Blog 1B- Response to "Ways To Get Ideas"

14 Ways to Get Ideas
I personally thought all the steps were good explanations of how to be innovative. This article defines 14 different approaches to being innovative, stepping out of the box, finding connections and similarities, and ultimately changing yourself. Many of the steps are based off how highly innovative/creative thinkers from history approached situations in life, such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. I guess the article could be a called a guideline for being creative.

Step #1: FOLLOW YOUR FASCINATION
"Fascination is quite simply nature's way of getting our attention."
I think this is one of the most important quotes; many influential people would not have changed the way we live or our society if not for following fascinations. What if Jimi Hendrix dismissed his fascination for guitar, the blues, or performance? What if Ben Franklin had not continued to pursue his fascination with electricity? George Washington Carver and his fascination with the peanut led to peanut butter and a bunch of other uses for the peanut. Our society would be different and history would be changed if not for these innovators. I'm glad for myself for continuing playing guitar; a lot of people give up on things or do dismiss interests as the article says. In some ways it's probably a mental workout or mentally stimulating to find new things, especially if you find something that changes your life. I haven't had much hands on experience with audio recording, but after reading about different recording techniques used by artists such as Jimmy Page or producers like Phil Spektor creating a "wall of sound" sounded awesome to me and I want to find out more. So far it has been a good experience for me.

Step #2: IMMERSE
I've always believed this step to be true, even before reading this. This step brings up the idea that it's good to immerse yourself in something you enjoy to escape from the distractions brought upon you. I think it's kind of like the common study tip that it's better to take periodic breaks while studying, and as a result you are more successful in studying. It probably keeps many people sane to have certain immersions, like drawing or painting or running. In a way it's therapeutic. And as this article says, I feel it definitely helps spark innovation. Plus, if such successful companies like google, one of the biggest websites today, or 3M which itself is based on innovation, gives its employees the opportunity to set aside time during their work schedule to immerse themselves in something that interests them, obviously it would have some positive turnout, so why not try it. I sort of already do this in my life, losing myself in playing an instrument or building something when I need small escape, and I definitely think it helps me be creative or stimulated more often then if I were not to.

Step #11: BRAINSTORM
This step is all about how new ideas and innovation are the result of multiple thinkers collaborating and inspiring each other, feeding off each other's creativity, to be even more creative. The article uses Paul McCartney and John Lennon as an example of two amazing artists joining together to create something huge. But I think it's not just them; any band, any company, is more successful and accomplishes more when there's people working with each other to be creative. Ideas from one person bounces off another's ideas. One of my favorite things to watch is SNL, because it's the result of talented comedians coming together and creating genius sketches. And then some of those sketches go on to become more than just a sketch when they become movies. I think it's fun playing music with other people, or thinking of ideas of movies to make, just feeding off other's creativity to create one idea after another. It's true, sometimes people can be extremely creative on their own, but these people can also be equally or more creative when working with other creative people.

Response to Prompt from Step 4:
This was a fun task, I could do it every night before bed. I didn't think this would work at first and even though I didn't come up with any brilliant inventions, I think some cool ideas came up. Some things, connections, I noticed were edible candles, candles that bubble into different colors, colorful popcorn, something that would reheat popcorn, hemp sewing machines, some sort of machine that allows you to relax while cleaning. I definitely think this technique has potential to create awesome ideas.