Study ordinary things intently
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - posted by hellomynameisscott at 5:46 AM
All creativity begins with curiosity.About how things work.
About how things could work BETTER.
About why things are the way they are.
About why people do things they way they do.
But don’t MY word for it. Let’s hear what three of the world’s most notable creativity gurus had to say about the value of curiosity…
1. Leonardo Davinci. He called it curiosita, defined as, “An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.”
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding,” Davinci remarked. “Therefore, be always curious and observant.”
2. Edward DeBono. He encourages people to embrace curiosity by constantly saying, “Now that’s interesting…”
“Be able to find interest in almost anything,” DeBono says in How to Have a Beautiful Mind. “Be curious. Explore things. Bring up a discussion. Get people’s opinions, ideas and values. Explore, elaborate and make connections.”
3. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. He reminds us to fascinate ourselves with the ordinary.
“Evaluate critically every novelty you encounter,” he wrote in his book Creativity. “One of the surest ways to enrich life is to make experiences less fleeting.”
LESSON LEARNED: study ordinary things intently.
When you can learn to do this – every single day – three things will happen:
You will BOOST your creativity.
You will FLOOD your mind with new ideas.
You will BUILD a solid foundation of curiosity.
And the combination of those three results will mold your melon into an attractive, valuable commodity that your clients will want to access to.
See, clients don’t want to hire consultants or marketers or coaches – they want to hire cool, smart people who happen to do those things.
So, if you want to use curiosity to attract more ideas (and more clients!), follow this four-step game plan:
1. NOTICE. On a daily basis, take the time to stop what you’re doing and say things like, “Huh. That’s weird,” or “Now that’s interesting…”
2. EXPLORE. Study ordinary things intently. Then, start a dialogue. Ask other people questions like, “So, why do you think she said that?” “Hey, did you guys notice that?” and “It would be interesting to see if…”
3. RECORD. Remember, if you don’t write it down, it never happened! So, consider keeping a Curiosity Journal. Make daily entries about things you noticed and what you learned from them.
4. EXPAND. Continue to learn, ask and research these new ideas you’re curious about. Constantly run them through your personal filter of expertise by asking, “How does this fit into my picture of the universe?”
With these four steps, your curiosity will become a weapon!
Both for you AND the customers you serve.
Now … isn’t that interesting?
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What ordinary thing have you recently studied intently?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
Share your observations here!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
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Labels: creative professionals, don't sell - enable people to buy, How far do your thoughts travel?, kicking your own ass, making money off your ideas, melon motivating
Reminds me of something GK Chesterson said - "It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them."
It is too easy to confuse ordinary and extraordinary, or monotony and an abundance of life.
Hey man, nice design.
This post resonates with me. I also agree with anonymous...so many people in the self-development field think they have to go chasing their dreams elsewhere instead of noticing the richness already present in their lives.
Next Monday's post at Cheerful Monk (it's a weekly blog) is entitled "Holy Curiosity", and I'll definitely add a link to here. Thanks for the post and the great timing.
Scott,
The four step plan to becoming curious is one that entrepreneurs should take to heart. Businesses tend to be bland because they forget to be curious. Smart customers want to do business with smart interesting companies. Interesting companies add value to a clients life.
Thanks for the post - very interesting.
Ben Zander says that when something happens that was not according to plan, you should sit back, observe what happened, and then to throw your arms into the air and exclaim "How Fascinating"
When I get stumped, I turn to my 7 and 9 year old boys. Kids are great at showing you a whole new perspective.
All creativity begins with curiosity. That's a very nice thought. I've been thinking about "genius" lately, which connects to seeing/studying things. The best quote on it: "Genius is only a superior power of seeing." -- John Ruskin. Wow!