Remember the acronym “SCAMPER?” It was used to create new ideas, and the letters translate into different ways to prompt fresher thinking (Eberle, 1972)
The “P” means “put to different uses.” Something originally intended for one purpose was used for something else, a creative pivot in its flexibility and value.
This idea leads to today’s creative factoid: Think of a telescope. What direction is it pointed? The answer may be upward, as many associate it with exploring stars and planets. Yet the telescope, invented by Hans Lippershey in 1608, was originally used for a different reason.
.[Photo credit: Lucas Pezeta/Pexels]
What was that initial use for the telescope?
Answer: spying on ships. What we associate with looking skyward wasn’t meant that way at all 400 years ago. Rather it was meant for peering across the oceans to look at enemy vessels. The creative “p” of changing the use and pointing the telescope to the heavens has helped astronomers in countless ways.
Eberle, R. F., (1972). Developing imagination through scamper. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 6(3), 199-203.
Rao, J. (2024, October). Look up! Facts about stargazing. Reader’s Digest, 20-22.