The Imaginative Mind: Innovation
Learning April 13th, 2009
Please jump back to the first two articles in this series if you missed them.
This article explores how the mind and it’s imagination is useful for innovation. Innovation to me is about the pollination of ideas. Not only that they are spread to others but also how that innovation provides gains and benefits compared to what was used or available before hand. I’ve explored how your own mind’s creativity can be enhanced as well as the creativity powered by a social atmosphere and now this explores how that kind of creativity can be put to use for improvement through innovation.
Incremental
The first area of application where creativity from an imaginative mind can drive innovation is in incremental improvements and change. This is a popular one for me and obviously through my writing here at LearnThis since personal development is largely about incremental change. Those active in it strive to innovate new methods and teaching styles to reach and expand their influence to bring that incremental change both into our own lives and the lives of those we connect with.
Many businesses also look to gain from incremental innovation by building continuous improvement programs and training. It’s a crucial part of change and adaptation that every strong business should have.
Radical
The next level of innovation intensity is that involving more radical change. This is needed when larger systems / beliefs change or when a change has a much bigger impact to a person or organization. The radical aspect of this is sometimes seen as shocking or unexpected as well since it requires outside the box thinking and improvements to be put into place. It is much more than simple or continuous incremental changes and it requires a major step change to jump from one way of doing things to another.
Radical innovation is something that is risky and requires some courage to create. It’s far outside any comfort zones and it isn’t something you can hide under the surface whether its a personal innovation or not. Radical innovation will be seen by others and have enough impact on your life that the change will be a significant one.
Revolutionary
The final kind of innovation is a revolutionary one. This level of innovation is so large that it causes change well beyond your direct environment or self and causes a wave of change well beyond the circle of direct influence. Revolutionary thinking is of course thinking that encompasses each of the other types but what sets it apart is that it is for an innovation that affects a wide group of people, an entire region or perhaps a whole industry or market. It is such a massive change that once it is in place, its very difficult to go back since the new innovation engrains itself into society and the lives of those within.
Take Creativity Personal
So, I hope this short series on the imaginative mind and creativity sparks you to look at where you allow your creativity to surface in your life but also how far you are willing to take it. We all have creative thoughts and so it’s what you do with them and how you let them work in your mind that will drive change around you and in your life. Don’t settle in and suppress your imagination, instead, embrace it, activate it in your own mind, in your social sphere around you and turn those innovations into action!
Please, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic or any of your own creations or innovations.
Prev: The Imaginative Mind: Social Creativity
Next: Book Review: The Brain That Changes Itself
Mike King
April 13th, 2009 at 6:19 AM
Good call to action – taking creativity personally. Funny, I just pressed PUBLISH button posting about the same topic, Creativity. I think what holds many people back from creativity is a fear of it and fear of what other would think of me if i’d start behave differently (read – creative)
April 13th, 2009 at 10:24 AM
You’ve outlined creativity pretty well. It starts out with that single spark, and changes depending on the type. That spark can slowly branch out, burn bright with radical change, or explode in a supernova of innovation.
Nice post!
April 13th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I love the line “take creativity personal.” Being creative really is all about the individual and that’s a great way to put it.
April 13th, 2009 at 2:23 PM
These levels of innovation are ones that could be attributed to certain individuals. A person is quite likely to stay in one of the levels for most of their activities. Revolutionary people are revolutionary at most of the things they do, as they feel unfulfilled if they don’t really push the limits. A person who stays at the level of making incremental changes is probably there because they don’t see larger potential that they have.
Sometimes you have to either make a large change or switch area of effort, because a little change is not worth your time.
April 13th, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Alik – thanks for your thoughts. I just read your post as well, loved that same TED talks on creativity! That fear is definitely a road block for everyone at some level. The desire to fit in and have approval for what we do. Ouch, it kills our creative inhibitions.
@G – Nice metafor with light. That is exactly how I see the stages of influence with creativity and our actions behind that.
@Positivity Present – Thanks for the comment. I was thinking one day I should capture my own list of favorite quotes I see people mention from the website here, I need to record this one now as well!
@Armen – Your exactly right, and at the same time, the reason I wrote this series. I hope to help people expand their creative ability because really, the levels that people fit into are only there because of limiting themselves from taking creativity to a higher level.
Those individuals who do push themselves are really pushing there drive on creative ideas, nothing more. Its the creative ideas and implementation of those that set the bar or levels visible in what they do.
Thanks for your comments, it is up to an individual to make that change and enable a higher level of creativity in life, yes!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:20 PM
I have really enjoyed this series Mike,
I love to watch as people get comfortable with incremental creative change, and then ramp it up to test out a slightly more radical approach. It’s funny (or perhaps sad) how the fertile imagination of childhood tends to get suppressed with age. This is one of my favorite topics and I love creative innovation on all it’s levels. Thanks for all three articles.
April 13th, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Hi Mike,
As an essentialist, I like to get to the root of things. It is this returning to the roots that is the primary meaning of the word “radical:” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/radical
I find that when people talk about innovation and creativity, the focus is usually on adding or expanding. I refer often to Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s quote to remind me to take the radical approach:
“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
😉
April 13th, 2009 at 10:52 PM
Thanks Jonathan for your additions here. Personally I think it is quite sad how much creativity is suppressed. Its one of my favorite topics as well and clearly need to write more in this area, as it isn’t covered a lot for various areas in life from what I’ve read. (Perhaps I’m reading the wrong things then though).
@Bert – Well, I was initially thinking of the term more from the “extreme or thorough” definition but in reality, this fundamental approach is very important with creativity. It requires a significant step change from normal thinking or analysis to make a radical change and that is either done at a fundamentals look or by some extreme change or complete overhaul. As well, both of those are key in design to me with software architectures, and I love your quote. I absolutely follow that thinking of design is taking out all the excess to get just the right solution. Product development definitely needs that and often its counter to people’s first reactions. I’ve experienced the need for that radical change though many times.
Thanks for the added perspective on that, I like it!
April 14th, 2009 at 6:50 AM
This was a good one Mike. 😉
I enjoyed it. Stumbled…
April 15th, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Mike, this is a fabulous series of articles. It is something I personally really need to work on. I too think it is sad how almost everything we tell children is in the form of don’t, can’t, and shouldn’t. I read somewhere that they have done studies that demonstrate that 95% of the creative ability we are born with is gone from 95% of the population by the time they hit 40. It disappears from the brain due to the atrophy of misuse. Big thumbs up here!
April 28th, 2009 at 7:14 AM
I think it was Einstein who said imagination is more important than knowledge. Being creative will surely provide new ways to solve problems, even those problems you didn’t know you had.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:14 PM
@Stephen – WOW, I don’t remember seeing your comment but second look here, those numbers are pretty scary. I definitely believe it though and only hope to keep my mind and creativity on the side of that statistic I want to be. So far, I can say I am and plan to keep it that way. Creation is critical in my life…
@Start Blogging – I wouldn’t doubt if it was Einstein. He had a belief in creation that enabled him to open new doors and possibilities well beyond that which was ever explored before, let alone accepted at the time. He’s inspirational when it comes to ideas and creation, that is for sure!
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:27 PM
As the brain child of a revolutionary idea/plan, I sometimes come across as “crazy.” Make no mistake about it, there is a great risk that must be considered when your innovative idea crosses conventional wisdom. The opposition will cast you as inept and a threat.
The following quote often gives me hope when it seems as though others are negatively charged and attack the advancement of myself or my idea:
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” -Mark Twain
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Yes indeed You have certainly outlined creativity rather well. It always starts out with that single spark, and changes depending on the type.