Blog for the Strategic Innovation MBA Course at Vanderbilt University
Individual Innovation Constraints: Week 2
What stops you from having good ideas? What advice can you give to others with the same problem? Leave your thoughts as a comment below. Also, feel free to comment on others' comments--this is a discussion.
I feel that I don’t have good ideas when I don’t have a full understanding of the situation or problem. By doing more research to gather information and speaking with stakeholders on the issue I’m able to form a more well-rounded understanding. My next issue is usually trying to think of a solution immediately, and I’ve found that if I stew on something for a while, I’ll frequently have better
For me, I need room to think. So if I'm stressed out or have lots of other stuff going on, my bandwidth is consumed and I don't have the opportunity to let my mind wander. I think that's why people say they have ideas in the shower. There's no phone, TV, or other distractions. My advice for others with this problem is to do the things that help you relax. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off all of the things going on around you.
I don't consider myself a very creative person so, I'm usually hesitant to propose creative ideas. However, enjoy problem solving and helping others come up with solutions. For me, my best thinking time is during exercising. My best ideas and life decisions have come from long runs!
I get stopped from having good ideas when i focus too closely on my goal. It's easy to get stuck into an early solution path... confining thinking way too early to a small area of exploration. One way I try to break out of that is thinking of something ridiculous to force into an idea/solution. For example, I might force a solution to include a visit to the moon or the purchase and use of a submarine... the more ridiculous the better. Once I get out of that box I try to remember to use all my senses (look, listen, taste, etc) and all the common things that make up my environment (location, time, social, etc). Iterating through those pivots helps generate 10+ ideas from one... and often reveals paths to entirely new ones along the way.
I get stopped from having good ideas by being a little too methodical - sometimes I won't keep developing an idea if I can't come up with a good approach to an intermediate step, and I get stuck. I've found that writing things down is helpful, because then I can move ahead with considering an idea and still feel confident that I can go back later and easily identify parts where I need to put in a little more thought.
I get stopped from having good ideas when I start worrying on what people will think of my ideas, I usually try to brainstorm and my best ideas come after a couple of dumb ones. My advice would be to either set rules of non criticizing or to come up with ideas on your own and filter them to review with others later.
I don't feel like I'm very creative, at least in originating the ideas. I can look at other designs and ideas and be decisive about things I like or think will work, but sometimes I think I stop my own creativity by comparing it to others' ideas that I think are better.
I’ve realized that my good ideas are not worth anything unless I choose to implement them. Occasionally ideas will be bounced around with my friends but more times than not we do not want to take the initiative to implement them because we fear failure or are discouraged by the time investment and risk associated with implementation. The fact that they never are implemented discourages me to think of new ideas. (Wow… that’s depressing..haha) I guess if I were more open to following through with good ideas then I would have more of them.
From my perspective and generally speaking, people have a tendency of keeping their ideas to themselves when they are afraid of what others could think or say. Not saying anything just to avoid being criticized has become a comfort zone for many individuals. What people must understand (including me) is that in the worst case scenario, the idea you come up with would be dumb and out of context, and that’s it! You might be embarrassed for a couple of minutes and laugh about it later. In our mind, I guess we think that people over criticized our comments, when many times they are not even paying that much of attention to what we are saying. My recommendation would be, understand that nothing will happen by saying a trivial or dumb idea, because this sometimes open other interesting arguments that would not have come up if you weren’t said anything in the first place.
My creativity seems to get stunted when I'm working with a large group to brainstorm. My mind is focused so closely on understanding and analyzing the ideas of others that I am not often able to contribute. Consequently, to combat this issue I try to do my creative thinking independently prior to the group working session. This allows me to let my mind flow without the raucous of the group as well as allows me to focus and expand upon the ideas of others.
It often hinders my creativity to sit in a group and try to be creative while the rest of the group is waiting for my input and expecting some great ideas. This kind of pressure often stops me from being really creative. Also, when I am under time pressure, or other things are prevalent on my mind, I often cannot come up with ideas that satisfy me. Thus, I would recommend others to try and come up with creative ideas when they have enough time and freedom to think about it without being pressured or constrained by time. Going out for a walk or just doing something completely unrelated, such as going out with friends, can help if you feel that your mind is blocked. And then, hopefully, the creativity will flow when you least expect it.
For me, it's not being intentional about making time. It's kind of like cleaning the bathroom. Yeah, I'll get to that just as soon as I walk the dog, watch the office, write a grocery list, and just about anything else I can think of to avoid it. Advice? I think the "Whack on the Head" site provides a good way to get out of the rut. Change your perspective, sit down, and think on it in a more focused way.
The few times that I think I have come up with very creative ideas I have tried to expose them and at the same time they haven't worked out pretty well... Nowadays what stops me from say what I think is what people could say or think from my idea.> I have struggled with this and the advice that I have got and what I try to do is to think that life is relatively short and it doesn't really matter what others could think or say.. if you have something you think is a good idea, just say it... Probably there will be someone who listens and buys your idea
I think the difficulty is in defining what is considered good (or creative). We all operate with a certain amount of knowledge that we've gained through school/prison/flashbacks/life/etc. When evaluating our ideas, typically we evaluate them through our own eyes. For example, my background is engineering, specifically embedded video. If I come up with an idea for a new video codec, this may seem like a great idea to someone that is unfamiliar with the technology, but to me it may seem like just another codec in a very long list so I may discard it.
I think the lack of a safe environment for ideation limits good idea generation. I firmly believe you have to have crazy ideas to spawn more realistic cutting edge ideas. I find it helpful to acknowledge the brainstorming section of any group meeting and then state when it's over and we're moving onto the funneling stage where we can critique. My 2 cents.
I feel that some times you need inspiration to have good ideas. I studied music composition when I was a teenager, and everyweek we had to compose small fragments of music. Composing music for me is like coming with an idea, and sometimes it was very easy because you were inspired and some others it was just impossible. Creativity depends on so many things that my only advice is never stop trying to be creative. Even in those days that you don't feel like you can come up with something interesting.
In my specific case, when I’m in a group either brainstorming or discussing a case, so many comments coming from my team members usually overwhelm me, trying to analyze each one of them and by the time I think of some good idea to solve a specific problem, I realized that it was already mentioned, which sometimes could be a little frustrating. As Bree mentioned, I don’t consider myself a creative person either, that’s why I try to come up with ideas before any meeting to at least try to be on top (hardly happens) of the discussion throughout the meeting.
I agree Carlos, you are not a very creative person, but at least you try. Welcome to my club. On the other hand you always contribute with a good atmosphere that generates and cultivates creativity. To that point, I would like to emphasize the importance of the environement where someone attempts to be creative. People, location, furniture,etc. matters when trying to come up with creative ideas.
Staying alone by myself would be the worst set up to come up with ideas. For me, I would need to be involved in a moving environment where people are interacting with each others to be able to come up with ideas.
The biggest constraint for me normally is my frame of mind, which is normally most directly affected by my environment. I need to be in the right space for my ideas to start flowing. For me, this is a place with lots of stimulus and activity. I like drawing my ideas from observing and being active in the environment. I am extremely hindered if I am in a place where I feel like creativity is stifled. For example, I can barely think of anything when I am in the rooms at school. They are so bland and boring, and the nature of what we do at school hinders my creativity. I have found that being outside is especially helpful for me.
What stops me from having good ideas is the fact that I am inured to thinking about problems using traditional or known paradigms. I find myself bogged down by conventional wisdom or I too quickly criticize the good ideas I may have as being impractical within the current way of doing things. I think the advice I would give others is to be less critical of good ideas that do occur and to flesh those ideas out with other individuals who will not be quick to criticize these ideas. It will be important to have someone provide practical feedback on the best way to develop those ideas further.
I think the biggest constraint for me is a lack of constraints. This may sound counter intuitive, but without some direction, it is very hard to actually find creativity. Similar to posts about understanding a particular situation or problem, a lack of knowledge about potential options makes starting the thought process more difficult. I like to know my limitations going in. I also like to be with other people in the creative process. Some may view this as constraining, but I think winning over others, even at the early stages is inherent to bringing new ideas to light.
Contrary to Evan's above comment, constraints actually diminish my creativity. Having previously worked on the creative side of advertising, I have realized that the more freedom I am given to take my own direction, the more exciting and "out there" my ideas can be. Once I become pigeon-holed within a certain sector, I feel that I am forced to create ideas to appease others, rather than those that excite me. It is the fear of failure and disappointment that comes with those constraints that hurt my creative process. It is hard to advise people on this process, because there is no "right way" to think creatively (as evident by the many different opinions above).
I think the thing that stops me from having good ideas is the fear of judgement from my peers or coworkers. I have a tendency to limit my ideas to ones that I think other people will think are good ideas, and with that I lose out on some of my ideas - ones that could potentially be great ones. Rather than considering all of my ideas when looking for a solution, I tend to limit myself to only the practical ones, or sometimes the ones that I know other people will also have thought of. My advice to others with this same constraint would be to not worry about what other people think and be proud of all of your ideas. Anyone who has this constraint (myself included) needs to better understand that ideas they hold back could be the best ones.
I agree with Melissa--fear of judgment is a big constraint. What works well is when I'm with a group with the express purpose of generating ideas. Otherwise, if I have an idea during the normal work routine I may not offer it for fear of judgement.
My other constraint is that I often lack the ability to come up with "original" ideas. I'm much better at adapting/tweaking other's ideas or reapplying them in new ways. The "whack" website seems like a good help with this constraint.
I have trouble getting my ideas into a cohesive form so that others can understand them. I feel that sometimes I have so many things going on in my head, I let ideas go because I want to keep further refining them internally instead of putting them out there for critique. This prevents me from getting the feedback necessary to move from idea to innovation.
I do not fit what is conventionally regarded as a creative person. I tend to use things for their intended purpose, and dress convervatively. In situation where "in the box" solutions fit well, I use them. I tend to do what is comfortable. What stops me from being, what others call, creative, is my tendency to rely on convention, and what is comfortable and accessible. This persists throughout all aspects of my life: clothing, cars...all purchases. However, in situations where it counts -- solving complex business problems -- I have shown an ability to think of problems in new and different ways.
For someone who relies on what is comfortable, and finds this to be an issue, I suggest putting him/herself in uncomfortable, or unknown, situations, forcing him/herself to operate in a area where ready-made solutions are not available.
Ideas usually come quickly to me. Unfortunately, I also start thinking about the potential flaws with the initial idea. This stops me from moving forward with the idea or from generating additional ideas. I’ve started telling myself that I’m just generating ideas and not evaluating them. I think that having dedicated times for generating ideas and times for flushing out and evaluating ideas is important.
I generally over think problems in the beginning, focusing on potentially irrelevant minutia rather than the high level ideas that will ultimately define my solution. In doing so, I often discourage myself from even pursuing certain ideas simply because I've already recognized that the idea has flaws. For instance, even though the "101 ideas" assignment was to come up with a list of ideas, both good and bad, I struggled with writing down any ideas that I saw immediate problems with. The reality is that many times the best solution is going to be the least obvious or most complex, so chances are I will face hurdles at some point along the way, regardless of whether or not I recognize them upfront. Rather than ignoring potentially flawed ideas in the beginning, I need to start simple, generate a list of both feasible and outwardly unfeasible ideas, and then begin testing what might work and what might not.
What I find that keeps me from coming up with ideas is sitting in a stagnate place or when I have something big that is on my mind (like an interview for a job). The first problem is easy to solve, if I get up, move around, or even better, go to Starbucks, my brain seems to turn on and process at double speed (could partially be due to the highly caffeinated coffee at Starbucks). The problem of having something big on my mind is hard to fix. It is very hard for me to be creative until I resolve any big issues on my mind. I think creativity is almost like an alternative kind of concentration. You need a clear and open mind.
Like many others who've posted, fear of judgment keeps me from innovating and implementing ideas, or even letting them live inside my head for more than a second. I'm always afraid that people--not just my peers but my friends, my sisters, and my parents most especially--will think, "Man that guy's weird," or stupid, or pretentious, or a pervert, etc.
As for advice? People will sometimes tell me that I AM creative because I write or draw weird things, but I know I've been bested in pretty much every project here at Owen by everyone else in this class. Just because you're not directing movies or writing fiction or whatever doesn't mean you're not creative or don't have good ideas.
I think what got me started on my own path of creativity was positive reinforcement from when I was little, when I was four years old to be exact. People—my daycare counselors—said that a certain picture I drew was good, so I believed it. It was a picture of a fish. I didn’t even really draw it; it was a Xerox copy from a coloring book, and I just colored it in with crayons—outside the lines most likely as was per my usual.
“Oh my, that’s good,” someone said, at least that’s what they say in my mind when I remember it. They passed it around to one another, and when my mother arrived to pick me up I showed it to her and she agreed.
A certified good picture. I was very proud.
Trust me, that picture probably looked like every other 4-year-old’s drawing, which is to say: undoubtedly shitty. But from that point on, in my own mind, I was good at drawing. So I drew all the time. When we had to write stories in elementary school I was fearless because I was the artsy kid and it was okay, even expected of me. It’s taken some years to rediscover that part of my past, and I’ve learned that confidence is so huge.
So that is my advice: to remember to encourage people whenever you see them try something new or when they express doubt. If you encourage others and they encourage you in return, you might find yourself on some new, exciting road.
And then of course there’s the bit that I try to remember when I write, which is to pretend that your parents will never read it. I think that would apply to projects and your peers or whomever you’re worried about.
I do a lot of self-censoring. Like Colin, I tend to focus on the flaws or what couldn't work in an idea rather than just running with it. I don't think it's for fear of judgment by others, but rather my mind gets wrapped up in editing and questioning my ideas to the point where I see too many holes to implement or validate these ideas. To overcome this, it helps to give myself the freedom to view idea creation in a more playful and experimental light - and not focus so hard on finding an air-tight solution.
Unproductive criticism! That’s what stops me. When someone criticizes the idea with no reason or basis. People that just do not provide any feedback or a good reason on why the idea will not work. My advice is to not let does persons ruin your idea. Keep working if you believe on it. Be persistent.
I think sometimes focus too much makes you stop from having new ideas, because you got analysis paralysis around that single idea that you think is the better and doesn´t leave your mind.
What I recommend is to leave everything for a while, take a walk, have a coffee, do something else. Also asking somebody that has the minimum idea of your issue can bring you easy ideas to solve it (maybe not the best but at least it opens more possibilities for thinking). Give your brain a break. Then continue thinking...
I often stop myself from trying to generate ideas because I am afraid of what others might say or how they will react to my ideas. Often I shoot down ideas in their infant stages because I become over critical of myself and look for the reasons why it’s a bad idea right away instead of why and how it just might be a good idea. My suggestion to help someone with this problem would be to give yourself a set time limit where you have to throw out as many ideas as you can in front of others without stopping to explain or justify the answers (almost rapid fire like where there is no critiquing allowed by others).
The biggest issue I have regarding creativity is my engineering thinking pattern. I always think about whether the solution is practical or applicable. I think I'm too detailed-focus to some degree that I am lack of the big picture in coming out with some new ideas. I think a solution might be think of anything that's purely "possible" without caring too much about the reality. It is similar as think outside of the box. However, it is easier said than done. I think coming out with 101 ideas might be a good exercise to overcome this issue. I'm still struggling with it, and I beg majority of the solutions might not be feasible. Anyway, it is worthy trying.
I feel my biggest obstacle to coming up with great ideas is my own pessimism. I sometimes find reasons why my idea won't work rather than reinforcing why it could work. This constraint that I artificially place on myself has surely killed great ideas I have had in the past. Once I would find ways why the last idea I came up with would not work it stunted my future thinking as I would not even write down an idea in the first place because I knew I would most likely figure out why it would not work. My advice to someone else with the same problem would be to spend your time and energy thinking of any new idea and figuring out why the idea will work rather than why it won’t, because many great ideas probably sounded pretty bad when they were first thought of.
If there is one impediment I have in generating good ideas, I would say it has to be being constrained for time. I believe I am a very analytical person and prefer to think through a problem from various possible angles before coming up with solutions or ideas to address it. And to do so effectively, I need to spend some time alone to process the information and organize my thoughts. Many a times, I struggle to come up with good ideas on the fly (unless I have worked on something similar before), but I can be quite innovative if I have some time in hand. To overcome this problem, I typically ask for time, but in situations where that is not possible, I generally try and ask for some inputs, suggestions or examples that can help kick-start my thought process in one particular direction. This has worked well in past and I would advise anyone else facing the same issue to try the same approach.
good idea stoppers: personal restraint (i.e. thinking ahead about all the difficulty involved with an idea, and quitting before starting), personal doubt, fear of change, normalcy, complacency, fear of perception of being different, hardwork involved. Advice: embrace change and awkwardness, as it only lasts until the next idea.
This is a bit of a counter-intuitive idea, but something I think constrains my creativity is my engineering education. You are trained to solve problems using what has already been done or discovered in a regimented way. Kind of look back and build upon what others have done. That’s not to say you can’t be creative, but it’s not great for being innovative. Others might argue, but I’ve heard a lot of people with similar backgrounds express the same idea. Something I use to be creative is to go outside and get some exercise. Going hiking or biking always gives my mind license to wander and not be obligated to be checking things off my to-do list.
My biggest obstacle to generating good or creative ideas is the fact that I tend to lean towards practicality. This causes me to consider resources, time, adaption ,etc. before even brainstorming! One way I'll try to counter this problem is by attempting to think without the contrainsts in mind first.
One more constraint for creativity is that sometimes I do not challenge the convention. I naturally accepted it and try to make creativity based on that convention until some one whacks on the side of my head and say, you should challenge this convention.
While I think I can be fairly creative, I think that sometimes I get caught up in the action of the first idea that I have in effort to get the project moving rather then finding if it's truly worth pursuing the idea. I think that by taking some time in between the start of the project and idea generation phase is a pretty good way to combat this problem. Taking a little time away gives you a chance to take a look at the big picture and figure out which avenue is best to pursue, rather than the first.
I'm less creative and more random, maybe creativity comes from randomness but it can also throw people around me off course too. I find my individual constraints to be following a linear path and usually needing to force myself to follow what is specifically asked - as though I'm 'rebelling' by not going with a rule imposed. While I did my 101 Ideas (I don't know how valuable they will be) I did others things at the same time which opened up my view of the actual project.
Justin here. Dont know whats up with my Google account. The main thing that stops me from having good ideas is social appropriateness. I used to write a blog with a buddy in LA and it could get into superoffensive realms. Hes a comedy writer, so it wasnt a big deal for him but I couldnt attach my name to it because if someone at my office saw it and took it seriously, Id be getting several visits from HR.
If I force myself to stop and be creative, I typically don't get my best results. I think its an issue of mindset: as I'm not naturally creative or have a cool creative workspace, it's not something I can prepare or budget for.
What usually happens is that my most creative times are when I set my mind to work on something mindless that requires a little bit of concentration, but lets part of my mind run free. Long car trips, building/fixing little things around my house, and working out are a few "go-to" choices.
One last thought is that when I was in a creative mood, someone or something distract so that I lost my concentration on my idea. That would cease my creative thought.
Personally, I would say having to focus on one specific task or project for too long stops me from having good ideas. If I think about something too long, I wear my brain down and end up having to call it for a set time period before diving back in. When I have multiple things going on in my life (business school, job search, personal events, etc.), I can jump from one project or task to the other. This allows me to step back from something if I hit a road block and start fresh on something else. A never-ending cycle...
For others, I would say try to develop a hobby where you completely let loose and do not at all think of a work or school project what so ever. For me, going to the gym or playing sports is the best answer. It gives me 1-2 hours of letting my brain relax and not cramming/fighting to come up with good ideas. Thomas Jefferson said a strong body makes the mind strong. TJ was spot on.
I think I don’t have any systematic method or habits using blog, memo, smart phone, or diary for saving my creative idea. Sometimes, an idea needs to be developed or be added more values. However, because of lack of historical data (even though these came from my mind,) I usually fail to make one step further. Therefore, I recommend you (and myself) to make memo with any device or any format whatever you have.
I don't have much trouble coming up with "creative" ideas. Remembering them can be tricky as I usually don't write them down. If it's not an idea related to something that is generally more top-of-mind I'll also tend to forget it once I start drinking (which is generally every night).
My suggestions to others is carry a pen and a piece of paper (if not a small notebook) and try to stay sober.
My major constrains is how to present my idea clearly and quickly. Some audience feel bad when I keep changing idears(though change to better ones) or jump from one topic to another without hint/linkage. I realized it is essential to make stakeholders to fully understand the creative ideas; it is essential to ensure we could communicate with the same terminology.
I definitely think falling into a routine or running with the crowd are easy ways to block our own creativity. When the focus is on getting the highest grade or getting things done in time to do other activities, we often don't stop and think about creative approaches. Perhaps one way, is to pick a task on a weekly or monthly basis and decide that you have to solve it in a way that you have not done previously.
The more I try to generate creative ideas on the spot, the more I fail. I find innovation comes up during a problem and as I work my way through creating a solution is when I begin to realize what is helpful and what is not. It strikes at random. Although when I attempt to tackle several problems in a row, it tends to bring up more creativity.
I fear I don't give myself enough time to innovate. If you are trying to beat the clock to get a project off the ground or meet a set deadline, you are likely constrained in coming up with creative solutions or approaches. My advice: if you hope to innovate, get in front of the matter. Don't try to squeeze innovation into a short time or space.
I feel that I don’t have good ideas when I don’t have a full understanding of the situation or problem. By doing more research to gather information and speaking with stakeholders on the issue I’m able to form a more well-rounded understanding. My next issue is usually trying to think of a solution immediately, and I’ve found that if I stew on something for a while, I’ll frequently have better
ReplyDeleteFor me, I need room to think. So if I'm stressed out or have lots of other stuff going on, my bandwidth is consumed and I don't have the opportunity to let my mind wander.
ReplyDeleteI think that's why people say they have ideas in the shower. There's no phone, TV, or other distractions.
My advice for others with this problem is to do the things that help you relax. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off all of the things going on around you.
I don't consider myself a very creative person so, I'm usually hesitant to propose creative ideas. However, enjoy problem solving and helping others come up with solutions. For me, my best thinking time is during exercising. My best ideas and life decisions have come from long runs!
ReplyDeleteI get stopped from having good ideas when i focus too closely on my goal. It's easy to get stuck into an early solution path... confining thinking way too early to a small area of exploration. One way I try to break out of that is thinking of something ridiculous to force into an idea/solution. For example, I might force a solution to include a visit to the moon or the purchase and use of a submarine... the more ridiculous the better. Once I get out of that box I try to remember to use all my senses (look, listen, taste, etc) and all the common things that make up my environment (location, time, social, etc). Iterating through those pivots helps generate 10+ ideas from one... and often reveals paths to entirely new ones along the way.
ReplyDeleteI get stopped from having good ideas by being a little too methodical - sometimes I won't keep developing an idea if I can't come up with a good approach to an intermediate step, and I get stuck. I've found that writing things down is helpful, because then I can move ahead with considering an idea and still feel confident that I can go back later and easily identify parts where I need to put in a little more thought.
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ReplyDeleteI get stopped from having good ideas when I start worrying on what people will think of my ideas, I usually try to brainstorm and my best ideas come after a couple of dumb ones. My advice would be to either set rules of non criticizing or to come up with ideas on your own and filter them to review with others later.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel like I'm very creative, at least in originating the ideas. I can look at other designs and ideas and be decisive about things I like or think will work, but sometimes I think I stop my own creativity by comparing it to others' ideas that I think are better.
ReplyDeleteI’ve realized that my good ideas are not worth anything unless I choose to implement them. Occasionally ideas will be bounced around with my friends but more times than not we do not want to take the initiative to implement them because we fear failure or are discouraged by the time investment and risk associated with implementation. The fact that they never are implemented discourages me to think of new ideas. (Wow… that’s depressing..haha) I guess if I were more open to following through with good ideas then I would have more of them.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective and generally speaking, people have a tendency of keeping their ideas to themselves when they are afraid of what others could think or say. Not saying anything just to avoid being criticized has become a comfort zone for many individuals. What people must understand (including me) is that in the worst case scenario, the idea you come up with would be dumb and out of context, and that’s it! You might be embarrassed for a couple of minutes and laugh about it later. In our mind, I guess we think that people over criticized our comments, when many times they are not even paying that much of attention to what we are saying. My recommendation would be, understand that nothing will happen by saying a trivial or dumb idea, because this sometimes open other interesting arguments that would not have come up if you weren’t said anything in the first place.
ReplyDeleteMy creativity seems to get stunted when I'm working with a large group to brainstorm. My mind is focused so closely on understanding and analyzing the ideas of others that I am not often able to contribute. Consequently, to combat this issue I try to do my creative thinking independently prior to the group working session. This allows me to let my mind flow without the raucous of the group as well as allows me to focus and expand upon the ideas of others.
ReplyDeleteIt often hinders my creativity to sit in a group and try to be creative while the rest of the group is waiting for my input and expecting some great ideas. This kind of pressure often stops me from being really creative. Also, when I am under time pressure, or other things are prevalent on my mind, I often cannot come up with ideas that satisfy me. Thus, I would recommend others to try and come up with creative ideas when they have enough time and freedom to think about it without being pressured or constrained by time. Going out for a walk or just doing something completely unrelated, such as going out with friends, can help if you feel that your mind is blocked. And then, hopefully, the creativity will flow when you least expect it.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's not being intentional about making time. It's kind of like cleaning the bathroom. Yeah, I'll get to that just as soon as I walk the dog, watch the office, write a grocery list, and just about anything else I can think of to avoid it. Advice? I think the "Whack on the Head" site provides a good way to get out of the rut. Change your perspective, sit down, and think on it in a more focused way.
ReplyDeleteThe few times that I think I have come up with very creative ideas I have tried to expose them and at the same time they haven't worked out pretty well... Nowadays what stops me from say what I think is what people could say or think from my idea.> I have struggled with this and the advice that I have got and what I try to do is to think that life is relatively short and it doesn't really matter what others could think or say.. if you have something you think is a good idea, just say it... Probably there will be someone who listens and buys your idea
ReplyDeleteI think the difficulty is in defining what is considered good (or creative). We all operate with a certain amount of knowledge that we've gained through school/prison/flashbacks/life/etc. When evaluating our ideas, typically we evaluate them through our own eyes. For example, my background is engineering, specifically embedded video. If I come up with an idea for a new video codec, this may seem like a great idea to someone that is unfamiliar with the technology, but to me it may seem like just another codec in a very long list so I may discard it.
ReplyDeleteI think the lack of a safe environment for ideation limits good idea generation. I firmly believe you have to have crazy ideas to spawn more realistic cutting edge ideas. I find it helpful to acknowledge the brainstorming section of any group meeting and then state when it's over and we're moving onto the funneling stage where we can critique. My 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteI feel that some times you need inspiration to have good ideas. I studied music composition when I was a teenager, and everyweek we had to compose small fragments of music. Composing music for me is like coming with an idea, and sometimes it was very easy because you were inspired and some others it was just impossible. Creativity depends on so many things that my only advice is never stop trying to be creative. Even in those days that you don't feel like you can come up with something interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn my specific case, when I’m in a group either brainstorming or discussing a case, so many comments coming from my team members usually overwhelm me, trying to analyze each one of them and by the time I think of some good idea to solve a specific problem, I realized that it was already mentioned, which sometimes could be a little frustrating. As Bree mentioned, I don’t consider myself a creative person either, that’s why I try to come up with ideas before any meeting to at least try to be on top (hardly happens) of the discussion throughout the meeting.
ReplyDeleteI agree Carlos, you are not a very creative person, but at least you try. Welcome to my club. On the other hand you always contribute with a good atmosphere that generates and cultivates creativity. To that point, I would like to emphasize the importance of the environement where someone attempts to be creative. People, location, furniture,etc. matters when trying to come up with creative ideas.
ReplyDeleteStaying alone by myself would be the worst set up to come up with ideas. For me, I would need to be involved in a moving environment where people are interacting with each others to be able to come up with ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest constraint for me normally is my frame of mind, which is normally most directly affected by my environment. I need to be in the right space for my ideas to start flowing. For me, this is a place with lots of stimulus and activity. I like drawing my ideas from observing and being active in the environment. I am extremely hindered if I am in a place where I feel like creativity is stifled. For example, I can barely think of anything when I am in the rooms at school. They are so bland and boring, and the nature of what we do at school hinders my creativity. I have found that being outside is especially helpful for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat stops me from having good ideas is the fact that I am inured to thinking about problems using traditional or known paradigms. I find myself bogged down by conventional wisdom or I too quickly criticize the good ideas I may have as being impractical within the current way of doing things. I think the advice I would give others is to be less critical of good ideas that do occur and to flesh those ideas out with other individuals who will not be quick to criticize these ideas. It will be important to have someone provide practical feedback on the best way to develop those ideas further.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest constraint for me is a lack of constraints. This may sound counter intuitive, but without some direction, it is very hard to actually find creativity. Similar to posts about understanding a particular situation or problem, a lack of knowledge about potential options makes starting the thought process more difficult. I like to know my limitations going in. I also like to be with other people in the creative process. Some may view this as constraining, but I think winning over others, even at the early stages is inherent to bringing new ideas to light.
ReplyDeleteContrary to Evan's above comment, constraints actually diminish my creativity. Having previously worked on the creative side of advertising, I have realized that the more freedom I am given to take my own direction, the more exciting and "out there" my ideas can be. Once I become pigeon-holed within a certain sector, I feel that I am forced to create ideas to appease others, rather than those that excite me. It is the fear of failure and disappointment that comes with those constraints that hurt my creative process. It is hard to advise people on this process, because there is no "right way" to think creatively (as evident by the many different opinions above).
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that stops me from having good ideas is the fear of judgement from my peers or coworkers. I have a tendency to limit my ideas to ones that I think other people will think are good ideas, and with that I lose out on some of my ideas - ones that could potentially be great ones. Rather than considering all of my ideas when looking for a solution, I tend to limit myself to only the practical ones, or sometimes the ones that I know other people will also have thought of. My advice to others with this same constraint would be to not worry about what other people think and be proud of all of your ideas. Anyone who has this constraint (myself included) needs to better understand that ideas they hold back could be the best ones.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa--fear of judgment is a big constraint. What works well is when I'm with a group with the express purpose of generating ideas. Otherwise, if I have an idea during the normal work routine I may not offer it for fear of judgement.
ReplyDeleteMy other constraint is that I often lack the ability to come up with "original" ideas. I'm much better at adapting/tweaking other's ideas or reapplying them in new ways. The "whack" website seems like a good help with this constraint.
I have trouble getting my ideas into a cohesive form so that others can understand them. I feel that sometimes I have so many things going on in my head, I let ideas go because I want to keep further refining them internally instead of putting them out there for critique. This prevents me from getting the feedback necessary to move from idea to innovation.
ReplyDeleteI do not fit what is conventionally regarded as a creative person. I tend to use things for their intended purpose, and dress convervatively. In situation where "in the box" solutions fit well, I use them. I tend to do what is comfortable. What stops me from being, what others call, creative, is my tendency to rely on convention, and what is comfortable and accessible. This persists throughout all aspects of my life: clothing, cars...all purchases. However, in situations where it counts -- solving complex business problems -- I have shown an ability to think of problems in new and different ways.
ReplyDeleteFor someone who relies on what is comfortable, and finds this to be an issue, I suggest putting him/herself in uncomfortable, or unknown, situations, forcing him/herself to operate in a area where ready-made solutions are not available.
Ideas usually come quickly to me. Unfortunately, I also start thinking about the potential flaws with the initial idea. This stops me from moving forward with the idea or from generating additional ideas. I’ve started telling myself that I’m just generating ideas and not evaluating them. I think that having dedicated times for generating ideas and times for flushing out and evaluating ideas is important.
ReplyDeleteI generally over think problems in the beginning, focusing on potentially irrelevant minutia rather than the high level ideas that will ultimately define my solution. In doing so, I often discourage myself from even pursuing certain ideas simply because I've already recognized that the idea has flaws. For instance, even though the "101 ideas" assignment was to come up with a list of ideas, both good and bad, I struggled with writing down any ideas that I saw immediate problems with. The reality is that many times the best solution is going to be the least obvious or most complex, so chances are I will face hurdles at some point along the way, regardless of whether or not I recognize them upfront. Rather than ignoring potentially flawed ideas in the beginning, I need to start simple, generate a list of both feasible and outwardly unfeasible ideas, and then begin testing what might work and what might not.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find that keeps me from coming up with ideas is sitting in a stagnate place or when I have something big that is on my mind (like an interview for a job). The first problem is easy to solve, if I get up, move around, or even better, go to Starbucks, my brain seems to turn on and process at double speed (could partially be due to the highly caffeinated coffee at Starbucks). The problem of having something big on my mind is hard to fix. It is very hard for me to be creative until I resolve any big issues on my mind. I think creativity is almost like an alternative kind of concentration. You need a clear and open mind.
ReplyDeleteRavi here.
ReplyDeleteLike many others who've posted, fear of judgment keeps me from innovating and implementing ideas, or even letting them live inside my head for more than a second. I'm always afraid that people--not just my peers but my friends, my sisters, and my parents most especially--will think, "Man that guy's weird," or stupid, or pretentious, or a pervert, etc.
As for advice? People will sometimes tell me that I AM creative because I write or draw weird things, but I know I've been bested in pretty much every project here at Owen by everyone else in this class. Just because you're not directing movies or writing fiction or whatever doesn't mean you're not creative or don't have good ideas.
I think what got me started on my own path of creativity was positive reinforcement from when I was little, when I was four years old to be exact. People—my daycare counselors—said that a certain picture I drew was good, so I believed it. It was a picture of a fish. I didn’t even really draw it; it was a Xerox copy from a coloring book, and I just colored it in with crayons—outside the lines most likely as was per my usual.
“Oh my, that’s good,” someone said, at least that’s what they say in my mind when I remember it. They passed it around to one another, and when my mother arrived to pick me up I showed it to her and she agreed.
A certified good picture. I was very proud.
Trust me, that picture probably looked like every other 4-year-old’s drawing, which is to say: undoubtedly shitty. But from that point on, in my own mind, I was good at drawing. So I drew all the time. When we had to write stories in elementary school I was fearless because I was the artsy kid and it was okay, even expected of me. It’s taken some years to rediscover that part of my past, and I’ve learned that confidence is so huge.
So that is my advice: to remember to encourage people whenever you see them try something new or when they express doubt. If you encourage others and they encourage you in return, you might find yourself on some new, exciting road.
And then of course there’s the bit that I try to remember when I write, which is to pretend that your parents will never read it. I think that would apply to projects and your peers or whomever you’re worried about.
I do a lot of self-censoring. Like Colin, I tend to focus on the flaws or what couldn't work in an idea rather than just running with it. I don't think it's for fear of judgment by others, but rather my mind gets wrapped up in editing and questioning my ideas to the point where I see too many holes to implement or validate these ideas. To overcome this, it helps to give myself the freedom to view idea creation in a more playful and experimental light - and not focus so hard on finding an air-tight solution.
ReplyDeleteUnproductive criticism! That’s what stops me. When someone criticizes the idea with no reason or basis. People that just do not provide any feedback or a good reason on why the idea will not work. My advice is to not let does persons ruin your idea. Keep working if you believe on it. Be persistent.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when ideas come across my mind and I do not have anything to write them down, I will probably forget it.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes focus too much makes you stop from having new ideas, because you got analysis paralysis around that single idea that you think is the better and doesn´t leave your mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat I recommend is to leave everything for a while, take a walk, have a coffee, do something else. Also asking somebody that has the minimum idea of your issue can bring you easy ideas to solve it (maybe not the best but at least it opens more possibilities for thinking). Give your brain a break. Then continue thinking...
I often stop myself from trying to generate ideas because I am afraid of what others might say or how they will react to my ideas. Often I shoot down ideas in their infant stages because I become over critical of myself and look for the reasons why it’s a bad idea right away instead of why and how it just might be a good idea. My suggestion to help someone with this problem would be to give yourself a set time limit where you have to throw out as many ideas as you can in front of others without stopping to explain or justify the answers (almost rapid fire like where there is no critiquing allowed by others).
ReplyDeleteThe biggest issue I have regarding creativity is my engineering thinking pattern. I always think about whether the solution is practical or applicable. I think I'm too detailed-focus to some degree that I am lack of the big picture in coming out with some new ideas.
ReplyDeleteI think a solution might be think of anything that's purely "possible" without caring too much about the reality. It is similar as think outside of the box. However, it is easier said than done.
I think coming out with 101 ideas might be a good exercise to overcome this issue. I'm still struggling with it, and I beg majority of the solutions might not be feasible. Anyway, it is worthy trying.
I feel my biggest obstacle to coming up with great ideas is my own pessimism. I sometimes find reasons why my idea won't work rather than reinforcing why it could work. This constraint that I artificially place on myself has surely killed great ideas I have had in the past. Once I would find ways why the last idea I came up with would not work it stunted my future thinking as I would not even write down an idea in the first place because I knew I would most likely figure out why it would not work. My advice to someone else with the same problem would be to spend your time and energy thinking of any new idea and figuring out why the idea will work rather than why it won’t, because many great ideas probably sounded pretty bad when they were first thought of.
ReplyDeleteIf there is one impediment I have in generating good ideas, I would say it has to be being constrained for time. I believe I am a very analytical person and prefer to think through a problem from various possible angles before coming up with solutions or ideas to address it. And to do so effectively, I need to spend some time alone to process the information and organize my thoughts. Many a times, I struggle to come up with good ideas on the fly (unless I have worked on something similar before), but I can be quite innovative if I have some time in hand.
ReplyDeleteTo overcome this problem, I typically ask for time, but in situations where that is not possible, I generally try and ask for some inputs, suggestions or examples that can help kick-start my thought process in one particular direction. This has worked well in past and I would advise anyone else facing the same issue to try the same approach.
good idea stoppers: personal restraint (i.e. thinking ahead about all the difficulty involved with an idea, and quitting before starting), personal doubt, fear of change, normalcy, complacency, fear of perception of being different, hardwork involved. Advice: embrace change and awkwardness, as it only lasts until the next idea.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit of a counter-intuitive idea, but something I think constrains my creativity is my engineering education. You are trained to solve problems using what has already been done or discovered in a regimented way. Kind of look back and build upon what others have done. That’s not to say you can’t be creative, but it’s not great for being innovative. Others might argue, but I’ve heard a lot of people with similar backgrounds express the same idea.
ReplyDeleteSomething I use to be creative is to go outside and get some exercise. Going hiking or biking always gives my mind license to wander and not be obligated to be checking things off my to-do list.
My biggest obstacle to generating good or creative ideas is the fact that I tend to lean towards practicality. This causes me to consider resources, time, adaption ,etc. before even brainstorming! One way I'll try to counter this problem is by attempting to think without the contrainsts in mind first.
ReplyDeleteOne more constraint for creativity is that sometimes I do not challenge the convention. I naturally accepted it and try to make creativity based on that convention until some one whacks on the side of my head and say, you should challenge this convention.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think I can be fairly creative, I think that sometimes I get caught up in the action of the first idea that I have in effort to get the project moving rather then finding if it's truly worth pursuing the idea. I think that by taking some time in between the start of the project and idea generation phase is a pretty good way to combat this problem. Taking a little time away gives you a chance to take a look at the big picture and figure out which avenue is best to pursue, rather than the first.
ReplyDeleteI'm less creative and more random, maybe creativity comes from randomness but it can also throw people around me off course too. I find my individual constraints to be following a linear path and usually needing to force myself to follow what is specifically asked - as though I'm 'rebelling' by not going with a rule imposed. While I did my 101 Ideas (I don't know how valuable they will be) I did others things at the same time which opened up my view of the actual project.
ReplyDeleteJustin here. Dont know whats up with my Google account. The main thing that stops me from having good ideas is social appropriateness. I used to write a blog with a buddy in LA and it could get into superoffensive realms. Hes a comedy writer, so it wasnt a big deal for him but I couldnt attach my name to it because if someone at my office saw it and took it seriously, Id be getting several visits from HR.
ReplyDeleteIf I force myself to stop and be creative, I typically don't get my best results. I think its an issue of mindset: as I'm not naturally creative or have a cool creative workspace, it's not something I can prepare or budget for.
ReplyDeleteWhat usually happens is that my most creative times are when I set my mind to work on something mindless that requires a little bit of concentration, but lets part of my mind run free. Long car trips, building/fixing little things around my house, and working out are a few "go-to" choices.
One last thought is that when I was in a creative mood, someone or something distract so that I lost my concentration on my idea. That would cease my creative thought.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would say having to focus on one specific task or project for too long stops me from having good ideas. If I think about something too long, I wear my brain down and end up having to call it for a set time period before diving back in. When I have multiple things going on in my life (business school, job search, personal events, etc.), I can jump from one project or task to the other. This allows me to step back from something if I hit a road block and start fresh on something else. A never-ending cycle...
ReplyDeleteFor others, I would say try to develop a hobby where you completely let loose and do not at all think of a work or school project what so ever. For me, going to the gym or playing sports is the best answer. It gives me 1-2 hours of letting my brain relax and not cramming/fighting to come up with good ideas. Thomas Jefferson said a strong body makes the mind strong. TJ was spot on.
I think I don’t have any systematic method or habits using blog, memo, smart phone, or diary for saving my creative idea. Sometimes, an idea needs to be developed or be added more values. However, because of lack of historical data (even though these came from my mind,) I usually fail to make one step further. Therefore, I recommend you (and myself) to make memo with any device or any format whatever you have.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much trouble coming up with "creative" ideas. Remembering them can be tricky as I usually don't write them down. If it's not an idea related to something that is generally more top-of-mind I'll also tend to forget it once I start drinking (which is generally every night).
ReplyDeleteMy suggestions to others is carry a pen and a piece of paper (if not a small notebook) and try to stay sober.
-DP
My major constrains is how to present my idea clearly and quickly. Some audience feel bad when I keep changing idears(though change to better ones) or jump from one topic to another without hint/linkage. I realized it is essential to make stakeholders to fully understand the creative ideas; it is essential to ensure we could communicate with the same terminology.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think falling into a routine or running with the crowd are easy ways to block our own creativity. When the focus is on getting the highest grade or getting things done in time to do other activities, we often don't stop and think about creative approaches. Perhaps one way, is to pick a task on a weekly or monthly basis and decide that you have to solve it in a way that you have not done previously.
ReplyDeleteThe more I try to generate creative ideas on the spot, the more I fail. I find innovation comes up during a problem and as I work my way through creating a solution is when I begin to realize what is helpful and what is not. It strikes at random. Although when I attempt to tackle several problems in a row, it tends to bring up more creativity.
ReplyDeleteI fear I don't give myself enough time to innovate. If you are trying to beat the clock to get a project off the ground or meet a set deadline, you are likely constrained in coming up with creative solutions or approaches. My advice: if you hope to innovate, get in front of the matter. Don't try to squeeze innovation into a short time or space.
ReplyDelete