Creativity Exercise Reflection: The 30 Circles Challenge

For this creativity exercise, I completed an activity called the “30 Circles Challenge.” The exercise was created to help people think more creatively by encouraging fast idea generation instead of perfection. The instructions were simple: draw 30 blank circles on a sheet of paper and turn as many circles as possible into recognizable objects within three minutes.

I found the exercise online at IDEO U:
https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/how-to-spark-creativity-using-the-30-circles-exercise

At first, I thought the activity sounded easy, but once the timer started, I realized how difficult it was to come up with many unique ideas quickly. I started by turning circles into common objects like basketballs, clocks, smiley faces, and pizzas. After using the obvious ideas, I had to push myself to think differently. I created objects such as planets, camera lenses, donuts, coins, and even a steering wheel. By the end of the three minutes, I had completed 24 circles.

The most interesting part of the exercise was noticing how my thinking changed during the activity. In the beginning, I was focused on making each drawing look neat and recognizable. However, as time went on, I stopped worrying about perfection and focused more on generating ideas quickly. This helped me become more creative because I was no longer overthinking each drawing.

One thing I learned from this exercise is that creativity often improves when people stop judging their ideas too early. I realized that many creative blocks come from fear of making mistakes or creating something imperfect. The time limit forced me to trust my imagination and continue producing ideas without hesitation.

I also learned that creativity is a skill that can be practiced. Before doing this activity, I usually thought creativity was something people either naturally had or did not have. After completing the exercise, I understood that creative thinking can grow through practice, experimentation, and challenging your brain to think in new ways.

Overall, the 30 Circles Challenge was a fun and surprisingly difficult activity that helped me think more openly and creatively. It showed me the importance of brainstorming quickly, avoiding self-criticism, and allowing ideas to develop naturally. I can see how exercises like this would be useful in classrooms because they encourage students to think differently and become more confident in sharing ideas.