Becoming Creative as a Counselor: The SCAMPER Model A User s Guide to the MicroTraining Video

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1 1 Becoming Creative as a Counselor: The SCAMPER Model A User s Guide to the MicroTraining Video Samuel T. Gladding In Becoming Creative as a Counselor: The SCAMPER Model an emphasis is placed on what creativity is and how it can be purposefully and effectively incorporated into counseling. This production uses a small group of three graduate students to demonstrate the SCAMPER Model which was first devised by Robert F. Eberle, a Chicago educator. While this small group of demonstrators is employed to show aspects of SCAMPER, it should be emphasized that the model is applicable in individual, group, and family settings. It is multicultural and is appropriate for clients throughout the life span regardless of their ability. Therefore, in using this material, instructors should be open to altering it as they would a suit of clothes so that it fits the populations with whom they are working. In this user s guide, several aspects of what is spoken or portrayed are highlighted and suggestions are made as to how to get the most out of what is depicted. What is Creativity? Creativity has been defined in over 200 ways. It is generally thought of as the ability to produce work that is both novel (i.e., original or unexpected) and appropriate (i.e., useful or meets task constraints). It often involves divergent thinking and the arranging and rearranging of elements (e.g., people, products, or processes) until something new and constructive occurs. Synonyms for creativity include words such as original, imaginative, innovative, resourceful, ingenious, and inventive. Creative people share many of the same characteristics as psychologically healthy people. For example, creative individuals look at a situation from many new angles while keeping reality in mind. They encourage others to do so, too. At its best counseling is creative. Counselors work with clients to generate solutions to problems and concerns. They follow theories and rely on research as well as their own intuition in responding to difficulties and complexities brought before them. While some counselors are better than others at being spontaneous and creative, all counselors can be innovative The SCAMPER model can help. What is SCAMPER?

2 2 SCAMPER is a model for enhancing creativity. It was formulated by Robert F. Eberle, an educational administrator in Edwardsville, Illinois. His intent in devising this acronym was to give individuals a list of useful words that could be applied as stimuli to help them think differently about problems. He hoped the word scamper would be seen as playful and inviting and would remind people of what they could do to generate original and pragmatic ideas. The model has been applied to the business world by Michael Michalko and to the counseling profession by the author of this text. In SCAMPER what if, so that, and in order to types of questions and statements are made and potential answers imagined. Each letter in SCAMPER stands for a specific action that can be taken to promote creativity. SCAMPER works by providing a list of active verbs to associate with a problem and hence to create ideas. The letters and corresponding words of SCAMPER are listed below. S=Substitute The process involves inserting or replacing components, people, or materials. Questions to be asked: What can be used instead? Who else instead? What other ingredients or materials? What other process, person, power, place, or approach? Example of substituting include: vegetarian hamburgers and disposable diapers. In counseling think: Instead of me or my client doing I (s/he) can...in order to In the video the word and is substituted for but in order to promote dialogue and a positive atmosphere. C=Combine The process involves mixing or combining people, procedures, and products with others or integrating services. Questions to be asked: What can be combined or brought together? How can things be blended or assorted differently? What ideas or actions can be united? Examples of substituting include: televisions with built-in VCRs, musical greeting cards, and triathalons. In counseling think: I or my client might bring together... and... in order to... In the video, the exercise (one minute to write two problem solving ideas in a group of three) illustrated the power of combining (as did the hum, clap, stomp exercise that preceded it). A=Adapt/Alter The process involves altering, changing function, or using part of another element.

3 3 Questions to be asked: What can be adapted for use as a solution? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? What could be copied or emulated? Examples of adapting include: snow tires, children's beds that look like racecars, and playing sports in various weather conditions. In counseling think: I or my client might adapt... in this way... in order to... In the clip you saw from the video, a poem Autobiography in Five Short Chapters was turned into a drama. M=Modify/Magnify/Minify The process involves increasing or reducing in scale, changing a shape, or modifying attributes (e.g. colors). Questions to be asked: Can an item be changed in some way, such as its meaning, color, motion, sound, smell, form, shape? Examples of modifying include: scented crayons and aluminum baseball bats. Magnify: What can be added, such as more time, greater frequency, extra value, or ingredients? What can be exaggerated? Examples of magnifying include: extra-strength medicines, super-sized meals, and over-sized sports equipment and televisions. Minify: What can be removed, made smaller, condensed, lowered, shortened, lightened, or understated? Examples of minifying include: bite-size candies and wrist-band televisions. In counseling think: What might I or my client might modify... in this way... in order to... In the video, the exercise sun/cloud/tree illustrated modification, particularly the aspects of magnifying and minifying, in order to show that when one thing changes so does perception. P=Put to other uses The process of using something in a way which it was never intended for. Questions to be asked: How can something be put to different or other uses? Examples of things being put to other uses include: old tires used for fences or swings, and the development of snowboards. In counseling think: How can I or my client re-use... in this way... by... The video featured the use of the exercise adverbs to put a writing utensil and a type of speech to other uses and explore different ways of behaving while building community. E=Eliminate = This process involves removing elements, simplifying, reducing to something to its core functionality. Questions to be asked: What can be eliminated, removed, understated or reduced in time, effort, or cost? Examples of elimination include: sodium-free and fat-free foods and cordless telephones.

4 4 In counseling think: What if I or my client eliminate... by...and get as a result. In the clip you saw, words were eliminated and clients were asked to draw out their feelings. R=Rearrange The process involves exploring other layout and other sequencing in order to see new and different patterns. R=Reverse This activity involves putting something in a different order, e.g., turning it inside out or upside down. Questions to be asked: What can be rearranged or interchanged? Are there other pattern, layouts, or sequences that can be made? Can the pace or a schedule be changed? Examples of things that can be rearranged or reversed include: vertical paper staplers and reversible clothing. In counseling think: I can rearrange or reverse... like this... such that...i will get. In the video clip, letters were rearranged as were chairs to form new words and relationships. Conclusion Becoming creative as a counselor is a life long journey. It involves preparation, incubation, ideation, illumination, evaluation, and verification. Remember there is no such thing as an instantly creative counselor. Barriers to creativity include personal fear and insecurity, environmental restraints, being too cognitive, lack of a challenge, and lack of reinforcement. Advantages of being creative in counseling are as follows. Creativity is playful, promotes collegiality, facilitates communication, enables clients to see multiple aspects of themselves and the world, and encourages non-verbal and emotional client participation. Drawbacks to using creativity in counseling are that clients who are creative in a particular modality, such as drama, may not benefit as much as other clients. Likewise, clients may become too introspective, passive, or overcritical of themselves or situations. Clients may also be too concrete or stubborn to work with a counselor who is creative. James Baldwin is purported to have said: Not everything that is tried can be changed but nothing can be changed unless it is tried. Regardless, I would invite you to look at creativity in counseling and give it a try, using the SCAMPER model, if you are so inclined.

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