My Framework For Ideation & Creative Breakthrough
How to always make everything better.
I’m often asked how to “be” innovative or where “good ideas” come from. In preparation for a workshop I would be leading on creative process and, specifically, ideation, I was forced to really examine my own framework of how and why ideation works, for me, the way it does — or doesn’t, as is sometimes the case. This two-part post is an unfolding overview of that talk which I hope is a remedy to you, the Writer, Photographer, Painter, Songwriter, Leader, Designer, Adventurer among us — the Artists & Poets in us all.
While I was prepping for the session, I was immediately aware of the tension between creating something “original” and “stealing,” to create something worthy. One of my art heroes — Austin Kleon — talks about this in such a meaningful, clear way in his book, Steal Like An Artist; he can also be found right here on Medium and on Twitter.
So, here’s my framework, taken from a page straight out of nature; this is my process of ideation from conception to completion —or, what I think of as an Orbit. Amazingly, it will always make everything better :)
Observation
We must take time to simply be present. And, being present to more diverse conversations and trans-discipline experiences, the better.
Oh! that we would be people of observation. Mystery. Surprise. Delight. Stealing à la Kleon. For me, my process of ideation begins with observation (see the first box in the above sketch). How can we tell we’re “in orbit” without first observing…?
See, we know the difference between looking and seeing: where seeing requires one’s undivided attention; then, there’s the difference between hearing and listening: where listening is the truly hard work of actively engaging with what the Other is saying and not saying, right?
Observation is like the third dimension, here: Artists are those who see and listen. Observation will never fully happen for an artist who does not value space and margin.
Maybe your calendar and Twitter timeline would reveal how much space and margin you’re currently leaving yourself to actually observe life.
And, a habit of observation leads to the next place in Orbit.
Realization
This is the moment when patterns begin to emerge. For each person, it’s interpreted a bit differently, but the constant is pattern. In the sketch accompanying this piece, Realization is the second group of dots.
What was once a smattering of colorful dots, to the observational artist becomes a pattern waiting to be offered up.
Don’t overthink this: purple, can be a pattern, just like a reoccurring word in conversation can be a pattern. And soon, dots, figuratively speaking, that were previously and seemingly divorced from one another can become a pattern!
I find this to also be the most playful stage of Ideation — closely related to the concept behind Lego(s). It’s the stage where we are playing with patterns and beginning to “make things real.” We are playing with the idea of an idea! We’re asking questions like, “What could this be?” and, “What would happen if…?”
Ultimately, in this stage, we’re taking wonder and laying it on top of patterns, questions, coincidences, and observations. Poets do this all the time, long before putting pen to paper, for example.
Breakthrough
Finally, we’ve reached breakthrough! This is the messiest “place” in the orbit, so to speak. It’s comprised of two distinct feelings:
“Oh…sweet! This is going to be awesome,” and, “Oh…shit! This is impossible.”
Breakthrough is a place to rest. Don’t rush this. But, don’t get stuck here.
The Jews say, “Be still and get going.”
Here, the idea is all sorts of raw feelings and bright hopes. And the best ideas, having arrived at Breakthrough, will be made of the best elements from the previous two places in Orbit, Observation and Realization (see the third box in the sketch above).
It is important to note, this is where I estimate 80–90% of all great ideas come to die. And we, the Artists, are poorer because of it.
Iteration
For the 10–20% of ideas bursting through Breakthrough, they will need to live in Iteration if they have any hope of living in infamy. This is the Jim Collins’ Station in Orbit. However, for many Artists, we take the idea directly from Breakthrough and we drop it on the moon of Implementation — and it was not ready: it could be good, but it will never be great.
Why? Because we did not iterate. To iterate, is to fail forward; to iterate is to intentionally make small movements toward the innovative end. It is a process unto itself and it is critical.
Ed Catmull talks at length about failure — and I see this as being intimately tied to the life of an idea living in Iteration.
Every revolution, every ideological evolution, must dare to explore the infinite: in doing this, we iterate, we change, we grow. This is the riskiest place in Orbit.
Mix media. Mix medium. Repeat.
Transformation
And so the Idea has been created, and is now illuminated for all to see. Because it exists, it will transform the shape of things to come. If we, as Artists, have done the hard work of traveling in Orbit, we will contain the idea, and it will contain a part of us.
This happens when people say of it, “I can see your fingerprints all over this.” Or, “This piece sounds like so-and-so.” Whatever this is.
However, don’t miss this: For the idea to be Transformational, it will be an unveiling of the revelation you first had when you observed that surprising thing.
Even I have to read that again.
We’ve come full circle. We observed something delightful or surprising. We realized the pattern in it. We experienced breakthrough with the idea, itself. The idea was subjected to iteration. We, together, and even the idea itself, are now transformed — and we are back at Observation, in Orbit.
Here’s to the Generous Thieves of The Universe — may you steal and give well!
Words and art by Justin Heap. Even more at justinpheap.co .
