Creativity Inside the Box

Do you think computers will be able to do creative thinking as humans do? The idea of artificial intelligence has been around for a very long time. And since then, it has been rising in popularity. But what are the limits to it? How far will technology go in taking over this important task? 

You have probably been using technology to take over many things you're doing today. Think about robotics such as the robotic vacuum or a robotic lawnmower. Now, what would it take to have a machine or computer do systematic structured methods? 

The point of this podcast is to make the case that you can be more creative thinking by structuring your brain, using it in a systematic way, and regulating your thinking. Will computers be able to do the same, and even better than you? 

Today, let’s try to examine this closely.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. The 3 steps of the SIT method: how can a computer fulfill each step?
2. The 5 tools of SIT
3. Why my bet is on humans when it comes to parts of creative thinking
4. Let's focus on what humans can do to think in structured ways!

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Welcome to Creativity Inside the Box, formerly Innovation Inside the Box. I started this podcast back in 2020 and I was talking about innovation broadly - how you get new products and services to market with a decidedly business-focus - but the podcast grew and evolved over the past two years. 

This podcast really is all about you, though, and I want this to be like a one-on-one conversation where we get to talk about what I’ve learned in the 20+ years of working in the field of creativity and innovation and give you some tools and techniques and some ideas that will make you a better and better person in terms of your creative output.  

So join me each week and let’s chat about how we can each become a more creative person. 

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Is there a room or a space in your home where you think you are your most creative? If not, how do you then create a space that allows you to be your most creative self? 

You've probably seen rooms dedicated to brainstorming as well as some people taking all those different efforts to create creative spaces. 

Now, let's explore it in your own experience!

There's no worse metaphor for innovation and creativity than the famous brainstorming room where you walk in and you see beanbags and cool stuff hanging from the ceiling. Well, that doesn't necessarily make you more creative because no matter where you are, ​​ideation is independent of location. 

Today, find out how you can bring out creativity no matter where you are!

1. Considering different spaces in your home
2. What are others saying online about spaces that boost creativity
3. Structured methods you can use anywhere at anytime

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Back in 2012, The New York Times released an article entitled “32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow.” It was basically a list of 32 different innovations which they predict will change the future.

In today’s episode, let's turn the clock back and see how well they did as we look ahead from 2012 to today. Now the people in 2012 couldn't possibly have predicted this pandemic. Interestingly, a lot of the innovations in the list actually resonate with the context of today’s environment. 

Sometimes, great ideas just need to percolate and bide their time until the right situation comes for them to be used. This probably has been the history of a lot of creative ideas. And so, when you get a creative idea, don't just throw it away. Store it away for that day when your super cool idea is going to find its time.

1. The analytical undies
2. The congestion killer
3. The anti-slouch screen
4. The speech jammer
5. Mind-reading shopping cart
6. CSI bathroom

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The New York Times article: 32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/03/magazine/innovations-issue.html 

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Can you really learn to be more creative? Well, of course you can, but what if you didn't want it to take the time to actually learn it? 

What, instead, if you could just take a pill? 

Imagine if you went to a meeting with your colleagues and you all got ready to just pop a pill in your mouth, a magic creativity, pill, and voila! 

It turns out that certain drugs can do just that. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how different drugs can help (or impair) your creativity. 

1. How certain drugs can actually help your creativity. 
2. How different drugs affect divergent or convergent thinking. 

Nick Skillicorn’s blog: Idea to Value

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Ever removed a cork from a wine bottle? If so, you also know how to remove a baby from its mother’s birth canal!

Just kidding. That is certainly not true. 

What is true, however, is that a very important medical device has been invented because one man learned how to remove the wine cork that was stuck in his wine bottle. He did so by using something called analog transfer. 

In this episode, I’m going to share the story of that medical invention with you. Then I’m going to explain how analog transfer was used in the story and how you can also use this method in your innovation efforts.

1. How a car mechanic took methods for removing a stuck wine work and applied it to babies stuck in the birth canal.
2. The device that was formed from his ideas.
3. What analog transfer is.
4. How to apply analog transfer in your life.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

In the world of creativity, these two terms come up quite often. They are different thinking abilities that are utilized in innovation. The question is, which one is more important and effective when it comes to creative ability?

In this episode, I answer that question. I also dive into a more thorough explanation of what both convergent and divergent thinking are. Tune in to learn all about it!

1. A quick quiz that tests your ability to think outside the box.
2. What divergent thinking is.
3. Why brainstorming doesn’t work.
4. What convergent thinking is.
5. Why you don’t need divergent ability.
6. Tools that will take care of divergent ideas for you.
7. Why it’s easier to find the benefit of a divergent idea than come up with the idea yourself.

Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Do you want to become a more creative person?

Well, of course you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be tuning into this podcast!

So, the question remains: how can you become a more creative person? The key is to be a consumer of creative products, not just a generator of creative ideas. In this episode, I want to bring to light this notion of your behaviors as a consumer of creative products and services.

Research has shown that people who are drawn to creative things tend to be better at creativity themselves. On the flip side, those who shy away from creative products tend to be less creative. Let’s dive into our spending habits and talk more about what all of this means.

1. Why we should all do more product research before buying anything.
2. Why brand knowledge is important.
3. How to analyze your purchases through the lens of creativity.
4. How to increase your consumption knowledge.
5. How to be intentional about purchasing creative things.
6. A recent example of a creative purchase I made.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Life is full of contradictions, isn’t it?

We often have two ideas in our heads that are in opposition with one another. We want one thing but we also want something else. Unfortunately, we can’t have both because they’re directly opposed.

So, what do we do?

That’s what I’m discussing in this episode. I’m going to help you navigate this very common situation. The next time you’re facing a contradiction, you’ll be equipped to handle it with confidence and even a boost in creativity.

1. Some examples of contradictions we face every day.
2. Two schools of thought on contradictions.
3. The weak link in contradictions.
4. Why all assumptions are false.
5. How to identify your assumptions.
6. Techniques I use to break contradictions.
7. Examples of how to use these techniques.

Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

The Beatles are making a comeback.

Well, sort of.

They are making a comeback but in a different format than we’re used to. They are appearing in a new documentary called Get Back which you can stream now on Disney Plus. The documentary is a distilled version of over 150 hours of footage of the Beatles from back in January of 1969. In it, they attempt to write and record 14 songs in just over two weeks. It is truly a spectacle to see how they produce music together.

I thought it would be interesting to dive into the documentary and consider it through the lens of creativity. So, in this episode, I discuss some of the lessons of structured creativity we can learn from Get Back.

1. All of the attention Get Back is getting in the media.
2. Why the Beatles started with a partial solution and worked backward to create a full song.
3. Why creativity requires hard work.
4. Why constraints are a necessary condition for creativity to occur.
5. How diversity magnifies our creative output.

Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com