Have you noticed the lack of creativity in Hollywood? This year’s new movie list makes it pretty obvious that Hollywood is running out of original ideas. We are regularly served sequels of existing movies or the latest trend of “rebooting” a franchise, which means there are now multiple generations of Spiderman, Superman, The Incredible Hulk, etc (Which also shows a lack of creativity since these superheroes were popular back when I was a kid, in the 70s!) Of course during the previews of these movies, you’ll be see the list of sequels that will be offered during the Holidays and then there’s that ONE BIG movie that will premier next Summer, which will either be a sequel or a somewhat original idea that will lend itself to a slew of sequels. Hollywood is running out of original ideas (and has been for some time now.)
What about you?
If you’re feeling a bit stale and uncreative as I’m starting to, maybe it’s time we cultivate some new ideas. Much like the process of planting a garden, cultivating new ideas requires some steps. Here’s the first:
Create some space to grow the new idea.
The first thing we do every year is dump the old soil out of last year’s planters and put in some new soil. Then we carefully created a space for the small plants. Very simple.
Our minds are a bit like those planters. Without some type of stimuli, we have a tendency to get stale. I was finding less and less time to do some thinking because in my case the “soil” in my brain was challenged less by books and more by Facebook.
So I decided to cut back on Facebook. I dumped a bunch of people off the list and just cut it back to family and immediate close friends. I think I just got tired of reading my friends’ posts that either passive-aggressively complained about people:
“It would sure be nice if people would just hold onto their coats instead of stuffing them in the overhead bins like a bunch of monkeys”
…or just bragged about stuff:
“Excited to be working with a new client in Hawaii this week!”
Then I realized I was no different. I was using Facebook to brag, complain, or just be nosey about what my friends were up to. Every time I had a moment to pull out my phone, I was checking my Facebook app. Then I’d look around and see other travelers with their nose in their phone doing the same. Nobody talks to anyone anymore, the phone is an excuse to be left alone. When I thought about it, I realized the “soil” in my brain had no capacity for new thoughts. So I deleted my account and removed the app.
It was hard at first. I had this massive urge to remove my phone from its holster and log in. I suddenly didn’t have the account to check out when I was writing curriculum and needed (or thought I needed) a distraction.
I’m better now. With the Facebook brain drain tempered, I’m more productive. I installed the Kindle app on my phone now and will use the time I stand in line to read a book. There is a new-found urge to forge REAL friendships and cultivate them in ways other than just “Likes” and photos of cats with silly captions.
This week, take a look at what your capacity for growth is. Maybe it’s time to remove some of that old soil and prepare to plant something new. I’m working on it. Will you join me?