When I started to find an interest in creativity and decided to take my interest for writing to a new level I was completely focused on myself.
Being creative on my own
I was convinced that I could create work that was brilliant by working on it myself. I knew my own process, and when I zoned out magic happened. But then things changed. I still believe that I can create brilliant stuff, but I have now understood the incredible potential in creating together with other people.
Being creative together
There are so many more perspectives on an idea when several people are working on it together. The collaboration between ambitious brains where ideas are continuously refined gives you power that no single person can have individually.
There is a constant flow of learning from the direct feedback and that feedback can be used to build further on your own ideas while you´re still in the process. I also think that it is easier to pick out the best of you when there are more sparkling brains involved in the discussion.
Deep Practice
A brainstorming session, for example, becomes invaluable training for the brain. Daniel Coyle calls it Deep Practice – the state of mind that you reach when you are completely focused and therefore pick up wisdoms more efficiently. I believe strongly in the agile process – an idea for me must go through every person’s filter many times until you can see its true shape.
The competitive aspect is healthy as long as you give and receive feedback the right way. It is not about you as a person, it is about the idea and you are all on the same team. I don’t think that there is any data that that is as valuable as honest and constructive customer feedback to a company. I now realize that the same thing goes for a person.
Hyper Island collaboration
And this is one reason to why Hyper Island is so successful. Hyper Island combines creative personalities so that every individual fits into a bigger context. The sum becomes bigger than its parts when you manage to merge the different personalities into a group, and that is when you reach the state where learning becomes more efficient.