Creative Thinking

 I went for a job in an advertising agency once. In the interview they asked me to come up with as many uses for toilet toll as I could think of. It was the most fun interview I’ve ever had. If a huge picture hadn’t fallen off the wall, smashing glass all over the table, I would have probably still been talking about toilet roll now. It’s a very versatile thing. I can’t remember why but I didn’t get the job but was quite relieved, as I thought the picture thing was a sign. I do recall them saying, “You are obviously a creative thinker,” in their feedback, which didn’t sound like a compliment. 

This type of thinking is very useful for teachers. It means you can teach about oboe reeds by making them from plastic straws (sorry parents). 

This creativity also makes it very difficult for me to throw things away. Everything has several uses and if it has outlived its current one then surely it can be used for something else. This might be seen as a good thing to save the planet but it doesn’t half clutter up the place. 

Our little orchestra has some instruments that are beyond repair. I gave a snapped in half clarinet to a man who makes lamps but the two brass instruments have started to rot. The French horn actually has something called red rot, which sounds gross. Having run out of ideas I thought about throwing them away because they are taking up cupboard (and brain) space but I thought I’d check what everyone else thought. Never ask a bunch of creative thinkers for permission to throw something away.

“Are you sure the lamp man wouldn’t want them?”

“That would polish up.”

Maybe we could summon a genie, I thought.

“Put them on Facebook. Someone might turn them into a garden sculpture or something.”

I was skeptical. 

“No, really. I would. If I had the time.”

Obviously no one has time. 

“A garden planter?”

I suggested planting up the trumpet and shoving it in the ground by dad's rose or at the cemetery next to mum’s grave. A fitting tribute.

“Oh yes! Do it!”

I was joking.

However, if you are a creative thinking with time let me know and you can have two rotting brass instruments.