17-04-08 Systematizing Creativity

Category: Idea Lists (Upon Request)

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Systematizing Creativity

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

• Maya Angelou

1. Intentionally enter diffuse mode over ideas
2. Idea Lists
3. Transfer / Abstract over similar solutions
4. Multinomial Trees (Ed Boyden)
5. Graphs of relationship between ideas (Ex., Optimizer / Model / Loss Function)
   1. Optimizing supervised learning with reinforcement learning (architecture search)
   2. Optimizing reinforcement learning with supervised learning (Policy Network / Value Network)
6. Combining, connecting ideas / Idea Sex
7. Leading questions
   1. Resource constraints (time, attention, money, assumptions, etc.)
   2. Resource excess (time, attention, money, etc.)
   3. Eliminating options
   4. Imagine the future (problem is solved, for ex.). What happened? Work backwards.
8. Brainstorm [thought dumping]
9. Generalization - if you've solved a problem, extend the solution to its farthest reaches
10. Listing approaches to a body of problems (say ML toolbox, or models in how to think)
11. Randomize. Generate random ideas by specifying some parameters, and make them work / use them as prompts.
12. List and reject assumptions
13. Multiple levels of abstraction
14. Apply different modes of processing
15. Current Knowledge frames ideas. Break out of frame with:
16. Looking at problem from perspective of another person, another category of thinker
17. Defend a difficult position, adversarial conversation
18. Think ground up, from first principles
19. Deconstruction + Optimization
20. Metaphor Generation

Source: Original Google Doc