Sideways – Shift perspective. Unlock creativity.

# Sideways > Shift perspective. Unlock creativity. ## What is Sideways? Sideways is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides unexpected questions and lateral thinking prompts to help break through creative blocks and shift perspective. When AI gets stuck thinking in straight lines, Sideways helps it think sideways. ## How It Works Sideways uses a privacy-preserving design: 1. User says "use sideways" in their prompt 2. AI assistant reads available categories via MCP Resources 3. AI selects the best category for the user's creative challenge 4. AI invokes a category-specific MCP Prompt to get a random strategy 5. User receives an unexpected strategy card with 5 questions to apply it **Privacy**: The server only receives category names (like "reframe" or "reduce"). User conversations, creative challenges, and work stay on their device. ## Categories Sideways organizes creative strategies into 6 categories for targeted creative interventions: ### Reframe Change perspective, reverse assumptions, adopt alternative viewpoints. **Use when**: Stuck in a single way of thinking, facing opposition, or need to see the problem from a completely different angle. ### Reduce Simplify, subtract, remove, clarify, focus on essentials. **Use when**: Overwhelmed by complexity, dealing with too many options, or when clarity is needed. ### Expand Add more, elaborate, embrace abundance, do both. **Use when**: Solutions feel too minimal, avoiding decisions, or when there's room to explore more possibilities. ### Disrupt Break patterns, embrace chaos, make destructive moves, honor mistakes. **Use when**: Stuck in safe patterns, avoiding risk, or when work feels too polished or predictable. ### Embody Physical, sensory, body-based approaches to creative problems. **Use when**: Too much in your head, experiencing physical tension, or disconnected from intuition. ### Pause Rest, reflect, step back, examine, take breaks. **Use when**: Rushing, feeling frantic, or unabl