Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Creative Whack Pack

I looked through the set of Innovative Whack Pack during the first few sessions of the class and it felt very similar to the Creative Whack Pack... I got my first whack pack as an undergrad design student at NCSU. I don't think they repurposed it and just briefly flipping through the cards they've approached it from a different direction so it's nice to see them branch out with this concept. You can access an online version of the WhackPack here which randomly pulls a card from their database: http://www.creativethink.com/?470

This idea of using cards to guide or reshape your thinking isn't anything new per se... it goes as far back as reading tarot cards. Although the old adage is that you should never really "play" the Tarot cards alone using them as a way to think differently about a problem couldnt' really hurt. I have a few different styles (Classic Rider Waite, Sandman, etc) and each gives an interesting spin to the flavor/history of the Tarot as well as allowing for you to get different images to work with. If you do happen to object to using paranormal means to get through a creative block there are plenty of series of different cards, writings and books that could be used in place of the Tarot Deck or WhackPack... The collectible trading card games like Magic:The Gathering and Heresy: Kingdom Come(great technology as religion card game, out of print) have gorgeous images as well as interesting quotes and symbols that can be used to generate a different mood or thought. Out of print and basic, introduction decks can be purchased fairly cheaply at stores, eBay or flea markets...

I managed to get a hold of a fantastic book, at Reader's Corner - $4.00 (used), called "Suggestion" (Chronicle Books, $12.95), created by some New York artists - Illegal Art... they basically got people to submit a suggestion on a card and drop it into a box. The artists say they collected about 2,500 suggestions. They came up with the idea for the suggestion box while brainstorming ways to get people to connect with one another. They carried the box through all five boroughs, speaking with children, the elderly, the rich and the homeless. The artists combined them into this book and they range from radical to whimsical but all approach life, problems and solutions from very personal and innovative ways...

Make a suggestion here.

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