Staying Fresh on Ideas

The Notion of Staying Fresh

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The ingenious inventor, the innovative scientist, the imaginative writer, the savvy entrepreneur… It doesn’t matter what our field or area of expertise is, there will come a moment in time where you’re really stuck for fresh ideas. It can be hard sometimes to keep up with the trends and thinking of new ideas, thus most of us end up getting stuck. The moment we open our doors in these densely packed market, the clock is ticking in a race to build a strong brand out of nothing; thus being distinctive is crucial.

Training ourselves to always be creative is one of many ways to be competitive. We all want to be original. Many of us regard creativity as an awe-inspiring, almost magical gift that some people are simply born with. But just as creativity can be expressed in many different ways, it can also be learned and sharpened like any other skill. In the modern world, there is no room for the humdrum or mundane. Having a fresh and inventive mind opens the doors to success.

What does fresh mean?

As mentioned in the book “Steal like an artist”, the writer Jonathan Lethem said that when people call something “original”, nine out of ten times they just don’t know the references or the original sources involved.

A good artist understands that nothing comes from nowhere and nothing is completely original.
When people say that “someone is stealing their idea”, it sounds quite absurd. Ideas can’t be stolen, because ideas don’t get smaller when they’re shared, they get bigger.

There is, of course, a difference between stealing and copying.

Writer Seth Godin explains that it’s absolutely fine to “steal” ideas. With the ability to steal comes responsibility. Not just the responsibility to synthesize something better than what you started with, but the obligation to relentlessly seek out the next thing worth “stealing”; you just need to make them better and truer to your own unique identity

In this modern society that values authorship and origination, giving credits will never leave you dry. Like ideas, the more credit is shared, the more it can be worth it, to the giver and to the recipient.

How to stay fresh?

There’s a simple truth when it comes to doing good, creative work; we can’t force inspiration.
Despite this, there’s a tendency amongst productive people to force through problems in an attempt to find a creative solution. They keep their heads down, put in lots of hours and grind harder. But ultimately, that doesn’t always lead to fresh ideas. It leads to frustration and it’s a waste of time.
Instead, set ourselves up to find inspiration in our daily routine.

Explore references out of your primary work.

Whatever our profession is, we need to be constantly challenged with new approaches. For example, a wedding photographer could try to visit an art gallery once in a while. It doesn’t matter what the show is – experimental, contemporary, classical – all that mattered is experiencing something fresh outside of our familiar habitat and letting it sink into our subconscious.

Reading can also be another option. Just because we graduated from school, it does not mean we get time-off. Read biographies of philosophers, painters, generals – learn their work and lifestyle, then take their lessons and apply it to your own life.

Keep exploring as you’ll never know where inspiration will come from next.

Step out of the creative comfort zone.

Stepping outside of your creative comfort zone is necessary for keeping your creativity and inspiration fresh, but also helps conquer some of the fears that hold it back.

When it comes to creative work, there’s a saying that comes to mind: “as soon as you get too comfortable, it’s time to try something new.”

Being creative is all about being able to look at the world in a different way. Without new experiences, we get stuck in a routine that leads to a creative block.

Besides that, when we do something we never thought we could do, or something that maybe does scare us a little, it’s no longer “something we could never do.” It’s “something we did.” And every time we do something new, that ceiling of where we think our limit goes up just a little bit more.

At the end of the day, It’s not fear that spurs creativity: it’s stepping just outside of your comfort zone enough to gain a new experience. Learning something, doing something that expands our perspective or makes us think in a different way.

Socialize with people out of your industry.

Hanging around with the same friends and colleagues can get you in a thinking rut. Take advantage of all those Instagram connections and start some exciting conversations. New people don’t know all your thought patterns and old stories, so you’ll have to revisit your existing inner monologues. The refreshing perspectives will help to surface new thinking and possibly a lightbulb or two.

Revisit the value of brand identity thus knowing where to go.

Having a clear understanding of each element that makes up your brand identity is important for the foundation of your marketing scheme. Your brand identity is what makes you instantly recognizable to your customers. Since eventually, your design assets are the tangible elements that will determine how your brand is perceived in the market.

In other words, nailing your brand identity = nailing your design = building a successful business that’s an accurate representation of who you are as a brand.

Travel and see the world.

Everyone knows that it sucks to be stuck in a rut. Thus, an adventurous trip can be the perfect solution. It’ll give you a chance to reflect on where you’ve been, where you’re going and where you want to end up. And meeting people from other cultures will give you a new perspective since your current point-of-view might have some major blind spots. Seeing the world will improve your vision and your grip on reality.

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The Notion of Staying Fresh