Creative courage: Ordinary people who do extraordinary things
History is filled with examples of people who stuck to their creative guns until their ideas, large or small, took hold. In many cases inventors were stymied by naysayers individuals, companies, and governments - who laughed at, ridiculed, and turned down many innovative ideas - some of them blockbusters that turned the world on its ear. Remember these famous last words?
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." Charles Duell, U.S. Commissioner of Patents, 1899
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk." Harry A Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home." Ken Olsen, President and founder, Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
So why do some people have this stick-to-it-iveness in the face of such odds. What keeps them going fighting for their ideas; driving through the barriers to see their ideas become realities? Stephen Wozniak, co-founder of Apple computer, first took his microprocessor invention to Hewlett-Packard. He had created if after hours on his own time and asked HP if he could pursue his work there. They said "no." Western Union turned down Alexander Graham Bell when he offered them the telephone. And, in 1986, IBM refused Bill Gates' offer of a piece of Microsoft.
These are but a few examples of noteworthy people who heard "no" yet continued to pursue their dreams. We all recognize these names, and there are thousands more - famous, not so famous, and downright ordinary people who were fueled with the desire to create; who refused to take "no" for an answer, and pursued their ideas to the end.
Creativity is part of our makeup
When asked to name creative people, the list always seems to include Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney. We hear and read about only those whose creative contributions were large and unusual. And, when the average person compares himself or herself to these contributors, he or she finds himself or herself lacking; and, as a result doesn' t consider himself or herself to be creative. For example, who can compete with Beethoven, who was deaf and still managed to create a symphony or two.
The point is, we all have the capacity to be creative. Creativity isn't driven by race, class, age, sex, or intellect. The minds of those who create extraordinary products and services don't work any differently than anyone else's. Everyone has expertise and knowledge. Everyone has the ability to solve problems. The key variable? individual motivation. Creativity is driven by a person's internal passion and interest - the desire to do something differently, change something, make something better.
There are many examples of creative solutions that enhance our lives. The U.S. Patent Office issues about
70,000 new patents each year - a statistic that reflects a small number of the ideas and solutions that are actually invented and implemented. Every day, thousands of people find creative ways to resolve the problems they face. The human mind is designed to create. It's just that some of us take better advantage of our creative talent than others. Some of us have the drive, and some of us could care less.
Characteristics of creative people
We all have a base of knowledge. Some of this knowledge comes from formal education and is deep and highly specialized. Some comes from our life experiences and is broader and more superficial. Research shows that creative people are more open to new experiences, more flexible, more playful, more independent and inner directed. They tend to be curious. They like to learn and accumulate knowledge. They ask lots of questions and see hurdles or difficulties as an intellectual and/or physical adventure - a challenge. Creative people have a high tolerance for ambiguity - if they can't see a solution right away, they work on it or allow the problem to incubate until an idea emerges. And, they say they learn as much if not more from their mistakes and failures than from their successes; and this is probably true since creative people are notorious for experimenting with possible solutions.
One thing to realize about these characteristics: just as we're not happy, or sad, or challenged, or curious all the time, we aren't creative all the time. It isn't necessary or appropriate. However, when we do get excited about a situation that requires creativity, it's important not to ignore or squelch ourselves or others. Creativity is a bit like a muscle. If we don't use certain muscles, after a while, they atrophy. If we don't hone our creative capacity, over time, we lose the drive to create and begin to consider ourselves less creative than others.
How to reinforce your own creativity
There are things we as individuals can do to strengthen our capacity to create. If each of us waits for someone or something else to give us permission to create something new, not much progress would be made.
Believe in your contribution
If you really believe in your idea, when you hear "That won't work. We've never done it that way before. It can't work. It's not possible. You can't be serious. Hello?" - don't pay any attention. As Machiavelli wrote: "There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things."
Be patient
Sometimes ideas are born before their time. The two gentlemen who invented the bar-code scanners used in supermarkets waited for two other inventions to come along to make theirs a reality. Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland patented the scanner idea in 1948. It wasn't until the late 1960s when computers and lasers came along that the idea could be implemented and used as the automated check out system for which it was intended3.
Look for opportunities to express your talents
Researchers at NASA found that human hair soaked up a gallon of oil in mere minutes. Who turned them on to this? A hairdresser, Philipp McCrory, who wondered if human hair would make a great mop for oil spills as he watched the rescue of a sea otter during the Valdez cleanup2.
Learn from failure
In the early 1950s Alistar Pilkington set out to replace the twin grinding and polishing process for making plate glass to streamline the manufacturing process and reduce the imperfections remaining in glass as a result of the existing process. Legend has it that he conceived the idea of floating liquid glass over another liguid medium when he noticed grease from the washing of pots and pans floating on the surface of the water. Where the grease met the wet, a perfect plane formed. He knew pouring molten glass on water wouldn't work. He also knew there had to be a liquid medium that would support molten. Seven years, hundreds of experiments, and millions of dollars later he had developed a process that was to become universal for the manufacture of high quality flat glass.
Use all of what you formally and informally learn
In 1880 Josephine Cochrane, sick of seeing her fine china chipped from careless hand washing, conceived of the automatic dishwasher. While she had no formal engineering or mechanical education, she seems to have acquired enough knowledge through a close relationship with her father, a civil engineer, to design, patent, and market this invention1.
Pay attention to the world around you
Marion Donovan used her shower curtain to fashion a leakproof, reusable diaper cover creating rubber pants for babies and starting the disposable diaper revolution. European generals learned about deployment by observing a circus pack up and move its entire operation from town to town4. Andrew Dibner got the idea for Lifeline, a help button elderly people could use if they couldn't get to a phone, while he was shaving one morning. And, Soichiro Honda attached a motor to a bicycle, and the motorbike was born.
What organizations can do
It does an organization, and the people in it, no good if everyone is constantly on the receiving end of negative feedback when they present a new idea. Organizations need to find the balance between maintaining the day-to-day operational focus of the business with the need to innovate and constantly be on the alert for new technologies, new trends, new events on which to build new goods and services.
There's always room for creativity
Open up to the reality that there is room for creativity and innovation everywhere in the organization not just in new product development, advertising and software development; but, also in accounting, manufacturing, and procurement. Every area needs to mine the creativity within its own ranks.
Make creativity an integral part of the environment
Creativity is not just for special occasions. Everyone, when asked, always has an idea for making their job easier, or making the work of the entire unit or organization run more smoothly. Sometimes, people just need to be asked, listened to, and given permission to institute a change. The hurdle is getting people to ask.
Encourage new ideas and recognize creative work
Too often organizations focus on catching up with the competition or installing the most current best practices rather than stretching to create the next best practices, reaching to become the company others rush to benchmark. Companies that are innovating both to lower costs and grow their businesses are the ones who "reward" creativity.
Collaborate across divisions
People in large corporations often have no idea what's going on in the next cubicle let alone in another department. Taking a wider view can often lead to ideas that cross functions, encompass a greater breadth of expertise, and yield more novel, interesting solutions to problems and opportunities.
People enjoy having the autonomy to do their work
Over managing people never resulted in increased creativity or increased productivity. Rather, it squelches people's ability to think for themselves, solve problems, and resolve conflicts. A management team that provides the all important strategic direction and allows their staff or team to figure out how to achieve the goals increases the creative output of the organization. Creativity is like a muscle. It needs to be exercised in order to function properly. Both an organization and the individuals in it have a responsibility to make sure they get to the creative "workout room" in order to hone these skills.
References
Sources.
1. Invention & Technology, Fall 1999, pp. 55-61
2. Business Week, June 15, 1998, p. 132
3. Newsweek, January 27,1997, p. 86
4. Management Review, January 1994, p. 11