s4h-creativity

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SKILL.md (first lines)

# Creativity

Applies creative thinking to any challenge. Diagnoses what kind of creative work is needed and either runs the right individual tool or sequences multiple tools for comprehensive exploration.

## Which tool fits

| You need to... | Tool |
|---|---|
| Question whether the problem itself is framed correctly | assumption-excavator |
| Escape a dominant idea you keep returning to | lateral-thinking |
| See all options before choosing any | alternatives / concept-fan |
| Evaluate a specific idea fairly, without snap judgment | plus-minus-interesting |
| Think through something from multiple perspectives | six-hats |
| Think from other people's actual positions | other-perspectives |
| Explore without premature judgment | water-logic |
| Break fixation with a random jolt | random-entry |
| Use an absurd premise as a springboard | provocation |
| Consider all factors before deciding | consider-factors |
| Comprehensive multi-method session | run the full sequence below |

## Routing Decision

**Framing check:** Confirm the specific challenge or problem before continuing. State what you've identified — the actual creative challenge and its key parameters — in one sentence, then use `AskUserQuestion`:
- **Question:** "I'm reading this as: [your one-sentence framing of the specific challenge]. Is that right?"
- **Header:** "Framing"
- **Options:**
  - **Yes — proceed** — framing is correct
  - **Adjust** — one element is off; user will correct it before you continue
  - **Reframe** — different situation than read; incorporate the correction before proceeding

- **Problem framing might itself be wrong** → assumption-excavator (run before anything else)
- **Stuck in one direction, keep returning to the same idea** → lateral-thinking
- **Need to see the full option space before choosing** → alternatives or concept-fan
- **Have a specific idea to evaluate** → plus-minus-interesting
- **Need full multi-perspective analysis** → six-hats
- **Decision affects other people** → other-perspectives
- **Early exploration, premature judgment is the enemy** → water-logic
- **Thoroughly stuck, need outside stimulus** → random-entry
- **Need a deliberate jolt into the impossible** → provocation
- **About to act, want to make sure nothing is missed** → consider-factors
- **Big challenge, want everything applied** → run the full brainstorm sequence

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## Confirm Direction

After diagnosing which tool fits, use the `AskUserQuestion` tool to confirm direction. Construct the question dynamically to include your diagnosis:

- **Question:** "My read: **[diagnosed tool]** — [one sentence on why it fits]. How would you like to proceed?"
- **Header:** "Direction"
- **Options:**
  - **Yes, run that tool** — Execute the diagnosed skill immediately using the context already provided
  - **Show all options** — List every skill in this category with one-line descriptions
  - **Quick version** — Run a lighter-weight alternative if one exists for this situation
  - **Re-diagnose** — Revisit the situation description for a different read

Proceed based on their selection.

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## Assumption Excavator

*Surfaces and challenges hidden assumptions.*

List every assumption embedded in the current problem framing — about what's possible, what's wanted, what's fixed, who's involved. Challenge each: what if this assumption were false? Which assumptions are load-bearing (the problem disappears without them) vs. incidental? Find the assumption that, if wrong, would most change the approach.

**Output:** Full assumption inventory, classified by how hard they are to question, and the one reframe that most changes the problem.

---

## Lateral Thinking

*Escapes dominant patterns to generate genuinely new directions.*

Name the dominant idea — the direction that keeps surfacing. Suspend it deliberately: set it aside for the rest of this exercise. From that cleared space, generate 5+ directions that don't involve the dominant idea at all. Use movement thinking: don't evaluate, just move. After generating: which of these new directions, or which combination, deserves serious attention?

**Output:** Dominant idea named and set aside. 5+ genuinely different directions. The 1-2 that deserve development.

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## Alternatives (APC)

*Deliberately generates options before evaluating any.*

Apply Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices: set a quota — find at least 5 alternatives to the current approach before evaluating any of them. Prevent evaluation from entering the generation phase. After generating: now compare. The first idea is almost never the best, but it crowds out better alternatives when evaluation starts too early.

**Output:** 5+ alternatives generated without judgment, then a brief comparative assessment.

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## Concept Fan

*Expands the solution space at different levels of abstraction.*

Define the immediate solution being considered. Step back one level: what concept does it serve? Now generate multiple ways to serve that concept. Step back again: what broader purpose does the concept serve? Generate multiple concepts that could serve the purpose. This creates a fan of options from specific tactics to strategic alternatives.

**Output:** Three levels — immediate solutions, serving concepts, and underlying purposes — each with multiple options.

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## Plus/Minus/Interesting (PMI)

*Evaluates an idea fairly before accepting or rejecting it.*

Apply Plus/Minus/Interesting to the idea: (1) Plus — what is genuinely good about it, including non-obvious positives? (2) Minus — what is genuinely problematic, including non-obvious negatives? (3) Interesting — what is noteworthy regardless of good or bad, and what questions does it open? PMI is the antidote to snap judgment.

**Output:** PMI table. Final assessment: does the plus outweigh the minus, accounting for what's interesting?

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## Six Hats

*Structured parallel thinking from six distinct angles.*

Apply each hat in sequence: (1) White — facts and data only, (2) Red — emotional and intuitive response, (3) Black — risks, problems, and critical analysis, (4) Yellow — optimism and genuine benefits, (5) Green — creative alternatives and new possibilities, (6) Blue — process, what thinking is needed. Each hat is pure — no mixing.

**Output:** Six-section analysis, one per hat. Final view: what does the full picture show when all hats are held together?

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From human-avatar/skills-for-humanity, MIT.

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