Ideas And Creativity – Learned, Given Or Other
There is a reason that I gave my son a blank leather-bound book at age 3 to capture his ideas. The world changes for the better with creative thought and new ideas.
We need to nurture an environment of thinkers that can solve issues and come up with new ways of doing things. Ideas and creative thought are what make a business, a family, or the world a better place.
Where have you brought an idea to the table that made someone’s life better?
When have you thought of an idea that never came to fruition that you wished could?
What were your barriers?
How hard did you push?
There is a great film that resonated with me at just the right time. It seems to have resonated with the world at large as well based on its awards, views, and response. It’s a great reminder to cherish and make use of the creative moments.
In what I have seen, in today’s “always-on” society there is little time for the brain to relax and craft new thinking. Multiple studies within neuroscience have found that the most creative thinking is done when the brain is at rest. Author, Bridgid Schulte, characterizes this as follows:
“Neuroscience is finding that when we are idle, in leisure, our brains are most active. The Default Mode Network lights up, which, like airport hubs, connects parts of our brain that don’t typically communicate. So a stray thought, a random memory, an image can combine in novel ways to produce novel ideas.”
WHEN DO IDEAS START:
The poof of genius and aha moment is the stuff of legend and lore. It takes devoted time, knowledge of the subject, and a unique set of ingredients. It takes a person and likely a team that understands the past and sees the future needs. This is an iterative process and takes time. There are light bulb moments but likely that “light bulb” was years in the making. Set a directive, pull from your knowledge and experience, and gather the input of others.
HOW DO IDEAS DIE:
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Without the need to cut through the darkness the idea of the light bulb may have been thought of but never acted upon based on a lack of need, lack of formalized conclusion, lack of funding, or many other naysaying reasons. Big or small, ideas that are never taken to reality are sometimes only thoughts to be forgotten.
WHERE DO IDEAS LIVE?
Ideas live in nurturing environments where the ingredients are right. Where the thoughts are fed and watered. Entrepreneur magazine held a recent roundtable of “30 Startups To Watch” and the consensus from this growing group was powerful.
The Question: “Are great innovations the result of inspiration or perspiration or both?”
Their Answer: “You need to be able to meld a unique perspective with the knowledge of the space you are trying to change.”
The power of the analogy has been studied by cognitive scientists for quite some time. A process that is decades old now helps to formalize the system in the brain to think creatively to solve problems. Creative people, as the theory states, have the ability to connect old knowledge and their experiences through life to a new challenge, a new situation, or a place where new thinking is needed.
I do think that ideas and creativity are learned and given, and other. So… How many of you have a notebook in the back of a drawer that needs to be dusted off? It might just help you craft the creative thought and idea that your client or company needs to set them apart.
By: Jason Kelly – November 30, 2017
