The prevailing buzz these days, from self-help books and seminar stages, is to THINK BIG. And, of course that is valuable advice, as many people need to be encouraged to stretch beyond the bounds of their comfort zone and reach for greater potential.
But don’t forget that you can grow big by thinking small.
One of the myths of creativity is that it is a “big deal,” and that the act of being creative is always accompanied by trumpets and fireworks, with a chorus of angels singing in the background. This is a lovely visual image, but the truth is that creativity and access to your highest potential — can be small and silent and come to you in the quiet circle of your own life.
Take the case of Arthur Fry, a scientist with 3M Corporation and a regular churchgoer, who loved to sing in his church choir. During choir practice, Fry would thumb through his hymnal and become mildly irritated when the slips of paper he used to mark the pages kept falling out.
Then he remembered a failed experiment performed by Spencer Silver, a colleague at 3M. Silver had produced a new adhesive, but it was rejected because it was too weak. “Aha”, said Fry as he picked up yet another slip of paper that had fallen from his hymnal (and you may be saying “aha” right now, as well). Fry went to the lab, retrieved that “failed” experiment and applied the adhesive to those slips of paper. In doing so, he realized that in addition to the papers sticking to the pages, he could also write little notes on them. Voila: Post-it Notes® was created.
And, yes, in this case creativity was a big deal. Post-it Notes®, of course, is one of the most successful office-products in the world and has become a mega-product and profit-center for 3M. But, and here’s the thing, for Arthur Fry, it was simply a simple solution to make his life a little easier and happier while he sang in the choir (well, in Fry’s case, perhaps a chorus of angels did sing, but my point remains.
And so it is with you. Think of times when you had an idea that made your life, or someone else’s, a little easier. Maybe you found a short cut to work, or you came up with an idea to get your kids eat their vegetables. A small idea in the quiet circle of your own life.
Here’s how you can begin to harvest some of the good ideas that come to you that you think are no big deal:
- Carry a little notebook around with you, small enough to fit in your pocket or purse. Keep it in the car and take it with you wherever you go.
- Jot down any idea that comes to you, no matter how silly or obvious or inane. So, if you’re in a store and you see something on sale and you figure you’ll buy two of the items, write it down.
- Also jot down what your state of mind was when you had the idea.
- At the end of each day, take 15 minutes to read what you wrote for that day and consider how the principle of each idea could be applied to a problem or challenge in your life.
- Look for any patterns in your state of mind, it might be a clue about how to access your “Creative Power Zone” whenever you need a bright idea.
Remember to acknowledge all the little ideas that come to you that make your life a little easier or happier. It’s important to pay attention to such things. The more you become aware of these small, quiet moments and ideas, the more you will have them. Some of them could even lead to something BIG.
Did you find this article interesting, informative, even thought provoking?
As the Creative Director for Cola-Cola Corporation for over a decade, a Universal Studios Producer, and Director of the 1996 Olympics, Neil Tepper has had a creative and fulfilling professional career. He now focuses on what he loves best – helping people live more meaningful and enjoyable lives through his unique insights into creativity. Visit www.neiltepper.com for more information about Neil.
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