Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

Posted by Christina Hills | Business, Videos | 13

If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, you get excited when the creative juices are flowing!

However, there are other times when you may feel stuck because you just can’t figure out a solution or come up with an innovative idea to a problem you are having.

We often think that creative ideas appear suddenly, like a lightbulb turning on. Research has shown that’s not the case.

A great idea will usually start out small and develop over a long period of time, even when it’s not in the forefront of your thoughts. If you’ve been pondering an idea inside your mind, but it hasn’t quite come to fruition, do not be discouraged or give up on that idea!

This short, animated video can shed some light on where great ideas come from.

What I love about this video, is that you realize it’s OK to take a while to implement an idea you have. Furthermore, good ideas require time, space, and interaction to bubble to the surface and become expressed. They also need to connect with other ideas before they are fully developed.

That’s part of the creative process.

There is great benefit in sharing thoughts and ideas. It’s one of the reasons why I do live coaching webinars in my courses. Often, a student may get a breakthrough about their own business while we are discussing another student’s ideas or challenges. It was the missing piece they needed.

So what good ideas are stewing on your back burner?

What ideas are you wrestling with that may be missing a piece?

(this article first appeared in February 2012)

About The Author

Christina Hills

Christina Hills helps entrepreneurs setup their websites using WordPress without having to rely on a webmaster. Her trainings are fun and she makes it easy! Get the free PDF "Discover the 7 Most Effective Websites for Your Business" Report Here

13 Comments

Francesca on February 23, 2012 at 7:01 am

Great video with a lot to think about.
I always find that my great ideas or new direction on a project always come to me when I’m not thinking about them. They idea hits me when I least expect it. I’ve now started carrying a small notebook in my purse so that when the idea comes to me I can quickly jot it down. I must of tons of little notes around the house because I never know when the idea or plan will come to me.
- Christina Hills on February 23, 2012 at 9:23 am
  
  Ideas come from strange places. When I worked in technology in LA, we had a ping pong table for the employees. Because the management understood that ideas flow, when you are doing other things (besides working)!
Karen Langston on February 23, 2012 at 7:09 am

Just BRILLIANT! What a wonderful way to put into perspective “In the right time space and sequence!” Also puts into perspective mind mapping. I have tons of ideas peculating and waiting for the “other half” Maybe I should just draw it out!
Thanks for sharing!
- Christina Hills on February 23, 2012 at 9:23 am
  
  Karen,
  I’m a big fan of pen and paper for getting ideas to flow. Sometimes it’s best to get AWAY from a computer
Cat Wagman on February 23, 2012 at 7:18 am

Christina!

I’m so glad that Denise Wakeman introduced me to you and look forward to participating in your Website Creation Workshop, though right now I’m still incubating …

I love this video … posted it to my Facebook and Twitter so I could share you, what you do, and Steven Johnson’s “Where Do Good Ideas Come From” YouTube video with my connections.

Have a delight-filled day!

May the Muses Bless You With Grand Adventures ~ Cat Wagman
- Christina Hills on February 23, 2012 at 9:25 am
  
  Cat,
  I’m so glad!
  I just bought his book too!
  http://www.amazon.com/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-Innovation/dp/1594485380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330017874&sr=8-1
anthony harrison on February 23, 2012 at 7:34 am

I loved the illustration and it made so much sense.
- Christina Hills on February 23, 2012 at 9:26 am
  
  Anthony,
  I love the free flowing way he created the illustrations! It kinda is like how our minds works, they flow from one thing to the next
Debra Allen on February 23, 2012 at 4:58 pm

This is a great video! Thank you for sharing with us. Puts it into perspective for me. I’ve gotta get the book too.
- Christina Hills on February 23, 2012 at 5:39 pm
  
  Debra,
  I ordered the book after I saw that video. Loved his thinking on how we all affect each other
Dyane Bradley on February 26, 2012 at 6:32 pm

OMG! This is a fun-tastic video. Thank you so much for sharing it. I, like a lot of other Entrepreneurs, have ideas firing off all day long.I keep pencils and paper handy all the time. I had been kicking myself because I have an idea that came to me years ago and its taking time to launch it. There seem to be a few pieces missing from the vision. I’m glad I respected the vision and didn’t jump into it before it was time. I’ll have to add this book to my collection this week.
I love the way he reinforced what he was saying by drawing as he spoke. As an Artist, I’m very visual and it was wonderful to watch and listen.
- Christina Hills on February 26, 2012 at 9:50 pm
  
  Dyane,
  
  What I really like about the drawing in the video, is that it shows how your mind works, making connections and going off on tangents.
  
  Yes, me too with the ideas that take years to come together in a solid form
  🙂
Barb Ostapina on October 26, 2019 at 12:18 pm

This dovetails with another book I’m reading, Christina – David Epstein’s “Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World”. He speaks to collaborative problem-solving in terms of employing analogies – reaching into seemingly unrelated territory (the more unrelated, the better) for sparks of inspiration to solve your own dilemma. That often requires connecting with other folks with different perspectives. He cites numerous research endeavors to support this idea. A good read, too!

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