Surrealists played the game Exquisite Corpse to stimulate creativity through collaboration. Players would contribute to a drawing of a figure without seeing what the others had done. Like a game of Telephone, the figure would become stranger with each player’s addition. Exquisite Corpse came from a version in which each contributor added a word without knowing the previous ones, resulting in the bizarre phrase, “The exquisite corpse will drink the new 'drink'.”

Try making your own Exquisite Corpse game by following these instructions:

• Take a piece of paper and fold it into four equal parts.

• Draw or collage on the top section of the paper to create the head of an imaginary character. Use whatever materials you have around you.

• Fold your image back to conceal it. Extend the lines of your character’s neck over the edge of the fold so that your collaborator will know how to connect their image to yours.

• Pass the paper on to a friend or family member. Keep your image hidden and have them add a body to your figure in the middle section of the page.

• Repeat! Pass the paper to a third person, concealing the first two sections of the page, and have them add the legs. Then hide that section and pass to a fourth person to add the feet. Remember to draw lines over the fold into each new section so the following person knows where to start.

• Unfold the page and reveal your collaborative image.

*borrowed from MOMA.org