Do any of you have a pattern for your creativity? Tell you what I mean...

I discovered a couple of years ago, that most of my ideas or problem solving revelations hit me while I'm in the shower. It got to the point where my boss even recognized it.

I used to work in an IT/Tech Support division. It seemed that many folks would come get me to help them resolve some problem (database, network, application, etc.) even if I wasn't responsible or involved. I seem to have a knack for problem solving. I have even been asked to explain my methodology for it, but to this day, cannot.

I just kind of "see it". Sometimes, I would come into work and declare that "I think I solved our problem!", and sure enough, I had figured it out (also have done this for resolving programming issues while I was a programmer). My boss would ask me how I arrived at the solution, and I would tell him it hit me in the shower.

One day, we were having a lingering problem on the network that was causing much grief for the company. After a few days of trying to resolve it, my boss finally turned to me and said, "Go home and take a shower!"

Anyone else have their "light bulbs" come on when certain conditions are present? I bet 80% or better of my creativity comes to me in the shower. Go figure.

I hope you're expensing your water bills!

:D

My brainstorms, when they DO come, are usually under the most stressful of deadlines. When things are at their worst, sweat-on-my-brow, knot-in-my-stomach kind of situations. THAT'S when the ideas come.

Heck, maybe I should just spend more time in the shower :D

i have often experienced the "sleep on it" phenomenon. or rather, as i am trying to sleep and the problem is running around up there (usually with a whole bunch of other stuff too) i'll either come up with a solution *just* as i am about to drift off. or, i'll go to sleep and will wake with a start and say it a bunch of times so i won't forget by morning. i hate waking up though and *knowing* i had a solution but that it drifted away during the night.

when running i get a flow of ideas like niagra falls.

:)

wish i could write fast as i run.

i did that the other day. we were trying to work out ideas for a presentation and while my partner was setting up an outline, i started tossing out ideas. she said, "great idea, let's brainstorm." and i thought, "hmmm, that's a positve way to think of the jumble up there in my brain." anyway, i thought i *was* helping her with the outline....

it's very interesting to see how someone else organized *my* thoughts though.

My best ideas come when I am mildly to moderately sleep-deprived. I hate that.

Originally posted by Opus
Do any of you have a pattern for your creativity? Tell you what I mean...

I discovered a couple of years ago, that most of my ideas or problem solving revelations hit me while I'm in the shower. It got to the point where my boss even recognized it.

I used to work in an IT/Tech Support division. It seemed that many folks would come get me to help them resolve some problem (database, network, application, etc.) even if I wasn't responsible or involved. I seem to have a knack for problem solving. I have even been asked to explain my methodology for it, but to this day, cannot.

I just kind of "see it". Sometimes, I would come into work and declare that "I think I solved our problem!", and sure enough, I had figured it out (also have done this for resolving programming issues while I was a programmer). My boss would ask me how I arrived at the solution, and I would tell him it hit me in the shower.

One day, we were having a lingering problem on the network that was causing much grief for the company. After a few days of trying to resolve it, my boss finally turned to me and said, "Go home and take a shower!"

Anyone else have their "light bulbs" come on when certain conditions are present? I bet 80% or better of my creativity comes to me in the shower. Go figure.

Originally posted by Opus
my boss finally turned to me and said, "Go home and take a shower!"

Anyone else have their "light bulbs" come on when certain conditions are present? I bet 80% or better of my creativity comes to me in the shower. Go figure.


That might have been a good time to suggest that they install co-ed showers in the working are so you could teach your methodology to the rest of the workers

I love brainstorming on work items. The whiteboard is my best friend at these times. Maybe it's because bad ideas can be erased with no evidence!

I will even tell people I work with/for that I am not afraid to think out loud during these sessions, so bear with me. One great idea makes them forget the 10 or so wacky ones! Most folks that have worked with me for any period of time come to know that. They seem to know that if I spew out enough of the things that are running around in my head, that eventually, I'll have an "aha! moment".

I get some creative ideas when I'm quiet and comtemplatitive....or when I'm on an airplane.....:)

this is a great thread! thanks everyone for sharing this positive ADD trait.

i notice humour is another great trait common amongst ADDers (as evidenced in this thread as well.) thanks all for making me laugh :)

I LOVE the avatar Opus... I have noticed something similar myself... I get creative ideas when in the bath (I prefer baths to showers) and when I am on a long "power walk" wearing headphones. Something about isolating myself from the world, like sensory deprivation, if you see what I mean... I too am a creative problem solver.

And I TOO generate a dozen ideas for every three good ones. :D :D :D My boss at the bookstore loves the ideas I come up with, as I have gotten somewhat better at censoring the ones that I know she will not go for. That doesn't mean I don't still GENERATE them... :D

P.S. I love your idea Garry... except that there are several coeds at my work I really don't ever want to see in the shower...! :eek:

Originally posted by waywardclam
I LOVE the avatar Opus...

I was a HUGE Bloom County fan in college (early to mid 80's). Still am, I guess. I really miss it. Same with Far Side. I always identified with Opus. I guess becuase he always struck me as a little neurotic! Sometimes I could just look at a pic of Opus and crack a smile, just imagining what is running through his head. I thought this one was appropriate for these forums. :)

You did hear he is trying to get Bloom County started again, right?

Originally posted by waywardclam
You did hear he is trying to get Bloom County started again, right?

I believe he has a new strip (not sure how new) called Opus . I don't get it where I live, and have not seen it on-line (or anywhere for that matter). Wish I could see it.

I get inspired with ideas when I am swimming!

Galexica

Very interesting thread...

Opus, I, too am in the IT field and love troubleshooting. I am one of those 'way outside the box thinkers from a multitude of angles' that takes each problem like its a puzzle and I try to devour it. Problem is I don't always solve things first time around. I leave the problem behind, and if I can sufficiently forget it, next time I come back to it I'll attack it from all new angles because I have to rebuild the logic and I never do that the same way twice.

As far as showers go, they don't really help. Occasionally, while driving I get those wonderful solutions I was looking for.

John

My husband gets great ideas in the bathroom (not bathing, if you get my meaning :eek: :D ;) )

I get ideas for "project A" when I am actively thinking about "project B". Sort of frustrating-it can feel like nonproductivity. I guess thats why I love to have three or four things, optimally, going at once.

I too love the white board and use it constantly. I constantly think (write) out loud and when something turns out to be a bad idea, I just point out my horible handwriting and say they must have misread it because the i should be a t :)

I, like Flakey get my best ideas when I am sleep deprived. About 2-to 4 in the morning, I can figure out a lot. No wonder I never get to bed early!

I used to get a lot of breakthroughs in the middle of the night, too. I'd be fried from too much studying, and decide to watch some TV with friends instead, and my brain would kick into gear in the middle of some awful late-night movie. Of course, this was in college. ;) Now sleep deprivation has become such a habit that it doesn't seem to make me creative anymore. I have bright ideas while doing dull, mundane chores now. (Could that be why I rarely finish the dull, mundane chores? Hmmm.)

Wow! I, too, get my best inspirations in the shower! I have no idea why that is. Maybe it has something to do with relaxing, the fact there are really no distractions in there, etc.

When I was a programmer, obviously going to take a shower was not an option if you were stuck on a problem :rolleyes: , so I would notice that just walking away from your desk and going into the cafeteria or somewhere where the atmosphere was completely different than an office atmosphere would also help spark solutions to problems.

I love Bloom County too!

I'm one of those who at 2am will wake up suddenly and fo eureka!! That's only far the major major problems. For normal major problems the more stressed I am the more creative I become... kinda like its a game.. that feels like the game where you have some letters and you make as many words from them as you can.

I love Bloom ( I own Wish for Wings that Work) but I really love Calvin and Hobbs :D
http://home.swbell.net/z0rt/images/calvin.jpg