In the last edition of Get Your Creative Groove On, we reviewed some recent research that shows a positive connection between laughter and creativity. This week we’ll move in a different direction and discuss how changing the frame can enhance creativity.
Week 27: It’s All in How You Frame It
As we all know, perspective is everything. When faced with a new challenge or creative problem, framing the problem from a different perspective can shed light on new or previously obscured solutions.
Changing the frame changes how you see the subject, as well as how others see it.
According to Bruce Nussbaum, “One cardinal rule of innovation is don’t always accept the problem handed you but reframe it to maximize the changes you can make in the space.”
We tend to see things in a certain box, or from a certain fixed perspective. Changing the frame enhances the content from a different perspective and helps us see things differently.
I helped two friends move their free-service-based blogs to more professional, self-hosted accounts this week. Their motives for the change reflect a set of core values that mirror the perception principle.
- A self-hosted blog on a purchased domain presents a professional image.
- The focus is on the person and his or her blog, and not the service provider.
- The new framework presents more options for customization, giving my friends more control over how content is presented – further enhancing the frame.
Consider the art of “framing the question.” Lawyers and debaters work hard to frame questions in such a way that they not only draw the desired response but also tap into a certain set of emotions – either on the part of the person questioned or the listening audience.
Framing a problem differently affects how you approach it from a problem-solving perspective and also influences your emotional response. Framing a job change or layoff as an opportunity for growth produces positive rather than negative momentum.
How can you re-frame your subject? While there are many tutorials geared toward debaters and teachers, I hope these suggestions will help you in a more abstract way.
- Take it out of context… and into another context.
- Throw up a different color palette.
- Change the lighting.
- Consider a broad range of outcomes, including best and worst case scenarios.
What techniques do you use to frame the creative challenges you face each day?
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