CREATIVITY BLOCK You might think that creatives as diverse as Internet entrepreneur Jack Dorsey, industrial design firm Studio 7.5, and bestselling Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami would have little in common. In fact, the tenets that guide how they – and exceptionally productive creatives across the board – make ideas happen are incredibly similar.Here are 10 laws of productivity we’ve consistently observed among serial idea executors:
01
02
break the seal of hesitation
When our ideas are still in our head, we
prototype, prototype, prototype
A bias toward action is the most common
tend to think big, blue sky concepts. The
Trial and error is an essential part of any
trait we’ve found across the hundreds of
downside is that such thinking makes
creative’s life. As Ze Frank says, usually
creative professionals and entrepreneurs
the barrier to entry – and action – quite
when we execute an idea for the first time,
we’ve interviewed. While preparing
high. To avoid “blue sky paralysis,” pare
it kinda sucks. The important thing is to
properly as you start a new project is
your idea down to a small, immediately
synthesize the knowledge gained during
certainly valuable, it’s also easy to lose
executable concept. Can you trial the
the process to refine the idea, and create
yourself in planning (and dreaming)
idea of a multi-day festival with a smaller
a new-and-improved version. Serial idea-
indefinitely. We must challenge ourselves
performance series? Take an idea for a
makers like Jack Dorsey, Ben Kaufman,
to take action sooner rather than later.
skyscraper and model it in miniature?
and Studio 7.5 all attest: Prototyping and
The minute that you start acting (e.g.
Work out the flow of an iPhone app by
iteration is key to transforming a so-so
building a physical prototype, sharing a
sketching on paper? Once you’ve road-
idea into a game-changing product. Rather
nascent concept with your community),
tested your idea on a small scale, you’ll
than being discouraged by your “failures,”
you start getting valuable feedback that
have loads more insight on how to take it
listen closely and learn from them. Then
will help refine your original idea – and
to the next level.
build a new prototype. Then do it again.
move forward with a more informed perspective.
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WAVE Magazine
start small
03
Sooner or later, you’ll hit gold.