Where does the magic come from when we make up new ideas? While thinking about this I remembered a couple of talks given at UCD 2016 (London) which explored the topic of psychology of innovation and creativity. Talks by Ofer Deshe and Lisa Welchman suggested ideas are efficiently formed in brainstorming or ideation sessions mainly because we do these with other people.
Welchman referenced a view by Isaac Asimov which caught my attention and I think captures a key point on the underling cognitive processes at play in “cerebration sessions”.
It seems to me then that the purpose of cerebration sessions is not to think up new ideas but to educate the participants in facts and fact-combinations, in theories and vagrant thoughts.
At first I felt this to be a nonsense, flying in the face of the creative pursuits I enjoy. I compared this view with a message from Deshe who suggests that when we think to make new ideas we are accessing memories of past experiences and from those patterns we find different combinations to make something interesting. That seems a logical explanation, not magical. So even if an idea seems to come out of the blue it might be imagined from a mélange of your experiences.
Take a look at the full peice by Asimov – Isaac Asimov Asks, “How Do People Get New Ideas?”
I found this an unusual perspective but I think this fits very well with the way designers today insist on problem solving with great research insights and diverse, multi-discipline groups.
creation is embarrassing
Now that I strongly agreed with on first sight!
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