The Circle of Innovation
What innovation is today and how what we create ends up creating us.
In preparation for this article, I watched some TED talks. I want to share the biggest insights because if you’re going to change the world, you might as well get inspired by some people who already have done it.
And, of course, our community of digital creatives and future of work pioneers also had some insights to share on Somewhere.
What is innovation?
I’ve long given up going to Google for subjective questions like this because Google tends to be more technical. So I went to Quora in this case!
My favorite definitions of this bunch is Edson Menezes’:
Innovation can be a thin line connecting the intuitive, the rational and the market: the gift, the servant and the server.
Things like innovation are flexible and elusive. If our generation says it’s one thing, the next will say it differently. So it helps to remember that it’s a process between a few elements, a balance if you will. And while most people are right about saying it’s “challenging the status quo”, Edson reminded us that there are a few characters at play.
Because one person or idea cannot change the world if the innovator isn’t intuitive or if the market isn’t ready.
Which comes first — money or meaning?
Yep, it’s another chicken vs. egg debacle. Many people these days start off with this glamorous idea that creating something new will change the world AND bring them a ton of money. But here’s a secret that these people miss: When you start with meaning, money will come. When you start with money, nothing comes.
This is how Guy Kawasaki (VC) started his TEDx talk.
If you start off with the sole desire to make money, you probably won’t make money, you won’t make meaning, you won’t change the world, and you will probably fail.
(Watch the video, there are 10 steps you should take.)
Look, like everyone else, I think about money, it’s inevitable. Money’s like the #1 thing we aim for when we start anything. It’s because money is the bringer of good things — shelter, food, travel, entertainment, and so on. Without money, we wouldn’t be truly happy.
However, like professional writer Jeff Goins says:
Money is a means, not a master.
Because if you make money your master, you will not have anything substantial to base your projects and your growth on. And when things get tough, you need something to motivate you internally as well.
Money is temporary — it comes and goes. But meaning is eternal — it stays with you until you let go.
So it’s not like the chicken and the egg after all.
Does innovation work better in solitude or in teamwork?
Doesn’t it depend on personality? Not necessarily.
Joi Ito created one of the biggest databases in the world, which was caused by a big earthquake in Japan, and the only reason he was able to do it is because he went on the Internet and got together with other people (from different backgrounds and with various skill sets) who wanted to figure out the radiation dangers to the population.
You see, Joi had his family there, so it was another one of those innovation out of necessity cases we know so well.
Steven Johnson, on the other hand, believes in the power of physical spaces that bring us together — the coffee houses. He argues that ideas don’t happen in isolation. He says, “an idea is a network”.
And if I go on twitter right now and ask my startup friends where they’re working from today, most of them will tell me from the cafe. It’s actually happened a lot in our conversations. There is no doubt that by now there are cafes and working spaces that exist for the sole purpose of innovation happening.
And that’s amazing! So even though in your head, you might have this idea of eureka moments and apples falling, innovation usually happens among people. And that’s because —
We’re more connected than ever before in history.
Like Jim Gilliam said, The internet is my religion. It helps us create and the funny thing is — we created it first. Circle of life? Circle of innovation more like.
Ready to create? (“the rules”)
I know you’re a rebel, but “the rules” actually free space for creativity. You don’t want to be stressing out about the little things. It’s better that they are set for you, and besides, creativity is all about new connections.
It’s like being a multipassionate dot-connector. The more experiences you have, the better equipped you are to come up with something new. Also, the more diversity you have in a team, the more innovative it will be.
A good reminder! Innovation gets scared when you walk toward it with a leash. You have to sneak it from behind like any self-respecting dog. Not saying innovation will be your pet, just saying it gets spooked a lot.
Also, to “stir innovation” it’s good to know the creative process intimately. For example, nothing will be ready in a day. First you’ll brainstorm, then it will incubate, and finally it will just come to you. The best ideas do.
Don’t isolate yourself in your basement where all you have is white walls and the washer and dryer. Go out, talk to people, watch them attend to their daily tasks, surround yourself with inspiring books and quotes. Basically, just inundate yourself with stimuli. Your brain needs it.
Maybe you want to be an innovative writer and write your poems in all lower-case characters. Too late, e.e.cummings already did that. But guess what — cummings followed the guidelines of poetry. And anyone who tweets will tell you that boundaries don’t stifle creativity, but inspire it.
So if you want to innovate, set the boundaries first.
Now’s your turn.
What’s innovation to you?
Does it work better when you’re alone or in a team?
What are your “rules” for creating things?
Let us know! And if you want to join a community full of innovators in every industry, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one than Somewhere. And share this article and let’s all create new things. The world needs it.
