ManagementIssues Opening your mind to the ‘Aha!’ ideas How to jump-start creativity within you & your company By Larry Kilham
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ette Nesmith Graham, a single mother and secretary in Dallas, thought there should be a better way to cover up mistakes made while typing. (Remember typewriters?) During a recession in the 1950s, Graham founded the Mistake Out company. You probably know her product better as Liquid Paper. Graham later sold her company for $47.5 million. Creativity is possible at all levels—from a kitchen chemistry lab to a corporate development project to a multinational research initiative. Whatever the era or product, a successful project starts with a creative visionary—somebody who is persistent and has a multifaceted mind. Would a large company in the early 1800s—or even now—hire as its chief designer a financially struggling artist with radical political views and an itchy foot for world travel? There was such a person. He had a vision to develop a communication system that could send messages faster than the best steam trains and ships and that would be unhindered by rain, sleet or snow. He was Samuel F.B. Morse and he invented the telegraph. Both Bette Nesmith Graham and Samuel F.B. Morse were iconic American inventors with common traits that are illustrative for anyone interested in creating new designs and products. ➤ Unleash your curiosity, quest for knowledge and propensity for observation No lesser minds than Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein were noted for being passionately www.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes
curious, using their imagination as their prime lens to view possibility and their creativity to solve problems. Einstein wrote: “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” You should pay attention to all kinds of things, however unrelated to your quest they may seem. When Will Carrier noticed what he thought was the odd behavior of water droplets in fog, he stumbled onto the basics of a technology that would become air conditioning and founded the Carrier Corp. ➤ Project your mind, focusing on the interrelated aspects of what you are creating or inventing To create your “eureka” moment, you must forcefully move your mind beyond the existing thinking about a subject. You must move out of your conscious, presentday world and focus your mind in a new place occupied. This is your glorious imagination. Children are easily able to access it, but only some people—unfortunately very few—keep this imaginative abil-
ity through adulthood. Their imaginings lead to inventions, art, designs and explorations of frontiers never seen before. To start, try to put yourself in a childlike state with the almost naïve capability of unfettered imagination. Emotion is part of this creative formula—and has yet to be replicated by any computer. ➤ Bring in experts and specialists whenever and wherever appropriate A common mistake is to be overly protective about your idea. At the earliest possible time, you should have your design or composition reviewed by an associate, consultant or other trustworthy, knowledgeable adviser. You don’t have to disclose important details about the project if you fear the idea will be copied or co-opted. Just by knowing the basics, a reviewer can give you surprisingly good guidance to improve the design, composition or manufacturing process. ➤ Focus on the practical, useful, necessary—and beautiful Very often
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