At ThoughtOffice, we’ve made a real emphasis on helping users move from “idea hamsters” to producers. Why? Because in the real world, it’s APPLIED CREATIVITY that moves us forward. Now, this is not being critical of true artists. People who have the freedom to create with no end game in sight are great. But in my world, we have to create something of value that people will exchange for some other value (money, for instance).
How does ThoughtOffice Compare to MindMapping? First, let me state I’m a big fan of visualization of ideas. Get me within 10 feet of a whiteboard and I can’t help but grab a dry erase pen, pop the cap and start doodling. I’ll share where that came from someday. Suffice to say, when your big brother is on stage making a presentation and you just KNOW you can do better, you grab the pen and prove it…
Today’s post is about a new launch we’ve been working on for well over a year now… some say since 1998. It’s not about brainstorming… but it IS an innovation. And it took plenty of brainstorming to pull it together.
Creativity and innovation come from asking all sorts of questions. Either previously unasked, or just asked from a fresh perspective.
This week, TED Talks posted a presentation by Saul Griffith that pushed a lot of my personal “geek” buttons – making electrical power with kites! All of us here at ThoughtOffice have a little bit of granola-crunching hippie inside us. We’ve shared many conversations about renewable energy, and leaving the planet a little better than we found it. Now, I’ll get off the pulpit, and let you watch the video:
A recent episode of the new PBS series Wired Science featured an awesomely cool little toy that we Baby Boomers may recall, but which is now just about extinct… the chemistry set!
I usually don’t expect to see anything serious about “work” on Comedy Central, but this recent interview with John Kao caught my eye. He appeared recently on the Colbert Report to discuss his new book, Innovation Nation. Have a look as John Kao explains how he feels that America has lost its innovative edge.
