Creativity Unplugged - Switching Off Tech When Switching On Ideas
Marketing creatives have entered into a somewhat unhealthy symbiotic relationship with technology of late. Guilty as charged. Who isn't? For many marketers, the first stop when coming up with ideas is to jump headfirst into the hurricane of randomness sprinkled with a few flecks of gold known as the Internet. And while this isn't all bad—and can sometimes be indisputably good—reliance on tech alone can be a real crutch to good creative. My suggestion: unplug the computer and switch off the phone (don't forget to power down your Kindle, iPad, and Dick Tracy smart watch too.)
Go low tech and grab a blank piece of printer paper and a pen and start from scratch. The emptiness of the blank page with just your mind as your guide can be intimidating at first, but it's also freeing. You can put anything down. It need not be inspired by the most recent YouTube video you saw. It can be whatever you want. That's a powerful idea.
I believe there is still a magic that happens in creativity. How many times have you heard an author or artist scratch her head when asked where their latest idea came from. Half the time, they have no clue. It's a mysterious organic process that starts with a blank page and good ideas quite commonly arrive from nowhere.
So next time the deadline is looming, don't reach for the mouse first. Reach for the pencil, go to a quiet place, and work it out on paper. Then, when you return to the unavoidable tech monster, you'll be informed and ready to contribute something new.
To get our latest articles when they are posted, please subscribe by e-mail or RSS.
