oblique strategies

musician brian eno is well-known for his work with such pop luminaries as u2, talking heads, james, genesis, coldplay, david bowie, and many others. his solo work spans the gamut from glam rock through to the sub genre of ambient music which he is credited with creating. additionally, eno is considered one of the more forward thinking people of our time currently seconded to the prime minister of england as his “youth advisor”. not bad for a man in his fifties!

you will find his name attached to the board of the long now foundation which through assembling some of the more amazing minds of our time under one moniker hopes to “provide counterpoint to today's "faster/cheaper" mind set and promote "slower/better" thinking. We hope to creatively foster responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years.” eno is also one of the founding members of war child an organization devoted to providing support and advocacy for children affected by war around the world.

in the course of his trajectory, eno has more than likely endured his share of setbacks and conundrums. as a person whose work is primarily in the creative realm, it would seem that with considerations of time and cost factored in, a tool to unlock the dilemma might be necessary. sure enough, eno has developed such a tool.

the oblique strategies card set. i have used the oblique strategies myself on many occasions over the last twenty years. sometimes it’s useful in a direct manner - the randomly selected phrase imparts a perspective on what it is i am working on or unlocks my block. sometimes it triggers an association that allows for a similar result.

for a history of the oblique strategies cards, this is the most thorough. . . .

this next link provides even more detail and includes the text of the various series of cards.


if you would like to consult an online deck this is the place . . . .

the fifth edition of the strategies has been made available for online consulting right here.
. . . to change the strategy provided simply click on the image box . . . .

mac users can download the first, second, third, and fourth sets of oblique strategies as a widget which is very nice for us!!

by far and away my favourite oblique strategy and the one that has been most often used without flipping a card or clicking a mouse has been “honour thy error as a hidden intention”. as a person for whom the error has been an omnipresent companion, it has always and necessarily held value both in my personal and professional lives. because of this it is the most useful reminder of the importance of not letting an error be conscribed to the mental or literal dustbin.