Hey there and welcome to OneT Events! I am so excited to be ringing in 2021 with a new look and new approach to an industry that has been so good to me over the years. I wanted to start this blog with a 3-part series on my philosophy on events and event production. My philosophy can be reduced to 3 major categories, "Dream it, Design it, Do it". In the next few posts we will take a deeper dive into each of these ideas individually. Today we will be exploring "Dream it" where we will talk about inspiration and the process I use to harness the power of imagination. Inspiration can be found everywhere you look, you just need to know how to find it!
Dream it!
Inspiration is is arguably the hardest part of the process and these days it is getting harder and harder to be inspired to create anything. In the event industry, it's easy to get bogged down in the day to day grind of turning out one proposal after another. We tend to gravitate to what we have done in the past just because, well... we've done it before. How do you keep the ideas fresh when they are due tomorrow? How do you keep the creativity high when life steps in and demands your attention elsewhere?
The answer to these questions comes in the way we define inspiration. Inspiration, for me, has come in many different forms over the years. I have always been interested in art and technology, so for me that is the first place I look. But stopping there is not always enough. What is art exactly? Where does it come from? Art can be anything from Painting to Graphic Design, Architecture, Product Design, as well as Music, Movies and Culinary Experiences. I tend to cast a wide net when it comes to the initial stages inspiration. You never know where it will come from or how it will hit you, so the key here is to be able to look at the object or idea in a new light and use it as a springboard to launch your own inspiration.
Now that you have an idea or direction, how can you apply it? This is where the true work is done in concepting any project. Brooke Shaden, fine art photographer and author of “Inspiration in Photography” from Focal Press uses a chair in this example.
Consider the following questions:
Examine the shapes of the chairs in your environment. Reduce them to their component parts and consider each individually.
What do the parts remind you of?
Is there some symbolism to each part of the chair?
To the seat, legs, back or arm rests?
What uses can a chair be put to?
How could you incorporate each use into your photography?
Personalize it:
What memories do you have of chairs?
Are these memories positive or negative?
Is there a specific chair that has more meaning to you than others?
The answers to these questions will be varied and the results will show you how your mind works. The biggest challenge here is that people take this exercise too literally and cannot get past the idea that a chair is used for sitting and that is the one source of truth. I will sometimes throw logic out the window, put on my Green Hat on and look at a project upside down or sideways or backwards to gain a new perspective. Creativity for creativity's sake without the burdens of logic or negativity. This approach does not always work in my favor, but it is an example of taking this idea to the extreme to help breakdown some barriers and get those creative juices flowing.
This approach also requires a willingness to accept the inherent risk that comes with not following what seems to be the obvious route. Such risk tolerance is another important part of challenging what you think you know and cultivating creativity. If there is one lesson that 2020 has taught me, it is to not get too attached or rely too heavily on a certain approach. Change is inevitable and as creative problem solvers and ambassadors to inspiration and creativity, it is our job to continue to challenge the status quo.