I’ve heard the term “Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum” but truly only recently understood the phrase while deeply immersed in the creative process for hardware design. I found myself hitting development walls. Sometimes these challenges were due to needing to learn a new skill, get over a technological hurdle, or a mechanical quandary. I saw this same frustration while coaching students in engineering class. Children (as we all do) react differently to problem solving and some are more naturally attuned to making the connections necessary to see through to a solution. Many students give up and hardwire an acceptance of “just not being that kind of person” These moments test your measure in patience and process and I was getting caught either spending too much time trying to find my way through or stop the work all together and not return to it for a while. Where was inspiration when you need it? And part of that answer is it comes from … somewhere. While it may seem like a bolt of lightening from no where, from Archimedes (Eureka!) to Dr. Emmet Brown (Time machine), all creators depend on the practice of study and observing to find their way to solutions. Innovation and problem solving relies on existing ideas to build upon.
“I didn’t set out to design a house that hung from a pole, or to manufacture a new type of automobile, invent a new system of map projection, develop geodesic domes, or Energetic-Synergetic geometry. I started with the Universe – as an organization of energy systems of which all our experiences and possible experiences are only local instances. I could have ended up with a pair of flying slippers” – Buckminster Fuller
As I tell my teachers and students I mentor in engineering, as I should remind myself, for all of us in this conundrum, engineers and creators of any kind, there are methods to help find a solution. For instance, the Design Process, taught now in various forms to engineering students of all ages, takes us through the steps from problem to solution. And those problems could be big or small but the approach is generally the same:
- Empathize (with the user),
- Define (the problem),
- Brainstorm (possible solutions),
- Build (the solution) and
- Test (if it works).
Rinse and repeat, as they say, since in each step there is opportunity to revert back a step or two until a final solution is created. The first few steps, Empathize, Define and Brainstorm, are vital not only during the first pass but as well as when there are hiccups or challenges to get through. It is here where inspiration is derived. Understanding the user, defining their plight and all the science around it gives you the base of what you need to know, what (information and physical) resources are needed. And the brainstorming is a process to loosen the bounds of conscious logic and access ideas from all parts of your knowledge base. By studying the problem from all angles and by pulling from seemingly unrelated areas of your brain, a solution “appears”.
I had run into this type of process in a different application, more creative endeavors like art and writing. In a short book A Technique for Producing Ideas, James Webb Young asks “Is an idea…the final result of a long series of unseen idea-building processes which go on beneath the surface of the conscious mind?” and outlines methodology to produce ideas with similar roots as the Design Process.
- Gather Raw Material (Collect specific and general knowledge relevant to the problem or topic).
- Digesting the Material (Reflect on the gathered information, making connections and examining patterns.)
- Unconscious Processing and Idea Emergence: (Step away from the problem, allowing your subconscious to process the information. Allow for the “Aha” moment when a new idea comes to the surface.)
- Idea Development and Testing: Refine and test the idea, making adjustments as needed for practicality and effectiveness.
His question on the source of ideas is based on the premise that “an idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements”. And further, “the capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships”. Webb’s technique is a training of the mind to access these abilities to collect and analyze the subject at hand and then both actively and passively allow for new combinations to happen until a new (“successful”) idea is formed.
“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” – Mark Twain
This concept that new ideas are combinations of old reminded me of the British TV series Connections where host James Burke traces the path of innovation development, each new idea leading to the next. Not only fascinating but a reminder that we build the future upon the past. Innovation flourishes when we are exposed to ideas and knowledge. The speed of innovation is in fact logarithmic. Much like Moore’s Law is the exponential growth of computing power, Metcalfe’s Law is the exponential value of interconnections on expanding networks. The futurist Ray Kurzweil has identified this exponential technological progress on many fronts as part of a law of accelerating returns. And the public is now very aware of this phenomena which is at the heart of Large Language Models like ChatGPT. Is ChatGPT creative? Without giving value to that creation, of course it is. Designed on neural networks, it has been trained a lot of knowledge, of ideas of the past. Combining old ideas to form new ones is by definition creative. Whether its good or bad is another question.
I feel the pressure to be an inspired genius lifted, liberated by technique and observation. This transformative process underscores the essence of creativity, a synthesis of experiences and information, shaping the new from the known. Each new idea is a record of knowledge, reformed by imagination. Ideas and experiences are the lifeblood of this creative process, the raw materials fueling the engine of innovation. Drawing from diverse experiences, engaging diversions, and an keen awareness of the world around me, I gather the raw materials for inspiration in my ventures spanning the creative worlds of engineering, art, and writing. Through this foundation of creative process and practice, I am enabled to explore realms of the fantastic, craft narratives that inspire and innovate for a better future.