My wife and I were enjoying a quick breakfast and coffee at a well known establishment when she pointed out the interesting design to the coffee cup that I was drinking from. Until then, I hadn't really given it much thought!
Oh, I know that there could be a number of wonderful comments that come to mind at this point, but please save your creative energy for this ...
I thought this heat shield & loyalty card built into coffee cup
was a neat idea!
That got me thinking ... where do great ideas come
from, and how can we generate more of them?
Any thoughts? Why not share a few of you thoughts on where creative ideas come from - we'd be delighted to hear from you.
Thanks!
Jim, this is a good question and very much worthy of asking today. I wonder too, do many really 'think' about generating ideas and where they come from often enough?
ReplyDeleteI believe the subject of creativity is critical and indeed particularly topical now. It’s important because our environment, everything around us moves faster and faster every day. Our individual worlds have fewer boundaries yet there are increasingly more rules. We are inundated with information so we don’t seem to get as much time to think…we’re too busy doing all the time.
Things we need or want to know can be addressed easily and generally accessed freely and faster. Our communities, our workplaces and our relationships can have a global reach in so much of what we do. We have to train ourselves to think differently, accomplish and be creative in a context; in a fashion where learning and change are the only constants, in addition to being creative! We’re trying to do too much and fact is king it seems today. Fact isn’t always the answer to accomplish a task.
I abhor the word multitasking. If you multitask then you aren’t giving yourself time to be creative or to appropriately concentrate on what you are doing. So having made that very important qualification, here are my observations on my creative time and when I imagine:
1.Rote. Doing something rote and that lets your mind go. (doing dishes, cutting the grass, a walk or driving?)
2.Serendipity. Something that happened last week happened ‘again. Does it tell you anything?
3.Read commentary, philosophy, practices or processes outside your place and consider them in the context of your need or opportunity and the genesis of something completely unique.
4.Explore the web, read, subscribe to thought leaders, futurists or idea generators online for creativity at play. Ideas come from many sources; another’s idea can trigger your thoughts when you interpret or consider it within the context of your needs or situation.
5.Force yourself to be creative, make yourself sit somewhere and do it. Be somewhere you’re not used to being. Establish a place for ideas.
6.Use conversations and experiences; what you hear, learn and think after talking to people. Apply your situation to which you want creative or unique. Network and meet people a lot. Ask them questions and have them relate their experiences.
7.Throw it out the window. Take a task or a problem and all you know about it. Throw it out the window. See differently, experiment, ask obtuse questions, ask child-like questions, search for new answers and approaches.
8.Watch. Watch how people do something. Have people complete a task that to them doesn’t ‘seem’ right instinctively and watch the reaction. Ask what and why they think about it. (This approach is particularly effective with persons from different cultures and backgrounds.)
9.Stop. Be very conscious of creating an idea. Have undisciplined time to dream. Remove yourself from the world around you.
10.Record. Keep a notepad or handheld device at hand with an idea page. Write things down.
It’s great to be innovative, (invent) but sometime, it’s better, it’s easier and more constructive to be ingenious (resourceful, clever).
Think about it!
Doug Cameron
Thanks for the great suggestions related to generating creative ideas, Doug. You've obviously put considerable thought into your response, and I'd love to direct those in my circle of contacts to the things that you've shared.
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