If you’re planning a brainstorming session with your team, nothing is more intimidating than staring at that blank flipchart. You can kick off your brainstorming with this new concept developed by an author/writer. This will gear up your team with this fun activity and get them in that creative mode.
Concept of Newspaper Blackout
The idea is based off the idea that it’s more fun to cross things off than to come up with something entirely new. The writer that created it used the idea to help his brain block since he was having a hard time coming up with ideas for short stories. Newspaper Blackout makes it seem more like a game than actual work.
How to Play the Game
The game is actually quite easy for your team. Gather a few essential supplies such as black markers and newspapers. To play the game, follow these simple steps:
- Find an article you like
- Draw a box around words or phrases you like
- Cross of the words you don’t like
- Use the marker to black out all the words except the ones you put a box around
- You’ll be left with a poem of the words and phrases that you like
How to Use Newspaper Blackout to Boost Creativity
- If you want to use this concept for your brainstorming session, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Rip out pages of popular newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times or other popular papers in your area
- Come up with a specific assignment related to what you’re goal is for having a brainstorming session. For example, come up with a question such as, “Why is the customer always right?”
- Divide your team into groups of 2-6 people
- Give them their supplies and instruct them how to play the game
- The overall goal is for their “poem” to answer the question. Have them picture something in their mind of what the assignment is to them and then look for specific words or phrases that match that picture
- If a team gets stuck, try giving them a different newspaper article to work with
Remember, while this can be a useful tool, the main goal is for your team to have fun so don’t take it too seriously!