The Invisible Mentor

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

How to Generate Ideas – Tips from Ordinary People

Often it is difficult for you to digest all the information in the interviews, so I decided that for today and tomorrow I’d extract specific bits of responses from a few interviews. Today we’ll focus on generating great ideas. What process do you use to generate ideas? Can you blend your process with any of the ones mentioned below? The interviews are meant for both of us to learn from them.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Annemie Ress: I don’t have a specific process. Most often when I’m not thinking is when ideas come to me. I will consciously try not to think about a challenge or a solution that I’m facing but switch to doing something creative or relaxing, and that’s when the best ideas come.

Carol McManus: I will give two answers to that because it comes up in two forms. I come up with a lot of ideas just when I’m in my own head. That could be when I’m listening to music, taking a walk or driving in the car. I let my mind wander, go, and think creatively. When I’m doing some of these crafty things I find I’m also creative and come up with great ideas. But having said that, the development and the richness of those ideas, come to fruition when I bring people into the conversation. I love to brainstorm and debate with people. I want them to challenge me and take the seed of an idea and help me improve it because I know I can’t do it all by myself. I’m very much an open book, so it’s letting me be creative in my own head, and then testing the market, but really using other people’s attitudes and experiences and impressions so that you can improve on what you thought was a really good idea to begin with. It always gets better.

Evan Carmichael: I find a lot of my best ideas come when I’m moving around, so not just sitting down in a chair head buried deep in work. You have to allow time for creativity and flexibility. I now walk to work and that’s something that I changed around in the past year where I moved closer to work. I get a lot of ideas on that walk that helps me to clear my mind and also think about what’s happening. Sometimes in the mornings I’ll do a quick meditation and that gives me ideas as well. And also just being active, doing salsa dancing gives me ideas as well as having dinner with my wife. I get the best ideas when I’m not working on my business. If you’re going crazy hammering out hours and burning yourself out you probably won’t get any great, new ideas. You have to make sure that you have that relaxed time to be able to generate some of those ideas.

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: I believe we come to better decisions and better results when we do things in a group. Pulling a team together and brainstorming, sending a mass email out to those in your network who have a common experience with what you’re struggling with, reaching out for ideas and bringing those ideas together. I also use the Internet quite extensively and subscribe to many different chats and blogs.

Nathon Gunn: I steal them!  Maybe that’s one of the few times you hear people say something like that but it’s an honest part of creating ideas. I don’t think many things come from absolutely nowhere. I think you have to be an absorber of great ideas to put things together in new ways. I work with a big team of creative, brilliant people so we get together as a group and generate great ideas together. We bounce ideas off each other. Moses Znaimer, my old boss, used to sign his name to various TV shows that he did, and that’s fine, but along with those signatures was a long list of credits for the other people who worked on those products. When you watch the end of a TV show you see those names and it’s a collaborative process. I think it’s a big part of generating great ideas, since you’ve asked, I have to tell you one of the funniest ways that I’ve generated great ideas – when we have creative brainstorming sessions, I notice I will hear a really good idea from somebody and I would repeat it back to the person I heard it from, and they will laugh and say, “You misheard me totally, that’s not the idea? It’s this other idea.” And often enough, the idea I misheard is a really good idea so sometimes bad hearing helps us to generate great ideas.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

Every so often I present websites that I think you should know about. A few days ago I presented a hybrid creativity model based on Graham Wallas‘ and James Webb Young’s creativity model. In the model you have general information, which are things you discover and file away for future use. The websites today are geared toward rounding out your general knowledge. The more varied your knowledge, the more creative you are. The creative you are, the more creative ideas you unearth for problem solving.

One website I added to the mix because many people travel so I thought it would be handy for discounted airfares.

Space Adventures

Provides private spaceflight opportunities.  It’s the first company to have taken clients into space.      

Virgin Galactic

Are you interested in space travel? Virgin Galactic is a space tourism operator which will be providing sub-orbital flights. It is an offshoot of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson‘s enterprise.

Ask Nature

It’s the design portal for the Biomimicry Institute. Biomimicry is a fairly new field where nature is used to inspire problem solving. The Ask Nature website is filled with lots of information that will round out your general knowledge.

Travel Alerts

You will find discounted vacation and last minute travel. Get the alerts sent to your email box each week http://www.travelalerts.com.

If money were no object, would you invest in space travel? Please keep the conversation flowing, click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

Ted talk: Biomimicry in action: Janine Benyus

Biomimicry in action: Janine Benyus

Space Tourism Markets What We Know And What We Don’t Know

Space Tourism Markets What We Know And What We Don’t Know

Photo Credit: Zemanta
Video Credit: YouTube via Apture

How creative are your ideas? How many creative ideas do you get? And what process do you use to generate creative ideas. The ability to think creatively, or generate creative ideas might just be the skill that gives you a competitive edge. Below is a model which is a combination of Graham Wallas’ and James Webb Young’s creativity models (Based on my life experiences, I have added information to the models). What can you add to the model to make it better? If your project is just for fun you do not have to follow all the steps, especially the ones in data collection (for example interviewing subject matter experts and conducting focus group interviews). Some of these steps are more appropriate for a work project.

Step 1: Preparation (Gathering Information)

1. Describe your topic of  interest
2. Develop a set of decision criteria to judge the quality of the ideas

There are two types of information to gather:

Specific

1. Gather as much information as possible on the topic of interest
   1. Look for  case studies in your industry and unrelated industries
   2. Conduct research on the internet
   3. Conduct research using commercial databases, you can access many through your public library portal
   4. Interview subject matter experts
   5. Brainstorm with colleagues
   6. Conduct focus group interviews
2. Read all the information gathered and synthesize them
3. Write down the information on 3×5 index cards, one item per card
4. Classify the information by sections of the topic of interest

Read the post How to Analyze Information to evaluate the quality of the data you gathered.

General

1. This is an ongoing process throughout your life
2. Record any interesting information you come across in a scrapbook or other filing method that makes sense for you
3. Use your cell phone if you have one, or a camera to capture any interesting scenes that you see, both photos and videos and create a file on your computer in which to save them
4. Attend speeches, workshops, seminars and so on that are unrelated to your work just because they interest you and take notes
5. Visit the websites How Stuff Works and Ted.com often and read for a while
6. Every so often, pull up the information and review them

Step 2: Working Over the Information in Your Mind

1. Look at the information you gathered from many different angles
2. Synthesize the information
3. Merge two facts and see how they fit together
4. Connect the information with what you already know, nothing exists in a vacuum
5. As tentative or partial ideas come to you, no matter how crazy or incomplete, document them on the index card, one idea per card
6. Do not stop until you have at least one partial or incomplete idea
7. When everything is a jumble or it is pointless for you to do additional work, it is time for the next step

Step 3: Incubation

1. Turn over the problem to your subconscious mind
2. Take a break or work on an unrelated task or do something which stimulates the imagination and emotions

Step 4: Illumination – Eureka! I have It

1. When you least expect it, the idea comes to you (You have an aha moment)

Step 5: Verification/Implementation/Shaping & Developing the Idea

1. The idea will unlikely be ready to be implemented as is
2. Subject it to criticism – test it, then refine it
   1. Use the criteria you developed in Stage I to judge the quality of the solution
   2. Refine the idea if you have to
   3. Implement the idea
   4. Evaluate the idea
   5. If you find that the solution doesn’t work, go through the process again

Along Yonge Street in front of the Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada there are always people who are very creative in earning money, what are your thoughts? What have been some of your most creative ideas to generate some extra cash? Did any of these translate into a viable business?

Man Playing Drums in Front of The Eaton Centre, Toronto from Avil Beckford on Vimeo.

Man and Boy Playing Drums from Avil Beckford on Vimeo.

Please keep the conversation flowing, click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed.

Photo Credit: Avil Beckford

I first learned about A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young a couple of months ago, so I did a quick search on the internet to get additional information. I found two articles that summarized the book, which is only 48 pages in length, and felt the method described sounded similar to the one outlined in the Art of Thought by Graham Wallas, which I have written about several times.

As a professional with over 15 years research experience, I felt it important to read the book for myself because information that I may think is important might have been left out of the articles that I read. It is interesting that I noted the similarities between the idea generation process outlined by James Webb Young and Graham Wallas because Young recommends at the end of his book that readers also read the Art of Thought (as well as Science & Method and The Art of Scientific Investigation) to better understand the whole idea generation process. Incidentally the Art of Thought was written in 1926 and A Technique for Producing Ideas in the 1940s.

This is my interpretation of the information outlined in A Technique for Producing Ideas.

5 Steps to Idea Generation

Step 1: Gathering Information

There are two types of information to gather:

Specific

1. Gather as much information as possible on the topic of interest
2. Write down the information on 3×5 index cards, one item per card
3. Classify the information by sections of the topic of interest

General

1. This is an ongoing process throughout your life
2. Record any interesting information you come across in a scrapbook or other filing method that makes sense for you

Step 2: Working Over the Information in Your Mind

1. Look at the information you gathered from many different angles
2. Synthesize the information
3. Merge two facts and see how they fit together
4. Connect the information with what you already know, nothing exists in a vacuum
5. As tentative or partial ideas come to you, no matter how crazy or incomplete, document them on the index card, one idea per card
6. Do not stop until you have at least one partial or incomplete idea
7. When everything is a jumble or it is pointless for you to do additional work, it is time for the next step

Step 3: Incubation

1. Turn over the problem to your subconscious mind
2. Work on an unrelated task or do something which stimulates the imagination and emotions

Step 4: Eureka! I have It

1. When you least expect it, the idea comes to you

Step 5: Shaping & Developing the Idea

1. The idea will unlikely be ready to be implemented as is
2. Subject it to criticism – test it, then refine it

5 Great Ideas

1. An idea is a combination of old elements
2. The capacity to combine old elements into something new is dependent on the ability to see relationships and make connections
3. Build a reservoir of knowledge, which is filled with life experiences, facts and other information
4. Learning is a lifelong process
5. Constantly expand your experiences personally and vicariously

I liked A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young and will integrate his process into Wallas’ process. It is a fantastic idea to keep a scrapbook for general information. I had a beautiful “great ideas” jar which I broke, and have not been able to replace it. When you come across really interesting information that you are presently unable to use, where do you park it so you do not forget it? Please keep the conversation flowing by making a comment.

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James Webb Young’s technique for producing ideas

I have always prided myself on being very aware and having excellent observation skills, but every so often something happens, which takes me down a notch or two and reminds me that there is always room for improvement.

There are lessons to learn every day.

In 2003, my niece and I traveled to Grenada for the Caribbean Gift and Craft Show held in late September. As is our practice when we travel, based on recommendations from the hotel where we were staying, we hired a local as our tour guide.

We spent quite some time on a tour of a Nutmeg Factory. Having grown up in Jamaica, I was familiar with nutmegs, but I assumed that you used the nutmeg straight from the tree. I had no idea of the intricacies involved in the entire production process. During the tour, I learned that the nutmeg is separated from the mace which is subsequently used in lipstick manufacturing. The nutmeg is used as a spice, but in recent years it has also been used to make essential oils, which is good for pain relief.

Look around you, what incorrect assumptions are you making?

Life is a gift, take nothing for granted.

Again in 2007, my niece and I traveled to China for an international conference. For our trip, we booked a 4-day tour for Beijing before we traveled to Shanghai for the more formal part of our trip.

Being in Beijing reminded me of how much I take for granted. A normally simple task such as ordering in a restaurant became a major event because we did not speak the language. And, the menus did not have photos so we could not point to a dish indicating that that’s what we wanted to order.

I felt completely out of my element. Later that night, while lying on my bed in the hotel room, I was reminded of what it feels like to not be included, and to me this was a perfect lesson to be always mindful of how I treat others, and to make the extra effort to make others feel included. I have been at networking events and did not reach out to others who clearly appeared uncomfortable because I told myself that I was an introvert, so let the other person take on the responsibility.

What are simple things you can do to make others feel welcome and like they belong?

Because you are certain it is so, does not mean it is so.

There was an exercise in Did You Spot the Gorilla?: How to Recognise the Hidden Opportunities in Your Life by Richard Wiseman, where you had to fill in the missing numbers on the face of a clock with Roman numerals. I completed the exercise in seconds and thought how easy the exercise was. I was wrong! It turns out that in nearly all instances, except for the Big Ben in London, the number four is represented as IIII on clocks and watches and not IV. Richard Wiseman is from the United Kingdom so I automatically thought that this had to be a UK phenomenon.

The next day I went looking for clocks with Roman numerals and discovered that the number four was indeed represented as IIII. I always prided myself on being very observant, so I was shocked that I didn’t notice this before. I asked many of my friends if they had ever noticed that the four was written as IIII and not IV, and I was very pleased when they all answered no.

It appears that when the brains come across anything over and over, it tends to switch off. How many things do we miss because our brains are switched off?  And are we operating on automatic pilot?

To learn from my lessons, give your life a shake up, be aware of what is going on around you, and be grateful and appreciative for all the good you have in your life now.

• Each night before you go to sleep give thanks for three things that you are grateful for
• Be a tourist in your own city
• Participate in cultural events other than your own
• Attend a live theatre performance
• Eat at different restaurants
• Start a conversation with a stranger
• Perform a task a different way
• Hop on the train and ride it to the end of the line, get off and explore the area
• Identify five other ways you can give your life a shake up

Each day we should be striving to be better, and these are simple things we can do to evolve and blossom into the person we were meant to be.

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Photo Credit: Avil Beckford Laughing Buddha in Beijing Restaurant