John Cleese reveals the secret to creativity as being: Boundaries of space and boundaries of time.
This is not a bad piece of advice, however when it comes to truly BIG ideas it strikes me that something else is needed, which is innate or, as some suggest, able to be taught.
The International Center for Studies in Creativity says, "Creativity is an effective resource that resides in all people and within all organizations. Our more than thirty years of research has conclusively demonstrated that creativity can be nurtured and enhanced through the use of deliberate tools, techniques and strategies."
[http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm] - This page is quite an interesting brief exploration of creative thinking, the barriers to it and the methods that encourage it. I'm not entirely convinced by some of the author's examples highlighting the differences between what he terms an "ordinary person" and a creative person, for instance:
Ordinary Person: "What are you doing?"
Creative Person: "We're painting our mailbox."
Ordinary Person: "You're crazy."
However, one of his 'Positive Attitudes for Creativity' did strike a chord with me:
"A belief that most problems can be solved. By faith at first and by experience later on, the creative thinker believes that something can always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every problem. Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where this commitment is present, few things are impossible."
This is certainly true of the creative thinkers at All about the Idea. If I had a penny for every time it has been said around here, in response to a particular "detail" (as our enlightened founder likes to call them) or difficulty that has arisen, "well, we make it happen", I would be a very rich woman.
Business solutions is what we do. For that, bags of 'can do' attitude are needed. Sorry John, not just boundaries of space and boundaries of time.
See if you can come up with something special in entering our Idea Awards.
This is not a bad piece of advice, however when it comes to truly BIG ideas it strikes me that something else is needed, which is innate or, as some suggest, able to be taught.
The International Center for Studies in Creativity says, "Creativity is an effective resource that resides in all people and within all organizations. Our more than thirty years of research has conclusively demonstrated that creativity can be nurtured and enhanced through the use of deliberate tools, techniques and strategies."
[http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm] - This page is quite an interesting brief exploration of creative thinking, the barriers to it and the methods that encourage it. I'm not entirely convinced by some of the author's examples highlighting the differences between what he terms an "ordinary person" and a creative person, for instance:
Ordinary Person: "What are you doing?"
Creative Person: "We're painting our mailbox."
Ordinary Person: "You're crazy."
However, one of his 'Positive Attitudes for Creativity' did strike a chord with me:
"A belief that most problems can be solved. By faith at first and by experience later on, the creative thinker believes that something can always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every problem. Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where this commitment is present, few things are impossible."
This is certainly true of the creative thinkers at All about the Idea. If I had a penny for every time it has been said around here, in response to a particular "detail" (as our enlightened founder likes to call them) or difficulty that has arisen, "well, we make it happen", I would be a very rich woman.
Business solutions is what we do. For that, bags of 'can do' attitude are needed. Sorry John, not just boundaries of space and boundaries of time.
See if you can come up with something special in entering our Idea Awards.