The phrase Thinking Outside the Box means outside or beyond normal or conventional thinking. For this project, students need to think outside the box by exploring a box of mysterious and surprising objects, which will inspire the invention of an imaginative narrative photograph.

All objects have a purpose, some even have a past and others often have familiar associations. This makes objects great at lending themselves to function as lead characters in the creation of a narrative photograph. Objects can form connections with each other to create new stories. This mysterious box of objects is to prompt students to imagine and recount photographically a story they have conjured about a stranger and they use objects to convey meaning and create new narratives.‍