Creativity Simplified

Some believe that when Babylonians realized there was more to life than growing tomatoes, cabbages, and cucumbers, they started scratching out wedge-shaped symbols on little clay tablets which were the seed to our present-day number system. Babylonians solved problems by applying logic (using square and cross representation), for example to add two numbers 2 + 2, they used mathematical logic similar to the present day additional operator (+) on the operand (2,2) and compute the answer . If the numbers are 2+8, then they applied additional carry over logic. If the problem involves addition of 2+2+2+2+2+2 ancestors iteratively applied the logic to move from (2+2...) state to (4+2...) state until they arrived at the final solution state of 12. This incremental application of addition logics were all that they had until that one day a creative mind thought of the multiplication logic that helped in shortcutting states (2*6). It is claimed it had taken them many years before multiplication logic could be created.
For us these logics were thought to us when we were young and without question we accept it and employee them in real life. Just because these logics have reliably worked it produces reliable does not mean that these could be applied for all type of problem solving. When a set of scientist tried to use digital gates to perform the same task the logic could not yield the desired out. A creative solution was needed and outcome from an effort was the creation of binary system. That has largely been responsible for the digital era.

Creativities most important criteria are that these ideas generated will have to transform the world within the thinker and the world outside. An appropriate example for this context comes from the 15th century world; during this era the whole world perceived earth to be flat, one man challenged that. “Copernicus” broke the thought barrier to suggest that earth could be round. It opened a whole new paradigm of thought. It created newer possibilities that had a huge impact on the world around. Created the constipation of thought that prevailed in many Navigators’ mind on what would happen if they reach the edge of the flat earth. Our present day was sure shaped by this thought endeavor. Why others could not, but he could think is an intriguing question. To understand that one has to understand for fundamental elements of thinking, and then find a way to break the logic barrier. For that one has to understand the fundamental of problem solving.

From the day when one started crafting a wheel to this day of gene therapy & nano-technology, human race has seen a sea of change. In future nuclear research facilities like the one in Livermore (Lawrence L.N. Lab, USA) might succeed in changing the electron structures. That day is not far when we develop ultrahigh structure making the act in which magicians bring rabbit out of hat just a simple science explanation or a child’s play if I may exaggerate.
Hence it is interesting and important that we understand this phenomenon, ignorance can no more be bliss. The best way to understand that would be to understand the phases and elements from idea creation to idea deployment through a simple step by step procedure taking one through transitions.

The number of inventors involved in creations has increased from 1 for wheel, 2 for aircraft, to 100s as space probes & biotechnology research. Essentially reflecting the growing role played by corporate(s) in idea creation. Companies involve in R & D projects as Angel investors or venture capitalist, in –house IP research arm or by through university funding. They are instrumental in churning out newer ideas that impact the society. Success of the society depends and the value that it can derive from the successful ventures of these corporations. A simple idea of debt relief through trading stocks introduced in early 19th century is now look at investment as a methodology to virtually own a company, which will employee people who will work towards generating wealth for the member (investor). This idea is now an integral part of our landscape (stock exchange) and its performance vastly impact the lives of many of us in the society.
In current competitive scenario, Time and again every company will have to perform a stop and think exercise. Along with wealth creation it has to reinvent & set itself on the path of idea creation. This requirement is not just a lean 6-sigma ingredient for the company to be operationally efficient. But is an absolute necessity for survival. Yes that’s right, even for the very existents one has to be unique (from preparing business plan to managing cash-flow; from designing delivery capability to thwarting competition).

In the present and more in the future success of an individual depends more on the individual’s ability to combine his analytical ability with ability to create newer ideas. Analytical ability for most part is already taught in educational institutions for virtually everyone who attends. Hence when performances of individuals are compared on the contrary when it comes to idea generating ability rate-differentials between two individual is high.
Hence it is imperative that individuals hone this skill. Every individual is a latent with ability to churn out idea. But one can ink out those only if he/she removes the inhibitor helmet. The individual has to have the ability to know how to overcome thought inhibitions & perform thought orchestration. Hence it is necessary to understand what hinders that thought process & how the right methodology to create a good idea can be applied.

We no more view that idea of using a thumb as creative, no way carpentry. But we certainly view Art works, fashion shows, popular music & space travel with awe and annotate creative attributes. Anything that has an element of freshness is considered creative. Reason is our underlying thought process, familiarity breeds contempt; Familiarity brings down the reverence of creativity. With familiarity what had been a creative idea like the aircraft becomes just a mode of transport. So what is truly original and fresh?

“Idea is a time effort that breaks a thought barrier”

Simply the answer to this is the word pioneering idea. A pioneering idea is any idea that has none in its vicinity of thought. And any second rung idea woven around an existing one is referred as idea++. Once we add such second or third league of ideas we would no more see the base idea as creative, we just accept it as nothing more than a common occurrence. Let me explain, the invention of aircraft is a pioneering idea but not Boeing 747. Boeing 747 is an enhancement over 707, which is again an inspirational enhancement over B2 Bomber, which again is the thought enhancement over the single seat war plane of World War II, which is definitely an enhancement over Orville and Wilbur’s wooden structure. All these had been idea++ one wove on top another.

If the source of one’s extracts is singular it is termed copy, if the sources are many it is classified as Research. Copying is tolerated if it is performed by popular intellects. It was once stated (though never proved) that newton copied Leibnitz’s work on integral calculus. Newton had had access to research’s. Thought here is no proof for newton‘s eclectic endeavors, he himself later diplomatically admitted without mentioning names “if i have seen farther than others, it is because i was standing on the shoulder of giants”. Prior to working in Bern’s patent office in Switzerland where he had access to patent pending work, Einstein had no traces of success whatsoever.

“The idea becomes very unique in the usage pattern of the fundamental elements air, water, land, fire and space”.
If this design pattern is so unsettling that other minds acknowledges the idea’s uniqueness, then it is original. Also on the other hand if other minds are unable to recognize its preexistence.
Then too it can be termed original. What is easy for others to comprehend does not have a great deal of originality.

“The immature poet imitates; the mature poet plagiarizes” - by T.S. Eliot

The concept called originality is also determined by the contextual interpretation of the society at its respective time tunnel. In today’s world of patenting and trademark, anything can be silted original if it reaches the patent/copyright office earlier than another. It is original either if the idea is registered or generally accepted that it will not attract legal notices from the owner. Copying of music was considered an absolute violation of intellectual property, but now with the emerging remixes the music industry has become tolerant. Because the present contextual thinking is “anything if is not easy to eliminate, then embrace it”.

Ideas mostly remain a permanent resident in a thinker’s central nervous system, but it remains so until that one- day when one begins to action ate an idea. At which point jumps out into the real world and starts affecting. Ideas influence the worlds, the world within and the world outside. An idea of sitting and watching evening talk show on his/her television in her home may not have major impact on the external world. But if a high-school attendee has an idea to experiment a semi-automatic handgun at his school campus. Or if a person tries to trigger a U-235 chain reaction in his cellar, it will most certainly affect him and the entire neighborhood.
Actions performed by one person affects another, ones action of watching Do-It-yourself TV program probably will have non-perceivable impact on another, but fusing an A-bomb or changing lane and weaving right into other’s will have a profound impact. Magnitude of these impacts is not proximity driven. Someone might not impact major changes in the lives style of polar Eskimos or the Ethnic Australians Aborigines. How an idea impacts, what it transforms are fundamental questions. The answer to this question forms the principle behind a creative idea.

Those who found the idea of using opposable thumb in tool-making started changing the world around, a little at a time. In today’s world we use sophisticated robots chained to a never ending assembly line, even manufacturing as many cars as the number of seconds in a minute. These two scenarios may be distanced by time &magnitude, yet they have the same purpose –To change the world we live in. It is intriguing to find “change” to be a common denominator in all known events, either cosmic or human made. In our lives “human induced changes” have been more pertinent. And if we conduct a root – cause analysis on human induced changes, we will find at its core an IDEA. This holds well from the invention of wheel to F-16/scram jets. All objects and events around us have been just ideas, the clocks we see, jean we wear, ford we drive & e-mails we write. Imagine a day without newspaper, TV, A/C, Mobile, car and computer; think as if they were to suddenly disappear. The imaginative repercussions are huge. We can hardly be unaware of time, can’t walk 30 miles to office, and no less be in an information black-hole.