Posts
"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal." -Pablo Picasso
Every great idea comes from somewhere. Chew on that for a second... Every great idea comes from somewhere.
Sometimes when we try to force creativity, we shut our eyes and try to make something materialize from thin air. Here's a good rule of thumb: Great ideas don't come from thin air. A good friend of mine that's a writer told me that when she gets writer's block, she tries to overstimulate herself with new experiences: going somewhere she's never been, meeting new people, trying a new coffee shop, etc. Your mind subconsciously incorporates your new experiences into new avenues of thought, which, with the right creative training, can blossom into great new ideas.
Take Apple for example. Prior to the iPod, Apple's market share was relatively small. Steve Jobs (and of course, his hardware engineering staff) decided to go somewhere they'd never been before: portable mp3 players. After copious research, countless focus groups, and careful deliberation the iPod was born. Jobs and his associates had taken a previously established concept (mp3 players), added their own creative input (sleek design, simplicity, etc.), and the market rewarded them handsomely. Ain't creativity grand?
By Picasso's standard, Apple is a "good artist". No one would argue that iPod "stole" the idea of a hard-drive based audio player, yet the idea was directly conceived from pre-existing technology combined with the observation of his marketing environment. If Steve Jobs and his team had simply closed their eyes and tried to poof an idea into existence, they would have missed out on the monumental success brought by the iPod.
There are 2 simple questions that we should ask ourselves when we're developing new ideas that can not only help us avoid idea theft, but increase the profitability of your creativity at the same time:
1) Where did you get the idea?
This may seem like an arbitrary question, but it can save you a lot of unnecessary research. For example, Microsoft, after the enormous success of the iPod, created the Zune; a very similar product targeted to a very similar market. By analyzing the market's response to the iPod, Microsoft was able to include the most popular features innovated by Apple into their own design, and minus the cost of research and development! By identifying where your ideas come from, and doing a little research, you can not only save time and money, but can get inspiration to further develop your idea.
2) How does your idea differentiate itself from its source?
Now that you've recognized your source, establish what differentiates it from the original idea. For Microsoft's Zune, it was wi-fi connectivity (which Apple has since incorporated into its iPod line-up). The best creative ideas are the ones that add the most value from its source, so focus a lot of effort on making your idea unique. The bigger the fingerprint you leave on the idea the better, so put your right brain to work!
The next time you're faced with a creative decision, remember these tips to effective "stealing". Just remember: there's a big difference in being an artist and being a con-artist.
This week's listening recommendation: "Image and Able" by Damiera
