Our Community Foundation spearheaded a process to envision the top 10 ideas to enhance the region in the coming years. Instead of just publishing the final selections, they commissioned 10 local artists to each depict an idea, then auctioned the art for the project’s seed money. The reveal event was held in the art museum’s space, providing a great way to garner additional community support and raise funds for the work.
Think about creative (literal and figurative) ways that you can weave partnerships into the initial stages of your next project. No matter how fancy your print pieces are, they won’t have the same impact as an original piece that conveys the same message.
connected by a Sports Hub by James ColeAccess to the Mississippi River by Laura KavitterHealthy Food by Gail Chavenelle
A friend asked me if it was hard to come up with ideas for a daily dot. Absolutely not. I have a whole notebook full of “ideas.” The hard part is crafting a lesson to go with those ideas in order to turn them into a dot.
Here’s an analogy: you may have a bunch of clothes in your closet, but you may struggle with what to wear. Clothes are equivalent to ideas; an outfit is akin to a dot. The same is true of food in your pantry; a full cupboard is different than a menu or meal. A thousand shows on streaming do not always equate to knowing the evening’s entertainment.
Ideas are the easy part. Innovation is a multi-step process that goes beyond just having that initial thought; you need to create context or meaning. Nolan Bushnell said, “Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it who makes a difference.” Take your ideas to the next step today.
The decorations at an art reception were unique, beautiful, environmentally friendly — and extremely low-cost. Instead of paying for greenhouse-grown cut flowers or using artificial ones, a creative member placed wildflowers in a zucchini and displayed them on a mirror tile with tiny lights. They were stunning.
The next time you need something, don’t default to going to a store to buy it. Stretch your imagination and see if you can’t repurpose something you already own, upcycle instead, or creatively craft something new. Challenging your brain can have beautiful results.
Since I missed seeing the Savannah Bananas in person, I decided that the next best thing was to read their story in the book Banana Ball. Founder Jesse Cole describes the evolution of the crazy team/movement.
One of the behind-the-scenes processes they use to create the energy that has captivated thousands involves “Over the Top” (OTT) sessions. Every single week, the team introduces something new into the Banana Ball experience. That is a lofty goal, and to achieve it requires participation from everyone in the room.
“We are never afraid of bad ideas. I mean, never,” wrote Cole. “Anything to get the flow going. Bad ideas usually lead to good ideas. We have our buckets, similar to idea themes, and we just start throwing out ideas. Everybody has to come up with an idea for each bucket. If we get these crazy reactions and animated responses, that’s when we know we’re headed in the right direction. If there’s a lot of pausing and stammering and quiet, then we’re stuck.”
To push the envelope as they do — every week — it requires a level of trust that most organizations fail to achieve. I’m teaching a culture class where we’re studying psychological safety, and OTT sessions could be a good illustration of that concept in action. If people are hesitant to speak up, if they are afraid of being ridiculed or of their idea being laughed at, or if there is fear of providing a ‘wrong’ idea, safety doesn’t exist. Apparently, in Bananaland, trust is high and the safety net is strong — leading to phenomenal success within the organization.
Two takeaways: 1) work first to create psychological safety so that people can speak freely about ideas or issues, and 2) don’t just brainstorm for ordinary ideas — shoot for Over the Top to achieve something truly special.
Source: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole, 2023
I am fascinated with the Facebook Reels posted by Peters Design Company. Allan Peters shares his creative process as he redesigns existing logos (and almost always makes them much better) and the thinking behind how he designs brand identities for new clients. Rather than just showing the finished product, Peters narrates step-by-step his rationale and color choices, highlighting the intentionality of everything from line width to spacing. For example, he took the new logo for the City of Austin, explained how the blue/green color choices resembled healthcare logos, then proceeded to change the color scheme and font to make it more “Texas.” Mission accomplished!
Because of these videos, if I were looking to do a brand refresh, he would be first on my list to call. Not only do I like the end result, but his posts give me confidence that he could replicate the outcome for another client.
Watch a few of Peters’ Reels and see if you don’t glean ideas for how you could share the magic behind your curtain. Helping people understand how and why you make choices may be as important as your what.
In a town that prides itself on all things cherries, it was fitting that one retailer labeled its restroom stalls as “pit stops.” It would have been easier to use one of the generic “men” and “women” signs, but the extra touch to align with the city’s main tourist draw added a smile to visitors.
Is there a way for you to transform one small piece of the ordinary into a memorable moment? It doesn’t take much to stand out from the generic.
After the recent announcement that Taylor Swift’s next album will be orange, marketers everywhere have jumped on the all-things-orange bandwagon. Companies that had anything orange in their product line began featuring those items. Even companies that had no connection to the color created one, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Cinnabon, Walmart, Netflix, and United Airlines, highlighting orange in their social media posts.
Not only is there the broad appeal of Swift and the spending power of the Swifties, but a self-imposed limitation (using orange) actually helps people and companies become more creative. When you narrow your focus, it is easier to develop ideas and connections. Think of a kid’s birthday party where everything from the cake to decorations and favors is coordinated.
The next time you’re struggling to develop new ideas, put some boundaries on your brainstorming by creating an artificial restriction. You would think that limitless would inspire, but the reverse produces better results. How many ideas can you generate in a truncated time or with other parameters?
Oh, those libraries — always coming up with something new. The latest feature at our branch is a “tiny art” exhibit where artists of all abilities created a mini-masterpiece on a 3×3 canvas. Dozens of the works were displayed along the top of bookcases, making it easy to peruse the gallery. Many of the pieces were for sale, with all proceeds benefitting the library — a win-win for everyone.
While many adults don’t see themselves as artists, everyone can create something on a tiny canvas. We often make things more lofty or grandiose than they need to be. Art doesn’t have to be museum-worthy to provide the benefits of creativity and experimentation.
Think “tiny” to get your innovation and juices flowing.
In a Q&A column in People, actor Manny Jacinto was asked about his last DIY project. He replied, “We were furnishing our home and looking at art, and I kept saying to my wife, ‘I could do that.’ So, I tried this massive painting, and it took me three days…I signed the back: Never Doing This Again.”
It’s such a common trap, created by professionals who make their craft look easy. We get lured into thinking it is easy and only learn the truth when we try something ourselves. And not just creative pursuits. How much more could there be to accounting than keeping a ledger? What do teachers do with all their “free time”? How hard could it be to propose a new policy?
The more you understand something, the more likely you are to see the nuances that separate the pros from the amateurs. It’s fine to experiment and try new things. Just don’t confuse your hobby with those who do it for a living.
If you follow the WNBA at all, you know that there has been quite a bit of chatter this year about the performance of the referees. Everyone, from coaches to players, fans, and the media, has at one point or another called out the refs for missing calls.
Lasik.com brilliantly decided to capitalize on this dissatisfaction by offering free Lasik surgery for all WNBA referees. It is a well-timed and very smart promotional move on their part. The likelihood that someone will take them up on their offer is low, yet the social media value is high. They really can’t lose with this campaign.
When you see something trending on your social media feed or hear rumblings in the water cooler chatter, think about whether you have a service that could appropriately tie in with what is happening. You don’t want to be like the refs and miss making that call.
