The creative process out to be simpler. Sometimes, the right answer is just coming out and saying something. But naming is tricky. A product or a brand name wants to be unique, which tends toward the unfamiliar, while being memorable, which tends toward the familiar. You also want something short and easy to say, better Read More …
Speaking of “selfyness,” that might be stealmyideasplease’s main flaw. Even when I blogged almost daily, can’t see the site really caught on. Should have … visited other sites and linked to them, for better e-karma … figured out how to involve others more. What if, instead, anyone could post an idea? Or post links to Read More …
The first inspiration: If a catbox could be made to shake, would it automatically cover the crap? Common sense says, heavy stuff falls right? So the litter, as it’s thrown side to side, would fly on top, and, presto, Sea of Tranquility. Makes for a funny image (which I’d draw if I had time) of Read More …
Inventions have intentions, and so can things. Or at least they can so succinctly personify an idea, they seem alive. Those are the ideas that catch on, that stick the most. They’re pared to such a level of simplicity, of elegance, they seem to embody one thought. Of course, we might disagree on what that Read More …
Know why nothing is absolute? (Or as metaphysicians might say, “Nothing is Everything.” Bad cosmic joke.) Because each of us has two infinite halves. (Go with me … this isn’t meant as fact.) Maybe multiple infinite halves. Take mind and soul. Can you love a person with all your soul and but not all your Read More …
Finished reading Made to Stick and enjoyed its many valuable insights about “Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,” as the subtitle says. I hope to write at length about some notions like how objects can have intentions, and how smart the section was on remembering to appeal to people’s more noble sides, the impulses higher Read More …
WHEN you get stuck on a particular project, try thinking like a kid. Not stupid, but “gee whiz.” Wouldn’t it be cool if …. Tried this on one game I’ve been working on, and my inner kid said, “Gee, wouldn’t it be cool if the sharks got twice as big?” Made me laugh. Might work. Read More …
It’s one thing to be a detective, doing the actual sleuthing that can get you killed. Or a scientist doing the actual research. It’s another to be a professional theorist. The ultimate specialist. He doesn’t gather any clues. No, when all your theories seem to go nowhere, you seek him out, and he comes with another, Read More …
Oops. Guess somebody already thought of this: The random excuse generator. And check this out: A blog devoted to generators. It links to all sorts of wild ones … including an idea generator … put your name on a plane … The Boobie Name Generator … Bart Simpson writing your sentence on a blackboard. At least I did think Read More …
I’m inching forward with a spinoff from Steal My Ideas, Please. Rather than just give away ideas, through posts or emailed answers, I’m moving into developing some with friends and even total strangers. If you’re an illustrator, software designer, writer or JUST LOADED AND LOOKING FOR PLACES TO INVEST, check out www.wackydadandfriends.com. I hope to Read More …
Nutcracker shoes. Lawn Sprinkler Shoes. Just a couple of ideas from my third “Brain Reps” post on InventorSpot.com. They kind of grew out of my recent post on The Scale Shoe. An earlier idea: Seat Shoes. Here’s the main part of the article. Let’s see how many ideas we can horn into shoes! Shoes goes everywhere, so Read More …
No, can’t say that. (Similarities can always be coincidence, not just the sincerest form of flattery.) But I came across two other “Steal My Ideas” sites. Cool! Steal My Ideas: It’s Like I Rubbed My Brain All Over This Thing: Paul Bertino’s brain rubbings include some evolving Jesus mystery painting (Jesus as the Grim Reaper?), Read More …
Loved the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It explores the mystery of how, sometimes, we just have a deep understanding instantly. In some cases, there’s a wellspring of knowledge and expertise that bubbles up. In others, in chaotic moments of danger, we just know to react. Since reading it, I’ve strived to trust my initial judgments Read More …
One of J.K. Rowling’s geniuses is her gift for invention. Not real inventions, but ordinary things that become magical with a little wishful / twistful thinking. Hats that evaluate one’s brain. Portraits that move. Jelly beans that come in every flavor, even dirt. Brooms that fly, of course. It’s a child’s kind of imagining, and Read More …
Take the i-Pod Shuffle idea and offer a stream of brain teasers and trivia. The pitch: Entertaining way to sharper your brain. Might be a Jeopardy! version. Or stuff from almanacs and encyclopedias. Games Magazine. Samples from various popular games, such as Scrabble. Tests with word problems from math books. Tricky lateral thinking problems from Read More …