Ideas are everywhere

Eureka!

Have you ever had a shower moment? Or a time when you had a sudden clarity of thought that solved a problem, helped create a new product or business, and made a difficult decision simple or just made you go "AHA!"?

I would put money on the fact that your "Aha" moments are when you aren't thinking of the idea or problem. You were most likely driving, in the garden, taking a shower or thinking of something quite random.

Where do ideas come from? Why are ideas important? And how do we become more creative?
I believe that ideas are everywhere, we just need to train ourselves to see them. Celebrated poet Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

Some believe that creativity comes from taking risks and that you have to have the ability to back yourself when pitching the idea. I agree, but you have to have the idea first!

My experience shows that you have to be curious. Ideas come from the questions you ask (or are asked), the research you do and the ability to look at a problem in many different ways to determine the most creative solution.
Great ideas don't just happen, or appear, although sometimes it may seem that way when you have a Eureka moment. But, when you reflect on how you came up with that idea, did you think about how long it took to connect the dots, and what actions you took to realise this great idea?
"Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected," says novelist William Plomer.

Creativity is not only for some. Creativity is for everyone. This is not an exclusive club for clever people - we all have ideas and it's time to share them.

Whether you are walking along Victoria Avenue and see a new way to celebrate the heritage buildings, or design a piece of art that becomes a mural on the wall of a commercial building, to thinking about a solution to make Whanganui more sustainable and eco-friendly, or a way to fill a vacant shop, we all have ideas that will help shape the future of our fine city.

Ideas are important because ideas create jobs, remove plastic from our oceans, and make us laugh at the outtakes of an animated film. Ideas help solve problems. Ideas create artworks and build cruise ships. Ideas design events.
Wonder, imagination and play help develop creativity. But I think Albert Einstein hit the bullseye on how we can be more creative when he said, "creativity is intelligence having fun". And psychologists are finding that we are at our most creative when playing and having fun. So let's have more fun and come up with some ideas that help our community thrive.

This is a two-part series since ideas and creativity are so much fun to write about. Next column will focus on innovation and creativity.