How To Give An Old Idea Your Own Original Expression


by Tony Papajohn - Date: 2007-06-30 - Word Count: 469 Share This!

So you thought of an original idea! In that first moment of inspiration, you may fancy that you are the first person with this flash of brilliance.

Most likely, you will have to think again. You have heard, "There's nothing new under the sun."

Here's an interesting example of this truth.

When Pablo Picasso visited the Paleolithic paintings of the Lascaux cave in southern France, he was amazed. Reputed to have the sharpest eye for artistic detail since Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso noticed the subtlety of the paintings.

The artist rendered the hooves of the animals in perspective, giving the illusion of three dimensions in a two-dimensional plane. In the modern era, art historians generally credit early Renaissance painters with the invention of perspective. However, Picasso noticed that the first practitioner lived 20,000 or 30,000 years ago.

In addition, Picasso realized that the painter could not have seen the entire work while he (or she) painted. The rock face was not flat and the artist had to paint the animal around curved and uneven surfaces. Yet, Picasso recognized that the figures' proportions were perfect.

He later commented, "We have invented nothing." This was as much a compliment to the Stone Age artist as it was Picasso's way of saying, "There's nothing new under the sun."

In a sense, countless artists of successive eras have uniquely applied something this Paleolithic genius already knew. Therefore, the next time you think of something that strikes you as "original," remember this distinction. The idea is probably not original. However, your expression of it is.

Very few of us are Einsteins. However, I've observed that all of us are capable of giving an old idea an original expression. So I've developed a simple technique to help anyone do this.

Take a deep breath. Elevate your gaze as if looking at an imaginary spot just above a distant horizon.

Call to mind an idea in your occupation that is hardly original. This idea might be termed "conventional wisdom." One might say "everyone does that."

In fact, some might even caution against "reinventing the wheel." When you have this idea, slouch back in your chair a bit and gaze off into space as if daydreaming.

Then ask yourself these questions:

How can I "tweak" this old idea in a new way that will make others say "Why didn't I think of that?"

Where can I apply this idea and generate a novel benefit that will seem obvious in retrospect?

What difference does it make if I make this idea bigger or smaller? What distinctive uniqueness does this add to idea and where might I use this idea in its' larger or smaller version?

Let your creative mind answer. Your wonderful creative instinct may respond immediately or some time later.

Either way, you will have expressed an old idea in an original way. And you can take credit for your own version of originality.

Related Tags: success, personal development, self-improvement, self-help, creativity

Tony Papajohn coaches excellence and specializes in money. If you are a real estate investor, financial trader, entrepreneur, or want money to treat you like its new best friend, check out Tony's free e-courses at www.WelcomeMoreMoney.com .

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