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Right Brain Workoutsby Peter LloydFive Seconds into the Future of InventionFeb-09-10Nothing puts the spurs to invention like a good, solid, unrelenting, no-exceptions deadline. And perhaps nobody knows this better than the teams who compete every year in the 48-Hour Film Project competition.
Play It Again, Spam!Feb-05-10Smart inventors and innovators look for inspiration anywhere. And I've found some of the most inspiring invention models in the creative efforts of criminals. That's because, in general, people beyond the pale have to be more ingenious. For one thing, there are fewer instructions, recipes, and how-tos within easy reach or role models giving seminars.
Who You Callin' Stupid?Mar-30-09Remember the school bully? In any verbal dispute he had a very limited supply of two- or three-word comebacks: "Oh, yeah?" "Nuh-uh!" "I'll kill you." Well, he's back and he's us.
Drawing on YourselfMar-27-09How would you like to take a trip, deep into the uncharted wilds of your unconscious? May I suggest you invite along someone like Christina Wehling. She's a sculptor and an art therapist. With her help, your trip becomes a process of creative self-discovery.
I believe that the principal guide in our lives has to be our inner guide. That we all have within us the capacity to be our own best friend or our own worst enemy. And that nature speaks to us through this unconscious that we have, through our inner person. It isn't coming from outside, it's coming from inside.With Christina as your guide, you'll soak up a treasure of rich, visual images. And upon your return, begin drawing vivid pictures from recent memory. The Game of the NameMar-25-09You're holding a paint chip called Oriental Silk thinking, this looks an awful lot like Ivory. And you're right. Every so often crayon makers and paint formulators update the names of their colors.
Understanding DoodlesMar-23-09"Pay attention!" my teacher used to snap, whenever she caught me doodling. I learned, like most of us, that most people interpret doodling as inattention. Now we have news that we're wrong. Doodling doesn't reduce concentration, it enhances it.
Discovering ColumbusMar-20-09Was Christopher Columbus a bold adventurer, expanding human horizons? Or more like a venture imperialist, who happily threw open the doors to an orgy of genocide?
Discovering AmericaMar-18-09To make a real honest mistake, you have to go in earnest after one thing and be open to whatever you actually find. Like Christopher Columbus. He set out to find a new route to the Indies. And he failed. But he made do with a new world, even though today's flat-Earthers would eventually mock him.
Dream PowerMar-16-09Creative problem solving requires at least one rule. It may be the one and only problem-solving rule we need to invent and innovate successfully. It's this: everyone involved must attack the problem while standing, if only temporarily, on common ground.
Funeral FashionMar-13-09A woman in Fort Worth, Texas, makes funeral fashions. Dresses and suits made in case you come to your final resting place with nothing to wear.
Creative MonopoliesMar-11-09Why in the world is the word creative monopolized by one department of the typical advertising agency. The creative department it's called. As if all the other departments are un-creative.
Spontaneity RulesMar-09-09Creativity is sometimes associated with letting go, acting silly, hugging strangers, exchanging gratuitous and often insincere praise and encouragement, and all sorts of feel-good, new-agey nonsense. Of course, anyone who has ever created anything useful to anybody has some idea of the discipline, determination, and sacrifice required to invent or innovate.
Testing the WatersMar-06-09If you've already read about Robert McCoy, in the previous Right Brain Workout, then you know he's the professional skeptic and founder of the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. He listed a number of worthless products on the market today. Products that would never last without a lot of people faithfully dialing flashing 800 numbers.
Imagination Gone MadMar-04-09There's a museum in Minneapolis dedicated to good ideas gone bad. It's called the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. It's founder, Robert McCoy, a professional skeptic, has collected 150 examples of medical devices that do absolutely nothing. Let's take a quick tour with McCoy as our guide.
Save the Queen! Lose the Supervisor.Mar-02-09If ant-colony organizational genius can teach us anything about getting things done, it's this: Spontaneity Rules! That is, if everyone is genuinely inclined toward success of the colony.
In Praise of AnarchyFeb-27-09Why is English the most widely spoken, richly worded language in the world? One reason is an open door. According to the PBS series, The Story of English, our language has never stationed guard dogs at its gate.
Education FactoriesFeb-25-09The way schools are run these days, I'd be proud to display a bumper sticker that reads, "My child is a disciplinary problem." Not that it's true, but if it were, I'd be proud to announce it.
The Art InstinctFeb-23-09Do humans have an art instinct? Well, you're asking the wrong person if you want an objective look at both sides of this question. Having written about creativity and innovation for so many years, I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Oh, really?" when I read, "'Art Instinct' theorizes we may be hard-wired by nature to create."
Collaborating with Your CustomerFeb-20-09Everybody has a customer. Or as Bob Dylan sang, "You're gonna have to serve somebody." So it's no surprise that innovative market researchers have replaced dry, objective, hard-knuckled research with creative forms of product play. It's sort of like collaborating with rather than examining your customer.
Making MistakesFeb-18-09No matter how many times a trainer yells, "Keep your guard up!" it never really sinks in until the first time a boxer gets punched in the nose. With that in mind, what should you do when someone under you makes a mistake? Make them pay for it?
What Dummy Taught BaseballFeb-16-09Why wouldn't the Cincinnati Reds pick up William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy from the Boston Beaneaters in 1894? He couldn't hear and he didn't speak, but he was a great ball player. His last play with the Boston team clinched them the pennant. A spectacular outfield grab in thick, San Francisco fog.
ProblemsFeb-13-09When I was about nine years old I thought that if the world would just make me their dictator, I would kill all the bad guys. But even back then I realized that in order to carry out my plan, I would need a lot of bad guys.
Random AnswersFeb-11-09In the Turing Test humans face off with a few computer terminals. The human subjects type a line which appears on the terminal, and in a matter of seconds a reply appears. They continue, back and forth, just as if they were conversing.
Crossword CreativityFeb-09-09We can learn to innovate, invent, and be more creative from just about anything. Here are seven lessons I learned from working crossword puzzles.
RewardsFeb-06-09There's no shortage of experts willing to tell you, for a fee, what it is that will make your employees generate more and better ideas. Be careful. It's a lot easier than you think. I say, if you just listen to your people and start putting their ideas into practice, you'll do just fine.
The Crown of CreationFeb-04-09We all agree that kids are pretty creative creatures. So it's hilarious to see an adult go through all sorts of teaching contortions to convince a child of something the natural innovator will eventually figure out anyway.
Even More Idea SourcesFeb-02-09Last week in "More Idea Sources," I posted the comments of five writers who told us how they get their ideas. Clear to me was how similar their path followed the ways of Socrates, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Goethe, Mozart, Poe, Amy Lowell, Dostoyevsky, and Walter Lantz that I published last November.
Not Invented HereJan-30-09A lot of companies want a creative culture, but not all of them want to do what it takes to have one. Naturally they don't lead the world when it comes to inventing successful, new-to-the-world products.
Creative FireJan-28-09Ever notice how a really great idea ignites more great ideas? How a great idea fires people up? When John F. Kennedy promised that America would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, the idea literally took off.
More Idea SourcesJan-26-09Last November we saw how Socrates, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Goethe, Mozart, Poe, Amy Lowell, Dostoyevsky, Walter Lantz, and Jagdish Parikh, an international management expert, got their ideas. Now it's time to see how some not-so-famous people, like you and I, get theirs.
LemonsJan-23-09Ann Piening McMahon was one of 11,000 workers laid off by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis some years ago. For ten years she worked as a laser communications satellite specialist. Not a job that's easy to find.
I'm Not CreativeJan-21-09Anyone who's ever said, "I'm not creative," please read carefully. Yes, you are. And I can prove it.
Inadequacy, the Slave Driver of InventionJan-19-09In his seminal book on the nature of creativity The Act of Creation, polymath Arthur Koestler coined the word bisociation to describe what we less eloquently call a combination or connection of ideas. Koestler would say, "bisociation—an association between two or more previously unconnected elements."
Dead TeachersJan-16-09In 1990, Scott Anderson was an Indiana elementary school teacher just plain fed up with the bone-headed bureaucracy, administrative apathy, and the contempt for creativity he felt was frustrating his attempts to teach.
Creative AccountingJan-14-09In 1532 Francisco Pizarro came before the court of the Inca, seemingly in peace, but set on conquest. He noticed that certain members of the Incan court wore knotted ropes around their waists. Assuming these ropes were rosaries, he ordered his men to ambush the men who wore them.
Natural GeniusJan-12-09While we think of ourselves as the planet's only inventors, we can't help but marvel at the variety and innovation of form and behavior we find among other living and even non-living things. The fact that brilliant adaptations are driven by blind, random mutation doesn't diminish the value of the solutions nature offers.
Garbage PickersJan-09-09Want to tap the world's greatest renewable source of creative energy?They're already on your payroll. Your people are full of ideas. All you have to do is encourage creative thinking, and listen.
Telephone BoothJan-07-09This is a creativity test. We're going back to the days when the phone booth was about the only alternative to the desk phone. You're the president of a company that makes phone booths.
Success: A Wall of ContextJan-05-09This is the last in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to escaping the Four Cages of Context, the principal impediments to greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. Today we'll escape the cage of Success.
Success is 99-percent failure. RoutineJan-02-09I, for one, find great comfort in mindless routine. Why rethink the way I brush my teeth? Or tie my shoes? Why change the path of my daily morning walk?
scrawkcaBDec-31-08Don Winkler says, "The dumber the question, the more people laugh at you, the more likely it will lead to a breakthrough." And he should know. Don does lots of things backwards, not necessarily on purpose. He has a dyslexic brain.
Order: A Cage of ContextDec-29-08This is the third in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to escaping the Four Cages of Context, the principal impediments to greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. Today we'll escape the cage of Order.
The line it is drawn/The curse it is cast Imaginary FriendsDec-26-08This is the story of two monsters, Dafi (below, left) and Haneen (below, right), who have discovered that they share at least one thing in common—love for their favorite foods. "Hummus! Falafel!" they squeal with delight.
How Am I Doing?Dec-24-08You've seen the signs on the backs of semis. "How am I driving? Call 1 800 EAT DIRT." Or something to that effect. Those signs are inspired by a cruder version with a real 800-number. How do you feel about being asked to be a snitch?
Affinity: A Cage of ContextDec-22-08This is the second in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to escaping the Four Cages of Context, the principal impediments to greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. Today we'll escape the cage of Affinity.
It gives me great pleasure indeed to see the stubbornness of an incorrigible nonconformist warmly acclaimed. Innovative SinglesDec-19-08I asked a group of single, middle-aged adults to write a personal ad about themselves. Then we talked about creativity, after which I asked them to write another personal ad. Here's what happened:
Shoot the MoonDec-17-08I've been taken to task more than once for stating that anybody can be creative. Sorry, I won't take it back. But I will elaborate.
Knowledge: A Cage of ContextDec-15-08This is the first in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to escaping the Four Cages of Context, the principal impediments to greater creativity, innovation, invention, problem solving, and human progress. Today we'll escape the cage of Knowledge.
I had no fixed idea derived from long-established practice Living with AmbiguityDec-12-08I got off the plane at Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland, and noticed two clocks at either end of the main lobby. They disagreed, by about five minutes. I mentioned this discrepancy to a baggage handler, and he wasted no time teaching me an important lesson in creative thinking.
Crazy BossesDec-10-08I want to pass along the gist of an article by Stanley Bing in Across the Board. It classifies five types of crazy bosses.
The Four Cages of ContextDec-08-08You and I are Creative Animals. Like all the other animals in our kingdom, we're here today because we've passed the test of Natural Selection. We clothing-covered bipeds passed this test by learning to innovate, invent, and solve problems in remarkably creative ways.
Space and TimeDec-05-08Why are creative people never on time? My friend, Ernie, one of the most creative people I've ever known, was never on time. You see, when Ernie said he'd meet me at 11, it meant he'd think about leaving sometime before noon. It drove me crazy until I learned to adjust my clock.
ConformityDec-03-08I used to think that people of past generations were not as good looking as we are today. That was until I worked as an extra on the set of The Public Eye.
Playing Binocular SoccerDec-01-08There's nothing more ridiculous to watch than managers mired in day-to-day details. Well at least I thought there was nothing more ridiculous until I watched Binocular Soccer.
RebellionNov-28-08How do you feel about this statement? "A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical."
Stop SignNov-26-08Here follows the actual court-stenographer's transcript of the proceedings in State of Pennsylvania versus Gill Sans. The events referred to occurred in the city of Trebuchet, in the county of Ersatz. An important lesson in the rule of law vis-à-vis creativity and innovation is contained herein.
Courage and AutonomyNov-24-08Nothing sells like success. Creativity consultants, innovation proponents, and the Cowardly Lion have pitched the idea of bottom-up management forever. But here it is again from one of the architects of a success story that shook the world.
The Source of IdeasNov-21-08Ever wonder where ideas come from? I do. I know they come through the right brain, but where does the right brain get them? I opened a book called Brainstorms and Thunderbolts. Here's what I found:
Mothers of InventionNov-19-08Agatha Christie once took issue with the old saw, "Necessity is the mother of invention." She said the real mother is laziness.
Firefly Idea SellerNov-17-08Who doesn't love animals? Furry, purring kittens. Loyal, loving dogs. But when you're reminded that insects are animals, too, are we still talking love?
HippocratesNov-14-08It seems the Hippocratic Oath has become an endangered species. No "save the oath" groups rising to its defense, though. How in the world did it last this long? I wonder.
Taking PicturesNov-12-08Dick Summer helps people motivate themselves. He's a man so full of ambitions, abilities, and ideas, that, when you talk with him, you have to listen.
WikilegislationNov-10-08It is impossible to ignore the innovation implications of the election of Barack Obama—a black man with a name that sounds like the West's worst enemy—as President of the United States.
Face on the EggNov-07-08In "Life Is a Highway: Study Confirms Cars Have Personality," Innovations Report summarizes research that concludes, "many people see human facial features in the front end of automobiles."
Strange but TrueNov-05-08I'm sitting here on this huge, dirty, old rock, when I look up and see a furnace in the sky. It's looks about as big as a dime, and yet I can feel it's heat.
Evaluation ApprehensionNov-03-08In the lexicon of psychology, evaluation apprehension theory predicts that when we work in the presence of others, our concern over what they will think can enhance or impair our performance.
OrderOct-31-08The Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes, has attributed the success of capitalism over Soviet socialism to the West's "constant self-criticism."
The Thomas Edison BluesOct-29-08A long time ago, I took a History of Broadcasting course at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Jack, our instructor, spent a good deal of time on the story of the great inventor Thomas Edison.
The Creative JudgeOct-27-08When I happen upon a innovative idea, I'm often struck by where I usually find it—right under my nose. Typically I remark to myself, why didn't I see it sooner?
Just Say NoOct-24-08More than 30 years ago a study published in the Harvard Business Review determined that white-collar workers could have ten times more time by not wasting time. Part of that waste is unproductive innovation—time spent re-inventing the wheel.
Supreme OriginalityOct-22-08The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision some time ago ruled that there is not a lick of creativity in the white pages of the phone book. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor went so far as to say they are "devoid of even the slightest trace of creativity."
Why Not Hip Hop?Oct-20-08We would never expect America's C-Span to win awards for the creativity or innovation of their television productions. That's not what they're after. But it wouldn't take much for C-Span to liven up its sleepier moments and at the same time attract, perhaps, a wider audience.
Vive la Différence!Oct-17-08Why does the Boston Consulting Group advise its MBA-decorated clients with co-innovation experts who haven't earned MBAs--the degree once considered indispensable for business managers?
Jack Daniel, InnovatorOct-15-08When Jack Daniel moved his distillery into Moore County, Tennessee, it was to get away from a religious congregation. The former owner was a preacher from another county, where his congregation let him know he had to choose between the pulpit and the whiskey business.
Staying Invention-ReadyOct-13-08The inventors of Breathe Right adhesive strips were much better designers than the designer of the nose. It was George Carlin, if I remember correctly, who observed that the nose, a runny, open orifice is situated right above the mouth.
Its Own SakeOct-10-08In any discussion about creativity, innovation, invention, art, or music, you're likely to hear the notion that creativity for the sake of creativity is not a good thing.
Homespun InnovationOct-08-08Creative solutions don't always have to come from struggle and sweat. Innovation is sometimes right under your nose, around the corner, or back home where you grew up.
Old Habits Die HardOct-06-08You'd be justified in suspecting the worst, should you ever walk into a room where I perform the following demonstration.
Persistence of IgnoranceOct-03-08A limitation of our eyes enables us to see movies as fluid motion, when we're actually looking at a series of dozens of images each second. It's called Persistence of Vision. A similar phenomenon might be called Persistence of Ignorance.
Waiting for InventionOct-01-08Ever hail a great idea with an exclamation like, "I wish I had thought of that!" Or along the same lines, ever wonder why some obvious bright ideas did not become great inventions sooner?
The Wisdom of CollaborationSep-29-08After defining a problem as something that has a yet-to-be-found solution, somebody a whole lot sharper that I is supposed to have observed that, "if there's no solution, then it's not a problem."
Brautigan LibrarySep-26-08Here's an innovative idea from the world of libraries, even though it may not be that new.
Told You SoSep-24-08If you hate to be told, "I told you so," you should be able to identify with the following innovators, inventors, and dreamers.
Intelligence vs. IntuitionSep-22-08I asked a number of very clever people to take a simple intuition test of my own devising.
Idea DialogSep-19-08Left Brain: Hey! Right Brain! Wake up. We've got to write another Right Brain Workout.
Creative TraditionsSep-17-08The record shows that our greatest creations have been done either in accordance with or in defiance of tradition.
Walrus TeethSep-15-08Everyone who wants to be a starving artist, raise your hand.
Boss BrainsSep-12-08Back when I was a young and spirited public relations whipper-snapper, the New York PR agency, Porter Novelli, impressed me in a big way when it conducted a survey of 100 executives from America's top companies.
Watering HoleSep-10-08Animals off all sorts gather at what we call their "watering holes." Humans in offices do the same around the water cooler or coffee maker.
Bandwagon InnovationSep-08-08In politics, there's a thing called the Bandwagon Effect. Call it "rally 'round the winner" or "the herding instinct," it boils down to following the crowd.
Work ActingSep-05-08Q: What are your strong points?
Subconscious InventionSep-03-08When Chuck Francis was down to his last six cents, he decided to become a millionaire. And he did. Sound familiar? Well, you won't find full-page newspaper ads asking you to send money to Mr. Francis.
Formula for Invention GeniusSep-01-08Inventors and scientists use formulas to express as elegantly as possible the way nature behaves. Nature, of course, doesn't check to make sure, for example, that the distance it allows an object to travel always equals time times its rate of travel.
The Art of BarkingAug-29-08When you think of all the hot air we waste trying to communicate, you'd think we'd know better than to claim superiority over animals that don't appear to talk. Why should they?
Big Kid InnovationAug-27-08Mozart was not a stodgy prodigy. His childhood travels often brought him to the tavern, where he would head for the spittoon and amuse the locals with spitting games.
The Curb-Cut EffectAug-24-08If we're lucky, that is, if we don't die young, we're all going to be disabled. Oh, if you can't read this, try increasing the font size on your browser.
ForeignersAug-22-08The great German conductor, Michael Gielen, wrote a letter to his season subscribers that offers very helpful advice to those of us who are turned off by modern music, or for that matter, anything foreign.
The Wright StuffAug-20-08Every important innovation travels in uncharted territory. To propel your new idea through uncharted territory, you always have to make and break the rules. To get comfortable with rule-breaking, it helps to develop a good deal of creative arrogance.
Protecting Baby IdeasAug-18-08If you've ever had an idea, you know what I'm talking about. You get all excited, tell it to someone whose opinion you value, and the next thing you know, your idea dies.
WYSIWYGAug-15-08Any innovator who wants to break new ground should never hesitate to question authority. This is not a call to rebellion but a call to common sense--authorities are so often wrong. And if they happen to be right, they're usually way behind.
DeadlinesAug-13-08According to an old article in Discover magazine, Russian scientist and intrepid innovator Andrei Linde has set his creative sights on nothing less than understanding what life is. His method is to study the boundaries of the irrational with the tools of rationality.
Birds and BeesJul-23-08As the great and innovative inventor of melody and song Cole Porter advised,
Birds do it Mother Nature, InventorJul-18-08Animals inspire us in many ways. Some inventors even look to them for creative help with their inventions.
Naming Your InventionJul-16-08You've invented a product or service. Now, what to name your innovation? You can make the naming process even more complicated than the process of invention. Or with a few guidelines in mind, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
The Scatological ConnectionJul-08-08Every revolutionary breakthrough invention or innovation begins with what appears to be a stupid, dangerous, or at least an impractical idea. At the same time, critical breakthrough-thinking is driven by an off-limits or forbidden desire to flaunt a taboo.
Old Creative AdviceJul-06-08In a letter to a friend suffering from "lack of creative power," Friedrich Schiller writes, "it hinders the creative work of the mind--if intellect examines too closely the ideas already pouring in... at the gates."
Handcuffing CreativityJul-04-08"Employees aren't allowed on the internet," he replied sheepishly. Reading my astonishment, he nodded empathetically.
Invention from AdversityJul-02-08As a child, Jerry McLaughlin sampled the fruit of the paw-paw tree, sometimes called the Indiana banana. It made him sick. But cancer patients may one day thank Jerry, because many years later, as a chemist looking for plants that might kill cancer cells, he remembered the paw-paw.
Thinking YoungJun-30-08A group of first-graders and a group of adults were seated at a basketball game. They were asked to count the number of times the players passed the ball. Which group do you think came up with the more accurate count?
Breaking the RulesJun-27-08I picked up A. J. Jacobs's The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible and found it to be one of the most innovative works of research I've ever read.
SpidermanJun-25-08Chuck Kristensen was just a biologist who thought the spider was getting a bad rap. Few are poisonous, their bites are rarely fatal. And so as a hobby, Chuck decided to investigate what spider venom was all about.
StepsJun-23-08I accidentally discovered a new and innovative way to come up with creative ideas, and I'd like to share it with you.
Eating Outside the BoxJun-20-08Bored with your regular diet? Pinched by the rising price of groceries? You can bring innovation and creativity into your daily cuisine with a nutritious food that's better for you than red or white meat, easy to prepare, cheap and plentiful.
TalentJun-18-08How many times have you heard this? "Gosh, I wish I could play the piano like that." Usually right after a brilliant performance by a truly gifted virtuoso.
Blockbusting the EtherJun-16-08There are many ways to make yourself more innovative and creative. One of the most effective, you and Albert Einstein have mastered. At least you had it mastered at one time in your life.
Skink the LizardJun-13-08Humans have no lock on innovation. Our cousins in the animal kingdom have adapted to their environments with amazing ingenuity. For example, one of the animal kingdom's most innovative defenses is an invention of the skink lizard.
BeethovenJun-11-08Great innovators can be arrogant, impatient, moody, unpredictable, surly, sarcastic, supercilious... And not just because they're smarter than you and me. No, some of them get that way. Take Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ammo for the UncreativeJun-09-08Even if you're among the most uncreative, you have the tools to stifle innovation, invention, and new ideas that constantly threaten your comfort and security.
Unintended BenefitsJun-05-08Whenever an innovation comes along, the conscientious inventor always should consider the unintended harm or disadvantages the invention might bring along with its benefits.
Equal TimeMay-29-08It's about time. In the name of innovation, invention, and creativity, I declare that all ideas are not equal and do not merit equal time.
Dumbth Rule No. 9Apr-22-08Steve Allen has written a book I call a must-read for everyone interested in strengthening their creative-thinking muscles. It was published in 1989 as Dumbth: And 81 Ways to Make Americans Smarter and in 1998 as Dumbth: The Lost Art of Thinking with 101 Ways to Reason Better & Improve Your Mind.
Centered EyeApr-15-08The question of intuition comes up eventually whenever people discuss creativity, innovation, and how the creative process works. Some reject the idea of intuition as something magical or spiritual. Others disregard it as a shortcut for hard, intellectual work, and a principal source of error.
Cats and DogsApr-01-08Creative idea-generating techniques include those that produce surprising innovations and inventions by forcing thinkers to consider opposites. Nature teaches us this lesson. Where would we be, after all, without opposite sexes?
SlothMar-24-08This is the seventh and last in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Sloth.
AngerMar-17-08This is the sixth in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Anger.
CrosscutsMar-14-08The collision of random ideas often results in the most interesting and exciting innovations. Like the French entomologist who, while examining a wasp's nest, got the idea of manufacturing paper from wood pulp.
IdiotMar-12-08Any idiot can kill a great creative idea. All it takes is the ability to recognize that the new idea is different. Like rejecting the Model T because it doesn't have a feed bag. Or poo-pooing any innovation just because it's different. We've been known to justify our distaste for the different with the ultimate authority.
EnvyMar-10-08This is the fifth in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Envy.
The Training SandwichMar-07-08Forty-one percent of workers want to quit their jobs because they are dissatisfied with company training. So says Business Week/Up Front, "Why your workers might jump ship."
NitpickersMar-05-08Don't you just love nitpickers? The horseflies of life's hike through the woods. And they think they're so helpful. You've just put a precious part of your life into a piece of creative work, when along come the bright-eyed, ever so helpful nitpickers, who actually think they can make it better in minute or two!
LustMar-03-08This is the fourth in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Lust.
CigArsonFeb-29-08There's a story going around about a lawyer who bought a box of rare and expensive cigars and insured them against fire. It doesn't take a terribly creative mind to come up with such a loony notion. It would take some real innovative sleight of hand, however, to pull it off.
BatmanFeb-27-08This is the story of the original bat man. People called him bat man, not because he protected them from harm, which he did, but because they thought he was crazy.
GreedFeb-25-08This is the third in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Greed.
Why Windows Makes You More CreativeFeb-22-08Creative people, dressed in black, use skinny, white Macs. That's the rule. The rest of us plod along with un-cool, not-so-innovative Windows. I'm here to throw that rule out the window.
CriticsFeb-20-08"The most insolent monstrosity ever perpetrated in the history of music." That's what one critic called Bolero. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, was greeted with, "...stupid and hopelessly vulgar music!" by another. Yes, he was writing about one of music's most creative and revolutionarily innovative composers of all time!
GluttonyFeb-18-08This is the second in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Gluttony.
Toilet Seat AestheticsFeb-15-08Men and women need no more reasons to bicker. They have no trouble creating their own bones of contention. So as a public service, I would like to eliminate one source of confrontation among many heterosexual couples--the battle over whether to leave up or put down the toilet seat.
Say You Like ItFeb-13-08What do you do when your creative people present you with something you absolutely hate?
PrideFeb-11-08This is the first installment of a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I've audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Pride.
Slicing PiFeb-08-08We all know pi--the transcendental number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter. This most monumental and incredibly ennobling invention came to us from the Greeks. But the idea (that the ratio of the circumference of a circle and its diameter comes out to a little more than 3) goes back even further--to the innovative geometers of ancient Egypt, Babylonia, India, and again, those creative Greeks.
BossFeb-06-08Remember that great idea you had a few years ago--on-premises daycare. How could you forget? You brought it up to your employer, and he made you feel like an idiot, right?
The Seven Creative JuicesFeb-04-08Have you ever been involved in a creative session or an innovation initiative in which someone has not said something along the lines of "...so to get our creative juices flowing..."?
Frozen SmokeFeb-01-08John Poco of Lawrence Livermore Labs in Livermore, California, works with the lightest solid material ever made--silica aerogel. About as heavy as the air over San Francisco on a foggy day, the substance has been nicknamed "frozen smoke," because that's what it looks like. Poco and his Livermore scientists have reduced the density of aerogel and improved its composition and clarity.
99 Bottles of BeerJan-30-08I'm thinking of the last time I rode a bus full of school children. It's not pleasant, but I'm doing it so you don't have to. It's a long trip and someone eventually pipes up with, "99 bottles of beer on the wall..." An eager chorus, all those with nothing better to do, chimes in. At the same time, another group, including the parents pleads, then demands that they stop.
Innovative AnimalsJan-28-08What would you call the familiar, plastic packaging device that holds your six-pack together? Koko the gorilla speaks with the help of a word board--a tool that lets her point to icons that represent words. It's said that she used her word board to describe the six-pack holder as "bottle necklace."
Darwin Does It AgainJan-25-08About 20 minutes into their December 2005 Charlie Rose television interview, Edward O. Wilson and James D. Watson agreed that "Charles Darwin was the most important person who ever lived on Earth." Watson explained to Charlie that "Darwin was the first person, using observation and experience, to really put man in his place in the world."
Earth NameJan-23-08Maybe we'd all have a little more respect for our planet if it had a nobler name. Something other than Earth anyway. The word comes from roots that mean "base." Even today, earthy implies low or common. And why not? What's more common than earth?
Breaking the RulesJan-22-08In one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, there's a sign in the restroom that begins, "Please leave light on..."
Waiting for InventionJan-21-08Ever hail a great idea with an exclamation like, "I wish I had thought of that!" Or along the same lines, ever wonder why some obvious bright ideas weren’t introduced sooner?
Not KnowingJan-18-08In my never-ending search for the ultimate truth, I asked a group of about 30 executives, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Nine said the chicken. Five said the egg. The rest didn't answer. Except one who had the courage to admit, I don't know.
Rocket SlipsJan-12-08The student of the creative process has learned many times the value of making mistakes. I for one have paid a lot of attention to the advice of Thomas Edison. His remarks on the invention process are quoted often enough to make them almost clichés.
The Idea PlaceJan-12-08Where is your Creative Space? Where are you when you get your best ideas? Can a place actually help you be more creative? These questions have intrigued me for some time now. I've snooped around a bunch of creative spaces. Some stand alone brainstorming centers, some rooms dedicated to creative thinking inside advertising agencies and innovation-focused corporations, and some of the places I've made more conducive for my own inventive efforts.
A Girl's TouchJan-12-08At age 11, Emily Rosa staged a rather simple science project which ended up in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association. In doing so, she became the youngest person to land a research paper published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Not bad for a fourth-grader. How did such a young girl make such a big splash?
What Do I Know?Jan-12-08An article published at the end of 2007 in the New York Times, "Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike" by Janet Rae-Dupree, reminded me of what a knucklehead I've become. And not just me but all of us who think we know anything.
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