Becreative

Customization

Before executing, check for user customizations at: ~/.claude/PAI/USER/SKILLCUSTOMIZATIONS/BeCreative/

If this directory exists, load and apply any PREFERENCES.md, configurations, or resources found there. These override default behavior. If the directory does not exist, proceed with skill defaults.

🚨 MANDATORY: Voice Notification (REQUIRED BEFORE ANY ACTION)

You MUST send this notification BEFORE doing anything else when this skill is invoked.

1. Send voice notification:

   curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"message": "Running the WORKFLOWNAME workflow in the BeCreative skill to ACTION"}' \
     > /dev/null 2>&1 &

2. Output text notification:

   Running the **WorkflowName** workflow in the **BeCreative** skill to ACTION...

This is not optional. Execute this curl command immediately upon skill invocation.

BeCreative Skill

Enhance AI creativity using deep thinking + Verbalized Sampling. Combines research-backed techniques (Zhang et al., 2024) for 1.6-2.1x diversity increase and extended thinking for quality.

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Workflow Routing

Route to the appropriate workflow based on the request.

When executing a workflow, output this notification:

Running the **WorkflowName** workflow in the **BeCreative** skill to ACTION...

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Quick Reference

Core technique: Generate 5 diverse options (p<0.10 each) internally, output single best response.

Default approach: For most creative requests, apply StandardCreativity workflow.

For artistic/narrative creativity: Apply workflow directly (no delegation needed).

For technical creativity: Use TechnicalCreativityGemini3 workflow.

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Resource Index

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Integration with Other Skills

Works well with:

• XPost / LinkedInPost - Generate creative social media content
• Blogging - Creative blog post ideas and narrative approaches
• Development - Creative technical solutions
• Art - Diverse image prompt ideas and creative directions
• Business - Creative offer frameworks and business models
• Research - Creative research angles and synthesis approaches

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Examples

Example 1: Creative blog angle

User: "think outside the box for this AI ethics post"
-> Applies StandardCreativity workflow
-> Generates 5 diverse angles internally (p<0.10 each)
-> Returns most innovative framing approach

Example 2: Product naming brainstorm

User: "be creative - need names for this security tool"
-> Applies MaximumCreativity workflow
-> Explores unusual metaphors, domains, wordplay
-> Presents best option with reasoning

Example 3: Technical creativity

User: "deep thinking this architecture problem"
-> Invokes TechnicalCreativityGemini3 workflow
-> Uses Gemini 3 Pro for mathematical/algorithmic creativity
-> Returns novel technical solution

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Research-backed creative enhancement: 1.6-2.1x diversity, 25.7% quality improvement.

Gotchas

• This is for QUICK divergent brainstorming. For deep multi-cycle evolutionary ideation, use Ideate instead.
• Verbalized Sampling requires extended thinking to work. Don't disable extended thinking when using this skill.
• 1.6-2.1x diversity claims come from specific benchmark conditions. Real-world diversity improvement varies with prompt type.

Execution Log

After completing any workflow, append a single JSONL entry:

echo '{"ts":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'","skill":"BeCreative","workflow":"WORKFLOW_USED","input":"8_WORD_SUMMARY","status":"ok|error","duration_s":SECONDS}' >> ~/.claude/PAI/MEMORY/SKILLS/execution.jsonl

Replace WORKFLOW_USED with the workflow executed, 8_WORD_SUMMARY with a brief input description, and SECONDS with approximate wall-clock time. Log status: "error" if the workflow failed.

Creative Writing Template

Template for Stories, Poems, and Creative Prose (Basic)

<instructions>
You are in maximum creativity mode.

Create a compelling [TYPE] based on the user's request:
- Avoid typical, formulaic, or clichéd responses
- Prioritize novelty and unexpectedness while maintaining quality
- Explore unusual metaphors, perspectives, and narrative structures
- Push beyond conventional boundaries
</instructions>

[INSERT YOUR CREATIVE WRITING REQUEST HERE]

Ultimate Creative Writing Template with deep thinking (RECOMMENDED)

For maximum creative quality and depth:

<instructions>
MAXIMUM CREATIVITY MODE ACTIVATED

DEEP THINKING - Deep Creative Exploration:
Think deeply and extensively about this creative challenge:
- Explore multiple unusual perspectives, voices, and genres
- Question every assumption about format, structure, and content
- Make unexpected connections across different domains and artistic traditions
- Consider low-probability but fascinating narrative/poetic possibilities
- Allow your thinking to wander into unconventional and experimental territory
- What would make this truly unique, memorable, and emotionally resonant?
- Challenge yourself to go beyond the first 3-5 obvious approaches
- Consider what would surprise even yourself

After this deep exploration, create your [TYPE]:
- Draw from your most interesting discoveries during deep thinking
- Avoid ALL typical, formulaic, or clichéd approaches
- Prioritize genuine novelty and unexpectedness
- Aim for something that feels distinct, surprising, and sophisticated
- Explore unusual metaphors, perspectives, and structures
</instructions>

[INSERT YOUR CREATIVE WRITING REQUEST HERE]

Replace [TYPE] with:

• short story - For fiction narratives
• poem - For poetry
• opening paragraph - For novel beginnings
• character description - For character development
• plot twist - For story developments
• dialogue exchange - For conversations
• world-building concept - For fantasy/sci-fi settings

Example: Short Story

Full prompt:

<instructions>
MAXIMUM CREATIVITY MODE ACTIVATED

DEEP THINKING - Deep Creative Exploration:
Think deeply and extensively about this creative challenge:
- Explore multiple unusual perspectives, voices, and genres
- Question every assumption about format, structure, and content
- Make unexpected connections across different domains and artistic traditions
- Consider low-probability but fascinating narrative/poetic possibilities
- Allow your thinking to wander into unconventional and experimental territory
- What would make this truly unique, memorable, and emotionally resonant?
- Challenge yourself to go beyond the first 3-5 obvious approaches
- Consider what would surprise even yourself

After this deep exploration, create your short story:
- Draw from your most interesting discoveries during deep thinking
- Avoid ALL typical, formulaic, or clichéd approaches
- Prioritize genuine novelty and unexpectedness
- Aim for something that feels distinct, surprising, and sophisticated
- Explore unusual metaphors, perspectives, and structures
</instructions>

Write a short story (300 words) about a person who discovers they can see one minute into the future.

Example: Poetry

Full prompt:

<instructions>
MAXIMUM CREATIVITY MODE ACTIVATED

DEEP THINKING - Deep Creative Exploration:
Think deeply and extensively about this creative challenge:
- Explore multiple unusual perspectives, voices, and genres
- Question every assumption about format, structure, and content
- Make unexpected connections across different domains and artistic traditions
- Consider low-probability but fascinating narrative/poetic possibilities
- Allow your thinking to wander into unconventional and experimental territory
- What would make this truly unique, memorable, and emotionally resonant?
- Challenge yourself to go beyond the first 3-5 obvious approaches
- Consider what would surprise even yourself

After this deep exploration, create your poem:
- Draw from your most interesting discoveries during deep thinking
- Avoid ALL typical, formulaic, or clichéd approaches
- Prioritize genuine novelty and unexpectedness
- Aim for something that feels distinct, surprising, and sophisticated
- Explore unusual metaphors, perspectives, and poetic structures
</instructions>

Write a poem about the passage of time, avoiding clichés about clocks, rivers, or seasons.

Tips for Creative Writing

1. Be specific about constraints: "avoiding clichés about X" helps push creativity 2. Specify unusual perspectives: "from the viewpoint of..." adds uniqueness 3. Request specific literary devices: "using synesthesia" or "with unreliable narrator" 4. Set creative challenges: "without using the letter 'e'" or "in reverse chronology" 5. Combine genres: "noir detective story set in fantasy world" 6. Use deep thinking: The recommended template leverages deep thinking for better results 7. Challenge assumptions: Ask for approaches that go beyond the first obvious ideas

Advanced: Genre Blending

<instructions>
MAXIMUM CREATIVITY MODE ACTIVATED

DEEP THINKING - Deep Creative Exploration:
Think deeply about how [GENRE 1] and [GENRE 2] could meaningfully integrate:
- What are the core elements of each genre?
- What unexpected thematic resonances exist between them?
- How can both genres be authentically present, not just surface-level?
- What would make this blend feel fresh rather than predictable?
- Consider unconventional entry points and narrative structures

After this deep exploration, create your story concept:
- Avoid typical genre mashup tropes
- Prioritize genuinely unexpected combinations
- Ensure both genres are meaningfully integrated
- Draw from your most interesting discoveries
</instructions>

Create a story concept that blends [INSERT GENRES AND DETAILS]

Why This Works

deep thinking Approach:

• Engages deep reasoning capabilities before creative output
• Explores multiple conceptual paths before committing
• Identifies and avoids clichés through systematic exploration
• Produces more sophisticated, memorable creative work

No Format Constraints:

• Creativity flows naturally without artificial structure requirements
• Focus remains on quality and originality
• Output adapts to the specific creative challenge
• Voice server and structured response format handle presentation

Idea Generation Template

Core Template: deep thinking + Creative Ideation

Use this template for high-quality, diverse idea generation:

<instructions>
STEP 1 - DEEP THINKING (Deep Analysis):
Before generating ideas, think deeply about this problem/challenge:
- What fundamental assumptions underlie conventional solutions?
- What would a solution look like from completely different industries or domains?
- What if we inverted the problem or reframed it entirely?
- What counterintuitive or paradoxical approaches might work?
- What connections can we make across unrelated fields?
- What would a 10x better solution look like vs. 10% better?
- What are we not seeing because of our current perspective?

STEP 2 - CREATIVE IDEATION:
Based on your deep analysis, generate diverse approaches that:
- Challenge obvious assumptions from your deep thinking
- Draw from different industries, domains, and perspectives
- Include unconventional or counterintuitive ideas
- Consider solutions that don't yet exist
- Prioritize "brilliant and interesting" over "safe and conventional"
- Feel distinct and sophisticated

Each idea should be well-developed with rationale from your analysis.
</instructions>

[INSERT YOUR PROBLEM OR CHALLENGE HERE]

Example: Product Innovation

Full prompt:

<instructions>
STEP 1 - DEEP THINKING:
Think deeply about productivity tools for remote workers:
- What fundamental assumptions underlie conventional solutions?
- What would a solution look like from completely different industries?
- What if we inverted the problem or reframed it entirely?
- What counterintuitive or paradoxical approaches might work?
- What connections can we make across unrelated fields?
- What would a 10x better solution look like vs. 10% better?

STEP 2 - CREATIVE IDEATION:
Generate diverse approaches based on your analysis that challenge assumptions,
draw from different domains, and prioritize interesting over safe solutions.
</instructions>

How can we create a productivity tool that actually increases wellbeing while improving output for remote knowledge workers?

Example: Business Strategy

Full prompt:

<instructions>
STEP 1 - DEEP THINKING:
Think deeply about this business challenge:
- What industry assumptions are we taking for granted?
- What would competitors never do, and why might that be valuable?
- How can we reframe this challenge completely?
- What asymmetric advantages could we leverage?
- What if we looked at this through the lens of a completely different industry?

STEP 2 - CREATIVE IDEATION:
Generate diverse strategies that:
- Question industry assumptions
- Consider what competitors would never do
- Think about asymmetric advantages
- Include at least one "dangerous" idea that could disrupt
- Draw from unrelated industries for inspiration
</instructions>

[INSERT YOUR BUSINESS CHALLENGE HERE]

Example: Problem Solving

Full prompt:

<instructions>
STEP 1 - DEEP THINKING:
Think deeply about this problem:
- What's the root cause vs. the symptom we're seeing?
- Could we eliminate the problem instead of solving it?
- What would prevention look like?
- How could we flip this problem into an advantage?
- What are the second-order effects we're not considering?

STEP 2 - CREATIVE IDEATION:
Generate creative solutions that:
- Consider both high-tech and low-tech approaches
- Think about eliminating the problem vs. solving it
- Include preventative approaches
- Consider solutions that flip the problem into an advantage
- Include at least one solution that feels "too simple" or "unconventional"
</instructions>

[INSERT YOUR PROBLEM HERE]

Advanced: Tree of Thoughts Brainstorming

For complex problems requiring systematic exploration:

<instructions>
STEP 1 - DEEP THINKING:
Deeply analyze this problem from multiple angles:
- What are the key decision points?
- What fundamental approaches exist?
- What are we assuming that might not be true?
- Where do conventional solutions fail?

STEP 2 - TREE OF THOUGHTS EXPLORATION:
1. Generate 3-5 radically different initial approaches
2. For the most promising approaches, develop 2-3 variations
3. Evaluate paths considering novelty, feasibility, and impact
4. Identify the most creative yet viable solutions

EXPLORATION RULES:
- First branch: Explore radically different paradigms
- Second branch: Develop the most interesting directions
- Evaluation: Balance novelty with feasibility
- Consider combinations and hybrids
</instructions>

[INSERT COMPLEX CHALLENGE HERE]

Tips for Better Brainstorming

1. Frame the problem differently: "How might we..." instead of "We need to..." 2. Add constraints: "...without increasing budget" or "...using only existing resources" 3. Reverse the problem: "How could we make this worse?" then invert solutions 4. Cross-pollinate: "What would [other industry/person] do?" 5. Scale thinking: "How would this work at 10x scale?" or "How would this work with 1/10 resources?"

Idea Evaluation Framework

After receiving diverse ideas:

1. Most Novel: Which idea is most unexpected? 2. Most Viable: Which could be implemented soonest? 3. Most Impactful: Which has biggest potential effect? 4. Most Risky: Which could fail spectacularly or succeed spectacularly? 5. Best Hybrid: Can you combine elements from multiple ideas?

Domain-Specific Variations

For Technical Innovation:

Add: "Consider both cutting-edge tech and creative use of existing technology"

For Social/Process Innovation:

Add: "Focus on changing behavior and incentives, not just adding features"

For Creative Projects:

Add: "Prioritize emotional impact and unexpected experiences"

For Business Models:

Add: "Challenge revenue model assumptions and consider unconventional value exchanges"

Key Principles

deep thinking First: Deep analysis produces better ideas than rapid brainstorming Diversity Through Perspective: Different angles produce different solutions Quality Over Quantity: Well-developed ideas beat large lists of shallow ones Challenge Assumptions: Best ideas often come from questioning constraints Cross-Domain Thinking: Solutions from other fields often transfer brilliantly

BeCreative Examples

Example 1: Creative Writing

Standard prompt: "Write a story about a bear." Expected: Typical bear story (forest, honey, hibernation)

deep thinking-Enhanced:

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - MAXIMUM CREATIVITY

Think deeply about "a story about a bear":
- What unexpected contexts could a bear inhabit?
- What unusual perspectives or genres could we explore?
- What would make this story truly memorable?
- How can we avoid every bear story cliche?
- What unexpected connections can we make?

Generate a truly original bear story.

## Request

Write a story about a bear.

Expected: Detective bear in noir setting, philosophical bear contemplating existence, bear as unreliable narrator, time-shifting narrative, etc.

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Example 2: Idea Generation

Standard prompt: "Give me ideas for improving team communication." Expected: Slack, meetings, email guidelines

deep thinking-Enhanced:

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - IDEA GENERATION

Think deeply about team communication:
- What assumptions do we make about "communication"?
- What if we looked at solutions from completely different fields?
- What counterintuitive approaches might work?
- What would a breakthrough solution look like?
- How do other domains solve similar problems?

Generate innovative approaches beyond standard solutions.

## Problem

How can we improve team communication in a remote-first company?

Expected: Async video diaries, virtual reality collaboration spaces, AI-mediated communication summaries, silence as a communication tool, gamified interaction challenges, etc.

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Example 3: Creative Blog Angle

User: "think outside the box for this AI ethics post"
-> Applies deep thinking + Verbalized Sampling
-> Generates 5 diverse angles internally (p<0.10 each)
-> Returns most innovative framing approach

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Example 4: Product Naming Brainstorm

User: "be creative - need names for this security tool"
-> Maximum creativity mode
-> Explores unusual metaphors, domains, wordplay
-> Presents best option with reasoning

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Example 5: Technical Creativity

User: "deep thinking this architecture problem"
-> Invokes TECHNICALCREATIVITYGEMINI3 workflow
-> Uses Gemini 3 Pro for mathematical/algorithmic creativity
-> Returns novel technical solution

BeCreative Key Principles

Core Philosophy

1. Verbalized Sampling drives diversity - Generate 5 options (p<0.10) to escape typicality bias 2. deep thinking drives quality - Deep reasoning develops each option with sophistication 3. Best of both worlds - Multiple options for diversity, deep thinking for quality, single output for user 4. Research-backed effectiveness - VS increases creativity 1.6-2.1x (Zhang et al., 2024) 5. Avoid formulaic patterns - Question assumptions and explore unconventional territory 6. Creative AND practical - Innovation balanced with viability

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Best Practices

1. Always use VS + deep thinking together - Diversity through sampling, quality through thinking 2. Generate internally, output once - Use thinking blocks for 5 options, present best to user 3. Question every assumption - Each of the 5 options should challenge different assumptions 4. Make unexpected connections - Creativity emerges at domain intersections 5. Embrace low-probability ideas - p<0.10 forces exploration of unlikely but brilliant options 6. Balance novelty with coherence - Creative but comprehensible

Research Foundation: deep thinking + Verbalized Sampling

Purpose

Enable deep, extended thinking with diverse exploration for maximum quality and innovation.

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Research Backing

Verbalized Sampling (Zhang et al., 2024, arXiv:2510.01171)

• Asking models to generate multiple responses with probabilities (p<0.10) increases creative diversity by 1.6-2.1x
• Improves quality by 25.7%
• Circumvents "typicality bias" in alignment training data
• Forces exploration of low-probability creative options

Extended Thinking (deep thinking)

• Deep reasoning allows unexpected connections to form
• Reduces reliance on first-thought/obvious responses
• Develops each option with depth and sophistication

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Why the Combined Approach Works

1. Verbalized Sampling forces exploration of low-probability creative options (diversity) 2. Extended thinking develops each option with depth and sophistication (quality) 3. Thinking blocks allow internal generation of 5 options without cluttering output 4. User receives single best response, but it's selected from diverse distribution 5. Combats both mode collapse (VS) and shallow thinking (deep thinking)

Output Format: Generate diversity internally via thinking blocks, output single best response to user.

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When to Activate This Skill

Direct Creativity Requests

• "be creative", "be more creative", "think creatively"
• "deep thinking", "use deep thinking", "think deeply"
• "diverse ideas", "different perspectives", "varied approaches"
• "think outside the box", "unconventional approaches"
• "creative solution", "innovative approach"

Creative Content Tasks

• Creative writing (stories, poems, jokes, narrative)
• Idea generation and brainstorming sessions
• Content creation (blog posts, social media, marketing)
• Product naming and branding
• Artistic concepts and creative direction

Quality + Diversity Requirements

• Need to avoid formulaic or typical responses
• Want high-quality creative solutions
• Require both quality AND diversity in output
• Need unconventional thinking
• Seek breakthrough ideas

Technical Creativity (Uses Workflow)

• Creative algorithms or data structures
• Novel system architectures
• Innovative engineering solutions
• Elegant mathematical approaches
• Non-obvious technical optimizations

BeCreative Quick Reference Templates

Standard Template (deep thinking + VS)

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 diverse responses with probabilities (p<0.10 each).
Think deeply about each option: explore perspectives, question assumptions,
make unexpected connections. Then output your best response.

## Request

[actual request]

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Maximum Creativity Template

## Instructions

MAXIMUM CREATIVITY - DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 radically different responses (p<0.10 each):
- Explore unusual perspectives and genres
- Question EVERY assumption
- Make unexpected cross-domain connections
- Consider low-probability but fascinating possibilities
- Avoid all typical/formulaic approaches

Then output the most genuinely novel approach.

## Request

[actual request]

---

Idea Generation Template

## Instructions

IDEA GENERATION - DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 diverse solutions (p<0.10 each):
- What assumptions underlie conventional solutions?
- What would solutions from other industries look like?
- What if we inverted the problem?
- What counterintuitive approaches might work?

Then present the most breakthrough solution.

## Problem

[actual request]

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Tree of Thoughts Template

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING + TREE OF THOUGHTS

### Step 1: Deep Analysis

Think deeply about this complex problem before exploring solutions:
- What are the key constraints and opportunities?
- What paradigms or frameworks might apply?
- What unexpected connections can be made?
- What would a breakthrough solution look like?

### Step 2: Branching Exploration

1. Identify 3-5 fundamentally different approaches
2. For the most promising approaches, explore variations and sub-approaches
3. At each branch point, apply deep thinking to explore implications
4. Evaluate all paths considering both creativity and viability
5. Synthesize the most innovative yet practical solution

### Step 3: Synthesis

Combine insights from your exploration into the optimal creative solution.

## Challenge

[Complex creative challenge]

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Domain-Specific: Artistic Creativity

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - ARTISTIC CREATIVITY

Think deeply about this artistic challenge:
- Explore bold and experimental approaches
- Question conventional aesthetic assumptions
- Make unexpected connections across art forms
- Consider emotional impact and audience experience
- Push boundaries while maintaining coherence

Generate artistically bold and innovative responses.

## Challenge

[Artistic challenge]

---

Domain-Specific: Business Innovation

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - BUSINESS INNOVATION

Think deeply about this business challenge:
- Question conventional business model assumptions
- Explore approaches from other industries
- Consider customer psychology and behavior
- Evaluate scalability and sustainability
- Balance innovation with practical implementation

Generate innovative business solutions that challenge conventional thinking.

## Challenge

[Business challenge]

DomainSpecific Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the DomainSpecific workflow in the BeCreative skill to apply domain creativity"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running DomainSpecific in BeCreative...

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When to use: Creativity within specific domains (artistic, business, technical)

---

Artistic Creativity Template

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - ARTISTIC CREATIVITY

Think deeply about this artistic challenge:
- Explore bold and experimental approaches
- Question conventional aesthetic assumptions
- Make unexpected connections across art forms
- Consider emotional impact and audience experience
- Push boundaries while maintaining coherence

Generate artistically bold and innovative responses.

## Challenge

[Artistic challenge]

Best for: Visual arts, music, writing, performance, design

---

Business Innovation Template

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING - BUSINESS INNOVATION

Think deeply about this business challenge:
- Question conventional business model assumptions
- Explore approaches from other industries
- Consider customer psychology and behavior
- Evaluate scalability and sustainability
- Balance innovation with practical implementation

Generate innovative business solutions that challenge conventional thinking.

## Challenge

[Business challenge]

Best for: Strategy, marketing, product, operations, growth

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Process

1. Identify domain - artistic, business, or other 2. Select appropriate template for the domain 3. Apply domain-specific thinking prompts 4. Generate options that challenge domain conventions 5. Evaluate against domain criteria (e.g., scalability for business, emotional impact for art) 6. Output refined solution appropriate for the domain

IdeaGeneration Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the IdeaGeneration workflow in the BeCreative skill to brainstorm solutions"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running IdeaGeneration in BeCreative...

---

When to use: Brainstorming, problem-solving, innovation

---

Template

## Instructions

IDEA GENERATION - DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 diverse solution approaches with probabilities (p<0.10 each).

For each idea, explore:
- What assumptions underlie conventional solutions?
- What would solutions from completely different industries look like?
- What if we inverted the problem?
- What counterintuitive approaches might work?
- What connections can we make across unrelated domains?
- What are the hidden constraints and opportunities?

Then select and present the most breakthrough solution.

## Problem

[Problem or challenge description]

---

Best For

• Strategic planning
• Business innovation
• Technical problem-solving
• Product development
• Process improvement

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Process

1. Receive problem/challenge from user 2. Apply idea generation template 3. Generate 5 diverse solutions in thinking blocks 4. Question assumptions underlying each approach 5. Cross-pollinate ideas from different industries 6. Select breakthrough solution with highest potential 7. Present with reasoning about why it's innovative

MaximumCreativity Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the MaximumCreativity workflow in the BeCreative skill to explore unconventional ideas"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running MaximumCreativity in BeCreative...

---

When to use: Need maximum creative diversity and unconventional thinking

---

Template

## Instructions

MAXIMUM CREATIVITY - DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 radically different responses with probabilities (p<0.10 each).

For each candidate:
- Explore unusual perspectives and genres
- Question EVERY assumption about format and content
- Make unexpected connections across different domains
- Consider low-probability but fascinating possibilities
- Wander into unconventional and experimental territory
- Deliberately avoid ALL typical, formulaic, or cliched approaches
- What would make this truly unique and memorable?

Then select and elaborate on the most genuinely novel approach.

## Request

[User's creative request]

---

Best For

• Creative fiction writing
• Poetry with unusual metaphors
• Innovative product ideas
• Unconventional solutions
• Artistic concepts
• Absolute best creative output

---

Process

1. Receive creative request from user 2. Apply maximum creativity template 3. Generate 5 radically different options in thinking blocks 4. Push boundaries - explore experimental territory 5. Select most novel approach 6. Elaborate fully on the chosen direction

StandardCreativity Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the StandardCreativity workflow in the BeCreative skill to apply creative thinking"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running StandardCreativity in BeCreative...

---

When to use: Most creative tasks requiring depth and quality

---

Template

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING + VERBALIZED SAMPLING

In your thinking, generate 5 diverse responses with probabilities (p<0.10 each).

For each option, think deeply about:
- Unique perspectives and angles
- Unconventional assumptions to question
- Unexpected cross-domain connections
- Counterintuitive possibilities

Then select and output the most innovative approach.

## Request

[User's creative request]

---

Best For

• Creative writing (stories, poems, dialogue)
• High-stakes creative work
• Single best solution needed
• Polished, refined output

---

Process

1. Receive creative request from user 2. Apply template with user's specific request 3. Generate internally 5 diverse options (p<0.10 each) in thinking blocks 4. Think deeply about each option's unique angles 5. Select best option based on innovation and quality 6. Output single response - polished and refined

SyntheticDataExpansion Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the SyntheticDataExpansion workflow in the BeCreative skill to expand a seed corpus"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running SyntheticDataExpansion in BeCreative...

---

When to use: You have a small seed corpus (5–20 examples) and need to expand it into a diverse N-example dataset for evals, training, prompt-injection test sets, writing-style corpora, or any downstream task that benefits from variety.

Why it works: Verbalized Sampling Multi-turn (VS-Multi) — Zhang et al. 2025, arXiv:2510.01171. The paper demonstrated that VS-Multi-generated synthetic math training data raised downstream model accuracy from 30.6% → 37.5% averaged across MATH500, OlympiadBench, and Minerva Math. Each turn samples from progressively rarer regions of the response distribution that aligned models encode but no longer surface by default.

Word choice: Use "confidence" not "probability" in the prompts. Paper §H.3 found this elicitation word outperforms "probability" specifically for VS-Multi.

---

Inputs

• Seed corpus — 5–20 anchor examples, paste in full
• Schema — what each example must contain (fields, format, constraints)
• Target N — how many examples the final corpus should have
• Optional: domain hints — let the user steer the distribution

Outputs

Written to ~/.claude/PAI/MEMORY/WORK/{slug}/synthetic-data/:

• seed.json — the original seed corpus
• schema.json — the validation schema
• generations.jsonl — every accepted example with provenance (turn, confidence, generation-time)
• rejected.jsonl — every rejected example with reason (schema-fail, semantic-dup, low-quality)
• summary.md — final stats (N achieved, dedupe rate, diversity index, turn count)

---

Multi-Turn Loop

Run inside extended thinking. Each turn is a fresh generation request, but the model sees all previously accepted examples to enforce non-duplication.

Turn 1

You are expanding a seed corpus into a diverse training set via Verbalized
Sampling.

SCHEMA:
{paste schema}

SEED CORPUS:
{paste seed examples}

Generate 5 NEW examples matching the schema, with their confidences. Sample
from the tails where confidence < 0.10 — pull from regions of the distribution
that the seed corpus does NOT cover. Each example must:
- Match the schema exactly
- Be semantically distinct from EVERY seed example
- Be plausible, not absurd

Return as JSON: [{"example": <object>, "confidence": <number>, "rationale":
"<one sentence on what region of the distribution this comes from>"}].

Turn 2 onward

Continue expanding. Here are all examples accepted so far ({k_so_far} total):

{paste accepted corpus}

Generate 5 MORE examples with their confidences, sampling from confidence < 0.10.
Each must be semantically distinct from EVERY example above. As the corpus
grows, push further into the tails — earlier turns covered the obvious novel
regions, this turn must reach rarer ground.

Same JSON return shape.

Acceptance check (per generated example)

1. Schema validation — must satisfy the JSON schema. Reject otherwise. 2. Semantic dedupe — compare to all accepted examples. If >85% similar to any, reject. 3. Confidence sanity — drop examples where the model assigned confidence > 0.20 (too typical, probably a rephrased seed).

Termination

Stop when any of these are true:

• Target N reached
• Last turn rejected ≥40% of generations as semantic duplicates (diversity collapse)
• Three consecutive turns produce <2 accepted examples (model is stuck)

When termination fires due to diversity collapse, write a clear note to summary.md so the user knows the actual diversity ceiling for this seed.

---

Best For

• Eval set expansion (Evals skill consumes the output)
• Prompt-injection test corpora (_PROMPTINJECTION consumes the output)
• Writing-style fine-tuning sets ({{PRINCIPAL_NAME}}'s voice samples → expanded corpus)
• Synthetic Q&A pairs for retrieval evals
• Any task where N>20 examples are needed and only ~10 exist

NOT For

• Tasks where there is one objectively correct answer (paper §3.2: VS provides no lift on factually-constrained tasks)
• Generating a single best example (use StandardCreativity instead)
• Creative writing where the user wants ONE polished output (use StandardCreativity / MaximumCreativity)

Gotchas

• Confidence inflation across turns is normal. The model will sometimes claim confidence: 0.05 for examples that are only mildly novel. Trust the dedupe check, not the self-reported confidence.
• Seed quality dominates. If the seed corpus is itself narrow, no amount of VS-Multi expansion will reach a region the seed didn't hint at. Garbage in, mediocre out.
• Don't combine with TreeOfThoughts. That workflow is for branching exploration of a single problem, not corpus expansion. Pick one.
• The output JSONL files are the durable artifact. Don't summarize them inline in the response — point the user at the files.

Technical Creativity with Gemini 3 Pro

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the TechnicalCreativityGemini3 workflow in the BeCreative skill to generate technical solutions"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running TechnicalCreativityGemini3 in BeCreative...

---

Overview

Complementary workflow to be-creative skill for TECHNICAL creativity.

This workflow uses Gemini 3 Pro's deep reasoning capabilities to generate creative technical solutions for engineering challenges. While the main be-creative skill focuses on artistic creativity, creative writing, and diverse narrative ideas, this workflow specializes in algorithmic innovations, system architectures, and engineering elegance.

Critical Distinction:

When to Use This Workflow

Use be-creative skill (main):

• "Creative blog post ideas"
• "Diverse narrative approaches"
• "Creative marketing angles"
• "Write a story about..."
• "Generate innovative product names"
• "Brainstorm content ideas"

Use technical-creativity-gemini-3 (this workflow):

• "Creative sorting algorithms for this problem"
• "Novel database architecture approaches"
• "Innovative caching strategies"
• "Creative API design patterns"
• "Non-obvious performance optimizations"
• "Elegant mathematical solutions"

Why Gemini 3 Pro for Technical Creativity

Gemini 3 Pro advantages for engineering problems:

1. Deep Reasoning: Multi-step technical analysis for complex engineering challenges 2. Mathematical Pattern Recognition: Identifies elegant mathematical approaches others miss 3. 1M Context Window: Analyzes entire technical problem spaces, codebases, specifications 4. Engineering Mindset: Trained on extensive technical content, understands trade-offs 5. Creative Engineering: Generates non-obvious technical approaches with solid foundations

Best for:

• Algorithm design challenges
• System architecture decisions
• Performance optimization approaches
• Data structure innovations
• Protocol design
• Technical pattern exploration
• Engineering trade-off analysis

Workflow Structure

Step 1: Problem Definition

Clearly articulate the technical challenge:

**Problem:** [Clear technical problem statement]

**Current Approach:** [Existing solution if any]

**Pain Points:** [What's wrong with current approach]

**Context:** [Technical environment, constraints, scale]

Step 2: Constraint Analysis

Identify requirements and limitations:

**Hard Constraints:**
- Performance: [latency/throughput requirements]
- Scale: [data volume, user count, request rate]
- Resources: [memory, CPU, storage limits]
- Compatibility: [system requirements, dependencies]

**Soft Constraints:**
- Maintainability: [team size, expertise level]
- Cost: [infrastructure budget]
- Timeline: [development time available]

**Success Criteria:**
- [Measurable outcome 1]
- [Measurable outcome 2]
- [Measurable outcome 3]

Step 3: Creative Generation with Gemini 3 Pro

Use the llm CLI to invoke Gemini 3 Pro for diverse technical solutions:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5-10 diverse creative technical solutions for this problem:

PROBLEM:
[Your technical challenge here]

CONSTRAINTS:
[Your requirements and limitations]

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
[Your success metrics]

For each solution, provide:

1. **Core Technical Approach** - Clear description of the algorithm/architecture
2. **Key Innovation** - What makes this approach creative/non-obvious
3. **Trade-offs** - Performance vs complexity vs cost vs maintainability
4. **Implementation Difficulty** - Scale of 1-10 with explanation
5. **Why Creative** - Explain the non-obvious insight or cross-domain connection

Focus on:
- Technical elegance and algorithmic innovation
- Non-obvious approaches that challenge conventional thinking
- Cross-domain pattern applications
- Mathematical beauty and efficiency
- Engineering creativity with solid technical foundations

Provide diverse solutions ranging from:
- Radical rethinks of the problem space
- Hybrid approaches combining multiple paradigms
- Counter-intuitive optimizations
- Novel data structure applications
- Creative protocol designs"

Step 4: Evaluation and Selection

Compare approaches across dimensions:

**Evaluation Matrix:**

| Solution | Performance | Complexity | Cost | Maintainability | Innovation | Score |
|----------|------------|------------|------|-----------------|------------|-------|
| 1. [Name] | 8/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 38/50 |
| 2. [Name] | 9/10 | 4/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 33/50 |
...

**Recommendation:** [Selected approach with justification]

Example Use Cases

Example 1: Creative Caching Strategy

Problem: Need to cache API responses, but:

• 1M+ unique endpoints
• Highly dynamic data (frequent updates)
• Limited memory (2GB cache budget)
• Sub-10ms cache lookup requirement

Command:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5 diverse creative caching strategies for this problem:

PROBLEM:
API gateway needs to cache responses for 1M+ unique endpoints. Data updates frequently but follows patterns (time-of-day, user-cohort, region). Traditional LRU cache wastes memory on rarely-accessed endpoints.

CONSTRAINTS:
- 2GB RAM limit for cache
- Sub-10ms lookup latency required
- 1M+ unique endpoints possible
- Updates follow temporal and geographic patterns
- 70% of traffic hits 5% of endpoints (power law distribution)

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
- 90%+ hit rate for hot data
- Sub-10ms P99 latency
- Memory usage under 2GB
- Handle 50K requests/sec

For each solution:
1. Core technical approach
2. Key innovation/insight
3. Trade-offs (memory/speed/complexity)
4. Implementation difficulty (1-10)
5. Why this approach is creative/non-obvious

Focus on creative uses of data structures, probabilistic algorithms, predictive caching, multi-tier strategies, and non-obvious optimizations."

Expected Creative Solutions:

• Predictive cache with ML-based prefetch
• Bloom filter + tiered storage hybrid
• Geographic sharding with temporal eviction
• Probabilistic data structures (Count-Min Sketch)
• Content-addressable cache with deduplication

Example 2: Novel Sorting Algorithm

Problem: Sort streaming data where:

• Elements arrive continuously
• Need top-K results at any time
• Memory constraint prevents storing all elements
• Data has temporal locality (similar values cluster in time)

Command:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5-10 creative sorting/selection algorithms for this streaming top-K problem:

PROBLEM:
Continuously process incoming stream of numerical values, maintain top-K (K=1000) elements at all times. Incoming rate: 100K elements/sec. Must support 'get current top-K' query in under 1ms.

CONSTRAINTS:
- Cannot store all elements (unbounded stream)
- Must maintain exactly top-K elements
- Sub-1ms query latency for current top-K
- Memory budget: O(K) or O(K log K)
- Temporal locality: similar values often cluster together

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
- Correct top-K maintained
- Sub-1ms query response
- Handle 100K insertions/sec
- Memory stays bounded

For each solution:
1. Core algorithm approach
2. Key innovation (data structure, optimization, insight)
3. Trade-offs (accuracy vs speed vs memory)
4. Implementation difficulty
5. Why creative/non-obvious

Consider: Skip lists, probabilistic structures, approximate algorithms, hybrid approaches, temporal caching, adaptive thresholds."

Expected Creative Solutions:

• Adaptive threshold with reservoir sampling
• Skip list with lazy eviction
• Approximate top-K with Count-Min Sketch
• Hierarchical buckets with temporal pruning
• Hybrid deterministic/probabilistic structure

Example 3: Creative Database Architecture

Problem: Time-series database for IoT sensors:

• 100M sensors reporting every 10 seconds
• Need last 30 days accessible, rest archived
• 99th percentile query: last 24hrs for specific sensor
• Write-heavy (1B writes/sec), read-light (10K reads/sec)

Command:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5 creative database architectures for this IoT time-series problem:

PROBLEM:
Store and query time-series data from 100M IoT sensors. Each sensor reports every 10 seconds. Need to support fast queries for recent data (last 24hrs) while archiving older data (30+ days) to cheaper storage.

CONSTRAINTS:
- 1B writes/second during peak
- 100M unique sensor IDs
- Queries: 99% are last 24hrs, single sensor
- Must retain 30 days hot, archive rest
- Sub-100ms P99 query latency
- Cost-effective storage scaling

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
- Handle 1B writes/sec sustained
- Sub-100ms queries for recent data
- Automatic archival after 30 days
- Linear cost scaling with data volume
- Support sensor-specific and aggregate queries

For each solution:
1. Core architectural approach (storage engine, partitioning, indexing)
2. Key innovation (non-obvious design choice)
3. Trade-offs (write throughput vs query speed vs cost vs complexity)
4. Implementation difficulty
5. Why creative/non-obvious

Consider: Time-bucketed partitioning, LSM trees, columnar storage, tiered storage, compression strategies, distributed architectures, creative indexing."

Expected Creative Solutions:

• Time-bucketed LSM with sensor-sharded writes
• Hierarchical time ranges with different storage tiers
• Write-optimized columnar store with late materialization
• Delta-encoded compression with temporal indexing
• Distributed ring with consistent hashing by sensor+time

Example 4: Innovative API Rate Limiting

Problem: Rate limit API without traditional token bucket:

• Per-user limits, but users have burst patterns
• Want to reward consistent users, penalize abusers
• Global rate limit plus per-user limits
• Distributed across multiple servers

Command:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5-10 creative rate limiting algorithms beyond traditional token bucket:

PROBLEM:
API rate limiting that rewards good behavior and adapts to usage patterns. Traditional token bucket is too rigid - good users hit limits during legitimate bursts, abusers game the system.

CONSTRAINTS:
- Distributed system (10+ API servers)
- Per-user limits with global ceiling
- Need to detect burst vs sustained abuse
- Sub-1ms rate limit check
- Minimal cross-server coordination

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
- Legitimate bursts allowed for good users
- Sustained abuse blocked quickly
- Fair resource allocation
- Minimal false positives (blocking good users)
- Distributed consistency

For each solution:
1. Core rate limiting approach
2. Key innovation (how it's smarter than token bucket)
3. Trade-offs (fairness vs complexity vs latency)
4. Implementation difficulty
5. Why creative/non-obvious

Consider: Adaptive algorithms, reputation systems, predictive allowances, sliding windows with decay, multi-tier limits, behavioral analysis, probabilistic fairness."

Expected Creative Solutions:

• Reputation-based adaptive limits
• Sliding log with exponential decay
• Predictive allowance based on historical patterns
• Leaky bucket with burst credit system
• Distributed rate limiter with gossip protocol

Integration with be-creative Skill

This workflow is part of the be-creative skill ecosystem but serves a specialized purpose:

When invoking from be-creative skill:

For technical creativity challenges, use the technical-creativity-gemini-3 workflow:

1. Load workflow: `read ~/.claude/skills/BeCreative/Workflows/TechnicalCreativityGemini3.md`
2. Follow the workflow structure (Problem → Constraints → Generation → Evaluation)
3. Use Gemini 3 Pro via llm CLI for creative technical solutions
4. Return diverse technical approaches with trade-off analysis

Complementary Usage:

• be-creative skill handles creative vision, problem framing, narrative
• technical-creativity-gemini-3 handles algorithmic solutions, architecture, implementation
• Can be used in sequence: creative framing → technical solutions

Example Combined Usage:

User: "I need a creative approach to user authentication"

Step 1 (be-creative): Generate creative high-level concepts
→ "Passwordless magic links", "Biometric trust scores", "Social proof authentication"

Step 2 (technical-creativity-gemini-3): Design technical implementation
→ Use this workflow to generate 5 creative technical architectures for selected concept

Output Format

Standard output from this workflow:

## Creative Technical Solutions for: [Problem Name]

### Solution 1: [Descriptive Name]

**Core Approach:**
[Clear technical description of algorithm/architecture]

**Key Innovation:**
[What makes this creative/non-obvious - the insight or cross-domain connection]

**Trade-offs:**
- Performance: [assessment]
- Complexity: [assessment]
- Cost: [assessment]
- Maintainability: [assessment]

**Implementation Difficulty:** [1-10 with explanation]

**Why Creative:**
[Explain the non-obvious thinking, cross-domain pattern, or novel combination]

---

### Solution 2: [Descriptive Name]
[... repeat for each solution ...]

---

## Recommendation

**Selected Approach:** [Name]

**Justification:** [Why this solution best balances constraints and goals]

**Next Steps:**
1. [Action item 1]
2. [Action item 2]
3. [Action item 3]

Best Practices

1. Problem Clarity

Do:

• Provide specific constraints (numbers, limits, requirements)
• Include context (scale, environment, existing systems)
• Define success criteria measurably

Don't:

• Be vague ("make it faster")
• Omit critical constraints
• Forget to mention existing solutions

2. Constraint Specification

Hard Constraints:

• Must satisfy these or solution is invalid
• Performance requirements (latency, throughput)
• Resource limits (memory, CPU, storage)
• Compatibility requirements

Soft Constraints:

• Preferences, not requirements
• Nice-to-have optimizations
• Team/organizational preferences

3. Encouraging Creativity

Effective prompts:

• "Generate radically different approaches"
• "Question conventional assumptions about X"
• "Apply patterns from other domains"
• "What would a breakthrough solution look like?"
• "Consider counter-intuitive optimizations"

Less effective:

• "Give me the best solution" (leads to conventional thinking)
• "Standard approaches to X" (limits creativity)

4. Evaluation

Multi-dimensional scoring:

• Don't optimize single metric (e.g., just performance)
• Consider: performance, complexity, cost, maintainability, innovation
• Weight dimensions based on project priorities

Trade-off awareness:

• Every solution has trade-offs
• Make trade-offs explicit
• Choose based on context and priorities

Advanced Techniques

Multi-Stage Creativity

For complex problems, use iterative refinement:

# Stage 1: Generate high-level architectural approaches
llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5 high-level architectural approaches for [problem]..."

# Stage 2: For selected approach, generate detailed component designs
llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "For this architecture: [selected approach]
Generate 5 creative implementations for the [specific component]..."

# Stage 3: For critical component, generate algorithmic variations
llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "For this component: [selected component]
Generate 5 algorithmic variations optimizing for [specific goal]..."

Cross-Domain Pattern Mining

Explicitly prompt for patterns from other fields:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate solutions for [technical problem] by applying patterns from:
- Biological systems (evolution, immune systems, neural networks)
- Economics (markets, auctions, game theory)
- Physics (thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity)
- Social systems (cooperation, reputation, governance)
- Mathematics (graph theory, topology, category theory)

For each domain-inspired solution, explain the source pattern and technical mapping."

Constraint Relaxation

Explore solutions if constraints were different:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate solutions for [problem] under different constraint scenarios:

1. Unlimited memory (relax memory constraint)
2. Relaxed latency (100ms instead of 10ms)
3. Approximate results acceptable (99% accuracy instead of 100%)
4. Distributed system (multiple servers available)
5. Quantum computing available (future-forward thinking)

This helps identify which constraints are driving complexity and potential future optimizations."

Quick Reference

Basic Command Template:

llm -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Generate 5-10 diverse creative technical solutions for:

PROBLEM: [technical challenge]
CONSTRAINTS: [requirements]
SUCCESS CRITERIA: [metrics]

For each solution provide:
1. Core technical approach
2. Key innovation
3. Trade-offs
4. Implementation difficulty
5. Why creative/non-obvious"

When to use this workflow:

• ✅ Algorithm design
• ✅ System architecture
• ✅ Performance optimization
• ✅ Data structure selection
• ✅ Protocol design
• ✅ Engineering trade-off analysis

When to use main be-creative:

• ✅ Creative writing
• ✅ Marketing/content ideas
• ✅ Narrative approaches
• ✅ Product naming
• ✅ Artistic creativity

---

Last Updated: 2025-11-18

TreeOfThoughts Workflow

Voice Notification

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Running the TreeOfThoughts workflow in the BeCreative skill to explore solution paths"}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Running TreeOfThoughts in BeCreative...

---

When to use: Complex creative problem-solving requiring exploration of multiple paths

---

Template

## Instructions

DEEP THINKING + TREE OF THOUGHTS

### Step 1: Deep Analysis

Think deeply about this complex problem before exploring solutions:
- What are the key constraints and opportunities?
- What paradigms or frameworks might apply?
- What unexpected connections can be made?
- What would a breakthrough solution look like?

### Step 2: Branching Exploration

1. Identify 3-5 fundamentally different approaches
2. For the most promising approaches, explore variations and sub-approaches
3. At each branch point, apply deep thinking to explore implications
4. Evaluate all paths considering both creativity and viability
5. Synthesize the most innovative yet practical solution

### Step 3: Synthesis

Combine insights from your exploration into the optimal creative solution.

## Challenge

[Complex creative challenge]

---

Best For

• Complex strategic decisions
• Multi-constraint optimization problems
• High-stakes innovation challenges
• When multiple factors must be balanced

---

Process

1. Receive complex challenge from user 2. Deep analysis phase - understand constraints and opportunities 3. Branch exploration - identify 3-5 fundamentally different approaches 4. Evaluate each branch - consider implications and viability 5. Cross-pollinate - combine insights from multiple branches 6. Synthesize solution - integrate best elements into optimal approach