Simple Innovation: How To Optimize Your Creative Prowess

“Just as energy is the basis of life itself, and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement and progress.”
~ Ted Levitt

Post written by Kevin Tyler Smith. Connect with me on Twitter. I always enjoy meeting new people.

There I was sitting in my seat accepting Mr. Parker’s next assignment with sweet anticipation. When I heard all that the project entailed, I was like a kid in a candy shop. I’m sure I wasn’t alone though. I would imagine every person in that room who enjoyed the thrill of competition and the taste of victory could have used a mop for their desks from rapturous salivation.

Up until that moment, my 7^th grade wood shop class was mundane complete with all the lamps and bookends anyone would ever need. This next assignment changed the paradigm of what is possible. It opened new doors of expression, innovation and creativity that I was more than willing to enter.

The assignment?

The project was to design, draft and build a small scale CO2 race car then challenge your peers to a racing duel. My plan was to have the best of the best. I was going to crush this and every racer that stood in my path. So I set forth with the design where aerodynamics was my only focus. From the draft drawing I transformed that block of wood into an aerodynamic dream. There was no doubt in my mind, I was going to the “winner’s circle” baby. What happened next on race day goes something like this….

When it was time to lift the shroud and unveil all cars on race day, I did so with pride. I just knew I would have to ward off all gawkers wanting to catch a glimpse of my slick racing machine. However, my worst fears came to fruition. All praise rained down on a few other cars and mine was on the receiving end of some pretty hearty laughs.

Why? Even though my car would have gently cut through the wind, it was too bulky. I ran a deficit in creative prowess as I did not take into account the innovation required to reduce the car’s weight. On the contrary, I still think my car was pretty nifty even though it didn’t win a race. It simply was the victim of more inspired design and innovation. From this experience I had something to build on if I ever had to build a CO2 car again.

How to optimize your creativity…

Innovation is a talent that everyone has, yet most people are not convinced of that fact. If you’ve ever marvelled at someone’s creative prowess, guess what?, you can create and innovate too.  It just takes a bit of practice, time and a dash of experience to draw upon before this mind function comes easily when called.

The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential – because the truth is, everybody has potential. By the way, do you remember how long it took you to learn to ride a bike or drive a car or to never commit the same mistake again? The same applies to innovation and creativity. Now it’s time to optimize this process.

1. Don’t listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don’t waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won’t. Plus, the help you will probably get will come in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses that walked before us listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.
2. Record your dreams. Aren’t some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you’ve had these dreams before and I’m sure you have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. Jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.
3. Rock your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You’ll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.
4. Don’t hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don’t need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don’t need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter series on bits of tissue. So what, if you’ve got an expensive digital camera? It’s not going to help if you’re a crappy photographer. Who cares if you’ve got a blinging laptop if you can’t write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft. He knows what works and what doesn’t.
5. Don’t worry about inspiration. You can’t force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to appear. For those unpredictable yet inevitable moments, you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas you poor unfortunate soul, you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and small pocket notebook within your arm’s reach at all times.

“The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” ~ Edwin H. Land

The most important part of this process is developing the mindset of believing you have innovative potential that flows within you. In order to tap into your creativity, don’t be afraid to draw on past experiences while testing your own boundaries. Throw in a little patience and before long, you will be stretching what you ever thought was possible.

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What Now? Stay in touch and stay connected – I recommend: The simple art of World Domination

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