Creativity and Innovation

Imagination is the #1 under utilized capability in business.  However, with some awareness and diligence, it can make a resurgence.  A true resurgence can benefit you, your life, your business, your employees, and society.  

The most inspiring innovation usually takes place when the need is forced abruptly upon people.  All barriers to thinking "out of the box" are forced away.  The "box" unfolds allowing the thinker to look beyond the usual rules and guidelines.  Now, imagine a process that does not need so much initial force and comes in a more natural flow.  

Innovation cannot exist without creativity.  Creativity cannot exist without an unconstrained environment and culture to allow it to exist.  By unconstrained environment, as a safe free space to develop ideas without dominance or negativity cutting in. Editing has it's place, but, not too soon.  In today's world, editing happens before the ideas have come to fruition properly.  Thus the finished idea is premature and not as refined as it should be.

Creativity also takes space, time and focus. People develop their creative forces alone inside of their own heads using their own senses first.  Then aspects of the creation are shared, or not, depending upon the scope of the project.  

     (Photo 1:  A photo of a cul de sac of fallen autumn leaves. Now free associate other             words, phrases, images, sounds, sensations that describe what that image makes you           think of.  Primary, secondary or tertiary associations are very powerful tools.)

     (Photo 2:  Only after gathering some necessary information, I created this bridal                     bouquet in the "flow" of a natural self-induced vacuum.  I brought my idea to life                   totally alone.)

     (Photo 3 and 4:  Yep, that is the remnants of a blue hubbard squash in my sink.  I got             past the yuck of the guts instantly, and  realized it was a great color scheme.  It was a           small catalyst for the color scheme shown below for one of my clients.                                     Blue/green/greys and goldtones. Imagination triggers or catalysts can be everywhere.)

Idea generation is constant and evolving.  Many of today's issues cannot be solved by yesterday's solutions.  They must be hybridized, reinvented, or completely new and original. You can develop methods to help open new avenues for ideas, thus better solutions.  Rules are challenged, blind assumptions are dismissed, with inspiration turned on.

Creativity is not just a life necessity, it can be a tremendous amount of fun!  Let's come together to develop a creative toolbox for yourself, your business, non profit organization and/or club.