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Need a Great Idea? Breathe Genius.

By News

“To have a great idea,” Thomas Edison – possibly America’s greatest inventor – proposed, “have a lot of them.”

“If you want to have good ideas,” Linus Pauling – renown scientist and only person to ever win two unshared Nobel Prizes – recommended, “you must have many ideas. Most of them will be wrong, and what you have to learn is which ones to throw away.”

Granted, this sound advice should be taken with a grain of 21st century salt. While these may have been two of history’s greatest minds, neither gentleman invented Uber…or, for that matter, even just “the Uber of something”; nor did either live in an era when they could’ve merely proposed, “Ideas? Easy. Google it.”

And, thus, following such facile and modern-day direction one discovers the wisdom of Wily Walnut and “10 Things to Do When You Need Ideas Fast!” Mr. Walnut’s initial sage nugget:

1. Breathe and get into state! You are a genius. 

Attention Uberpreneur: Don’t overestimate this glowing assessment; the same man who deemed you a genius felt it necessary to remind you to breathe straight out of the gate.

Speaking from experience, one need not be brilliant to remember to breathe or even to realize that if we all were, indeed, geniuses then the distinction and the very term to describe it never would’ve been necessary. Suddenly, to err is no longer human, to be a genius is.

“You are a genius, so move, breathe and act like one! It’s easy for someone like you to generate ideas – you are an Ideas Person!” 

God bless Google…not only am a genius, I’m an Ideas Person!

If only we could believe everything we read on the internet…if only more people realized we couldn’t…yet, even though we know better, it’d be difficult to deny our current collective philosophy – More! Better! Faster! Cheaper! – aligns far more fluidly with Wily’s wisdom than with Edison’s and Pauling’s disciplined, proven, and synonymous approaches.

Of course, we’re all mostly defined by the state of our era and its inherent limitations…well, most of us “geniuses” are, anyway. True genius defies supposed restraints, persistently asks “What if…” and eventually topples barriers, expands horizons, and recalibrates the limitations that define the rest of us. Be that as it may, and for all we owe the true genius of Thomas Edison (1847-1932) and Linus Pauling (1901-1994), neither esteemed mastermind benefitted from the abundant technology that defines our era.

To put it in perspective, the output of a 1950 forty-hour workweek only took 29 hours to duplicate in 1990. By 2015 that same production could be accomplished in merely eleven hours. It took the first forty years to improve by eleven hours, yet over the next twenty-five years we progressed to the point where the total output could be completed in only eleven hours. Eleven. Hours. Awesome…in it’s purest sense…intoxicatingly so…which might explain why we began to confuse this drastic and seemingly unfathomable advancement for our own personal evolution. We have the technology…we have the capability… we are better than we were before…better, stronger, faster. At everything.

Linds Redding – a former Art Director and unfortunate cancer casualty – kept a journal in which he attributed the origin of our misconstrued evolution and false feeling of bionic prowess to the moment when “the bean counters upstairs quickly realized we could just do three times as many jobs in the same amount of time, and make them three times as much money.” 

“Time moved on…technology overran, and transformed the creative industry like it did most others. Exciting new tools. Endless new possibilities. Pressing new deadlines… As fast as we could pin an idea on the wall, some red-faced account manager in a bad suit would run away with it. Where we used to rely on taking a break and ‘stretching the eyes’ to allow us to see the wood from the trees…we now fell back on experience and gut-feel. It worked most of the time, but nobody is infallible…generally standards plummeted.”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (though, like Edison & Pauling, they recognize the power of mass input) to detect an indirect correlation between the technological revolution – the supreme intellect it’s bestowed each of us – and these plummeting standards. Of course, when considering the billion dollar valuations of companies at the forefront of this revolution, it’s hard to blame the bean counters, or damn-near anyone, for putting their standards on hold, or even up for sale, in an attempt to cash-in.

And thus driven by a desire to capture a unicorn, fortified by time-slaying technological tools, and tempered by a constantly imminent deadline…if we don’t do it someone else will…we prioritize ‘faster’ convinced speed will breed ‘more’ and ‘better’…or, at the very least, compensate for them. We debunk and dismiss Edison’s and Pauling’s wisdom as outdated advice from a seemingly prehistoric time handicapped by analog thought.

In the process we handicap ourselves and relinquish the true power technology has bestowed on us – tools that improve our vision to mine, recognize, and develop the best ideas; ideas that move us collectively forward while maintaining a set of standards to optimize that momentum. Otherwise, as Mr. Redding noted, “That one thing that we prize and value above all else – the idea – turns out to be just another plastic gizmo or widget to be touted and traded.” It was this very assessment that led Mr. Redding to the sobering revelation: “I think I’ve come to the conclusion that the whole thing was a bit of a con. A scam. An elaborate hoax.” 

Everything starts with an idea; to have a great one, have a lot of them. Armed with ample ideas you can do what you do best, whatever that is…like Edison, Pauling, or even Redding…to make something ‘better,’ ‘faster,’ ‘smarter.’ Earnestly addressing these goals fosters palpable value – something with far greater reach and lasting impact than ‘cheaper.’

Then, take a deep breath and get into state, you’re truly a genius.

-Gooch Denice, Relationship Director at Boom Ideanet

Infographic: A Snapshot Of The Idea Energy That Fuels Boom Ideanet

By Blog, News

Who Powers The Ideanet?

Boom is not an unidentified mass. We’re a network of vetted, creative problem-solvers. Each with a signed NDA. Our free agent network is more selective, more motivated, more eager, more rewarded and rewarding.

If you have creative energy to spare, you want to enhance your experience, be exposed to new brands and new channels, find out more here. And consider creating a profile here.

AICP Show

By Blog

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Boom Ideanet recently had the privilege of sponsoring the 2016 Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show, touring in Kansas City on November 2 in the Crossroads Arts District of the city. The AICP Show, titled ‘The Art & Technique of the American Commercial’, truly lived up to its name. The event prides itself on moving beyond simply judging and awarding the best work in production and advertising throughout the year. Rather, the AICP Show creates an ongoing archive of top creative advertising pieces, all which have cultural and artistic significance. The work featured for the year, along with all honored work since its inception in 1992, is showcased in the archives the Film Department at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), in New York. The work included in the Show is judged by more than 400 industry experts in the advertising and production professions.

The work showcased in this year’s Show included everything from music videos, to :30/:60 brand commercials, to public service announcements. Each of these pieces of work, in their own individual right, pushed the typical advertising and broadcast boundaries and raised the bar for campaign ideas and marketing content in general. The campaigns are on the leading edge of technology and production, while continuing to communicate the advertiser’s message.  Click here to view this year’s showcase.

In viewing even just a handful of these pieces, it is easy to see the high standard of work that is represented in this showcase. Boom Ideanet is pleased to have sponsored the event — and it is our goal that our work  would also reflect such a standard and culture of boundary-pushing creative thinking. It’s our belief that brands and agencies alike can use fresh, creative thinking to create significant, captivating advertising campaigns and rejuvenate current efforts. We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver just this. Of course, if your agency or brand would like captivating, original ideas contact Boom. We’re on it.

What’s New in Creative Crowdsourcing?

By Blog, News

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Agencies and Brands: We have recently published a new, updated eBook you might find to be useful as you puzzle over how to keep up with work load, flex with demand and engage a deep pool of creative talent.

Click here to download the eBook and learn how to:

  • Scale your creative resources without sacrificing quality.
  • Flex with workload and new business efforts without adding FTE’s.
  • Tap into Boom’s vetted, NDA’d creative network to generate ideas for pitches and campaigns.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Share your challenges with us. Boom may be the the most unexpected way to meet your needs.

Let us know. We can help.
swood@boomideanet.com816.541.2600

Boom Ideanet Hosts Happy Hour with Faris Yakob

By News

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Faris Yakob is co-founder of itinerant innovation and strategy consultancy Genius Steals. He and his partner Rosie have been living on the road for 100+ weeks (and counting), helping brands use creativity to solve business problems. They’ve traveled to more than 43 countries, working with iconic brands like Marriott, Coca Cola, P&G, and Gibson Guitars, amongst others.

Faris joined Boom Ideanet on November 10th to share thought-provoking observations captured in his recently published book, Paid Attention. Faris explored how ideas move people and how advertising can and should change in response to changes in the communications landscape.

Sample his captivating style in a video here: https://vimeo.com/61065910

Of course, if you’d like some captivating, original ideas to address one of those challenges that keeps you awake at night, contact Boom.
We’re on it.