Elevate your creativity: how new perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations
Discover how stepping out of your routine can lead to groundbreaking ideas and patent-worthy inventions. Explore the real-life example that shows how challenging conventions and adopting fresh approaches can transform your creativity and drive success.
CULTIVATING MINDSET PRIMED FOR INNOVATION
In the quest for an open mind and boundless creativity, the key lies in exploring new ways of doing things — both in your professional realm and everyday life. For inventors, this approach is crucial as it can lead to breakthrough innovations and patentable inventions. A classic example? If you're a daily commuter, spice up your journey by taking different routes to work each day for a week. Yes, it might add a few extra minutes to your travel time, but the mental workout is worth it.
Consider this challenge: Can you discover five (or even ten, if you're feeling adventurous on your way home) new routes to your office? And here's the twist — ditch the navigator and rely on your instincts! This simple exercise not only keeps your brain engaged but also cultivates a mindset primed for innovation. Such mental engagement is akin to the creative process required to invent something novel and non-obvious, key criteria for patents.
Basketball Strategies in the World of Patents
Drawing from my personal experience, as an old basketballer some 30 years ago, I devoted my spare time to coaching teenage girls in basketball, in the club Lobas – LOmma BASketball in Sweden. Seeking constant innovation, I introduced diverse game rules for warm-up exercises — playing with two balls, each with unique rules, incorporating multiple baskets per team, or even mid-game rule changes. The unexpectedness of these exercises challenged both me and the team to think differently each time. Picture the girls' reactions when I'd kick off a warm-up session with: "Today, we play basketball... with a twist!"
The result? In 2019, under my coaching, we reached the Final-4 but narrowly missed the championship against Norrköping in the Swedish Championship final for girls under 17 year. The unconventional basketball exercises added a unique flair to our training sessions and perhaps played a role in our journey to the finals?
Takeaway for inventors
For inventors, the takeaway is clear: Apply this approach to your own projects. Challenge the norms, experiment with new perspectives and watch creativity flourish. Who knows, your innovative twist might just be the secret ingredient that propels your endeavors to new heights!
