The Present is a Creative Echo Chamber
And one way to avoid having the same ideas as everyone else.
It’s time to take control of what is influencing your thoughts. To simply stop having the same ideas and advance your creative perspectives. But before we do, we have to take a step back and start at the root. Let’s dive right in!
For full immersion, I would suggest you listen to this album while reading.
New perspectives infuse original creativity
Creativity has a lot to do with perspective. It’s these different angles we use when engaging topics to form new thoughts and ideas. The way we look at the world makes all the difference on how we perceive it. A great example is this entertaining story of how someone only having experienced electric cars test drives his first petrol car. Perspective changes everything.
To come up with what’s next we need original and unbiased thinking. We should move away from low-hanging frames of reference; exotic perspectives are the ones to reach for. That’s where the original creativity is and where new untapped potential lies.
Your perspectives are tainted by the world around you; that’s why so many people have the same ideas.
Your challenge is being able to find fresh angles for any subject matter. And there is a major impediment keeping you from doing so: your perspectives are tainted by the world around you, the world we all share; that’s why so many people have the same ideas.
Your perspective is never truly, freely yours
Research has revealed how our behavior is continuously influenced by our environment. From the things you see and smell to what you hear and touch. Be it noticeable or imperceptible, deliberate or accidental; everything is a suggestion for your thoughts.
For example, behavioral economists are doing fascinating studies into human behavior. Among them Dan Ariely, who questions if we are in control of our own decisions. Ad-men like Rory Sutherland who reframe our perspectives and alter our perception of value. And illusionists such as Derren Brown use language patterns to suggest behaviors, influence decisions and even alter our core desires.
While both fascinating and educational, each of these examples illustrates a simple point: we are easily influenced and struggle to overcome the environmental triggers and resulting behavior changes. It seems we are fighting against a deep-rooted demeanor.
And in the echo chamber that is the design community we see the same reverberations happening all the time. We’re all following the same blogs, reading the same stories; consuming the same sources. Submersing ourselves on the ever-saturated and biased pond of supposed inspiration. Too often we end up drawing the same conclusions and building similar futures.
In the echo-chamber that is the design community we see the same reverberations happening all the time.
There is a way around the unwanted shaping of our thoughts. While we may not have the ability to ignore our environment and its influences, we will be able to change our surroundings.
Tailor your environment to advance your perspective
Now don’t get me wrong, the goal is not to reshape our reality. No all-encompassing immersive VR experience needed. What I’m proposing is to fine tune some of the media we consume to favor the creation of new and exciting ideas.
We need the right type of stimulation when pursuing original creativity. And being confronted with the past — even the now — is not going to help you create what’s next.
So when it comes to a substitute environment to boost your creativity, I have a perfect candidate: books. Science fiction books to be precise. Preferably far-future sci-fi books. Not because these books predict a possible future for you to duplicate. Let me repeat that: it’s not what’s in the book that matters. It’s because they pull you away from the now and into the next. They offer a superb replacement environment.
You’d be surprised what being saturated with a world of wonder does to your imagination and ability to ignore the predictable solutions around you. Your thoughts move around more freely. Especially with a lack of images; you’re going to have to fill in the blanks, resulting in fresh and interesting ideas.
How getting lost on some alien planet results in new amazing ideas for smart footwear.
And there is a tremendous amount of great writing available today. Amazing fictions fantasizing about distant destinies. Especially with far-future sci-fi books. Stories that look ahead for thousands and tens of thousands of years, fabricated foresights stretching the limits of your imagination.
It’s fascinating what getting immersed in a weird space ship can do to your ability to define the future of interactive car interiors. Or how getting lost on some alien planet results in new amazing ideas for smart footwear.
So when you are improving a part of your influences you are becoming more adept at letting go. You are transitioning into a new creative chapter where you have more control on what’s guiding your thoughts. Ultimately, where you have complete creative freedom in selecting any untainted perspective to create what’s next.
Take control of what shapes your thoughts
I hope this story will help you in letting go. In being less attached to the now and better prepared for the next. And becoming aware of all that is influencing how you view the world. Or at least provide you with an enjoyable new set of books to read. Now skip on down to select one of the far-future science fiction books to get you started. And if you have any suggestions of books I should read, please let me know in the comments below.
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Recommended far-future sci-fi books
Dune by Frank Herbert
Culture series by Iain M. Banks
Void trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton
Expanse series by James S.A. Corey
Old Man’s War series by John Scalzi
Koban series by Stephen W. Bennett
Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
My Goodreads profile where I’ve started to track the books I’ve read.
Jan van der Asdonk is a Creative Director and Jack of All Trades, Master of Some. He specializes in creative perspectives and designing & making holistic digital / physical product experiences for tomorrow and beyond.
Handmade is a Product Invention Lab based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and operates across the globe. Handmade helps forward looking technology companies design and prototype their next big things.
Interested in these thoughts and the impact on your potential business? Get in touch! Handmade is always looking forward to helping you build your next.
