Creativity is an inborn capacity for thinking differently than most,
seeing differently, and making connections and perceiving relationships
others miss. But most importantly, it is the ability to then extrapolate
contextually useful ways of employing that data:
to create something
that meets a specific challenge.
(Andy Rutledge)
Flying back from a baking conference in Florida, I was once again (as I am most days) thinking out what is next in our strategy for growing our sales revenues in a competitive and mature industry. As I watched my son work a puzzle on his iPad I was thinking how developing new business ideas is like a puzzle or chess game.
Creativity, design, and innovation are always my big three drivers of growth. My son and I joke that our creative genes are regarded by some people as unconventional. Exactly!
Creativity is essentially the development of an idea.
Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system. Design moves obstacles to the creative idea using new conventions or plans. This is why I laugh when people say we are unconventional. If we did what everyone else does we would get results equal to, or more likely, less than what others get.
Innovation is turning ideas into value. Creative people such as artists often die poor because they never learned or desired to monetize their creativity.
As I was flying home thinking about the market trends presented at the American Bakers Association, I was thinking about the future needs, opportunities, and trends emerging in the tastes of American consumers. For years we have been building a creativity, design, and innovation culture. In future blogs I will share some of our learning.
Andy Rutledge quote from Wendren Setzer at The Wren Design
