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Trying On Lives at the Supermarket, and Other Creative Games

5 ways to help yourself think differently

Creativity isn’t just for those who identify as ‘creative’. It’s not just for the artists and the musicians. It’s a power we can all tap into. A power we should all tap into.

There’s no need to wait for the muse to pass your way, or for creative lightning to strike.

Here are five simple exercises you can add to your daily routine to boost your creative thinking muscles.

1. Trying on lives at the supermarket.

When I had a summer job at a supermarket checkout, I played this game in reverse. I’d try to imagine people’s lives based on the contents of their shopping trolley.

When you’re scanning groceries you see all kinds of odd combinations. Here are a few of my favourite examples:

• One bag of nappies and fifteen boxes of beer.
• A trolley-load of yellow-stickered bread and a bottle of very expensive whisky.
• Half a dozen courgettes and half a dozen packets of balloons, placed alternately down the conveyor belt.

There was a story behind every basket of groceries I scanned.