MDIA 203 : Required Ramblings of a RTV junkie

     Part two of my first blog assignment is to read, summarize, and analyze a manifesto by Mitch Ditkoff. First things first, go download and read a copy of this. It is called "14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas", and it is well worth the read. Don't believe me? Fine! I'll condone the laziness, and summarize it for you anyways. Ditkoff's work is a short and easy read, and the quotes I pulled from it will be on my quote wall by tomorrow night. He begins by posing  two simple questions; What sparks innovation?; What sparks people? Caffeinated beverages aside, where do revolutionary ideas come from? Ditkoff introduces two schools of thought to approach this. The first addresses a 'Collective Unconscious', the "I think therefore I am" Western people, who think that people don't create ideas, they basically discover/access them when they have tuned themselves into the 'Muse'. The second school of thought is supported by the creative peoples of the world, those who believe "I am, therefore I think", and focus on intuition. As Ditkoff suggests, I agree that most people are a hybrid of both schools of thought. Now for the 14 mantras he suggests using to tap into the creative.
1) FOLLOW YOUR FASCINATION
     Let yourself get wrapped up in an idea or a theory. Let your imagination run wild and embrace a new thought, no matter how trivial or off-beat you might first think it.
2) IMMERSE
     Ever wonder why you always seem to remember things at inconvenient times? Ideas are the same way, and are usually spontaneous realizations, rather than products of intense brainstorming sessions. Ditkoff suggest that you avoid the newfound instinct to multi-task, and for once just focus on one theory. Take some time to completely absorb yourself in your new idea, and let it grow without being preoccupied by something less important.
3) TOLERATE AMBIGUITY
     Remember that ideas don't always come with a 'Eureka!!'. They often come as the result of failed experiments or ideas, so don't be afraid of confusion. Learn from mistakes and embrace the fuzzy grey zone that people label as confusion. Get used to being unsure, and keep trying! Use failures as lessons to better your theory and find out what doesn't work, so you can find what does.
4) MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS
     Ideas are not one-sided. Ideas come from combining new things and finding connections that don't exist yet. Step outside your box, leave your comfort zone behind, and discover a new association you haven't thought of previously.
5) FANTASIZE
     How often do you catch yourself daydreaming, and a friend calls you out on it? Do you deny it? Don't! Embrace the ability of your imagination to think of things that aren't tangible (yet). You can't expect to have breakthrough ideas if you are scared to even dream of them. So use your imagination and fantasize away.
6) DEFINE THE RIGHT CHALLENGE
     Slow down and frame the question you seek to answer. If you're looking in the wrong direction, how do you expect to find the right solution? Having the right question is the first half of problem. Take the time to figure out the true question, and finding the right solution will be way easier.
7) LISTEN TO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS
     Breakthroughs logically follow long period of intense effort. You can't accomplish anything without dedicated effort, but sometimes you need to let your conscious take a quick break. Don't let yourself get distracted by over-analyzing. You won't get anywhere anyways, so embrace your subconscious and let your brain figure out a solution on its own time.
8) TAKE A BREAK
     ^Does it get any simpler? Instead of being unproductively spontaneous and taking frustrated breaks, plan accordingly. Work on a project, and when you start slowing on it, or hit a roadblock, take a break and switch to a different project. Obsessing over what you cannot figure out will not solve the problem you are stuck on. Give your conscious brain a break and walk away from it for a little while. When you head back to work, you'll be more likely to have results.
9) NOTICE AND CHALLENGE EXISTING PATTERNS AND TRENDS
     People who are meteorologists or stock brokers get paid to recognize patterns. Obviously this is an effective approach, so twist it to help you. Interpret and challenge old patterns and warp them into new ones that are beneficial.
10) HANG OUT WITH DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE
     This goes back to the comfort zone we live in. Break out of it!! Hows the beginning of that song go? Being surrounded by the same people and places every single day does not lead to a very creative mindset. Mix it up, hang out with a different crowd, go somewhere you aren't used to. (College is a great time to do this!!)
11) BRAINSTORM
     Do not turn into the one-man show. Use 'group-think' to your advantage, and with the right people your think tank will produce a multitude of ideas. Breakthrough successes like Apple and Microsoft are both the product of collaborating thoughts, so follow in the footsteps of success and brainstorm.
12) LOOK FOR HAPPY ACCIDENTS
     If you are seeking a break-though idea and that famous eureka moment, embrace accidental discoveries! Consider intervention over/in place of invention. Be curious and lose expectations. 
13) USE CREATIVE THINKING TECHNIQUES
      Sometimes all you need is a jump-start to get going. Maybe its a person's encouragement, a book or a quote that will get you started. Ditkoff offers a few websites, but I couldn't get them to work.
14) SUSPEND LOGIC
     Use the right half of your brain! Leave the world of left-brained logic and suspend yourself so you can find inner creativity. Cease judgement, evaluation, and practicality and explore what exists outside of this.
     
       The propositions I find most useful are 4, 5, and 10. Making new connections and meeting new people is always beneficial, not to mention fun. Being a college freshmen makes this especially appealing however, due to the resources I have at my disposal. There are a multitude of ways I can meet new people and make new connections, by joining a club, going to a free show, eating somewhere new, taking a group fitness class, or any other dozens of ways. Number five also fascinates me because traditionally fantasizing is thought of as 'child-like' and I find this idiotic. To embrace the imagination and dream of the undiscovered is one of the easiest ways to brainstorm and find new ideas. Including these 3 pitches into my schedule will be easy, I'll just take a Zumba class at Ping, and set aside time to sit outside when the weather cooperates with a notepad to let my mind wander happily. 


      I plan on capitalizing on these suggestions. A proposal after number twelve asked what 'failed experiment' or unexpected outcome might bid reconsideration. In high school I tried out for the TV Tech class on the pressuring of friends and somehow made it into the class. I ended up being very successful in it, and that is how I discovered I wanted to work in this business. One of my 'failed experiments' was being on screen however. I was very good at it when I was in high school, but I hated it. I found the technical side of things far more interesting, and so far in college that is all I have worked on. Enlisting the help of the faculty at RTV however, and a few of my older friends, I think I will try reporting and anchoring again. The reason I hated it was because of my limitations in content. Being a student at Ohio University offers many more opportunities, and maybe I can learn to enjoy the 'happy accident' of being on-screen as much as I do being behind-the-scenes.