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Going Down the Rabbit Hole - Chaos, Curiosity & Creativity (The Inbounder, May 2017)
“Be more creative”, they said.
But how the hell do you do that?
For the past six years Hannah’s been tasked with coming up with creative ideas - ideas which people share and journalists write about.
Here Hannah shares heartaches, happy accidents, highs, and the things she’s learned about 'being more creative’ along the way.
Transcript
1.
@hannah_bo_banna
going
down
the
rabbit hole…
chaos,
curiosity,
& creativity
@hannah_bo_banna
67.
@hannah_bo_banna
Mythical Beasts - a series of vintage travel
posters by graphic designer Fro Reza
(who was likely inspired by someone like David Klein)
85.
@hannah_bo_banna
in the past, when people asked me
how I came up with ideas
this was my answer
86.
@hannah_bo_banna
I do hours and hours and hours of research,
I drink a lot of coffee,
I lose my mind because all my ideas are terrible,
I decide f*ck it,
I get drunk…
87.
@hannah_bo_banna
the next day…
I regret getting drunk,
I do more research,
I try harder to come up with ideas,
I typically lose my mind again...
88.
@hannah_bo_banna
I keep on doing this
until I come up with some stuff I think might work…
89.
@hannah_bo_banna
it’s not an especially helpful answer, huh?
90.
@hannah_bo_banna
today I want to try to give you
a slightly better answer
91.
@hannah_bo_banna
this stealing like an artist thing helps
96.
@hannah_bo_banna
there’s likely to be something in
every book you read, every film you see,
every song you listen to, art in all its forms,
the stuff you see online, on street signs,
in slogans, in overheard conversations…
98.
@hannah_bo_banna
“it’s often a person’s mouth
that broke their nose”
~ overheard on the last train home
99.
great ape-spectations
(http://windoodles.tumblr.com/)
100.
@hannah_bo_banna
“making a killing on Wall Street
might be a harmless turn of phrase,
but it only enjoys traction because
of the culture it takes place in”
~ Irvine Welsh, intro to American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
101.
@hannah_bo_banna
make it your mission to constantly
capture this stuff
126.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[site + each topic]
(leadership, life hacks, money, happiness, intuition, intelligence, instinct,
power, influence, cost of living)
128.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
129.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[each topic]
(leadership, life hacks, money, happiness, intuition, intelligence, instinct,
power, influence, cost of living)
130.
@hannah_bo_banna
create a separate list of sites
to explore further
134.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
[search topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + topics]
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across many more sites]
135.
@hannah_bo_banna
now take your list of topics
& come up with a bunch more related topics
136.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[each new topic]
(efficiency, productivity, creativity, work life balance, problem solving, prioritising,
all of the above + apps and tools)
137.
@hannah_bo_banna
create another list of sites
to explore further
141.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
[search topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + topics]
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across many sites]
come up with more topics
[search new topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + all the topics]
[now you’ve explored a bunch of topics across many sites]
164.
& this is (very loosely) based on that -
it shows how many books the best loved authors published, & when they published
their breakthrough: from Jack Kerouac aged 26, to Rosamunde Pilcher aged 65
165.
@hannah_bo_banna
the message was,
there’s still time to write that first novel
166.
@hannah_bo_banna
actually that’s a pretty sanitised version
167.
@hannah_bo_banna
I eventually arrived at that piece
with a coherent message
168.
but, I disappeared down a bunch of rabbit holes first
169.
@hannah_bo_banna
I trawled the book sections of news sites and
book specific sites to try to get a handle on
what content was most shared
170.
@hannah_bo_banna
at the time the most shared piece of content on Book Riot was:
16 things Calvin & Hobbes
said better than anyone else
216.
@hannah_bo_banna
trust that one of them
will lead you somewhere
217.
@hannah_bo_banna
“you can’t connect the dots looking forward;
you can only connect them
looking backward…”
~ Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement, 2005
219.
@hannah_bo_banna
“ideas are born out of the
stuff populating our memories…
creativity is simply the capacity to put those
together in incredible new ways”
~ Maria Popova, brainpickings.org
229.
@hannah_bo_banna
it *might* get easier over time
230.
Paula Scher designed the Citibank logo, in seconds, on the back of a napkin,
in an early client meeting
231.
@hannah_bo_banna
“it’s done in a second, and 34 years…
it’s done in a second,
and every experience,
and every movie,
and everything in my life that’s in my head”
~ Paula Scher
232.
@hannah_bo_banna
when we’ve been doing this for 34 years,
maybe we’ll get there faster J
234.
@hannah_bo_banna
Hannah Smith
Head of Creative
Verve Search
send questions and/or pictures of cats to: hannah@vervesearch.com
tweet things @hannah_bo_banna
235.
@hannah_bo_banna
Big love to the team at Verve who helped me put this together J
Images:
down the rabbit hole: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/09/salvador-dali-alice-in-wonderland-illustrations/
unknown tourism: http://www.expedia.co.uk/vc/unknowntourism/
unicorn league: http://www.sage.co.uk/c/v/unicorn-league/
director’s cut: http://www.gocompare.com/life-insurance/directors-cut/
jesus titty christ: http://www.sickchirpse.com/illusions-that-will-blow-your-mind/
cardboard box: http://blog.creativebug.com/halloween-cardboard-costumes-for-kids/
jaws: http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/07/jaws-ridiculous-say-kids-who-owe-everything-jaws
mythical beasts: http://www.frodesignco.com/mythical-beasts
david klein: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/david-klein%E2%80%99s-twa-travel-posters
billionaires league: http://www.gocompare.com/money/billionaire-league/
deadliest films: http://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/deadliest-films-of-all-time-by-on-screen-death-counts/
steal like an artist: http://austinkleon.com/steal/
beer: http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-drink-beer-for-big-ideas-coffee-to-get-513262326
great ape-spectations: http://windoodles.tumblr.com/post/11324031727/great-ape-spectations
buzzsumo: http://buzzsumo.com/
too late to start: http://fundersandfounders.com/too-late-to-start-life-crisis/
calvin & hobbes: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/
read: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/32-awesome-bookshelves-every-book-lover-needs-have.html
the breakfast club: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/
ghostbusters: http://untappedcities.com/2013/09/05/film-locations-ghostbusters-at-nypl-columbia-hook-ladder-fire-station-tavern-on-the-green/
fortress of solitude: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/04/this-superman-poster-encompasses-everything-great-about-the-1978-movie/
danbo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadic_lass/6889892777/in/set-72157629144987013
unicorn - http://queenofheartsonthesleeve.tumblr.com/post/58736423727/ok-not-much-but-here-it-is-3
Credits
“Be more creative”, they said.
But how the hell do you do that?
For the past six years Hannah’s been tasked with coming up with creative ideas - ideas which people share and journalists write about.
Here Hannah shares heartaches, happy accidents, highs, and the things she’s learned about 'being more creative’ along the way.
Transcript
1.
@hannah_bo_banna
going
down
the
rabbit hole…
chaos,
curiosity,
& creativity
@hannah_bo_banna
67.
@hannah_bo_banna
Mythical Beasts - a series of vintage travel
posters by graphic designer Fro Reza
(who was likely inspired by someone like David Klein)
85.
@hannah_bo_banna
in the past, when people asked me
how I came up with ideas
this was my answer
86.
@hannah_bo_banna
I do hours and hours and hours of research,
I drink a lot of coffee,
I lose my mind because all my ideas are terrible,
I decide f*ck it,
I get drunk…
87.
@hannah_bo_banna
the next day…
I regret getting drunk,
I do more research,
I try harder to come up with ideas,
I typically lose my mind again...
88.
@hannah_bo_banna
I keep on doing this
until I come up with some stuff I think might work…
89.
@hannah_bo_banna
it’s not an especially helpful answer, huh?
90.
@hannah_bo_banna
today I want to try to give you
a slightly better answer
91.
@hannah_bo_banna
this stealing like an artist thing helps
96.
@hannah_bo_banna
there’s likely to be something in
every book you read, every film you see,
every song you listen to, art in all its forms,
the stuff you see online, on street signs,
in slogans, in overheard conversations…
98.
@hannah_bo_banna
“it’s often a person’s mouth
that broke their nose”
~ overheard on the last train home
99.
great ape-spectations
(http://windoodles.tumblr.com/)
100.
@hannah_bo_banna
“making a killing on Wall Street
might be a harmless turn of phrase,
but it only enjoys traction because
of the culture it takes place in”
~ Irvine Welsh, intro to American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
101.
@hannah_bo_banna
make it your mission to constantly
capture this stuff
126.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[site + each topic]
(leadership, life hacks, money, happiness, intuition, intelligence, instinct,
power, influence, cost of living)
128.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
129.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[each topic]
(leadership, life hacks, money, happiness, intuition, intelligence, instinct,
power, influence, cost of living)
130.
@hannah_bo_banna
create a separate list of sites
to explore further
134.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
[search topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + topics]
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across many more sites]
135.
@hannah_bo_banna
now take your list of topics
& come up with a bunch more related topics
136.
@hannah_bo_banna
now do this again with
[each new topic]
(efficiency, productivity, creativity, work life balance, problem solving, prioritising,
all of the above + apps and tools)
137.
@hannah_bo_banna
create another list of sites
to explore further
141.
@hannah_bo_banna
start with 5-10 sites
[search site]
make a note of topics
[search site + topics]
note down more topics
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across 5-10 sites]
[search topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + topics]
[now you’ve explored a subset of topics across many sites]
come up with more topics
[search new topics]
make a note of sites you’ve not explored yet
[search new sites + all the topics]
[now you’ve explored a bunch of topics across many sites]
164.
& this is (very loosely) based on that -
it shows how many books the best loved authors published, & when they published
their breakthrough: from Jack Kerouac aged 26, to Rosamunde Pilcher aged 65
165.
@hannah_bo_banna
the message was,
there’s still time to write that first novel
166.
@hannah_bo_banna
actually that’s a pretty sanitised version
167.
@hannah_bo_banna
I eventually arrived at that piece
with a coherent message
168.
but, I disappeared down a bunch of rabbit holes first
169.
@hannah_bo_banna
I trawled the book sections of news sites and
book specific sites to try to get a handle on
what content was most shared
170.
@hannah_bo_banna
at the time the most shared piece of content on Book Riot was:
16 things Calvin & Hobbes
said better than anyone else
216.
@hannah_bo_banna
trust that one of them
will lead you somewhere
217.
@hannah_bo_banna
“you can’t connect the dots looking forward;
you can only connect them
looking backward…”
~ Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement, 2005
219.
@hannah_bo_banna
“ideas are born out of the
stuff populating our memories…
creativity is simply the capacity to put those
together in incredible new ways”
~ Maria Popova, brainpickings.org
229.
@hannah_bo_banna
it *might* get easier over time
230.
Paula Scher designed the Citibank logo, in seconds, on the back of a napkin,
in an early client meeting
231.
@hannah_bo_banna
“it’s done in a second, and 34 years…
it’s done in a second,
and every experience,
and every movie,
and everything in my life that’s in my head”
~ Paula Scher
232.
@hannah_bo_banna
when we’ve been doing this for 34 years,
maybe we’ll get there faster J
234.
@hannah_bo_banna
Hannah Smith
Head of Creative
Verve Search
send questions and/or pictures of cats to: hannah@vervesearch.com
tweet things @hannah_bo_banna
235.
@hannah_bo_banna
Big love to the team at Verve who helped me put this together J
Images:
down the rabbit hole: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/09/salvador-dali-alice-in-wonderland-illustrations/
unknown tourism: http://www.expedia.co.uk/vc/unknowntourism/
unicorn league: http://www.sage.co.uk/c/v/unicorn-league/
director’s cut: http://www.gocompare.com/life-insurance/directors-cut/
jesus titty christ: http://www.sickchirpse.com/illusions-that-will-blow-your-mind/
cardboard box: http://blog.creativebug.com/halloween-cardboard-costumes-for-kids/
jaws: http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/07/jaws-ridiculous-say-kids-who-owe-everything-jaws
mythical beasts: http://www.frodesignco.com/mythical-beasts
david klein: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/david-klein%E2%80%99s-twa-travel-posters
billionaires league: http://www.gocompare.com/money/billionaire-league/
deadliest films: http://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/deadliest-films-of-all-time-by-on-screen-death-counts/
steal like an artist: http://austinkleon.com/steal/
beer: http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-drink-beer-for-big-ideas-coffee-to-get-513262326
great ape-spectations: http://windoodles.tumblr.com/post/11324031727/great-ape-spectations
buzzsumo: http://buzzsumo.com/
too late to start: http://fundersandfounders.com/too-late-to-start-life-crisis/
calvin & hobbes: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/
read: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/32-awesome-bookshelves-every-book-lover-needs-have.html
the breakfast club: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/
ghostbusters: http://untappedcities.com/2013/09/05/film-locations-ghostbusters-at-nypl-columbia-hook-ladder-fire-station-tavern-on-the-green/
fortress of solitude: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/04/this-superman-poster-encompasses-everything-great-about-the-1978-movie/
danbo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadic_lass/6889892777/in/set-72157629144987013
unicorn - http://queenofheartsonthesleeve.tumblr.com/post/58736423727/ok-not-much-but-here-it-is-3
Credits