Infinite Ideas Lab #012: How to 'remix' your creativity

The Infinite Ideas Lab is a weekly newsletter about the creative process and how to have bigger and better ideas.

Ideas are your currency in the modern world. You need them to stand out, but it’s not always easy. Whether you’re building your brand, marketing your business, leading a team, or delivering a project, it’s the power of your ideas that defines you.

And that’s what this newsletter is all about.

Every week I’ll give you:

? 1 quote

? 1 inspiration

? 1 framework

To transform your creative ideas process in just a few minutes.

?? 1 creative quote

There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.”

- Edward De Bono

?? 1 creative inspiration?

99% of the time, creativity is just a remix of existing ideas.

You take a sample of what’s already there and interpret it in your own way to create something new.

It doesn’t matter if you’re working in marketing, building your own business or making music.

Your creative ideas are a product of your environment—the wider and more diverse your inspiration, the better your output.

That’s why you can learn so much about creativity from the music production process.

We live in an era of sampling, remixing and re-editing. Many of the biggest hits today borrow and reinterpret elements of what’s gone before.

Producers and musicians build something new on the foundations of the past.

Mark Ronson does a great Ted talk about this, and I'll put a link in the comments.

The lesson that we should all take is that creativity isn’t about creating something new.

Even the most original ideas are still indebted to what’s come before.

Instead, just focus on sampling and remixing the content and ideas that inspire you.

It takes the pressure off because you don't need to be original every day to be creative.

Just take inspiration from what you enjoy and ask yourself some questions:

→ Why does this creative idea work?

→ How does it make me feel?

→ How can I make it relevant to my audience?

?? 1 creative framework

Less of a framework this week and more of an introduction to the hugely powerful tool commonly called lateral thinking or horizontal thinking.

Lateral thinking was developed in the 1960s by the man who gave the quote at the top - Edward de Bono.

It’s an incredibly useful approach if you’re feeling a bit stuck in a rut or your team is struggling with creative ideas.

The reasoning is that most people’s natural approach to creative problem-solving is vertical, step-by-step, and logical.

But lateral thinking forces you to think more divergently, pull in external inspiration and challenge your ‘vertical’ view of the problem.

Like all the different approaches to creativity, it can be developed with practice.

The more you apply these techniques and strategies, the better you'll become at thinking creatively and generating innovative solutions.

The key principles of lateral thinking are:

1/ Challenge assumptions

When approaching a problem, question all the established norms and consider alternative possibilities that may not be immediately apparent.

Coco Chanel revolutionised the fashion industry by proposing that women should dress for comfort and functionality rather than because of restrictive and impractical norms.

She introduced casual yet elegant clothing, like the "little black dress" and women's trousers.

By challenging social assumptions, she transformed how women dressed forever.

2/ Thinking outside the box

Encouraging the exploration of unconventional ideas and embracing diverse perspectives to generate innovative solutions.

When traditional retailers were struggling to compete with online shopping, Apple decided to create a unique in-store experience by focusing on design and seamless customer service.

This unconventional approach turned Apple Stores into successful retail outlets and a benchmark for the industry.

3/ Shifting your perspective

Viewing problems from various angles to uncover hidden opportunities and insights.

In 1997, Reed Hastings received a late fee for a rented movie.

Instead of seeing it as an annoyance, he shifted his perspective and saw a business opportunity.

He founded Netflix, offering a subscription-based movie rental service that eliminated late fees, forever changing how people consume movies and TV shows.

4/ Embracing random stimulation

Introducing unrelated or unexpected elements to provoke new lines of thought and spark creativity.

Dr. Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist at DuPont, was researching high-performance fibres for use in car tyres when she accidentally discovered Kevlar.

The lightweight, ultra-strong material has since been used in various applications, including bulletproof vests, making it an essential component for public safety.

5/ Provoking your thinking

Deliberately proposing outrageous or contradictory ideas to disrupt traditional thinking patterns and stimulate innovative ideas.

In the 1970s, Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, challenged the traditional beauty industry by proposing that cosmetics and personal care products could be ethical and environmentally friendly. Her provocative approach transformed the way many companies develop and market their products, which led to a greater focus on corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability.

6/ Trial and error

Encourage experimentation and iterative learning, rather than relying solely on deductive reasoning or existing knowledge.

Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb is an excellent example of the trial-and-error approach.

He tested thousands of materials for the filament before discovering that carbonised bamboo was the most effective.

His persistence and willingness to learn from failures led to one of the most transformative inventions in history.

That’s it for this week.

I hope that you’ve learned something valuable to change the way you approach your next creative problem.

Remember, if you get stuck, challenge yourself to think laterally and re-edit your approach.

Most of the time, all your idea needs is a bit of a remix.

Until next time, have a creative week ??