Why Collecting Information Sparks Creativity

Today on Design Better, Aarron Walter and I chat with the artist Trenton Doyle Hancock. We spoke with Trenton about his neurodivergent approach to the world, how collecting influences his visual sensibilities, and how chaos becomes precise order in his work. Below are a few insights from the interview, head over to our Substack (https://lnkd.in/gupHGBx2) to catch them all: 1. Creative Process: From Chaos to Order Trenton has a unique approach to organization, allowing what appears as chaos to those outside to have its own internal structure: "It's sort of like going from chaos to order in your life... I think there's this idea of order that needs to happen. And it's a different target for everyone." He describes how he organizes his collections meticulously once they become part of his creative canon. For designers, this suggests embracing the messy middle of creative work while developing personal systems for managing information and inspiration. 2. The Power of Collecting and Visual Archives Trenton's process heavily involves collecting objects that may or may not make it into his work: "Some material is very close to what we would consider just art material... But then there are other things... that you found on the street. Receipts, all kinds of other things, toys... whether they make themselves physically present in a finished artwork or it might just be the essence of something, the color, the texture, something about it, an attitude, will make its way into a work." This speaks to the importance of maintaining visual libraries, reference collections, and inspiration archives—something particularly relevant to designers building design systems or reference materials. New habits to try 🔍 Create a "Collector's Mindset" -Daily Collection Ritual: Set aside 10-15 minutes daily to collect digital or physical artifacts that spark interest—screenshots, color combinations, textures, UI patterns, or physical ephemera. -Visual Journal: Maintain a physical or digital scrapbook without immediate purpose—just collect what resonates and review periodically for unexpected connections. "-Inspiration Walks": Schedule regular walks specifically to photograph textures, colors, and patterns in the environment that could inform design work. ⏱️ Implement "Just Get to Work" Sessions -15-Minute Warm-ups: Begin each day with 15 minutes of "no stakes" design work—sketching interfaces, playing with typography, or exploring color combinations without project pressure. -Timer-Based Creation: Use the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focused work) to push through creative blocks by focusing on process rather than outcomes. -Morning Pages for Designers: Adapt the writing exercise to visual thinking—create three quick sketches or design concepts before checking email or starting meetings.

“If you want to work on your creativity, go to a NASCAR race one night and the opera the next.” A creative director told me that 10+ years ago, and it’s been lodged in my brain ever since. Because he was right. Creativity doesn’t come from grinding harder. It comes from new inputs. Contrast. Taking a note from true artists -- living your life and creating experiences worth drawing from. Why this matters now: 1️⃣ You can brute-force a spreadsheet. You can’t brute-force inspiration. 2️⃣ With AI handling the repetitive work, the expectation on us is more creativity, not less. 3️⃣ And creativity is fueled by input → not just output. This past week reminded me of that: ↳ A first dance class with my 4-year-old (a nostalgia rush from growing up in a studio at 3 → competing in college). ↳ A throwback concert from my high school era (nothing quite like the bass in your chest). ↳ A slow “nature hunt” with my daughters (collecting rocks and flowers as treasure). ↳ A college football game (where marketing is rebranded as hype and excitement). ↳ My daughter’s first soccer game (tiny lessons in grit and cheering for others). This isn’t one of those cringe ‘here’s what a life moment taught me about B2B marketing’ posts. None of these tied to work. But they gave me new inputs that reset my brain and recharged my creativity. & if you’re feeling stuck, staring at your screen for longer than you should — don’t go research what other B2B companies are doing for inspiration. Change up your inputs instead: ↳ Go for a walk, without technology. ↳ Wake up earlier to enjoy coffee with the sunrise (no phone). ↳ Go to the grocery store instead of ordering pickup, and start a conversation in line. ↳ Listen to a new playlist (I just found Millennial Radio, and it’s pure joy). ↳ Try a new recipe. ↳ Delete your work apps off your phone for the week. If you want to framework this (I can’t help myself 🙃), think of it as a 3-Senses Reset: 👀 See something new. 🎧 Hear something new. 🤗 Feel something new. Fresh inputs → fresh ideas. This isn't a novel idea here, but the reminder is critical. Protecting your creative muscle is about to become non-negotiable. In the AI era, taste is the differentiator. AI can be your pencil. But it can’t be your brain. Wild how a random comment can echo in your brain for 10+ years. What’s the oddest place you’ve pulled inspo from, how you reset outside of a screen, or the quote that just won’t quit? I'm a collector of words and ideas, so I want to hear them!

Does following conventional wisdom on innovation culture position innovative initiatives for failure? Focusing on culture and experimentation, conventional wisdom deprives innovators of "innovation fuel": data. Much discussion centers on validating ideas and finding their market fit post-conception. Many articles advise on culture and fostering creativity rather than understanding the muse for innovation and the elements that drive blockbuster solutions. The greatest muse for creativity, data, is the reason why we experiment and a factor for assessing an innovation initiative's capacity to succeed. Ultimately, it is success that most informs culture. Long-term, culture is a byproduct of success, and attempting to model successful behavior in a "fake it till you make it" manner is notably hollow. A more effective approach to innovation starts with the one thing built off the innate human desire to innovate: data reflecting real-world conditions where a business operates. A data journey begins by understanding these factors: Changes in Market Behaviors: Identifying shifts in consumer or industry behavior, use of technology, and PESTEL factors reveal new opportunities for innovation. Market Demand, Technical Feasibility, and Company Capabilities: Using data to assess the viability and potential demand for new ideas where they intersect with the company's capabilities. Experiment Development: Understanding the dynamics that exert the greatest influence on the success vs failure of an initiative. Interesting papers (hyperlink in the comments): Intrinsic Motivation and Curiosity: Humans have an innate desire for data to bridge knowledge gaps. This drive is part of our intrinsic motivation to explore and learn, as seen in the "information-gap" hypothesis. This intrinsic motivation is powered by our brain's dopamine system, which enhances our capacity to explore and innovate (Loewenstein, 1994; Deci and Ryan, 1985) (Frontiers). Neuroscience of Exploration: Studies show that the dopamine systems in our brain play a role in our exploratory behavior and intrinsic motivation. This system helps us seek out new information and patterns, supporting the idea that data that drives insights fosters creativity and innovation (Frontiers) (Frontiers) and (Nature) (Nature). Action and Job Satisfaction: Using data to solve problems significantly improves job satisfaction and employee retention. Data-driven approaches connect employees to company success, making employees feel valued and happy in their jobs, which in turn enhances retention and productivity (Sciendo). By prioritizing the aggregation of data, we empower innovators to see opportunities, make decisions, advocate for their projects and foster action, and reliably achieve success; ultimately fostering a genuine innovation culture. https://lnkd.in/g8SFTqbW #innovationmanagement

You think great ideas strike like lightning. Wrong. They rain like confetti if you know how to catch them. 93% of breakthrough innovations come from collecting small ideas over time. Not from one big "aha" moment. Here's your 5-step framework to catch more ideas: 1. The Collector's Mindset • Your brain processes 6,200 thoughts daily • Most people lose 98% of their ideas • Start capturing everything 2. The Connection Protocol • New ideas = 2 old ideas colliding • Research shows diverse inputs = better outputs • Read outside your field 3. The 3x3 Method • Write 3 ideas every morning • Review them 3 days later • Keep the ones that still excite you • Studies show delayed evaluation improves quality by 40% 4. The Idea Compound • Each captured thought builds on others • Small notes become big breakthroughs • Group brainstorming increases creativity by 71% 5. The Implementation Loop • Ideas without action die • Test one small concept daily • Build fast, learn faster • Innovation requires iteration Remember: You don't need to be a genius. You just need a bigger bowl. ♻️ Share this with someone who's sitting on brilliant ideas 🔔 Follow Kabir Sehgal for frameworks that turn inspiration into innovation

Why do some people spark more and better ideas seemingly out of nowhere?   One reason is that they break through what Frans Johansson, in his book "The Medici Effect," calls associative barriers. I recently learned about this 2004 book on creativity thanks to my colleague Henrik Wærsted Bjørnstad.   The book explores how creativity often emerges at points of intersection, where different fields, cultures, or perspectives collide. It’s a powerful argument for the value of breadth over depth. Why does all this matter?   According to Johansson, associative barriers keep us thinking within the confines of our expertise. They are unhelpful mental shortcuts that block innovation.   Great creators, innovators, leaders, and companies break through associative barriers. For example:   •      A technologist might see a computer as circuits, processors, and performance specifications for solving logical problems.   •      A calligrapher might see letters as works of art and the blank spaces between them as conveying emotion.   •      Steve Jobs, who bridged both of these worlds, combined them to create something new, from the curves of the iPhone, its fonts and minimalist designs, to the simplicity of its interface. Steve Jobs' creativity resulted from finding an extraordinary intersection between technology, consumer products, marketing, and calligraphy. This is why broadening our experiences is so important. Narrow expertise limits the associations we can make when presented with random stimuli. Broader perspectives allow us to make connections others might miss. Charlie Munger calls this a “latticework of mental models”—the more diverse your mental models, the greater combination of concepts you can envision, and therefore, the more creative and innovative your ideas can become. But here’s where the book hit home: "The Medici Effect" argues that exposure to other cultures is one thing that helps break these barriers. And in recommending the book, Henrik provided a walking example of this principle. He and I come from different backgrounds. He is Norwegian, and I’m from Virginia. We work on different parts of the business. If we only interacted within our own cultural and professional bubbles, we’d miss opportunities to spark creative exchanges like the one as simple as his book recommendation to me. Without shared insights, the expansion of knowledge and potential breakthroughs have no chance. “Creativity thrives at intersections,” Johansson reminds us. I’m grateful for colleagues like Henrik. I’m grateful for the many “intersections” at Markel Group, where every day so many unique people, ideas, cultures, and disciplines interact in unpredictable and creative ways, many times per day.