Altering
the Pattern
The brain is a funny thing. This small organ lodged at the top of the
body determines every single move, reaction and utterance that you
will make from cradle to grave. The mind achieves this efficiently
by forming patterns for the thousands of tiny decisions during any
day. Something that has sent people to the moon spends the majority
it’s time being as uncreative as possible to keep you alive.
Tying your shoelaces properly, leaning slightly forward while climbing
the stairs, recognising the difference between a speeding bus and a
building. All patterns learnt at an early age which are performed effortlessly
without any pause or internal debate.
Companies aren’t ignorant of this and have
invested deeply in anticipating your future choices and being there
to give you the product/service you never knew you needed. In the creative
field, your ability to think in new ways is your career. Time to fight
for it.
Amazon & iTunes Recommendations
An Amazon innovation which is one part commerce, one part social engineering,
the recommendation system has enabled people to find books, music,
movies which are suited to their taste. Consider though how many recommended
books reconfirm what you thought about the world or how many movies
follow the same general theme. iTunes has recently expanded it's recommendation
system with "Just for You". A pattern of your likes and dislikes
is being monitored but also crucially reinforced by the promoting of
similar works.
Using forums, messageboards and newsgroups , we all seek out a group
of likeminded individuals . No matter how varied the interest of a
particular community, a pattern is generally evident in most communities
unless it is consciously fought. This is because of the nature of a
crowd, not the forum itself.
1.Swinging Doors
Wild abandon as a group tests the boundaries of what can and can't be
discussed. Freeflowing and lively. Prone to deep and profoundly enjoyable
silliness.
2.Cosy Glow
People become comfortable around each other but still want more people
to join. Intriguing debate and good natured arguements.
3.Cultured Warfare
Still an enjoyable place to join but resistance to new influence. Animosities
between certain users erupt in sporadic abuse. The culture/pattern is
now engrained in the behaviour of the users.
4. Maximum Security Forum
Alienation of New Members by jargon and insider culture.Almost like a
gold rush to prove who was here first and how it way better in the old
days. Atmosphere poisons the reasons it existed in the first place and
it withers on the vine. The culture/patterns has smothered all innovative
thought.
The majority of the time spent being creative is fighting the brain,
of setting up scenarios where the path of least resistance is not taken.
Patterns must be broken or modified to produce anything original. Removing
these requires practice which is in itself a pattern.
Consider the sequence of events that lead you to work in a similar way
every day, even though the tasks might change daily. Would changing something
early influence how you would approach something later on during the
day? Sleep patterns are one of the most obvious examples but the one
that that creative culture bangs up against the most often.
- If you are prone to late nights, push to try a week of rising with
the early bird.
- Take a different route to work or move your desk if you freelance.
- If you’re average at a particular aspect
of your industry, try and grab a project in that area. Mild panic
is the mother of invention.
- Pick a subject you feel strongly about and someone you consider
an idiot on the subject. Read their book. That idiot has a thought
process which let them to that conclusion. Why is it so different
to yours? Experience?Environment?
- Religion and Politics are the two patterns that
we learn from our parents and the hardest to alter. Consider 3 aspects
about your politics or religion that you disagree with. Everybody will
have some but nothing wrong in living with contradictions.
- Your instinct will never lead you wrong except when it does. Mostly,
it has a far better strike rate than a well considered exhaustive
thinking session.
None of these will make you a better person. It just might make you
go off on a tangent with pleasant results. I for one have decided to
try some pop punk, read some fantasy novels and appreciate the wonders
of Flash intros.
How about you?
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