Credit: Paramount Pictures
What inspires creative new ideas? What are creative ideas?
Creative ideas are often just two or three regular things combined in a unique way to generate something new. Scott W. Smith describes it simply as A + B = C. A and B are just regular things that we probably already know, experience regularly, or that randomly appear in front of us. The new idea ‘C’ is simply a combination of those regular things.
So what inspires a person to see C when looking at A and B? From the dictionary, we learn that inspiration is related to words like intuition, inhalation, stirring, and thought. Inspiration is related to the concepts of breathing in and divine guidance.
Do you remember when Elvis Presley spent the night at the Gump House?
Forrest said, “One time a young man was staying with us, and he had him a guitar case.” Mrs. Gump walks up the stairs looking for Forrest, to announce dinner. After looking in Forrest’s empty bedroom, she hears singing coming from another room. Opening the door, she sees a handsome young man with long sideburns, playing the guitar and singing.
“You ain’t never caught a rabbit, and you ain’t no friend of mine.”
Meanwhile, Forrest’s legs rock back and forth to the guitar rhythm. Startled by seeing Forrest holding a broom and dancing oddly, Mrs. Gump interrupts, “Forrest! I told you not to bother this nice young man.” Elvis politely replies, “Oh, no, that’s all right, ma’am. I was just showin’ him a thing or two on the guitar here.”
Mrs. Gump invites Elvis and Forrest down to dinner, leaves the room and closes the door. Elvis sits back down while saying to Forrest, “Say, man, show me that crazy little walk you just did there. Slow it down some.”
As Elvis starts to sing again, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog…” Forrest begins to dance. He watches himself in the mirror. He rocks up and down on his braced legs. He then begins to step. Forrest moves around to the music while swinging his hips.
Elvis brought the guitar (A)
plus
Forrest provided the dance (B)
equals
The King of Rock-n-Roll was created (C)
Now, that’s some crazy inspiration!
Next Blog Title: 5 Priorities of Living
Next Blog Date: February 3, 2011