How to organize Your CreativitY?

Only one
possible way
to do so —
look what

CreativitY organization
suits you
and what
you want to
adopt ...

One definition Creativity is more than just one idea. An idea for a book ( Idea for a book )
Cre|a|tiv|i|ty here: the consists for example of diverse ideas for plot, characters, settings,
deliberate creation of must be implemented!
Goal: quotations, objects, etc. pp. While it is possible to remember one
Open for randomness single idea, the usage of many ideas for a Idea for a book
but planned something new and useful have good creative project requires organization. Quote
Setting
Object Setting
Setting
Plot
Object
Quote
Object
de d“,
ideas and
Character Plot Character
t b e „ co m prehen Quote Plot Character Quote Plot
Quote
must know what is already mu s
no insanity,
Dialog Setting Setting Object
Object
e existing
Object Quote
available and move past that n e ct to t h Quote Quote
Plot Plot SettingObject
con Setting CharacterQuote
Quote

realize them
I remembered a time when my grandmother had asked me to
explain television to her — the guts, not the funny pictures. No empirical

OccupatiOn with the tOpic How long does it take until Possibilities to create time There are things which cannot be taught in ten easy lessons, nor evidence but
some nice
you acquire expertise in a topic? • avoid internal & external Iplace w itout popularized for the masses; they take years of skull sweat. This
quotes as
nternet acces be treason in an age when ignorance has come into its own and
According to Simon and Chase it interruptions be unavailable s
memory aid.
esp. acquire Knowledge and Skills takes about 10.000 hours to • ditch the competition T.V.! one man’s opinion is as good as another’s. But there it is. As Star
Even if the creative solution looks simple afterwards, the creative work acquire expertise in an area. • define criteria of says, the world is what it is — and doesn’t forgive ignorance.
requires an extensive occupation with the topic — knowledge must The diagram on the right success and use them to “Glory Road” by Robert A. Heinlein
be acquired and skills must be trained. This may sound trivial, but many shows what this means in evaluate your success
„creatives“ do not give this step the attention it deserves. Einstein once hours per day. • say „No“ and establish „I have to do x, y, an d z. When people say to me: “How do you do so many
Which of
said that imagination is more important than knowledge — if you have the You need to have this time limits these shall I cancel if things?” I often answer them, without meaning to
I also do k?“
knowledge of an Einstein you may allow yourself this remark. Michelangelo available. You will never • break down task in easy- be cruel: “How do you do so little?” It seems to me
probably said the more relevant thing: „If people only knew how hard I „accidentally“ have the time to-do subtasks „He who has imagination that people have vast potential. Most people can do
work to gain my mastery, it wouldn‘t seem so wonderful at all.“ Real creative you need — you need to create and • create a learning-list with topics without learning has extraordinary things if they have the confidence or
work requires extensive self-directed learning and a disciplined training of defend your time. • start with a simply project wings but no feet.“ take the risks. Yet most people don’t. They sit in front
the necessary skills. The time and the hard work are the price to pay for the The example comes from • choose teachers and Unknown of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.
expertise in chess but it is settings consciously Philip Adams
recognition of creative work. Persistence is more important useful anyway.
than intelligence here!

Ideas are usually occur automatically when Give yourself

you occupy yourself with the topic. time for ideas

Creativity „technique “I thought about it all the time.”

GeneratinG
s“ are often overrate d,
they can give yo u tim but • Help: work with smart Time for Incubation/Ideas Sir Isaac Newton, on how he
e (and a justification)
take the time to thin to people, ask experts for the • walk When inspiration does not come, I go for a
k about a to pic. discovered the law of gravity
walk, go to the movie, talk to a friend, let go...
esp. having time for ideas relevant area, ...
• Distance: take a break, take a step
• bath/shower
• listen to your thoughts when The muse is bound to return again, especially
There are a lot of creativity techniques — but no silver bullets which you can back, ... lying in bed if I turn my back! Impara l’arte, e mettila da parte.
apply everywhere and anytime. And even the best creativity technique is • Options: Limit work and • Mediation/Yoga Judy Collins [Learn art to forget about it.]
useless if you do not have the necessary knowledge.
In many cases occupying yourself with the topic intensively and having the
activities, set new goals,
change the methods, ... Idea • mid-day sleep
• follow daydreams
Under normal conditions the research scientist
Unknown

time to think about the experiences will already generate ideas. • Changing yourself: use • „use“ presentations
is not an innovator but a solver of puzzles, and Chance favors the prepared mind.
Examples for Creativity „Techniques“ your mood, dream, ... and meetings
the puzzles upon which he concentrates are just Louis Pasteur
• Structure: Change the way you work, e.g., keep your independence, have • „just do it“: produce a lot, • classical concerts
time for ideas, ignore authority and traditions, ... those which he believes can be both stated and
experiment, ... • travel alone
• Perspective: Question assumptions (even those you like), keep the goals solved within the existing scientific tradition.
• solo endurance sport “I don’t care about what something was
but change the methods, question the methods, look at the data, ... Thomas Kuhn
designed to do, I care about what it can do.”
d w a y s to do
• Inspiration: Analogies, use the idea collection, travel, ... fin o re often Gene Kranz in “Apollo 13”
i n g “ m
„noth Enough quotations, now for some real examples ...

ut
„Eureka!
“ Capture Yup, that was this poster — the idea for Jot down ideas w itho
er
ideas the structure came while taking a bath ;-) interrupting the show
there are also pens for iPhone
ink about where
capturinG If yo u first have to th
yo u put it or have to
an d pa pe r, yo u eith er
search for pen
lo os e the idea or
it down.
Advantages of Capturing
• no idea is lost
Ways to Capture Ideas
• Pen and Paper
• Cellphone (SMS, Voice recorder,
Immediately! the motivation to write • frees mental resources
call your own mailbox, Note-
• can stimulate further ideas
Ideas are fleeting and often they do not return. Thus, ideas should be • conscious quality control taking-App, ...)

Idea • Stationary Methods (e.g.

Wessel, Daniel (2011). How to Organize Your Creativity? MinD-Akademie 2011: Zukunft und Forschung.
captured always, immediately, fast, and without effort. The focus is on • makes flow of though visible
capturing, sorting comes later. This requires simple and flexible methods. • enables larger projects blackboard, whiteboard,
The quality should be „sufficient“ — the notes do not have a value on its own • calming feeling MagicCharts, pinboard, ...)
but you have to be able to understand the idea later. Capturing ideas has • PC (put textfile on taskbar/
nothing to do with having a bad memory — you just have too many ideas Missed Ideas dock, open with Spotlight/
to remember all of them and it would be a shame to loose them. It is also • retrace the steps to the idea Quicksilver)
not unprofessional — even professionals like Helmut Newton or Robert A. • reduce arousal
Heinlein have written down their ideas to have them available later. • try it again later

quickly available Instant

Whiteboard!

g
collecting

e I
e Q
dr t I d l o a O cOt a
ideas

e a
IdeaIdS er I Q
t t i n g
d e a uI o
d t
e aQ e a t e te r ra c t e
u a
o b j e c Pl o t
e aD i aI d e l o g a l o g b j
eCeah abrjaec
I t
d eb
eraj e I
c O
d
t e
b j eDc i a l o
i d c
Pl

e
d u o
a ra c C h a O te D i a D I O t Dt i
I d
a eg a Backups: early, often, incremental,
ot

I
The structure

c t h l
d collection m external

c
DEVONthink

ra o
difference to akes the only one collection

a OllectinG C
Criteria for the Collection
g
an insane w it

Ch Letting ideas grow for projects.

full of ideas. h a drawer Ways to Collect Ideas
• speed -> „Ways to Capture Ideas“

Obje ChaOracter • easy backups • Index Cards

c b
• comfortable „look & feel“

t
• Mind-Maps/Concept Maps

Quote j e
The aim of an idea collection is to let creative projects grow over time. An

c t
• flexibility • Outliners

Idea
idea collection requires work and needs to be ‚trimmed‘ regularly. But due • supported media formats • Note-Management Software

Character D i
to its structure it allows you to integrate ideas, thus making larger projects
a log
possible. You can work with your ideas and have them available whenever
you need them. A good collection allows you to easily remember ideas (you
• availability
• security
• Digital Notebooks
• Wikis
• Databases

Plot
Circus Ponies

r
stumble upon them while using the collection), stimulates the generation of
t
Recommended: Collection Inbox
e
• and much more
t
Notebook

h a ra c P l o
new ideas, allows the quick finding of specific ideas, and the enlargement
and restructuring of ideas. The collections grows over time — if a project
One file/folder where you put new Wiki with Ferret-

g
Frame for quick

C
ideas first — sorting

D O P l o
is ready you can implement it, while the other projects do not get lost but

O i a
takes time and this page creation/

I t o
tagging

ra c te r r d Db
continue to grow.

C h a r i O
way it is backed up Periphery Projects

c tete e cIte
d a
t l e c a c t b j c t Cbh a O b D i j e tt
like the collection.
The rest of the collection

IdeOabject hara uo Plot aIdeaIdCehaaraIdeaeaObje ObgQdeuoOt bj PloOt bject Ideecrtacterect log Pclt
oj e e j a j a o
conscious

c e
grows over time.
decision for
Ide

one project

C Q I Core Project
a

Project that is currently

Central Projects realized.

realizatiOn
Interesting projects with
do not get lost but extensive idea generation.
Choosing a project Feedback
get enriched with Check with the Good feedback aims at improving the quality
Yup, the poster is a little bit complex. I did not

Creativity must be realized. further ideas over collection: Do you of the current and future work. A good critic
time. They are neither inactive, nor have all ideas (sort them/outliner!)? takes time, tries to understand the work, wants
Having an idea is easy, but only when the idea is realized it shows whether it do they consume a lot of resources. Can you realize the project? Do you the creative to be successful, understands the
have the time for a less complex one.

was a creative work. Only while realizing you see without a doubt whether They grow and will be readily have the necessary knowledge creative, the domain and the target audience.
Aim achieved!
the idea works, whether it is new and useful, whether the knowledge and available once the core project is :D and skills? Do you have the Even if feedback sometimes appears to be harsh,
the skills were sufficient and whether you have enriched the domain with a finished. necessary time? it is not an attack on the person but aims to
new creative work. Again this takes a lot of time and hard work. not my pictures — improve the work.
A common problem is having too many ideas, which a person it is a mash-up
The Girl Who Played With The Wolves Quote-Book It is very satisfying to
wants to implement all (and at best, at the same time). Often # cross out the things you
people change the project if problems occur and in the end Once upon a time, a young girl was living have corrected.
at the border of a large forest. She didn’t
they realize none. The idea collection helps always live there. Fate had struck her
to concentrate on one core project, while the family and she was send to her grand
grand-
mother, far away from her friends and
other (not currently implemented) projects siblings. The grandmother was a kind
woman, but she expected that the girl
would earn her stay. And so she send the
some examples,
girl into the woods every day, ... Regarding organizing a PhD
mostly just-for-fun thesis there is a presentation.
Sa, 13h, Euro pa

re. :-)

MinD-Akademie 2011 Meet the Author

d h e re so mewhe
n
I‘m aro u
Daniel
Wessel

more information at:

ZUKUNFT UND FORSCHUNG www.organizingcreativity.com
DURING THE AKADEMIE