A Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior to Be More Creative

When was the last time you had a creative idea? This morning? Last month? Last year? Sometimes you need A Kick in the Seat of the Pants to get your thinking going. This book does just that by taking you on a guided tour through the four roles of the creative process-Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior.

• When it's time to seek out new information, adopt the mindset of an Explorer. Get off the beaten path, poke around in outside areas, and pay attention to unusual patterns.
• When you need to create a new idea, let the Artist in you come out. Ask what-if questions and look for hidden analogies. Break the rules and look at things backwards. Add something and take something away. Ultimately, you'll come up with an original idea.
• When it's time to decide if your idea is worth implementing, see yourself as a Judge. Ask what's wrong and if the timing's right. Question your assumptions and make a decision.
• And when you carry your idea into action, be a Warrior. Put a fire in your belly, eliminate your excuses, and do what's necessary to reach your objective.

Kick provides exercises, stories, tips, and Roger von Oech's proven techniques to help you strengthen each of your own creative roles.

Roger von Oech is the president of Creative Think, a California-based consulting firm that stimulates creativity and innovation in business. He has worked with such companies as: Anheuser-Busch, ARCO, Bristol Myers, DuPont, General Foods, Hallmark Cards, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NASA, NBC, Procter & Gamble and Xerox. He is the author of the best-selling book, A Whack on the Side of the Head He is also a nationally- ranked Masters swimmer, and a collector of old television commercials. He lives with his wife, Wendy, and their two children, Athena and Alexander.