Having written the eBook, "Taking the NO Out of InNOvation," it is obvious I take issue with "NOs" standing in the way of generating creative ideas and turning them into innovations that benefit others.
Recently though, I ran smack dab into a NO I hadn't considered for a long time.
Creative Snobbery
This NO was a comment about what creative tools are appropriate and cool and which aren't: : "NO, you can't use THAT to be creative!"
My creative tools were labeled (without hesitation) as not appropriate and not cool. Even though the comments were delivered humorously within a fun conversation, this NO to creative ideas bugged me into the next morning (as I'm writing this).
What's interesting is amid the various NOs to innovation I encountered growing up, this NO (which I call "creative snobbery"), was definitely NOT present.
In fact, the attitude at our house was the quality, newness, and sometimes even presence of traditional creative tools, shouldn't matter. The expectation was you work at what you want to do with what you have, and then maybe when you've demonstrated you're actually sticking to it and improving, THEN maybe you might get better creative tools.
This is really another NO in disguise. It did lead, however, to appreciating folk art, found materials, and individuals and groups creating wonderful work beyond mainstream tools and techniques.
Creative Ideas However You Can Create Them
If you're figuring out how to create and innovate with whatever tools you have? Fantastic!
Embrace whatever creative tools you or anyone else has. Sure, better tools WILL enhance your talent and may make creativity easier, but don't overlook (or ostracize for heaven's sake) the person who is using and compensating with creative tools other think inappropriate or uncool.
So here's a creative NO you should embrace: NO creative snobbery! – Mike Brown
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the free Brainzooming blog email updates.
Download the free ebook, “Taking the NO Out of InNOvation” to help you generate fantastic creative thinking and ideas! For an organizational innovation success boost, contact The Brainzooming Group to help your team be more successful by rapidly expanding strategic options and creating innovative plans to efficiently implement. Email us at info@brainzooming.com or call us at 816-509-5320 to learn how we can deliver these benefits for you.
