BeCreative

Divergent ideation via Verbalized Sampling + extended thinking (1.6-2.1x diversity). USE WHEN be creative, deep thinking, brainstorm, divergent ideas, creative solutions, maximum creativity, tree of thoughts, idea generation, domain specific creativity, technical creativity, standard creativity.

11,146 stars

Best use case

BeCreative is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Divergent ideation via Verbalized Sampling + extended thinking (1.6-2.1x diversity). USE WHEN be creative, deep thinking, brainstorm, divergent ideas, creative solutions, maximum creativity, tree of thoughts, idea generation, domain specific creativity, technical creativity, standard creativity.

Teams using BeCreative should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/BeCreative/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/danielmiessler/Personal_AI_Infrastructure/main/Packs/Thinking/src/BeCreative/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/BeCreative/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How BeCreative Compares

Feature / AgentBeCreativeStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Divergent ideation via Verbalized Sampling + extended thinking (1.6-2.1x diversity). USE WHEN be creative, deep thinking, brainstorm, divergent ideas, creative solutions, maximum creativity, tree of thoughts, idea generation, domain specific creativity, technical creativity, standard creativity.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

## 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**:
   ```bash
   curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8888/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.

---


## 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...
```

| Workflow | Triggers | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `Workflows/StandardCreativity.md` | "be creative", "think creatively", default creative tasks | Standard deep thinking + VS for quality creative work |
| `Workflows/MaximumCreativity.md` | "maximum creativity", "most creative", "radically different" | Push boundaries, avoid all cliches, unconventional |
| `Workflows/IdeaGeneration.md` | "brainstorm", "ideas for", "solve this problem" | Problem-solving and innovation focus |
| `Workflows/TreeOfThoughts.md` | "complex problem", "multi-factor", "explore paths" | Branching exploration for complex challenges |
| `Workflows/DomainSpecific.md` | "artistic", "business innovation", domain-specific | Domain-tailored creativity templates |
| `Workflows/TechnicalCreativityGemini3.md` | "technical creativity", "algorithm", "architecture" | Engineering creativity via Gemini 3 Pro |

---

## 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.

---

## Resource Index

| Resource | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| `ResearchFoundation.md` | Research backing, why it works, activation triggers |
| `Principles.md` | Core philosophy and best practices |
| `Templates.md` | Quick reference templates for all modes |
| `Examples.md` | Practical examples with expected outputs |
| `Assets/creative-writing-template.md` | Creative writing specific template |
| `Assets/idea-generation-template.md` | Brainstorming template |

---

## 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

---

## 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
```

---

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

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