Creativity & Connectivity:

Innovative ideas are spurred by creativity. Creativity requires us to connect one idea with another.  The number of things we are able to connect increases the value ratio that boosts higher creative outcomes.  At this juncture, there may some of you who may be thinking,  “Well, ok, I connect things; nonetheless, my creative juices are unable to provide me with that great idea, so what’s the point?”

The point is this; many of us have heard the axiom, “If you continue to do the same things, how can you expect a different outcome?” You can take it a step further, “If you limit your beliefs based on past experiences, then how can you change your reality?”  Therefore, it stands to reason that if you are connecting things you already know, you are more than likely connecting old things that reside in a safety reservoir and mindset of beliefs that go with those old things.   These are not new ideas! We recommend that you try to apply new beliefs to create new ideas!

Entrepreneurs and scientists alike contend that break through innovation requires that you think differently about…the way you think.  The most common technique we can use to think differently is available to all of us.   It is simply the process of seeking diverse experiences, or experiences that you would normally not consider.

Growing Dendrites:

Before we expound on the diverse experiences platform, let us take a quick trip down Dendrite lane. What is a Dendrite? A Dendrite is a branched projection of a neuron in your brain. In short, dendrites acts as brain connectors to conduct electrochemical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body.

So why do we need to understand the science of Dendrites? Simply put, “The important thing is to be actively involved in areas unfamiliar to you,” says Arnold Scheibel, head of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute.  “Anything that’s intellectually challenging can probably serve as a kind of stimulus for dendritic growth, which means it adds to the computational reserves in your brain.”

Therefore, when we challenge the intellect, we are in effect, growing Dendrites. As our brain grows connections via dendrites, our ability to connect more things becomes apparent.  Our ability to create and develop new ideas also grows.

Diverse Experience Discovery:

MatterMax Media contends that the Star Trek Mission statement is a good mantra to use to discover new experiences: “To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

If you are not sure where to begin new experiences, here are some ideas from various scientists:

• Try a musical instrument. “As soon as you decide to take up the violin, your brain has a whole new group of muscle-control problems to solve. But that’s nothing compared with what the brain has to do before the violinist can begin to read notes on a page and correlate them with his or her fingers to create tones. This is remarkable, high-level type of activity,” says Scheibel.
• Fix something. Learn to repair your car or repair a shaver, suggests Zaven Khachaturian, a brain expert at the National Institute of Aging. “My basement is full of electronic gadgets, waiting to be repaired. The solution is not the important thing. It’s the challenge.”
• Try the arts. If your verbal skills are good, buy a set of watercolors and take a course. If your drawing skills are good, start a journal or write poetry.
• Dance. “We keep seeing a relationship between physical activity and cognitive maintenance,” says Harvard brain researcher Marilyn Albert. “We suspect that moderately strenuous exercise leads to the development of small blood vessels. Blood carries oxygen, and oxygen nourishes the brain.” But be sure the activity is new and requires thinking. Square dancing, ballet or tap is preferable to twisting the night away.
• Date provocative people. Better yet, marry one of them. Willis suggests that the most pleasant and rewarding way to increase your dendrites is to “meet and interact with intelligent, interesting people.” Try tournament bridge, chess, even sailboat racing.

Brain Bombing:

Now that we have some criteria to utilize in the quest to jump start your brain power, let’s take a look at how Steve Jobs used this method that not only saved Apple, but also positioned Apple to lead a tech revolution that changed the world.

Many who knew Mr. Jobs agreed that he spent his lifetime exploring new and unrelated things.  He sought out diverse experiences.   Listed below are some of those experiences he used to revitalize Apple:

• Hired people from outside the computing profession
• Studied the art of calligraphy
• Meditated in an Indian ashram
• Studied the details of a Mercedes Benz
• Evaluated the Four Seasons Hotels for customer service

At the end of day, MatterMax Media recommends that you look outside of your industry for inspiration and new experiences.  Bombard your brain with new experiences and remove the chains of past experiences.  Though it may be difficult to embrace a new experience, even one that you would normally not accept, or for that matter, one that you may find unattractive, this new experience could be the one that could change your outcome and your life.

Have faith that your new experiences will serve you well in the long run.

Now that you have new strategies to help you to engage in the process of jump starting your brain, you are ready to move into new areas and reap the rewards of blockbuster ideas and true innovation.

See you next week at Today’s Marketing Blog, when we will present the third and final installment of the three part “Dream Marketing” series Part 3, “Sell the Dreams.”

MatterMax Media is a full service integrated marketing agency located in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  MatterMax Media provides strategy, technology, marketing and training for individuals, businesses and government.  Today’s Marketing Blog focuses on Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Web Matters.  When you require assistance with your website creation, branding/marketing strategy, feel free to contact us.