Beyond Pretty Things http://vincenthunt.posterous.com Creativity, Design, Innovation & Revolution posterous.com Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:11:00 -0700 Three enemies to remarkable art... "Just Get it Done", "Make it Happen" and "Not Enough Time" http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/three-enemies-to-remarkable-art-just-get-it-d http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/three-enemies-to-remarkable-art-just-get-it-d

Frustration1

Regardless of what you may think... remarkable art does not happen over night.  Remarkable art is usually the product of long hours of serious thinking, play, divine intervention, soul searching and in some cases, a spiritual experience that manifest itself as "art".  Okay, yes... I may have just gone over the top a bit, BUT I think you get my point.  Creating (creation) is serious business, however; what I find in most organizations (and when I say most, I really mean A LOT) is that there is far more time invested and attention placed on the "strategy" used to release or share art, than the creation of the art. Here is what usually happens... And if I am wrong, there is a place at the bottom of this post for comments, and I will stand corrected... 

1. The Admin Guru's huddle up in an office or a "creative space" and they dream up some fantastic, communication strategy that requires a dose of remarkable art to get the message across... 

2. The same group of Admin Guru's will then begin the process of strategizing how they will execute on the clever messaging... 

3. Then the dreaded "timeline" is created... By the Admin Guru's... 

4. The Admin Guru's trek off to their respective caves and start thinking away, and doing... 

Time elapse... 

5. One of the Admin Guru's (in the third hour) get's the "epiphany" that the "remarkable art" that needs to be done, has to be delegated to the "remarkable art makers". This usually includes the Creative Director, Design Guys and Gals and anyone else that is responsible for creating "remarkable art". 

This is where things can get interesting... And this is why I am writing (ranting) this blog post... 

The biggest "push-back" that I tend to deal with, when it comes to managing creatives is this... 

"They (probably referencing the Admin Guru's) always finds a way to just "drop stuff" in our laps, with unrealistic deadlines..." 

And here is why the Creative Lead is saying this... 

Remarkable art does not happen over night.  Remarkable art is usually the product of long hours of serious thinking, play, divine intervention, soul searching and in some cases, a spiritual experience that manifest itself as "art".

Yes... this is exactly what I said in my opening paragraph. And yes, it's the fuel behind the Creative Leads frustration... 

Three enemies to remarkable art... 

1. Just Get it Done

2. Make it Happen

3. Not Enough Time

If you are leading creative people, and if you are trying to do creative stuff... I mean the "mind blowing" stuff that gives people "goose bumps"... Make sure that you are mixing the Creatives (the people who make remarkable art) in with the Admin Guru's. Everyone has their gifts... Admin people do "admin stuff", and creatives do "creative stuff". Where things get all out of sorts is when these two gifts are not communicating properly. Bringing the Designers in on the strategic meetings may deliver some pleasant surprises. By leveraging design with the strategy, better expectations can be set, realistic timelines can be established... And perhaps, just perhaps... Some remarkable art can be produced. 

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Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:56:00 -0700 The Importance of Play and Creativity... http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/the-importance-of-play-and-creativity http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/the-importance-of-play-and-creativity

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It's been quite a while since I have sat down and written a blog.  Over the past few months, it's been "fast and furious" at Kind Intelligence, and my ability to just sit down, reflect, and focus on sharing my ideas has been tough... REALLY tough, and that brings me to the topic of this "ice-breaking" post... 

The Importance of Play and Creativity 

Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to engage a LOT of people. Some of them were and are directly connected to the projects and initiatives that we are working on at Kind, and some of them have been chance meetings that God has blessed me with in my day to day going to and fro. 

The common theme among all of them, which is probably a direct response to my fanatical ranting about the work I do, or my conviction to spark a creative interest in others, is that in each person, when I ask about the creative work they are doing, they generally give me a blank stare and conclude with... 

"I really don't have the TIME to do anything CREATIVE..." 

To that end, we usually get into long drawn out conversations about creativity, it's importance and why the "creative muscle" needs to be exercised for overall health... And YES... I believe that... "The creative muscle needs to be exercised for overall health, AND well being..."  Absolutely. And more importantly ... 

Play. 

From the time we are born (til now) we all have a yearning for this most important activity. YES it takes on different shapes over time, BUT play is a fundamental part of our fiber that never goes away.  And what's interesting is this... In times where we let ourselves go, take a vacation (play), go to a park (play), chose to wrestle with the dog, our spouses, children, significant others (play) is when we are our MOST creative. It is at this time that we have let our guards down, not fearing the judgement of others, and truly move into a state of creativity and exploration. 

This is what I have found... It's not "time" that keeps us from being truly creative... It's "fear". Fear that if we release an idea, we will be "shot-down", laughed at or even worst criticized by our peers. However; in contrast, when we are in a state of "play", inhibition sets in, and we are more willing to step out on a ledge, share an idea or even dream up something that the act of play inspires. 

Serious Play is different, and as a creative person, or I like to think that I am a creative person, I find myself needing to climb into a mode of "serious play" from time to time for the purpose of solving a problem, designing a new system, brand or way of doing something. Serious play, in this instance, is the practice of taking out all of your building blocks, your clay, and crayons and throwing it all in the "sandbox" to explore many options and ideas to conclude on some resolve. Making mistakes is common place, looking absolutely silly is the norm, and challenging conventional thinking is an absolute necessity. 

This is how I will conclude… Play. 

Take time to do it. It feeds your soul, and ignites your spirit. Play is the seed to creativity, and serious play is the seed to solving serious problems, shaping radical new ideas, and doing the things that most call… Genius. 

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Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:33:00 -0700 Raghava KK: Shake up your story... http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/raghava-kk-shake-up-your-story http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/raghava-kk-shake-up-your-story

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Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:54:00 -0700 Mads Hindhede Svanegaard: BabelFisk http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/mads-hindhede-svanegaard-babelfisk http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/mads-hindhede-svanegaard-babelfisk

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Complete Project:

http://www.behance.net/mads/frame/935744

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Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:02:00 -0700 TED: Amy Tan on Creativity http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-amy-tan-on-creativity http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-amy-tan-on-creativity

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Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:06:00 -0700 A Robot That Flies Like a Bird. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/a-robot-that-flies-like-a-bird http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/a-robot-that-flies-like-a-bird

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Sat, 28 May 2011 10:29:00 -0700 The Grace to Do. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/the-grace-to-do http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/the-grace-to-do

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Grace… 

From the New Oxford American Dictionary...

1. Simple elegance or refinement of movement : she moved through the water with effortless grace.
2.  courteous goodwill : at least he has the grace to admit his debt to her.
3. ( graces) an attractively polite manner of behaving : she has all the social graces.

From a Christian point of view… 

1. the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
2. a divinely given talent or blessing : the graces of the Holy Spirit.
3. the condition or fact of being favored by someone : he fell from grace because of drug use at the Olympics.

 

I was having a conversation with Hope Allen today, sharing ideas, and exploring possibilities as we often do. After about an hour into the conversation we started talking about something that I had been thinking about for quite some time however; had never really articulated… Until now.

"that it is by His grace that we do the amazing things in this earth that we do, and with equal intensity it is without His grace that what we have done, or once did expires in the earth".

We started talking about the progressive nature of God, and specifically, how He transitions us from one point in our lives to the next.  And by the power of the Holy Spirit that resonated in the conversation, He totally blessed me with the idea "that it is by His grace that we do the amazing things in this earth that we do, and with equal intensity it is without His grace that what we have done, or once did expires in the earth".   I know that may be a little confusing BUT I am going to break this down (how I see it) in a way that hopefully empowers you and encourages you just as much if not more than it has me.

Everyday Work and Grace

Everyday I come in contact with people who are drumming through life doing what it is that they do.  Some of these people are doing the work that they have been trained to do, and they are doing it exceedingly well, but absolutely loath the "work".  There are some people who are doing the work that they are passionate about exceedingly well, BUT they loath the idea that they are doing it for other people with the controls, and limitation that doing work for others often inherits. What I find interesting about BOTH of these "types" of people is that if you have an intimate conversation with them about the "loathing" part of what they "do", about 99.9% of them share the fact that IF they could be doing something different they would, regardless of the fact that they have been trained to do it, they are doing it out of passion, OR the fact that they are doing it exceedingly well. 

Transparency

"SO I struggled with why God would be causing me to loath the very thing that paid the bills and made a way…" 

For the past 15 years (if not more… I am not doing exact math here…) I have worked in the capacity of a Designer at some level or another. Rather it be design direction, hands-on design, or design thinking.  About 3 years ago, though I was doing the work that I was passionate about for so many years, I began to find myself deeply irritated by the nuances of the design profession.  I began to loath revisions, limitations in design scopes, indecisive clients and un-realistic timelines (just to name a few).  NOW, prior to the three years ago, I can clearly remember the grace that God had given me for the work.  I was generally "cool hand steady" and I could handle any of the above nuances with absolute ease… The grace to do. If a client wanted 100 revisions (not literally… But a lot), I would say:  

"Sure!!! Great! How can we make this design work to the capacity that you LOVE it???" 

… Well, three years ago, I began to notice that simple revisions were like someone was driving a nail through my eyelids. Where at one point, 100 revisions were handled with ease and flexibility (grace), the idea of 4 - 5 revisions was dreadful.  This not only effected my clients, it began to effect my passion for the art… It began to drain my passion for design. 

Once it began to be unbearable, I began the process of scaling my design work back to a VERY selective level, and I would tell my friends, and colleagues that ultimately I would retire from design all together.  The notion of this was scary as "all get out", seeing that design was at the core of everything that I did.  From consulting to actually creating for my clients, everything revolved around design. SO I struggled with why God would be causing me to loath the very thing that paid the bills and made a way… However; what I also began to understand is that the grace that God had provisioned for me for well over 15 years in the field of design was running out.  

The Small Voice

In the midst of all of this, I clearly remember hearing that familiar, small voice that God often speaks through, telling me that He was trying to transition me. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God was leading me from one level to the next level, and the FIRST thing He did was remove grace from where I was, and as I learned later, repositioned a renewed portion of grace at my next level… All that was left for ME to do, was to trust the small voice, and transition into my next phase of life. And from my past experiences with God, I just knew, that IF I could muster up enough faith, courage, I would be delivered to another level with a renewed grace to "do". 

I knew that my next level was to transition into the soul of where my design perspective originated… Innovation. SO, I began to practice more in the role of innovation, and idea generation (which arguably interlaces with design thinking).  As I began to hone in on what I had always felt was the minor component of how I worked (always valuing the "doing" over the "thinking"), I began to realize that the processes of creation are truly where my strengths rest.  What's amazing is that God took over 15 years of my life and gave me a deeper insight into the design process through "doing" and "doing with grace"…  So now, just 2 years later, as Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer at a company I "designed" with my colleagues called Kind Intelligence… I build WITH "grace". 

God had to remove the grace from where I was, to get me fired up enough, irritated enough, BOTHERED enough, to move forward into where He wanted me to be. The next level. 

Do Not Faint in the Process 

"Move with courage and faith, and in your next role in this amazing experience  called "life", you will have a renewed provision of grace..."

When God removes grace from you in a particular work… This is a sign that perhaps, just perhaps, it's time that you begin the process of asking Him, where has He placed your next provision of grace. This is NOT the time to faint… However; it is time for you to do a serious evaluation of what He has taught you in the season that you are in, and what are the things that you are supposed to be taking with you to your next level… The next season of your life.  Move with courage and faith, and in your next role in this amazing experience  called "life", you will have a renewed provision of grace.  The Grace to Do.

Advice For Revolutionaries

1. When God removes His grace from you in a particular area of your life, He is not punishing you, He is simply, by the power of the Holy Spirit, causing you to take a close look at what you are doing for the purpose of transitional reflection.

2. If God removes grace from you in a particular area of your life, chances are that He is setting a new stage for you, at another level, with a renewed portion of "grace to do".

3. When you are feeling deeply weighted in the "work", BEYOND the normal stresses of the work, the "nuances", like … If you are getting "short" with clients or colleagues. If you are finding yourself having very little patience, this is a good sign that you are not working in grace. 

4. Be encouraged.  If you are in a place where there is no more grace, 9 times of of 10, God has already shown you where your grace resides.  Have the faith and courage to transition to your next level… Where your grace is. 

 

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Thu, 12 May 2011 04:18:00 -0700 gary v: the education bubble and the ranking of brands http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/gary-v-the-education-bubble-and-the-ranking-o http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/gary-v-the-education-bubble-and-the-ranking-o

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Wed, 11 May 2011 06:46:00 -0700 ted: suzanne lee.. grow your own clothes http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-suzanne-lee-grow-your-own-clothes http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-suzanne-lee-grow-your-own-clothes

http://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_lee_grow_your_own_clothes.html

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Mon, 09 May 2011 04:34:00 -0700 type-two http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/type-two http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/type-two

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Complete Project: 
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Type-Two/1188677

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Fri, 06 May 2011 03:30:00 -0700 industrial design: saab & nespresso http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/industrial-design-saab-nespresso http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/industrial-design-saab-nespresso

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Complete Project: 
http://www.industrialdesignserved.com/gallery/saab-and-nespresso/866701 

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Fri, 06 May 2011 03:25:00 -0700 next wave with gary vaynerchuk: you fib... you fail. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/next-wave-with-gary-vaynerchuk-you-fib-you-fa http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/next-wave-with-gary-vaynerchuk-you-fib-you-fa

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Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:40:00 -0700 david mccandless... the beauty of data visualization http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/david-mccandless-the-beauty-of-data-visualiza http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/david-mccandless-the-beauty-of-data-visualiza

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization.html

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Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:46:00 -0700 harley davidson... 1 http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/harley-davidson-1 http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/harley-davidson-1

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Complete Project:
http://www.behance.net/jonathanrussell/frame/662040 

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 06:24:00 -0700 ted: tim brown urges designers to think big http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-tim-brown-urges-designers-to-think-big http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ted-tim-brown-urges-designers-to-think-big

http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_urges_designers_to_think_big.html

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Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:14:00 -0700 eric schmidt (google) ... mobile is growing faster than imagined. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/eric-schmidt-google-mobile-is-growing-faster http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/eric-schmidt-google-mobile-is-growing-faster

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Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:07:00 -0700 a day made of glass... corning. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/a-day-made-of-glass-corning http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/a-day-made-of-glass-corning

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Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:42:00 -0700 your journey to space starts here... virgin galactic. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/your-journey-to-space-begins-here-virgin-gala http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/your-journey-to-space-begins-here-virgin-gala

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Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:03:00 -0700 claron mcfadden... singing the primal mystery http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/claron-mcfadden-singing-the-primal-mystery http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/claron-mcfadden-singing-the-primal-mystery

http://www.ted.com/talks/claron_mcfadden_singing_the_primal_mystery.html

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Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:29:00 -0700 ricky gervais... gimmie control. http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ricky-gervais-gimmie-control http://vincenthunt.posterous.com/ricky-gervais-gimmie-control

Ricky-gervais

Q. You insist on complete creative control, right?

Yes, I’m a complete fascist—and you should be in art. I don’t think I’m the best producer or director or actor in the world, but I know how I want it done. I don’t try to please anyone except myself. If people like what I do, fantastic. If they don’t, that’s good, too. If you start trying to water it down or second-guess, you end up with something so safe and homogenized that a lot of people will like it, but they won’t love it. I’ve always preferred to do something that really moves a million people rather than something that washes over 10 million. The more successful you get, the more hated you are, but you should relish that, because it means you're making a connection. And that’s the point of art.

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Taken from a recent interview on the Harvard Business Review website. View the complete interview here: 
http://hbr.org/2011/04/lifes-work-ricky-gervais/ar/1 

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