3 steps to begin to create something original?
This is how I do it.
When I am asked to create something original I always start by using a system I created called 3Ss.
It focuses my mind on gathering limited amounts of new information to go with what I already know about the question.
Otherwise I can research and do course after course and never make any progress creating something new.
This is a great tip for completing assignments when time is pressured!
The 3Ss are:
- Search Engine
- Someone Else
- Self or Software (depending on which is relevant)
Search Engine
This can be Google, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc.
I ask my question of these and see what I get.
For example: ‘holiday in Tasmania’ into Instagram
If required I put ‘+ research’ at the end of my question in Google to get a result that has deeper thinking behind it.
Or if I am interested in people’s opinion I include ‘+ forum’ at the end of my question.
Try it — the results are quite different.
Someone Else
This can be someone you know or someone you don’t.
There are 5 type of people to surround yourself with in order to excel in life. I won’t go into them here but simply they are Peers, Professors, Professionals, Mentors, Producers. (Google Ken Coleman’s 5 Types of People).
Find one or more of these type of people in your field of interest and ask them the question whether you know them or not. There have been frequent times I have reached out to an author and asked them a question.
For example: ‘what was your best experience in Tasmania?’
Software
There are sooo many tools out there that help us solve our problems. Use them.
For example: I want to know where that amazing travel photo was taken so I can go their too — Mapify App. (I have no interest in this App — I just like it and the creative adventurers it supports.)
Self
Ask yourself the question that you need to solve.
Ask yourself what do I know and understand about what is being asked of me.
I like posing the question to my subconscious. When I have a tough one, before I go to sleep I slip the question under my pillow and ask my brain to work on it.
When I wake up it just might deliver something extraordinary.
An idea I can use to create something truly original.
p.s. The image is part of a fabric collection I am designing called ‘Summer Garden’. When I am not teaching creativity to girls, or writing about creativity, I am surface pattern designing with the aim of one day finding it on clothes or homewares.
