Do you ever look at someone and wish you could be as creative as they are?

Creativity means different things to different people. For some it’s performed through art, music or dance. For some it’s about coming up with new and novel solutions to problems. Others still find a space to create something completely new, something that’s so far outside of our current understand that it shifts the world a bit (e.g. the internet).

I marvel at songwriters and musicians to create songs that are like no other song that I’ve ever heard, yet feel like I’ve always known them.

I marvel at advert creators who create new language with the power of their message. Nike ‘just do it’. Cadbury ‘Thank crunchie it’s Friday’. ‘I’ll just google that’. Even common words like ‘Hoover’ are brand names.

Walt Disney was renowned for his creativity. In his relatively short life (he died at 65), he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. He holds the record for the most academy awards won by an individual having won 22 Oscars from no less than 59 nominations. He created characters that have stood the test of time and still have theme parks thriving. Mickey Mouse remains a much loved character.

Walt Disney was, without a doubt, a creative genius. He was also able to bring his imagination to life for others to share. However, his technique for doing this was actually very structured (although he was probably not aware of it at the time). His technique was modelled by Robert Dilts.

The Disney Pattern

The technique begins by identifying four areas in a room, each one separated physically by a space.

You can use squares of paper on the floor, the four corners of the room, or whatever works for you.

Each space is given a label:

Firstly, stand in the Dreamer area, and recall a time when you were able to be creative. A time when you managed to think of all sorts of ideas. At this stage, you’re simply developing your awareness of having the ability to have ideas, be creative, and imagine possibilities.
- Have a real sense of how you saw, heard, and felt as you were having the new ideas.
Next step into the Realist space, and recall times when you were involved in the realities of planning, and implementing ideas.
- Recall exactly how you saw, felt and thought during that period of evaluation.
Then move into the Critic area, and recall a time when you were critical about an idea or project. How did you think? What were you seeing, hearing and feeling at the time of being critical?
Finally, step into the Neutral position and imagine watching yourself move through each of the positions. Be disassociated and not thinking about any specific problem. Just imagine how you would look, think and feel during each stage.
Now identify a problem, or an idea, and walk through each of the stages. Apply different strategies associated with each area to the tasks, and notice how you can focus much more clearly on the outcome.