Creativity Inside the Box

A few episodes ago, I talked about what I considered the world's greatest invention. And in that episode, I made some disparaging comments about the wheel. I said that the wheel was not the world's greatest invention ever, how there were a lot of limitations to this idea, and I talked a little bit about its history of it. But I guess some people didn't like that.

And so, in this episode, let me give some credit back to the lonely whale and talk about its evolution, and give you some of my ideas about if you were to continue to innovate this important invention and what it would look like.

I love taking something that has been around for a long, long time and see if we can continue to innovate it. It always astounds me when you're able to take something as simple as a nail or something more complex like photography that has been around for a long time and you can still innovate. 

1. The evolution of the wheel
2. Examples of SIT applied to the wheel 
3. Some fixedness associated with the wheel
4. How do you apply SIT thinking to the wheel? 

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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

Less is more. We hear this phrase all the time, and it gives us this sense that taking things away or reducing complexity is a good thing. However, recent research suggests that people have this natural tendency to lean into any problem with a more addictive mindset.

A lot of people do it probably because it works out just fine. But now that you’ve recognized this additive bias and if you want to amp up your game, you can boost your creative output using a subtractive approach. 

In this episode, I'm going to explain the background of this research and what it means for you day in and day out if you want to be a better thinker, and more creative.  

1. An look into the study’s abstract
2. A default to searching for additive transformations and overlooking subtractive transformations
3. What does this mean for you personally? 
4. The SIT Subtraction Technique 
5. Ways to improve customer journey through subtraction

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Research: People Systematically Overlook Subtractive Changes

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03380-y  

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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

It’s time to celebrate here at Innovation Inside the Box!

We’ve passed the 50 episode mark which is a big deal for a podcast. Over the past 50 episodes, we’ve covered tons of content to help you develop your creativity and innovation abilities.

Today, I wanted to take some time to summarize the key points of what this podcast is all about. It never hurts to get a review and make sure we’ll all on the same page about the things we teach here. I also want to take some time to thank the people who have supported me through this podcasting journey and helped me get to where I am now. 

Tune in to join the celebration.

1. How creativity is a skill that anybody can learn.
2. The bad creativity methods out there.
3. A review of the SIT method.
4. Why you should start with a solution and work backward for innovation.
5. How the SIT method helps break fixedness.
6. Why constraints are necessary for creativity.
7. My appreciation for the people who have helped me out with this podcast.

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

I gave you a challenge and you stepped up.

In case you missed it, a few episodes back I discussed the multiplication technique. I also applied it to the photography industry by explaining how every facet of photography was created by the use of the multiplication technique. 

From there, I issued a challenge to all of you listeners. I challenged you to take the multiplication technique and apply it for yourself and many of you came through! I received multiple amazing ideas after the release of that episode.

So, in this episode, I’m going to share three of the ideas that were submitted. I’m explaining three of the brand new inventions you listeners created by using the multiplication technique. 

Tune in for some innovation inspiration.

1. A recap of the multiplication technique.
2. An innovation of the traditional single-lens reflex camera.
3. An idea for a distributed lens that lets you see multiple things in different places.
4. How multiplying the shutter button on a camera would work.
5. The benefits of all of these new inventions.

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

Creative people are those who have the ability to Google their own minds.

What does that mean? 

Well, it all ties back to the SIT method (systematic inventive thinking). When you use this method for innovation, there is a very specific process you follow inside your head. Part of this process involves asking yourself some questions that require you to search your mind for answers and ideas. In a sense, you Google your mind.

In this episode, I’m talking more about this idea of Googling your own mind. I’m explaining what it is, what I’ve observed in practice, and what it means for you to be able to use it as a way to boost your creative output. Tune in to learn more.

1. What it means to Google your mind.
2. Why our minds are a treasure trove of information.
3. How to improve your mind searching ability.
4. What bracketing means in terms of innovation.
5. How to chunk down to increase your creative output.
6. Why you need to be clear about what you know and what you don’t.
7. How to leverage what you don’t know.

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

One of the biggest barriers to your creative output isn’t your ability to be creative but your fear of being creative.

I’m sure you’ve experienced that at one time or another. We all harbor some sort of fear about being creative or generating creative ideas. It’s inevitable on the road towards innovation.

In this episode, I’m explaining why we all have this fear. However, I’m not going to leave you there. I’m also going to teach you how to overcome the fear of innovation. Listen in and you will be equipped to be creative over and over, whenever you want.

1. The two sources of fear that make us scared to innovate.
2. The kind of ideas people offer when they’re afraid.
3. Why you should physically write or draw out your creative ideas.
4. Why you should make innovation playful.
5. Why you need a degree of intimacy with your idea.

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

I love a good analogy. They help us explain things, make comparisons, and bring clarification to complex issues. I use them a lot in the classroom and with my corporate clients. It’s likely that the people you know who are best at explaining things use analogies too.

Did you know that you can also use analogies in creativity? 

If not, I’m going to teach you how to do so in this episode. I’m explaining how to harness the power of analogies in order to generate more creative ideas.

Truly, life is like an analogy. Our lives are all about the comparisons we make from one thing to another. In the same way, in the creative world we can use analogies to make our lives just a little bit better. Tune in to hear all about them.

1. What an analogy is.
2. The different ways and situations in which analogies are used.
3. How analogies can simplify conversations.
4. What an analog transfer is.
5. The two broad ways to use analog transfer.
6. Four different kinds of analogies you can apply to a creativity context.
7. Why you must be intentional when using analog transfer.

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

Today I have two challenges for you.

One of these challenges is fairly easy while the other is comparatively hard. Can you guess which one is which?

My first challenge will be to take an everyday item and find an example of a creative pattern in it. The second challenge will be to take that everyday item and invent something that you've never seen before. 

If you're like most people, you probably think that inventing something completely new to the world is the harder challenge. However, in this episode, I will try to convince you that the opposite is true. Inventing something is actually much easier than you think. 

Tune in to hear my innovation challenges and take them on for yourself.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. The everyday item I’m challenging you to be innovative with.
2. How an innovation pattern formed the entire premise of photography.
3. Examples of the multiplication pattern in a camera.
4. How to invent something brand new using multiplication.
5. An example of how this innovation pattern works.
6. What cognitive fixedness is and how to overcome it.

Resources from this episode:

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Email me: [email protected]

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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

You’ve heard it a million times: “There is no such thing as a bad idea.”

Well, as hard as it may be to hear, that’s just not true.

We’ve all been in meetings or brainstorm sessions where a colleague raises his or her hand to give an idea and it ends up being awful. Who can say, in that situation, that there are no bad ideas?

So, yes, there are bad ideas. However, bad ideas are good things. They are tools that can lead us to the amazing ideas we’ve been looking for!

In this episode, I’m going to teach you how to begin to tolerate and even welcome bad ideas. I’m giving you a systematic way to come up with bad ideas in the first place and then use them to get a good idea.

Come learn what work you have to do to make bad ideas the powerful resource they are!

1. The first thing to do when you hear a bad idea.
2. Examples of times I’ve found benefits in the wackiest of ideas.
3. Why you should examine your criteria for judging ideas.
4. Why you should look for the old and new parts of bad ideas.
5. A systematic method for creating bad ideas.

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

What is the most creative invention of all time?

That’s a profound question. You may be scratching your head trying to find the answer. However, I actually get this question from my listeners, clients, and students quite often. 

In your mind, the smartphone might be the most creative invention ever. Or perhaps you’re thinking of something that has saved millions of lives like penicillin or cancer treatments. However, my answer is something a little different.

Today I am explaining what I consider to be the most creative invention ever. It is an invention that is not only extremely significant but, in my opinion, the most significant of all. I’m also explaining why it is important for you to think through this question and what all of this means for you. Tune in to hear it all.

1. Why the smartphone isn’t actually that creative of an invention.
2. What the inventions of penicillin and post-it notes have in common.
3. Why the wheel isn’t the blockbuster invention.
4. What I think is the most creative invention ever.
5. Why vision impairment is so harmful.
6. Where vision correction came from.
7. How the SIT method was used in the creation and continual updating of vision correction.
8. Why you should keep in mind the invention that you think is the most profound and creative.
9. How highly innovative things can teach and train us.

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