What happens when the creative problem that we have isn’t coming up with ideas but coming up with too many ideas? What do we do then?
We tend to gravitate toward the problem of being stuck and having to come up with ideas; we focus on how to come up with solutions to problems. Yet sometimes we have too many solutions. We get into the flow and we end up with too many ideas.
Too much is too much. It can cause us to lose focus and get lost. To avoid this, we need three things:
- a clearly defined goal, simply stated
- each idea defined in terms of how it supports that goal
- a leader – someone who says yes or no
(Two footnotes to those: number two doesn’t happen as ideas are generated but after they are generated – otherwise it impedes the generating of ideas. Number three, a leader, is difficult on a solo project because you have to say yes or no to your own ideas. However, as many writers say, good work is about the ability to throw out your best writing if it doesn’t help the story.)
The cutting room floor
In his book Inside Steve’s Brain, author Leaner Kahney discusses the development of the iPod and how, to a great extent, its success was as much about what it didn’t do as what it did. I believe he quotes Steve Jobs somewhere saying the key to creative success was the ability to say no. (I may be misquoting.)
From what I understand of the iPad, it also is as much about what it doesn’t do as what it does. It’s designed chiefly for consuming content, not generating it (as our desktops and laptops do).
The world of film is legendary for great performances and great scenes left on the cutting room floor. They provide many of the “special features” content on DVDs.
Too much is too much
One of my favourite quotes is from the economist Herbert Simon who said, “A wealth of information leads to a poverty of attention.” This is the problem we have when we are the opposite of stuck: spitting out ideas like sunflower seeds. We can get ourselves completely muddled because our attention gets diffused.
We may find ourselves busy with busy-ness: work that, in the end, is irrelevant.
Once we have our ideas we have to pause, review and sort. As we sort, we have to make decisions. For each idea, we need to ask, “This is a great feature but does it take away from the primary use of the product? Does the value get lost?”
If it’s a book or movie, we ask, “This is great but does it really help our story or is it a great scene that has nothing to do with anything?”
And we cut. And we drop. And we say no.
Creativity is often about throwing ideas overboard for the sake of the ship.
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Images by Katili
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