Some people say the greatest risk is not taking one. But if we’re afraid our head might get bitten off when we stick our neck out with a new idea, what can we do?
On average, we’re wired to be a little bit optimistic: we tend to believe that things will work out ok. So people who are mildly depressed, tend to predict the future more accurately.
But our beliefs also impact the outcomes of things: if we believe we’ll succeed at something, then we have more chance of succeeding.
If we weren’t on average wired to be a little bit optimistic, then back when we were cavegentlemen and caveladies, I’m not sure we would have ventured far, invented much, or taken risks. Optimism drives evolution.
Of course, we need imagination too, so we have ideas to be optimistic about. Imagination + Optimism = getting our fingers out and doing stuff.
Do optimism and imagination kick in when we really need them? — like now, in our economic crisis?
Maybe they do — maybe that’s part of the reason there’s so much innovation at the moment. Though the technology / the tools that are helping fuel the innovation, have been cooking for some time.
For a lot of businesses, business-as-usual doesn’t work anymore. That means the market is wide open for people who are sticking their necks out with new solutions.
Imagination and optimism can help our heads design new solutions.
Not every new solution will be a success. But if we’re not failing sometimes, we’re not sticking our necks far enough out to find the great solutions.
I wonder if we can learn from those people that are still full of imagination and optimism: children. Because they’re not afraid of sticking their necks out.
Or rather than learn how to do it, maybe we need just need to remember how to do it.
What could you do with a kiddy approach?
Here’s an illustrator who gets ideas from kids all the time:
(The ‘realistic’ versions were done afterwards — based on the kids’ drawings.)
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See more of those pictures here: http://www.themonsterengine.com/artwork
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Some related blog posts:
➜ What’s the best marketing, advertising, and copywriting for our new creative society?
➜ What do copywriters and entrepreneurs do on the toilet?
➜ Why are stories so powerful in copywriting, marketing, advertising?
➜ How technology can change writing
➜ Hey Look At Me. I’m a Copywriter!
➜ Copywriters are not the only Creatives
➜ A Blind Sculptress Could Beat Your Copywriting
➜ Who can help your business innovate?
➜ Good copywriters take time to twiddle with their things
