Everything you can imagine is real – Pablo Picasso
You can’t depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus – Mark Twain
Imagination is not a talent of some men but the health of every man- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein
Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real. – Jules Verne
Imagination…
Envisioning the future
Destroying barriers
Dancing partner of the Present
Childhood companion
Motivator
Healer
Welcoming Conversationalist
Font of Wonder
Perpetually Young
Foundation
We need to use our imaginations – let the possibilities for new products, new processes, new approaches, new relationships, excite and empower us to gift the world with our unique visions, with our Imaginative Selves!
On NOV 4th, at 5pm…it all shuts off!! NO TELEVISION . NO MYSPACE . NO FACEBOOK . NO TWITTER . NO VIDEO GAMES . NO INTERNET .
Just you…ART…and CREATIVITY.
Paint a picture, write a story, make a sculpture, choreograph a dance, take an arts class, write a song…anything your artistic heart desires.
The lesson learned from this idea is a great one and one that all people need to heed.
A quote from their newsletter says it all:
Art is one of the most effective tools which we can use to better see ourselves, to do the work of becoming a better…or let’s say…more complete person. Becoming “more complete” is an ideal not reserved for artists alone, and it’s that stereotype we wish to dilute; that impression (that the) everyday person, the layman, (has) no ambition to explore what’s great within them, even outside of “what they do” or what they’re “known for.” We feel that passion to expand perspective and understanding is a natural need for all humans, and Art is the antidote for quenching that need. Therefore, Art IS relevant to us all. Humans, all humans, naturally want and seek out newness, and clarity, knowledge, and mediums to express.
In short, we need to take time to be with our creative selves if we expect to be wonderfully creative-and that applies to all of us.
Even if you’re not from Alabama, remember to take the time for the creative blackout on November 4th. Better yet, make some time everyday to be creative – grab an instrument, sing, grab a crayon and paper, dance across the kitchen…
There Should Be No 'Sacred Cows' When it Comes to Innovation
You would think that in the realm of innovation there would be no ‘idols’ or ‘sacred cows’, yet there are.
What do I mean by this?
There are certain practices that people are afraid to challenge because…well you just don’t!
Two practices that come to mind right away are:
1. Brainstorming
2. Mind Mapping
One would think that people who are creative and innovative would be the most open to different techniques and processes to generate ideas – right?
Wrong!
For some reason, creative types seem to hold on to certain methods (or innovation personalities, or schools of thought) as if they’re sacred – treat them as a sort of ritual which simply should not be changed.
Don’t think it’s true? Just check this post here and my post regarding brainstorming and you’ll see the passion with which people argue for brainstorming. It’s especially interesting how defensive people get.
What they don’t realize is that by getting defensive they are in fact saying:
“The human race has no capacity for improving the process of idea generation (or creative buy-in, etc.) beyond that which we experience in brainstorming ( or through mind mapping, etc.).”
Think about that for a moment or two then think about this:
With all the advances being made in the cognitive sciences, with all the advances the human race has made in the 200,000 some years of its existence, can two techniques discovered within the last 100 years really be the pinnacle of human achievement regarding idea generation?
And think about this:
If you only use a certain technique for generating ideas- your ideas/solutions will have a similar pedigree and it might not be the best breed of solution for a particular problem.
Please don’t misunderstand – I use mindmaps, I use modified brainstorming. But, I also think that there are better methods and technologies for idea generation/problem solving/etc., only we’ll never find them if we don’t let go of our inordinate belief in the sacredness of certain techniques.
The Design the Future of Mobile Communication Competition is sponsored by LG Mobile Phones in conjunction with CrowdSPRING and Autodesk. Over $80,000 of prizes will be awarded and Autodesk is throwing in a 15-day trial version of Sketchbook Pro so you can polish up your final submissions. Yes – submission*s*! You can enter as often as you like!
Cash awards are as follows:
First Place: $20,000 Cash Award Second Place: $10,000 Cash Award Third Place: $5,000 Cash Award 40 Honorable Mentions: $1,000 Cash Award + 1 LG U.S. Phone (A.R.V. of $300)
How will this be judged?
Need Fulfillment / Market Potential (40% weight): How well does the phone address general consumer needs / frustrations? Creativity / Originality / Innovation (30% weight): Is the idea / design unique? Does the concept convey WOW or game-changing characteristics? Feasibility (20% weight): Can this idea / product be realistically implemented with current or near-future technology? Polish and Appeal (10% weight): Is the idea easy to understand and aesthetically appealing? Does it have images illustrating usage scenarios?
LG is even providing cool innovation assistance with this “How to Innovate” page to help you generate ideas.
I would also suggest (beyond the obvious of perusing this blog’s articles and references) that you visit this site that contains 160+ creativity techniques (which incidentally is taken from my resource links on the right side of this page).
You need to be 18 or over and it runs until June 7th.
I think we all have a tendency to sometimes take food for granted. We go to a store or restaurant, see what we like and eat it.
Unfortunately there are foods that make peoples’ lives miserable. Beyond the world of more well known allergies (as many have to peanuts), there are many less well known food sensitivities- less well known but no less prevalent – or less dangerous! Some estimates say that one in a hundred of us is sensitive to, or intolerant of, gluten – perhaps even to the point of having celiac disease.
I went because a family member was recently diagnosed with gluten sensitivity/intolerance.
Far from being a place of suffering, the expo was filled with a community of people who offered support, hope and direction for those with allergies, celiac disease (and other gluten related illness), and asthma (I did a lung function test and rocked! but I digress).
I was struck by how people have invented entirely new ways of making cookies, breads, and other foods – all without recourse to egg, dairy, gluten or nuts. I sampled every chance I had, and rarely was I disappointed. The comestibles tasted good!
These foods are a testimony to the ability of people to find new ways of making things that have, in some cases for centuries, been made according to certain tried-and-true recipes. It was fascinating to hear of the trial-and-error going on in kitchens around the world – the homespun R&D that creates delectable tidbits from raw materials that aren’t usually thought of as palatable.
And people didn’t keep the results of this R&D to themselves. The exhibit hall was filled with testimonies to the human entrepreneurial spirit, to people who saw a void filled it.
Of these, I had discussions with two folks in particular and listened to a presentation from a third.
The garbage man and the recycling guys came and went but this time they switched positions of the bins.
I’m an adult, I can see the difference so I figured I’d just leave them there, no big deal.
I was wrong. It was a big deal.
Day One: Caught myself at the last second as I almost put garbage in the recycling bin and vice-versa. It was good that I almost did this, it would prepare me for tomorrow.
Day Two: It didn’t. This time I actually put garbage into the recycling bin and vice-versa. So I tipped the garbage bin and pulled out the recyclables and swapped them with the garbage bag from the recycling bin.
Days Three through Seven: Lesson Learned.
We are amazing creatures of habit. We have a tendency to stick with routines, to do what works.
This is a major issue if we’re solving problems. If we keep doing things the same way, we seldom will come up with new solutions.
What can we do to keep ourselves sharp?
Try one or more of the following:
Take a different way to work or home from work. (I’ve done this before during times when I knew I was stuck in a thinking rut.)
Switch the order in which you put your shoes on.
We all have a stronger side and weak side. Use the weak hand, the weak foot, etc., when doing a task.
If you have certain daily routines, try changing the order of tasks.
Last but not least, switch the position of your garbage and recycling bins.
You’d be surprised how simple changes can spur new thinking by forcing your body and mind to interact with the world in new ways!
Over at Linkedin, Paul Dowling, CEO of DreamStake, posed this poignant and thought provoking question:
“Has the internet killed the Philosopher?
It struck me that in the past knowledgeable individuals accumulated wisdom throughout their lifetime and formulated it to bring meaning to others. These philosophers have helped mankind to make sense of issues such as politics, religion, ethics and even the very meaning of life itself.
It has occurred to me that the rate of change facilitated by the internet and other technological innovations will preclude the linear building of ‘accepted’ wisdom by individuals over their lifetime.
We already talk about disruptive technology and business models. We see society changing in unpredictable ways brought on by these changes. Is philosophy dead or will it simply change to reflect the society we live in?”
First, let’s agree on some definitions.
Philosophy is Greek for, “Lover of Wisdom” (Philo – lover of; Sophia – Wisdom).
In Greek, the word Epistamaimeans “to know” and “knowledge” is derived from this word. (It’s where we get Epistemology from)
In the Internet Age, access to information is unprecedented. We are all harvesting, compiling and storing volumes of information. We are philoepistomoi (Please forgive my Greek conjugation!) — lovers of knowledge!
Philosophy (of which I agree there is less of), is more properly a reflection upon the information or data. In ancient Greece, to philosophize was even identified with knowing the mind of god(s) – it was searching for the method behind the madness.
Philosophy, then, actually shares something with innovation.
A philosopher, like an innovator, observes the world/human system and notices connections, patterns or trends where others don’t. Build upon the connections by pulling disparate pieces of information together and what do you get?
INNOVATION!
It’s no accident that the Ancient Greeks were as innovative as they were. Where there is philosophy, innovation can, and often will, follow.
So what does this all mean in today’s information age?
There are two routes we can follow.
We can be information hoarders
We can be philosophers
But, to be effective philosophers and innovate on multiple levels we need to delve deeply into the problems of the world and the problems of the heart/mind.
It is the lack of reflection on the aspects of the human person that I believe is responsible for less philosophy in the world – less wisdom, less profound innovation.
But, it is the human aspect that when plumbed leads to more powerful, emotive, wonderfilled innovations!
“…A skilled Commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand it of his subordinates.”-Sun Tzu, The Art of War
This wisdom is brilliant.
Success isn’t about demands placed on your people, it’s about creating the circumstances and environment in which it is the natural result of the fullness of your work.
OK, what does that mean?
When you demand success from people, in general there is a linear thinking: do x, y, and z and whatever it takes, make it happen.
The difference with this approach is that there is a holistic view of the entire situation – a view that honestly accounts for modes of possible failure, but more importantly frames and drives execution of the campaign such that the end result is success.
How do you implement this approach?
Run through the following checklist:
Are you commited towards a bias of maximum success – Or are projects “do or die?” (This translates to, “Do you really, REALLY, have every person’s back or do you need to make points at others’ expense?”) Does your team trust you? Is there a common vision?
Look at the lay of the land; what obstacles (physical, mental, procedural, organizational, etc.) stand in the way of an idea and its commercialization? Can you move quickly or do you have to move slowly? Are you better off developing this product here or in the barn down the street?
What is the mood of the market like? Is it easy to entice? Excitable? Cautious? Cheap?
What is the competition up to? Are they doing what you’re doing? Do they know what you’re up to?
If the four points above are examined at the start of (and throughout the execution of!) any endeavor, and all questions answered honestly and frankly along the way, success will be built into your process!
Success is there for the taking because every aspect of your endeavor is biased towards and, in fact, contains, the potential (and forming) successful outcome.
All that is needed then is execution, not victory per se.
We’re confronted with a problem so we work with what we have to a create a solution – we innovate.
Innovation is especially fertile in those situations where existing solutions are too complicated or expensive to utilize on a regular basis.
Here are some great examples of solutions to everyday problems. Whether it’s dog walking, electrical sockets, ice cube trays, windmills, spices, or easier ways to de-shell hardboiled eggs, someone saw a problem and thought of novel ways to fix it.
However, we all know that there are times we get stuck.
To get unstuck try the following:
Phrase your problem as, ‘In what ways can I… (deshell an egg, etc.)’
Learn all you can about the physical principles governing your problem
Go do something fun and relaxing or meditate
Brainstorm ideas (If you need help here, try these creative thinking techniques)
After you think you have a great set of ideas – go back to Step 3 and try again without duplicating (Do this once or twice)
If you follow the above process and still can’t solve your problem in a cheaper/easier way, then you either:
Didn’t phrase your problem properly
Didn’t detach from your problem for a while
What? I didn’t relax and that is why I can’t solve my problem?
The short answer?
Yes.
Long Answer: The Sub-conscious needs time to crank through your problem, look for relationships, connect dots, remember that toy you made in 5th grade, etc. We need to relax, we need to actually disconnect from the problem for a while to get great ideas.
That’s why people have ideas in showers – they’re relaxed, and often the shower follows a night of sleep.
And what happened while you were sleeping?
Your brain was cranking away solving your problem while you dreamt you and your pet frog were flying over a field of singing poppies looking for Carl Sagan.
For another perspective on how quick fixes can lead to innovation read this.
