Creative Content
The book published in 1975 by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt during their production years in Berlin is far from a recent discovery, but it’s worth remembering that they created something revolutionary in its simplicity—something that, like all true creative strategies, is timeless and deserves to be mentioned a thousand times over, if necessary. The development of a deck of cards designed to unlock creative processes without forcing them came to be known as Oblique Strategies. The game didn’t offer direct answers but rather subtle detours. Each card contained a brief, enigmatic, or even absurd phrase, acting as a small interruption to habitual logic. It wasn’t a rigid method but rather an invitation to empty the mind and see things with fresh eyes.
These strategies did not seek dazzling originality or instant solutions. Their aim was to twist the course of thought, misalign the focus, and allow the unexpected to seep into the creative process. In moments of blockage, Eno would draw a card and, instead of looking for a logical answer, he would respond with surprise. In doing so, rigidity would loosen, and creation could breathe again.
This seemingly simple gesture contained a profound vision: not every creative process requires a linear direction. Rather than confronting a problem head-on, Oblique Strategies suggest living with it, circling around it, rethinking it—even questioning its origin. It’s about finding new perspectives without judgment or urgency, about inhabiting ambiguity and embracing imperfection.
Both oblique and lateral thinking aim to break from traditional logic and shift the gaze from the obvious path. However, they are not the same. Lateral thinking focuses on finding creative solutions through unconventional approaches; its goal is to arrive at a different place. Oblique thinking, on the other hand, doesn’t always pursue a specific outcome. Its purposes are often more abstract: openness, deviation, or doubt.
We live saturated with tools that optimize, predict, correct, and complete—to the point where they almost feel like extensions of ourselves. We measure sleep hours, screen time, and what we consider “waste” when an activity doesn’t yield a visible result. In this context, Oblique Strategies are more relevant than ever.
To keep creating, resistance is essential. In the face of a performance-driven culture and the logic of perfection, these cards reclaim the value of error, of the margin, and of what seems useless. Repetition becomes a form of change. Boredom, a source of attention. Simplicity, a legitimate path.
Creating from this perspective means accepting the pause, deactivating control, and allowing the unexpected to happen—not as an accident, but as an intentional practice. It’s an effort to become permeable again, a conscious act of presence in times of automatism.
To begin playing with these ideas, the following website offers a free version to explore this approach:
Most Relevant cards (for me):
Use your own ideas
Repetition is a form of change
Do something boring
Faced with a choice, do both (Contributed by Dieter Rot)
Make what is perfect more human
Abandon desire
Courage!
Question the heroic (Could be simplified to just “Question”)
Discover your formulas and abandon them
Where is the edge?
Do not avoid what is easy
Be less critical
Descubrí tus fórmulas y abandonalas
Dónde está el borde?
No evites lo que es fácil
Sé menos crítico
Usá tus propias ideas
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