Whether I am stuck on a Python problem, a data conundrum, or I am in the middle of a mix with nowhere to go, sometimes a random phrase can get the mind thinking in a new direction. Enter: Oblique Strategies.

This was originally a single card deck created by artist Peter Schmidt and the mighty Brian Eno, who is every audio engineer’s god and mentor in some way, shape or form. The premise was that if you were ever stuck in a recording studio with writers block, you would pull one of these cards with a phrase on it, that would be the catalyst for a new way of thinking.

While I don’t agree with Schmidt’s constant use of pastel colors, or every single one of the 8,452 albums Eno has participated in… I think some of these cards are worth considering. You can try out some of them online, right here.