Category: Creativity

I am loving the hypertext today … it started with a definition of design quoted on Guy Kawasaki’s blog:

Design consists of creating things for clients who may not know what they want, until they see what you’ve done, then they know exactly what they want, but it’s not what you did.

But then following it to its source, the discussion of design opens out further.

All this goes to heart of what it means to be creative while working within a business environment. There are always going to be compromises, there are always going to be tensions … and yet we expect that the creative process will be smooth. As we push our creative teams to come up with yet another innovation, or something that "we have never seen before", we should also be making sure that we are open to something that might surprise us.

As Seth Godin says, we may not know creativity or innovation … but we will know success when it "smashes us in the face". Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately), in the business world, creatives are not the ones who make the decisions on risk … it is the entrepreneur who has to take on, manage and accept risk. That is their job. Sometimes they just don’t see the creativity or innovation … but it is YOUR job to communicate it to them and lead them through the signals and noise. And sometimes, just sometimes, you need to put your arse on the line. Just make sure you believe your idea because you are going to need a thick hide!

S.

Update: this article seems to be getting a bit of attention at the moment … take a look also at this more recent post on difficult people, as well as Russell Davies’ discussion here.

Have you ever seen strange footprints in the garden? Ever wondered who left them … or why your garden or public space appears different from yesterday? Perhaps you have a guerilla in your garden.

The site (and nocturnal activities) are run and orchestrated by Richard Reynolds. I love the way that he uses web 2.0 technology to not only get his story out, but to allow that story to be ACTIVATED. For example, he uses Google Maps to show Guerilla Gardening locales and he uses the blog format to post news and information … and to gather his troops all around the world.

Russell Davies is right (as is often the case) … that having an idea is one thing, but the energy, ability and determination to make it happen is another thing altogether. And in Richard’s case it shows how strategic thinking can inform a strong, tactical campaign — see his press clippings as well as the actual number of people who have become involved with his project. It makes me think that 100 recorded acts of guerilla gardening will be only the beginning!

It is a shame that I have an unnaturally BLACK thumb (I have even killed a cactus!) otherwise I might just join up. But then again, even with my best efforts there may be some colour around for a day or two … plenty of time to give us all something to think about!

S.

It has been a while since I have been able to read a lot of blogs … there seem to be quite a few restrictions on blogs from within China — which means that the sites you are interested in may time out while you are waiting for them. So now that I am back there are plenty of posts to catch up on!

Where to begin? With a story, of course!

Back when I was a student and very interested in theatre, I was passionately interested in Romantic Literature … and particularly interested in the idea that melancholic ideas were stronger than happy ones. This is also reflected in news stories — the more horrific the headline, the more papers that are sold. As marketers this presents some challenges — we are team based, idea driven and have to please our clients before we even get to the consumer.

We are all naturally drawn to happy people (even though we may be intrigued by DOUR poets). And as this post from Russell Davies shows, being happy is good for innovation and creativity. In fact, it is essential for sustaining a high level of team performance. For example, the team I was with in China worked exceptionally well together, despite hardly knowing each other (and speaking multiple languages). We were able to overcome the stresses of long days, communication problems and a range of issues in and out of our control — by generating a strong and happy sense of engagement with each other.

At the end of one long day I was ready to stay in the hotel room. BUT I knew I couldn’t. I knew I had to take on the challenge and go out for a 2-3 hour dinner — I had to be open to the food and company that was on offer. So I went and shared crunchy jelly fish head, local beer and the company of my colleages — and found by shifting my own thinking that I was able to lift the spirits of my tired friends too.

The power of negativity is easy to fall into … but the energy of being positive is so much more fun!

S.

Good ideas don’t come from "no where", they are actually the product of deep (and often unconscious) thinking processes. Even the ideas that spring into your mind are the end result of a long creative process — where your conscious and unconscious minds work together to solve a problem. Sometimes it is not the "solution" that springs to mind, but the "problem".

Often, it is only when you are actively brainstorming something, that you uncover the REAL problem, or the "root cause". Once you have the root cause, you will often find that the "answer" is easy to find because you have already done all the hard work of problem solving along the way. The problem is, is that most people will not get as far as the root cause. They will find a solution earlier.

So how do you know when you have a REAL solution to a REAL problem? You will know because a good idea is not friendly — it will hit you like an axe. It should wake you up. It should make you wonder HOW you are going to do it. It should raise more questions.

It should be, in Kafka’s words "… an axe for the frozen sea inside you".

But a good idea is also compelling. You wont be able to let it go. It will gnaw at your consciousness.

I loved the way that Seth Godin shows that ideas can be implemented easily. But often, creativity and innovation take longer to realise. A good idea will never become more than a good idea without the energy, commitment and passion to bring it to life. You need to find an audience, tell a story and keep going even when you and your idea keeps being rejected.

Your challenge is to turn it around … turn the idea into an axe that can break down the doors.

S.

The life of a kid can be full of surprises. A simple walk down the street can turn into a huge adventure — complete with danger, drama and objective to achieve. The interesting thing is (as Russell Davies points out) that this mode of thinking for kids is becoming codified in an unusual way. It is using the language and thought structures of computer games.

This link between imaginative play and scenario building and gaming is quite pervasive. It can help explain the way that kids are able to rapidly understand complex scenarios (such as new online or hand held games or even how to program a video recorder) — their logic for understanding the world draws upon the very structures of gaming. This also means that there are lesser distinctions between the virtual and real worlds for the generations for whom there has ALWAYS BEEN an Internet.

And, of course, as these kids grow older they will become highly tech-savvy consumers (if they are not already). It makes me think that marketers will need to consider the effect of these "gaming" modes of thought if they are to successfully engage the consumers of the future. It is a whole new, and more complex, method of storytelling. But oh so exciting too!

S.