Where do great ideas come from?

Steven Johnson thinks he knows (and we think we agree). In Where Good Ideas Come From Johnson shows how great ideas are rarely the result of one solo genius having a eureka moment. More often than not they are outcome of longer term, iterative processes involving the work of many people and the collisions between their disparate ideas. This is as true in communications planning as it is in any other field - the best work always comes from close collaboration between client, media agency, creative team (digital or traditional) and media owner.

Hear him speak eloquently and entertaingly about this idea at TED Oxford last year in the following video:



via Edward Boches

Ideas to Live By

Jane McGonigal - On Productivity from The School of Life on Vimeo.


We've featured Jane McGonigal on this blog before. Here she is speaking on Productivity at The School of Life in London: "The School of Life is a new social enterprise offering good ideas for everyday living.

We are based in a small shop in Central London where we offer a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well.

We address such questions as why work is often unfulfilling, why relationships can be so challenging, why it’s ever harder to stay calm and what one could do to try to change the world for the better.

The School of Life is a place to step back and think intelligently about these and other concerns. You will not be cornered by any dogma, but directed towards a variety of ideas - from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – that tickle, exercise and expand your mind. You’ll meet other curious, sociable and open-minded people in an atmosphere of exploration and enjoyment."

Taking a more philosophical approach to life seems like an interesting concept to us although we're not sure how much it's going to catch on in the current financial climate unfortunately.