A Cup, a Swap, a Genius and More ...
Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 4:45PM 
I WAS PART OF A GREAT PRESENTATION TO A CLIENT today that reminded me just how true it is that all ideas are new combinations of existing elements. As we presented our program concepts I made a few mental notes about our sources of inspiration. I found the list quirky, cool and kind of interesting and thought you might too. Here are the top five items on the list:
No. 1: CLOTHING SWAP
Ever hear of a “clothing swap”? I hadn’t either. But some of the hipper, younger, trendier members of our team had. It’s a cool take on friends and communities gathering to do a little good, have a little fun, and be more than a little smart about saving money while adding something funky or fun to the closet.No. 2: CHIPTOLE CUP
I love the way Chipotle puts interesting and entertaining stories on their cups and give customers reasons to feel good about the brand.No. 3: “GENIUS GRANTS”
The MacArthur Foundation is famous for bestowing five-year, $500,000 grants on exceptionally talented people to ensure they can continue their work without worrying about their income or having to constantly file reports and updates. How do you apply? You can’t. They find you. And surprise you. Nice surprise, huh?No. 4: TED
TED = Technology, Entertainment and Design. The invitation-only TED conferences give really brilliant people really short amounts of time to share really big ideas.No. 5: WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
What can I say? It’s a classic and ripe with “pure imagination.”
This is why I love liberal arts education and living a life of ideas. Everything comes in handy eventually. So what did all these disparate sources of inspiration add up to? Well, that’s confidential. But the creative process worked, and I know our program will too.
What are some of the odd bits and pieces you’ve combined into a new idea recently?
© 2010 John Armato
Reader Comments (2)
Your nephew trimmed the legs from a folding chair and attached to a push mower to create a riding mower. He then cut the legs completely off the folding chair and attached to a skate board to give me a comfortable mobile seat to use while painting along the baseboards of a bedroom.
Those ARE some odd bits and pieces :-) You gotta love David!