Snap Solutions: Thinking Fast in a Crisis

-

 

Introduction


For my latest creativity exercise, I tackled Exercise 17: Snap Solutions from Regina Pacelli’s book Whole Lotta Creativity Going On. The challenge? Imagine you and a friend are stranded in a rented boat during the off-season, with no oars and a ten-foot waterfall ahead. Oh, and to make things more difficult—your friend panics easily, is the only one who can swim, and won’t stop babbling about impending doom. With 20 minutes before disaster, what do you do?

This exercise pushed me to think quickly, strategize under pressure, and come up with creative solutions that could mean the difference between safety and a terrifying plunge.

My First Instincts

My initial thoughts went straight to the obvious:

  • Find something to use as an oar. Branches, loose items in the boat—anything that could help us steer toward the riverbanks.
  • Swim for shore. The river is only 60 feet wide, and we’re both wearing life jackets. Since I personally know how to swim, my instinct was to just jump in and make a break for it.

But then I had to step outside my own perspective. What if I were the one who couldn’t swim? What if the water was rougher than expected? What if my friend panicked and made the situation worse?

Expanding the Possibilities

As I thought through the problem more, I realized there were plenty of creative ways to slow the boat down, steer to safety, or prepare for the worst. Some additional ideas that I hadn’t initially considered included:

  • Creating a makeshift sail. Using a jacket or shirt to catch the wind and guide the boat toward the banks.
  • Using our hands or feet as paddles. It’s slow, but it might give us some control over the boat’s direction.
  • Dragging something in the water to slow us down. A rope, clothing, or even a tied-up life jacket could create enough resistance to buy us more time.
  • Looking for overhanging branches. If we could grab onto one, we might be able to stop the boat or at least redirect it.
  • Preparing for impact. If all else failed, we’d need to brace ourselves and aim for the safest way down the waterfall.

Managing the Human Factor

One of the biggest challenges in this scenario isn’t just the waterfall—it’s dealing with a panicked friend who isn’t thinking clearly. I initially thought I’d just try to get them to stop talking, maybe even physically snap them out of it. But in reality, giving them a task might be the better approach. Something like:

  • “Help me find something we can use to steer.”
  • “Count down the time we have left—it’ll help us stay focused.”
  • “Look for anything floating nearby we can grab.”

Redirecting their nervous energy into something productive could keep them from spiraling while also helping solve the problem.

Final Thoughts

This exercise was a great reminder that problem-solving under pressure isn’t just about coming up with one solution—it’s about considering multiple possibilities, adapting quickly, and working with the resources you have. It also reinforced how important it is to think beyond your own skills and experience—just because I might be comfortable swimming doesn’t mean that’s the best or safest option for everyone.

Overall, Snap Solutions was a fun and thought-provoking challenge. What would you do in this situation? Would you try to steer the boat, slow it down, or take your chances in the water? Let me know your ideas in the comments!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creating Marketing Personas for Club Pilates: A Peek into My Assignment

-
Image
  Overview When it comes to effective marketing, understanding your audience is everything. As part of my social media and digital marketing class, I was tasked with creating four marketing personas for Club Pilates. These personas help bring the target audience to life by highlighting their motivations, challenges, and preferences. Here’s an overview of my assignment and the personas I developed. Why Marketing Personas Matter Marketing personas are fictional yet research-based profiles that represent segments of a company’s target audience. By humanizing data, businesses can tailor their messaging, products, and services to meet the specific needs of their customers. For Club Pilates, this means reaching diverse individuals seeking fitness and wellness solutions in a way that resonates with them. Meet the Personas 1. Melissa Grant: The Resilient Corporate Baker Who She Is:  A 45-year-old single parent with a high-stress job as a corporate baker. Melissa has degenerative joint...
Read more

Where Rhythm Meets Flavor: A Night at Kaya’s Table

-
Image
Where Rhythm Meets Flavor: A Night at Kaya’s Table  The first thing you notice when you step into Kaya’s Table is the scent—thick, warm, and inviting. The air hums with slow-roasted jerk spices, caramelized plantains, and the rich, buttery scent of cornbread just out of the oven. There’s a hint of coconut and something smoky, maybe a whisper of charcoal-grilled seafood kissed by the sea breeze. The aroma alone could make a full man hungry.   It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the lighting—soft golden hues cast from Moroccan-style lanterns that sway just slightly with the rhythm of the bass. Deep indigo and emerald walls, painted with sweeping murals of Black and Caribbean folklore, seem to shift in the flickering light. A large, open hearth near the back of the room cradles a cast-iron pot bubbling with something rich and peppery, its thick, slow-moving surface promising comfort in every spoonful.   And the music—*lawd*, the music. A live band sets up in the cor...
Read more

Hanging by Hooks: My First Encounter with Body Suspension

-
Image
  Hanging by Hooks: My First Encounter with Body Suspension Last weekend, I attended a tattoo convention expecting the usual vibrant mix of inked masterpieces, creative booths, and buzzing machines. What I didn’t anticipate was witnessing a performance that would profoundly challenge and inspire me: a body suspension demonstration. In the middle of the room, a petite woman was being suspended by eight hooks, all carefully placed in her abdomen. The hooks pierced her skin in a line down the front of her torso, pulling her body taut as she hovered horizontally above the ground. The sight was both unsettling and mesmerizing—a delicate balance of vulnerability and strength. At first, it was hard to process. The idea of skin bearing such weight felt incomprehensible, especially from such a tender and exposed area of the body. But as I watched, my discomfort gave way to awe. Her face was calm, almost serene, as though she had transcended the physicality of the moment. The crowd was silen...
Read more