---
name: creative-thinking
description: >
  Use this skill when the user asks for creative thinking or wants divergent
  ideation—fluency, flexible perspectives, novel combinations, and elaboration,
  with optional light convergence. Use when they want fresh ideas, blue-sky
  options, reframes, or more variety before committing, including casual or
  messy prompts. Skip when they want a single delivered answer with no
  exploration, audit-only teardown with no generation asked for, or purely
  mechanical execution.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ysskrishna
  version: "2026.5.17"
---

# Creative Thinking

Defer judgment during divergence. Keep **generate** (Prime, Diverge, Connect) separate from **Harvest** (pick and plan).

**How to run it with this skill:** one clearly headed section per phase in this order: Prime → Diverge → Connect → Harvest. Optional **Perspectives** beat only when noted in Setup.

---

## Setup (run before starting)

In one short block:

1. **Creative brief** — goal, audience, constraints (time, tone, taboos)
2. **Default pass** — Prime → Diverge → Connect → Harvest (state this line)

If constraints are missing, ask at most 3 clarifying questions in one message, then proceed. Note any remaining gaps or working guesses in plain language (no bracket tags in Setup).

If the user is **stuck on one framing**, add a short **Perspectives** beat before **Diverge**: Optimist / Skeptic / Outsider — two reframes each, no cross-critique yet.

---

## The Phases

### Prime

Warm context in 2–4 bullets: what would **delight** or **surprise** success look like? What must **not** be violated?

### Diverge

Quantity first. Produce a **substantive** list of ideas (no fixed count unless the user asks for one). Tag ideas `F` (flexible reuse of existing), `N` (novel twist), or `W` (wild — may be impractical).

Use at least **two** different creative triggers drawn from: **analogy** (unrelated domain), **constraint flip** (remove/add a rule), **user fantasy** (absurd ideal), **time shift** (past/future), **scale shift** (micro/macro).

### Connect

Combine or **mash** ideas: **A + B →** hybrid concept in several lines (aim for multiple mashups, fewer than Diverge but not a single mashup unless the brief is tiny).

### Harvest

1. **Top picks** — 3 ideas with **selection rationale** tied to the brief
2. **Next creative step** — e.g. prototype storyboard, user interview, spike, moodboard
3. **Parking lot** — 2 promising ideas deferred (why deferred)

---

## Execution Rules

1. No harsh criticism in **Prime**, **Diverge**, or **Connect**; park risks for a separate pass if the user asks.
2. Do not pretend user research happened; label speculative benefits as hypothetical.
3. One response for all phases unless the user requests pacing.

---

## Checklist (verify before responding)

- [ ] Setup: brief + default pass (and optional Perspectives if used)
- [ ] Diverge uses two+ triggers; ideas tagged F/N/W where applicable
- [ ] Connect present with multiple mashups
- [ ] Harvest has top picks + next step + parking lot