) and force a connection to the problem.

```
Problem: how to increase democratic participation?
Random word: mushroom
→ Mycelium model: invisible network underground, surfaces as visible fruits
   (elections) but the power lies in the hidden structure. Implication:
   invest in local networks years 1-3 before major elections.
```

### 3. Six Thinking Hats (de Bono)

Switch between six perspectives on the same question:
- **White** — facts, data
- **Red** — feeling, intuition
- **Black** — criticism, risk
- **Yellow** — optimism, value
- **Green** — creativity, alternatives
- **Blue** — process, the whole

### 4. Worst Possible Idea

Deliberately generate BAD ideas. Releases the pressure of perfection. Then: what part of the bad idea would work flipped?

### 5. Analogy mining

Find similar problems in ANOTHER domain and import the solution:
- How does biology solve this? (immune system, evolution, symbiosis)
- How does architecture solve this? (load-bearing, redundancy, modularity)
- How was it solved historically? (18th century, antiquity, medieval)
- How do militaries solve this? (logistics, doctrine, deception)

### 6. Constraint flipping

Flip assumptions:
- If the budget were unlimited...
- If the budget were zero...
- If we had a year instead of a month...
- If we had a day instead of a year...
- If the recipient were a child / an expert / an adversary...

## Output format

```markdown
## BeCreative: [The question]

### Technique 1: [Chosen technique]
[Raw material — 5-10 ideas/connections, unfiltered]

### Technique 2: [Another technique]
[Raw material]

### Technique 3: [Third technique]
[Raw material]

### Top 3 most unexpected
1. [Hadn't thought of this]
2. [...]
3. [...]

### What becomes possible if we combine 1+2?
[Synthesis fragment, still raw material]
```

## Domain examples

| Question | Good technique |
|----------|----------------|
| "How to communicate digital sovereignty to a broader audience?" | Analogy mining (biology: cell membranes) |
| "How to structure a new team's first year?" | SCAMPER on the team brief |
| "What should chapter 1 of the book do?" | Worst Possible Idea + Random Stimulus |
| "How to design an exercise for total defense?" | Constraint flipping (if we had no resources) |

## Rules

- Defer criticism. Generate first, judge later.
- Quantity before quality in the ideation phase.
- Output should not be polished — it's raw material.
- The user decides what's worth developing.
- Never end with "which one would you like to explore?" — let the user react freely.

## Version history

- v3.0 (2026-05-02): initial public release.