Comments on: Where Do New Ideas Come From? http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/ Top of the Information Food Chain Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:41:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Andy Burkhardt http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-814 Andy Burkhardt Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:58:00 +0000 http://andyburkhardt.com/?p=1169#comment-814 I definitely agree that stepping away from technology is important. I know that it can break up my concentration. I think much differently when I’m sitting at a computer than when I’m sitting on a park bench (with no iPad or mobile device out). I also agree about writing. That is one of the reasons I have this blog. I try to make some sense of the inchoate ideas that are floating around in my head. Writing makes ideas more concrete and gives you the opportunity to evaluate them.

As for taking time not related to work or what your doing, I find that point very interesting. In one of our information literacy sessions here at Champlain, we talk about just that. That research is not just finding a bunch of sources and throwing them all together as you go. It’s necessary to take time to evaluate sources and reflect on how they connect and fit together into a coherent whole. Reflection is an integral part of the research process.

]]> By: Andy Burkhardt http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-813 Andy Burkhardt Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:47:00 +0000 http://andyburkhardt.com/?p=1169#comment-813 Good addition Andy. I was just talking with a faculty member about this today. Our environments really do affect our thinking. We can be a lot more creative when we go somewhere else. For our past two library retreats we leave the library and go to Shelburne Farms, which is an expansive farm/restaurant/inn that is out in the middle of nature right on Lake Champlain. Those have been some of the most creative and productive meetings that I’ve ever participated in.

]]> By: StevenB http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-812 StevenB Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:31:00 +0000 http://andyburkhardt.com/?p=1169#comment-812 There is a fair amount of literature you’ll find in the fields of innovation and creativity that point to the importance of reading/learning outside your profession – and getting some time when you are not really thinking about anything else related to work, etc. It could be in the shower (maybe in the car Andy W. but I try not to let my mind drift off too much :-) ) – but for me it is often when I am biking to work in the morning and i’m on a stretch of road (I happen to ride down a fairly busy thoroughfare) when I can relax my mind a bit. Experts are also suggesting it’s a good idea to step away from technology if you want to allow some creativity to flow (see http://bit.ly/6wPsld ). The act of writing itself can also be a good way to come up with new ideas as you start out in one place but as you get to really thinking about the issues – you may find yourself crossing over into some whole new territory. Thanks for sharing what you learned with Brian.

]]> By: Andy Woodworth http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-811 Andy Woodworth Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:17:00 +0000 http://andyburkhardt.com/?p=1169#comment-811 Andy, a great post! I’d add “non-traditional thinking spaces” to the list. The shower, the car, the walk in the woods or around the block are all places that take people out of their normal thinking spots and give your brains a different perspective. Some of the ideas I have for my library happen in these spaces and not at my desk; the same can be said for some of my blog posts.

]]> By: Andy Woodworth http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/09/07/where-do-new-ideas-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-810 Andy Woodworth Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:17:00 +0000 http://andyburkhardt.com/?p=1169#comment-810 Andy, a great post! I’d add “non-traditional thinking spaces” to the list. The shower, the car, the walk in the woods or around the block are all places that take people out of their normal thinking spots and give your brains a different perspective. Some of the ideas I have for my library happen in these spaces and not at my desk; the same can be said for some of my blog posts.

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