This is all about creativity, imagination & innovation. Walt Disney & Steve Jobs were creative people and creativity has the power to surpass any limit of SUCCESS. Walt Disney was imaginative and Creative (Read: Walt Disney: Creativity Lessons ), Steve Jobs was Creative Innovator and I think both of them understood the meaning of creativity, imagination & innovation well and in time. Both of them will inspire you. I always liked this compilation of 7 Principles for Creative Success by Steve Jobs.
This post is been blended to give you an insight on the topic by these creative geniuses.
How to be creative
In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change, it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown.
Misconception about creativity
Creativity has nothing to do with any activity in particular – with painting, poetry, dancing and singing. It has nothing to do with anything in particular. Anything can be creative – you bring that quality to the activity. Activity itself is neither creative nor uncreative. You can paint in an uncreative way. You can sing in an uncreative way. You can clean the floor in a creative way. You can cook in a creative way. Creativity is the quality that you bring to the activity you are doing. It is an attitude, an inner approach – how you look at things.
So the first thing to be remembered: don’t confine creativity to anything in particular. Creativity refers to the utilization of imaginative thinking or ideas to produce a work of art. Creativity is the ability to take your energy and create something remarkable. Artist use both their creativity and imagination to make art.
“Creativity is a drug I cannot live without” – Cecil B. DeMille
Creativity is like art, it is something that is unique to you. Some people can paint or sculpt. Some can add new flavors to food. There are all different ways to be creative. Creativity is something that many look beyond and don’t even think of as something of importance in the world of business, or in the nature of the success you build for yourself. Creativity is one of the greatest qualities any of us can be blessed with, yet many never allow their true creativity to be expressed
People in today’s world need to realize that individuals in leadership positions must be creative and become creative problem solvers as these are skills of the future. You need to unleash your creativity and understand how important it truly is to have it flourish throughout your life and career.
The Three Vital Roles for Creativity Strategy
“If you can dream it, you can do it” – Walt Disney
The Disney Creativity Strategy separates out three vital roles – dreamer, realist, and critic – involved in the process of generating creating ideas and translating them into reality. The roles are explored separately for maximum clarity and effect.
Dreamer: Let your mind wander freely. Produce a visionary big picture with no boundaries, limitations or restraint. Ask yourself “What do I really want, in an ideal world?” Do not let reality come into your thoughts. This is daydreaming or brainstorming time. It will most likely engage your visual imagination. Establish the payoffs of the idea.
Realist: This is about organizing ideas to put your plan into practice. What would need to happen to make it real? How could you do it? Think constructively. Devise an action plan and evaluate it to determine what is realistic. Ask Yourself “What will I do to make these plans a reality?” Establish time frames and milestones for progress. Make sure your plan can be initiated and maintained by the appropriate person or group.
Critic: Test your plan; look for problems, difficulties and unintended consequences. Evaluate them. Ask yourself “What could go wrong?” Think of what is missing, what is surplus, what the spins-offs will be. Define the context in which your plan is workable and problematic.
7 Principles for Creative Success by Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo, author of The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success has identified the seven principles that guided Jobs to being, arguably, the greatest innovator of our time (Must read this awesome book: The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success):
1. Do What You Love
Jobs followed his heart his whole life. “I have come to the conclusion all inspiration leaders have an abundance of passion for their topic,” Gallo says. “You can’t inspire unless you are inspired yourself. What made Jobs so charismatic was he had a passion and was not afraid to express it. Most businesspeople express facts – not passion. Jobs would say things like ‘the intersection of technology and the liberal arts makes my heart sing.’ He wore his passion on his sleeve.”
2. Put a Dent in the Universe
Jobs attracted people who shared his vision and helped turn his ideas into world-changing innovations. Although few large companies are as closely associated with their founders as Apple is, Jobs was not a one-man show. He didn’t invent Smartphone or tablet computers or computer animation. “He knew what he didn’t know,” Gallo says. “Jobs saw over the horizon and hired people – the best in the business – who were inspired to make the dream a reality.”
3. Kick-Start Your Brain
Innovation hinges on creativity, and for Jobs, creativity was the act of connecting things. He believed that a broad set of experiences broadens our understanding of the human experience. The team that marketed the original Macintosh was successful because it included musicians, artists, poets and scientists – they brought vastly different, but complementary talents, skills and knowledge to the table.
4. Sell Dreams, Not Products
Jobs never considered himself in the business of selling computers. He believed that Apple made products that unleashed personal creativity. “Never underestimate the power of a bold vision to move a brand forward,” Gallo says. “That vision is intoxicating, and it makes people want to join with you. You need a clear, bold vision that people can get behind.”
“Never underestimate the power of a bold vision to move a brand forward.”
5. Say No to 1,000 Things
Jobs said the ultimate sophistication was simplicity. From the designs of the iPod to the iPhone, to the packaging for products, he always eliminated the unnecessary. “Rip a page from the Steve Jobs innovation playbook,” Gallo says. “In business, set yourself apart from your competition not by what you add but what you remove. In life, set yourself up for success not by how many projects you choose to tackle, but by how many you choose to remove.”
6. Create Insanely Great Experiences
“When Gateway opened their own retail stores, their vision was to move boxes,” Gallo says. “The vision behind the Apple store was to create an enriching experience. They had a commission-less sales force, because they did not want people to sell you something unless it enriched your life.” At the Apple store, customers are greeted as soon as they walked in the door. They can see and touch and play with the products – all ground-breaking ideas in the tech industry. “Whatever business you have, think about how you can create an enriching customer experience from how you answer the phone to how you respond when someone walks into your location,” Gallo says. His new book, The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty, explores this even topic more deeply.
7. Master the Message
Jobs was the world’s preeminent corporate storyteller, turning product launches into an art form. “He knew that excellent design and customer service would only take you so far,” Gallo says. “Innovation requires positive buzz. Tell your story early and often. Make communication a cornerstone of your brand every day.”
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while” – Steve Jobs
Sachin Iyer
