Yesterday’s post focused on using combinations to expand your creativity.
Growing is one way to travel toward infinity, but it’s not the only way. We can also zoom.
Ancient Greek philosopher Anaxagoras established early western concepts of infinity. He stated, “Nor of the small is there a smallest, but always a smaller.”
This shows up in science as physicists can now identify subatomic particles like quarks and leptons. It seems as though each time we discover the smallest particle, we later discover it is a collection of even smaller parts.
What does this have to do with creativity? Next time you feel stuck creatively ask, “Can I break this into smaller pieces?”
Using our previous example of promoting a bakery, you could break the issue down two ways.
- The Bakery
What aspects do you want to promote? You can break it down into quality ingredients, delivery options, speed of service, customizations, unique flavor combinations, location, supporting a cause, community service, etc. By zooming into the details, you can identify the strongest elements and combine them into your story. Each of these aspects could be broken down even further for greater specifics to differentiate the brand. - The Promotion
Promotion is a very broad term. Does this mean traditional marketing like broadcast advertising, print ads or direct mail? Does it mean digital marketing efforts such as a website, social media or online advertising? Is it a permission model through content and email marketing? It could also mean creating events, such as baking classes or “Cake Boss” style contests. Once you break down all the promotional ideas, you can selectively combine them into an integrated plan that aligns with your brand story.
So, if your creativity hits a brick wall, maybe you’re thinking too big. Take the time to zoom in and see the smaller parts. Then you can take things apart like a Lego creation, and form it into something new.
“Expanding” and “zooming” can grow your creativity… infinitely.