Author: Zoe Duhaldeborde, Associate at Insight Dojo
Ideas. Seemingly effortless; yet when prompted for them, we often draw a blank. What many of us don’t realise is that no person creates without inspiration; that an idea is in fact a chance intersection between other ideas and personal knowledge. But how can you increase the likelihood of this chance intersection? The answer is simple: cross-pollinate knowledge and immerse yourself in many disciplines whilst being attentive to yourself and the world around you. Listen to music. Read a book. Expose yourself to other ideas and let yourself be inspired.
In light of this, for personal inspiration, the Insight Dojo team recently visited the ‘In Real Life’ exhibition at the Tate Modern. The exhibition brings together works of art by Olafur Eliasson, who aims to increase viewers’ self-awareness and appreciation for their environment. Eliasson’s specialty is cross-pollination: his work is a perfect fusion of mathematics, science and art. His exhibition prompted three key insights on how to spark ideas.
1. To spark ideas, we must shift our perspectives – often physically.
Towards the start of the exhibition was a small room suspended in darkness. Upon entrance, we were immediately surrounded by musky, damp smells and the sound of rushing water. At one-second intervals, bright-white light would flash, revealing a water fountain in the centre of the room that appeared frozen in time. Interestingly, each flash of light would capture the water falling in a unique conformation; and each unique conformation would look different depending on one’s viewpoint. It occurred to us that this artwork may represent the nature of ideas. Specifically, the flashes of light may symbolise the spontaneity of ideas. The afterimage of the fountain once each flash of light ended may represent the lasting impact of good ideas. And, most importantly, the infinitely unique conformations of falling water may symbolise that to spark original ideas, we must shift our perspectives and see things differently.
Big Bang Fountain, 2014, Tate Modern, London.
But what does it mean to shift perspectives? Shifting perspectives involves not only understanding another point of view but embracing it as your own. It follows whilst we can shift perspectives using our imaginations, physical experiences catalyse the process by allowing us to take direct ownership of a viewpoint. For example, we may easily imagine what the Big Bang Fountain looks like from across the room. However, physically moving to that standpoint, we can engage directly in a new sensory experience and view things from a new perspective. Visceral experiences like this broaden our personal knowledge, which is in turn essential for sparking ideas.
2. To spark ideas, we must seamlessly collaborate.
Later in the exhibition, we entered a vast room. Projected onto a wall were our shadows: numerous, overlapping and colourful. Interestingly, when stood within certain proximities of one another, we noticed our shadows would intersect to become a different colour; but when stood alone, this could not occur. In a similar way, we realised that to spark a unique idea, we must collaborate with others, as this increases the likelihood of knowledge and creativity intersecting to yield insight. Furthermore, collaboration must be so seamless that we assume a collective group identity, allowing us to internalise and develop our teammates’ ideas.
Your uncertain shadow (colour), 2010, Studio Olafur Eliasson.
3. To spark ideas, we must create a stimulating and colourful workspace where our ideas live with us.
Towards the end of the exhibition was an expansive pin-wall collaged with thought-provoking texts, data and images. One section of the wall, for example, showcased visual data on climate change, whilst another section explored the nature of emotions. Strikingly, visitors were captivated by this wall, as it presented unfamiliar perspectives and bold ideas. To help provoke thought within the Insight Dojo team, could we do something similar? In subsequent discussions, we decided to introduce our own pin-wall that would span our office and surround us with ideas that have influence us. Inspired by Eliasson, we would decorate this wall with visual content that was interesting or meaningful to each team member in the hope of inspiring creativity, encouraging cross-pollination and promoting originality.
Pin-wall, Tate Modern, London.
A concluding note
Ideas are certainly spontaneous; but they don’t come from thin air. By shifting our perspectives, pooling shared knowledge and cross-pollinating ideas, we can inspire our own insights. In the words of Anais Lin: “my ideas usually come not at my desk writing, but in the midst of living”.
Zoé Duhaldeborde is an Associate at Insight Dojo. Follow Zoé Duhaldeborde and Insight Dojo on LinkedIn.