Creativity: Combining Two Ideas into One
My corporate work focuses on creativity and innovation. Goal-Free Living is the personal manifestation of that work — creative living. From time to time I will post interesting tidbits on creative thinking in general.
As background, my perspective on creativity is very simple. It is not about invention. Rather it is about collecting and connecting dots — bringing together two (or more) ideas to create an altogether new idea.
What do you get when you combine a camcorder with an iPod? The JVC Everio G series. A digital camcorder that uses a hard drive rather than tape. Up to 7 hours of video on one hard drive. Plus you can do simple edits on the camera – like deleting scenes, even if they are in the middle of your “tape.” You can set up playlists (like on the iPod). Plus downloading to your computer is as simple as using iTunes. No need for the tape, which slows data transfer significantly.
As I think through the possibilities, I can see future generations of this product morphing into a video iPod-like player. Record not just your vacations, but potentially download your favorite videos or TV shows (a la TiVo To-Go) on this device. It is already portable enough to carry around. And, if they can separate the playback system from the lens and recording device, you might have the best of all worlds. A small detachable video player that can connect to a larger recorder.
Another interesting (yet less practical) combination of two things: a fork and a pizza cutter.
In your business (or life) how can you combine two ideas together to create something new? Stuck for ideas? Read magazines and rip out pictures or words that you find interesting. This is a great source of new ideas. Force yourself to make combinations.
In doing this, you may get an idea for a new product, a new service, or a new career.
If you found this article useful or interesting, please press the "Like" button and post a Facebook comment below.
Today, Feed the Ducks
Yesterday for lunch I did something I haven’t done in a while. I went to the local park, brought along a book, and watched people feed the ducks on the pond. One guy had several loaves of chopped up bread that he threw to the ducks and birds. I assume he bought week (or month) old bread at a steep discount. It was a spectacular way to unwind and appreciate life. I overheard comments of one couple saying, “We should do this more often.” Someone else said, “This is my favorite thing to do.” This park is only a few miles away from me, and yet I have not been there in years. Sometimes the best things in life are right there in front of our noses….and free. And yet we are moving so fast that we don’t think to take advantage of these opportunities. Look around your neighborhood. Read the local newspaper. What are the simple pleasures you have overlooked? The ones that either you have forgotten or are too busy to do. Or maybe you are waiting for a friend to visit from out of town, because that is when you do the fun stuff. Don’t wait. Make time…today.
If you found this article useful or interesting, please press the "Like" button and post a Facebook comment below.
Attractive = Money?
A Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis study found that good looking people make more money – 5% more than their less attractive counterparts. Economists also say that taller white men have a 1.8-percent increase in wages for every additional inch of height over the national median.
The reasons? There are many theories. Some say it is due to discrimination. Plain and simple. And that may be part of the reason. However, I believe that “confidence” is another key factor. Their looks have been positively reinforced over the years, giving them a stronger sense of self.
I recently met a powerful and beautiful woman who is a bit overweight. She writes books to help people deal with eating disorders. As she likes to say, “Life does not start when you lose 5 more pounds.” Enjoy life now. Embrace your humanness.
I had my own experience with the impact — or perceived impact — of looks. Be sure to check out my earlier blog entry on this topic.
If you found this article useful or interesting, please press the "Like" button and post a Facebook comment below.
Quote of the Day
“I dread success. To have succeeded is to have finished one’s business on earth, like the male spider, who is killed by the female the moment he has succeeded in courtship. I like a state of continual becoming, with a goal in front and not behind.” – George Bernard Shaw
Although he says he likes to have a “goal” in front, his description is totally goal-free!
If you found this article useful or interesting, please press the "Like" button and post a Facebook comment below.
How Bali Made Me Rich
Here is an email I recently received from Jana Stanfield — a talented musician and keynote speaker.
It was December, the summer of 2003 in Bali. My beloved friend Holly Steil and I went to Bali because we’d always heard how spiritual and special it is.
Trading our money for local currency, we discovered that about $100 U.S. gave us about $1 million Bali dollars. This is when my lessons about wealth began.
1. Carrying $1 million in your fanny pack every day helps you answer important questions like: Do I feel different now that I’m a millionaire? Do I have less problems now that I’m a millionaire? Why not? Am I happier? Why not?
2. Holly and I were treated like the Hilton Sisters, Paris and Nikki. There we were, walking around with millions, able to buy anything we wanted on this beautiful island, but instead of wanting to buy everything, I found myself wanting to give. I noticed that I felt uncomfortable being a millionaire with so many good people around me living happily with so much less.
3. One day I told Guna, our guide, that I was afraid I’d accidentally paid $70,000 for a call to my husband instead of $7,000. I thought the grey-haired Balinese man at the phone shop had taken advantage of me. Guna assured me that it was unlikely. “In the Hindu culture, greed is an enemy of the spirit. Having a pure spirit means everything to the Balinese.” I felt ashamed for wrongly accusing the man of cheating me, when I had more in my pocket than he would make all year.
4. Greed, an enemy of the spirit. In our country, greed is glorified. Those with the most money are admired and even envied, like the Joneses we’re always trying to keep up with. Guess what? In Bali, envy is an enemy of the spirit, too.
5. If I were rich . . . I’d spend more time on endeavors that nourish my spirit. I’d give more to charity without worrying about myself. I’d trust that I’ll always have more than enough. I’d stop postponing all those adventures I plan to enjoy “when I get ahead.”
I’ve never been the same. I stopped being so financially-driven and so career-driven. I stopped being financially afraid and became financially free. The trip increased my faith in so many ways. That’s why I’m going back for the third time, and why I hope you’ll go with me.
If you would like to find out about Jana’s Bali trip, go to http://www.janastanfield.com/bali/
800 CEO READ
Indiebound
