Blowing Spit Bubbles
When I think about innovation I also think about ideas that move us forward.
So Ideas – where do they come from? In my life and business experiences, ideas come from our subconscious. Frequently an idea will get caught in our consciousness and if it stays long enough it may impact us or get us to act upon the idea.
But how do we know an idea is a worthwhile pursuit?
Have you ever read something that you wanted to drink up? It was so delicious you wanted to let the words drip down and through you like honey dripping down your throat: Slow and warm and all encompassing but sweet and tangy as well.
Rarely do we come across a work that nourishes every part of our being but when we do, we want to dance in its rays. This is inspiration. When we follow it and put our energy behind it, it is called an innovation. And, when we’re in the midst of developing the idea and putting the pieces together it is called being in “flow”.
How do we get there? How do maintain it? When it only comes in short bursts sometimes at the most inconvenient times when we can’t do anything about it. We need to honor those ideas. Write them down. Then give them their time.
Einstein would write his ideas down in a book and then set aside 3 hours a week to go over the ideas he generated. He would plug them into his to do lists if after the 3 hours he though the ideas were worthy of pursuit.
What is actually taking place when we get those ideas is we are letting ourselves get caught up in between our conscious and subconscious selves. We let it happen by taking off the reins of trying to control our mind and allowing them to wonder. In other words, when we allow ourselves to play. The more we allow ourselves to play, the more innovative and ideas oriented we can be. Being plugged into every energy source (TV, computers, cell phones, electronic games etc.) doesn’t allow for the human brain to relax and open that gap between our conscious and subconscious worlds.
William James (1880) believed that being able to get in touch with one’s unconscious ides was a vital part of being creative. Douglas McGregor believed that work was a type of punishment to acquire the things we need for getting fun. It is so ingrained in our society and culture that work must be work so we aren’t having fun. As a result we aren’t innovating and creating like we could be in our lives. Fun tends to be something that kids can only have because they are absolved from the rules. But knowing this is the path for innovation we must learn how to play again in our work and lives.
What are you doing for fun today? I think I’ll go blow some spit bubbles and then I think I’ll go check out the surf.
So Ideas – where do they come from? In my life and business experiences, ideas come from our subconscious. Frequently an idea will get caught in our consciousness and if it stays long enough it may impact us or get us to act upon the idea.
But how do we know an idea is a worthwhile pursuit?
Have you ever read something that you wanted to drink up? It was so delicious you wanted to let the words drip down and through you like honey dripping down your throat: Slow and warm and all encompassing but sweet and tangy as well.
Rarely do we come across a work that nourishes every part of our being but when we do, we want to dance in its rays. This is inspiration. When we follow it and put our energy behind it, it is called an innovation. And, when we’re in the midst of developing the idea and putting the pieces together it is called being in “flow”.
How do we get there? How do maintain it? When it only comes in short bursts sometimes at the most inconvenient times when we can’t do anything about it. We need to honor those ideas. Write them down. Then give them their time.
Einstein would write his ideas down in a book and then set aside 3 hours a week to go over the ideas he generated. He would plug them into his to do lists if after the 3 hours he though the ideas were worthy of pursuit.
What is actually taking place when we get those ideas is we are letting ourselves get caught up in between our conscious and subconscious selves. We let it happen by taking off the reins of trying to control our mind and allowing them to wonder. In other words, when we allow ourselves to play. The more we allow ourselves to play, the more innovative and ideas oriented we can be. Being plugged into every energy source (TV, computers, cell phones, electronic games etc.) doesn’t allow for the human brain to relax and open that gap between our conscious and subconscious worlds.
William James (1880) believed that being able to get in touch with one’s unconscious ides was a vital part of being creative. Douglas McGregor believed that work was a type of punishment to acquire the things we need for getting fun. It is so ingrained in our society and culture that work must be work so we aren’t having fun. As a result we aren’t innovating and creating like we could be in our lives. Fun tends to be something that kids can only have because they are absolved from the rules. But knowing this is the path for innovation we must learn how to play again in our work and lives.
What are you doing for fun today? I think I’ll go blow some spit bubbles and then I think I’ll go check out the surf.
Labels: ideas, Innovation, inspiration
posted by Tracy Slotin at 4:25 PM
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