posts tagged with 'innovation'

As a cultural manager I sometimes have to answer it while filling in application forms for project grants. In those forms the question is related to the actual content of the project and you are being asked to explain what is so innovative about your idea. Well... while struggling to answer it I realized that is actually impossible to prove that my entire project was absolutely original and that nobody before me already did something like that or in that way, considering the amount of information generated every second in the whole world. Instead I tried to point out the motivation of the project, the intended purpose, the concept, the format, the methods, the time or place of implementation etc. and, of course, the expected results.keep reading...

innovation is the correlation of uncorrelated events

connecting the dots

collecting as much seemingly unrelated information as possible, then allowing it to converge

innovation is purposeful and should be the result of an occurrence, a need, a conversation, or an event...not because someone tells you "hey, innovate!"

innovation is sincere and simple, and reached with the best of intentions

Innovation = manifesting particular kinds of COURAGE (or, for the sake of this post, "balls"):

1) Having the balls to reevaluate something mundane -- first, just having the balls to question why we do a habitual activity the way we do it, then having the balls to consider that there may actually be a different way.

THEN,

2) Having the balls to write it down/draw it/photograph it/sing it/all that jazz, thus making it real.

3) Having the balls to show it to someone else -- pretty much, having the balls to endure derision, defensiveness, hackles-up-ness, etc. etc. and still prove that your new way is WORTHY.

4) Having the balls to put it out there & show EVERYONE else; having the balls to be 100% confident in your way/YOU.