As you may have read in my previous posts or seen in my work, I am all about generating creative and valuable solutions. I believe that the creativity needed to produce these solutions isn't generated simply through light-bulb moments. Rather, I try to piece together insights and information to create rational and informed scenarios in which solutions come naturally and just make sense.

Valuable Creativity = Submersion x Curiosity

I am sure you all know this scene well, whether through personal experience or having seen it on a TV screen.

You're hours, if not days down the rabbit hole, staring in the face a problem that seems impossible to solve. The bright room is getting continuously brighter, the noise of the LED lights piercing further into your brain. You look back down toward your page and as you blink in that moment of darkness that encompasses your vision, an idea pops into your head as if unwittingly injected there by some omnipotent being.

It does happen right, it isn't just me?

Well at least when I was just starting out in my field, these things happened to me.

What I've begun to understand though is the reason for which it happens - and no it isn't an omnipotent, ever-glowing lightbulb being that shines his/her/it's light upon you at his/her/it's liking.

The formula that I created to try and explain this phenomena is the one above… VC = S x C

Curiosity is all of the things you've seen, all the things you're willing to put yourself out there to see. The more we see the more pieces start forming together and connections start to be made that you wouldn't expect. Submersion is the time you put into the thing you're working on. How deep you go. How well you know your sector inside and out.

If curiosity is equal to zero then so to is creativity. The same goes said for submersion.

My definition essentially says that the more you see, the more you do, the bigger picture you build about the problem you're facing, the more you're able to come up with a creative solution.

The more pieces, the more interesting the puzzle

Another analogy I quite like to describe my understanding of creativity is that of a puzzle. A puzzle with 2 pieces is not going to be a very interesting one. A puzzle with a thousand maybe more. A puzzle with a million pieces would be incredibly complex, but if they all fit together to make a masterpiece - how beautiful would it be!

If you think of all the things you have seen, all of the research you have done, all the past projects you've completed as puzzle pieces, by piecing them together we're able to develop incredibly creative final solutions.

In conclusion

Remain curious. Do the time. Do the research. Drown yourself in your problem…. And eventually you'll float - not even just float, you'll build a boat, get some ski's and surf your problem.