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~ … a Night Owl dealing with early morning Personality Disorder

e.m.PD Therapy

Tag Archives: great ideas

Great Minds…

23 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Gert in Out & About

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

dual discovery, great ideas, humor, inspiration, motivation, simultaneous invention

The notebookMy daughter has grown up hearing me complain over and over, “Somebody stole my idea!” That’s because I get great ideas all the time, but, before I get around to executing them, I’m walking through a department store in Somewhere, USA, and there it is, right there on the shelf, my great idea with someone else’s name on it. Great minds do think alike. Bummer.

We happened to be browsing the shelves of one of those department-type stores a few days ago when she spotted this notebook and couldn’t resist a bit of mischief – “Mom,” she said, “I’d like to buy this for you.” With a completely straight face, she passed it to me, knowing I wouldn’t be able to read it from the distance that separated us.

Congratulations on having the same great idea as someone who successfully executed it.

I cracked up – startling several of our fellow patrons who shot nervous glances in our direction as they attempted to move away without making any sudden moves. When I finally managed to regain my composure, I passed the notebook back to her and said, “I’ll let you.” I guess it’s true, the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree – her sense of humor is almost as warped as mine. That can be scary at times.

I love my new notebook, and felt it apropos to break it in by writing the notes for this post in it.

Looking back over the years, I realized something – I have invented some pretty amazing products: stadium seats with a thick, cozy blanket built right in; an ink pen with its own light source so that you can write in the dark; a laptop desk – well, you get the picture. I mentioned these particular samples because I actually went so far as to draw sketches and make design notes for them. I even initiated the preliminary market research for the light pen, and nobody in my special survey had ever seen anything like it. I was frantically trying to put together a prototype when the spouse informed me there was something just like it already on the market. He had just returned from a business trip, and said he had noticed it in a magazine he found on the airplane. I didn’t want to believe him – he had to be mistaken. A few days later he presented me with the executive model – a sleek silver number, complete with its own executive gift box. I was deflated. Not long after that, I started to see the pens everywhere.  The market seemed to suddenly be flooded with multiple design variations and price points. It felt like everybody was making money with my wonderful light pen idea except me.

I could go on and on with similar stories, and the tragedy of it all. My sister-in-law and I actually have a running joke – we refuse to discuss any of our ideas over the phone because we’re convinced somebody has to be listening to our conversations – waiting to steal our great ideas and execute them.

To be fair, things like multiple discovery, simultaneous discovery, and simultaneous invention are known phenomena. I’m aware of that now, I wasn’t back then. In fact, there are some pretty interesting theories floating around out there in ‘theory land’ as to why these events occur. My favorite is the one about a “collective conscious” – I am Seven of Nine gazillion. You can use your favorite search engine to find other fascinating theories, and examples of this “simultaneous” process in action – covering everything from the invention of typewriters, to the light bulb, to the telephone, and the list goes on. Who was it that said, “The only bad thing about a good idea is that somebody else is bound to get it”?

Here’s to great ideas…executed.

Side Note: This notebook is a product of Innovative Designs, LLC, using one of the hilarious offerings from SOMEECARDS – (not a promo)

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Another Great Idea Down the Drain?

08 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by Gert in Creative Therapy

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Tags

great ideas, inspiration, problem solving, shower muse, writing on the wall

The Shower MuseI need to come clean about something – I get some of my best ideas when I’m in the shower. There just seems to be something mystical about all of those tiny little water torpedoes finding their target as you close your eyes in surrender to the sounds of the rhythmic pulsations creating images of waterfalls in a botanical paradise. Kind of like this. Water Fall

When my Shower Muse shows up, great ideas just seem to flow, and they are beautiful. But, of course, I’m all wet and soapy, and by the time I get out of the shower and grab a pen, all of those great ideas are history, swirling down the drain like so many tiny bubbles.bubbles in drain

There was a time when I could remember every thought that crossed my mind. Mostly. But those days are a vague, distant memory, gone the way of the covered wagon and the Pony Express. These days, things pop into my head and disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, like fireflies and faerie dust.

Feel free to raise your hand if this has ever happened to you – the Shower Muse shows up with all of those wonderful ideas and you have no place to write them down, you can feel them slipping from your grasp like a wet bar of soap. You – we – are not alone. I have heard so many people offer up the same complaint over and over again, “I was in the shower when the perfect solution to xyz problem just popped into my head. I couldn’t believe it. But, by the time I got out of the shower and found something to write on, I couldn’t remember any of it. Darn, another great idea down the drain.”

I actually discovered a solution to this problem years ago, during one of my musing moments in the shower, and I have shared it whenever this conversation comes up. Now, I would like to share it with you.Writing on the wall

When fireflies pop into my head I act fast and capture them with my magic pen – I write on the walls. I keep a dry-erase marker next to the shower, and if I think of something noteworthy I just grab the marker and write it on the shower wall. I can take my time finishing my shower and transcribing my notes to my journal. Then I clean it all up with a soft cloth or paper towel. To make sure I get rid of any lingering residue left by the dry-erase ink, I wipe the walls down with alcohol wipes, or alcohol on cotton balls. That would be the rubbing variety, not the drinking kind – although…

A word of caution is in order – I have found that not all markers are created equally, and neither are the shower walls. I would suggest that you find an inconspicuous spot to test before you commit. If your markers leave a stain or end up being hard to remove, you can try window cleaner or a cleaner made for dry-erase boards.

I know that some of you are thinking, “I don’t have a plain old white shower, I have beautiful slate tiles” – or something along those lines. All is not lost. Check your local office supply store for a moisture resistant dry-erase board, or, you could easily make one using a precut sheet of acrylic, or an acrylic photo frame. I added a background to this one just because, and to make it easier to read.e.m.PD Dry Erase Board

I also happen to have a metal tub, so the magnets on the back keep it handy. If you don’t happen to have a cool metal tub like this one, you could use a couple of those suction cups with the hooks on them to attach your board to the shower wall.

If the whole marker and dry-erase board thing doesn’t work for you, another possible option might be those bath-time crayons that little kids like to use. Again, I would strongly suggest testing before you commit. The real goal here is to release your inner child and let your imagination run wild – see what creative solutions you can find to capture the fireflies your Shower Muse brings. That, or be prepared to jump out of the shower really, really fast…

Happy Musings!

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I'm just an Owl trying to make it in this Early Bird world. I'm dealing with early morning Personality Disorder...and other issues surrounding the sleep-wake cycle. You can call me Gert, and this is my Therapy Journal. Welcome to my world.

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