Theory of Creativity Two creative geniuses reveal how to think out of the box.

We all start at the same spot: a blank space--and with a commongoal: to fill that space. But the path we choose from there iscompletely individual, as individual, in fact, as the mind itself.What occupies that distance between nothing and something is themysterious science we call creativity.

Funny how the mind works. The visions that come in like a flood,the blocks that temporarily immobilize, the defeats that send usback to the proverbial drawing board, the triumphs of fitting thepieces of the puzzle together, the satisfaction that comes withknowing something is right. The mind lurches, stalls, sprints,strolls, stifles, flows. We so often ask "What do youthink?" while neglecting to ask the more interesting question,"How do you think?"

In business environments, creativity has traditionally beenconsidered an anomaly. At worst, it's a sign ofunprofessionalism; at best, it's a burst of energy confined tospecific blocks of time. Even Webster's is remarkably stale inits definition of creativity: "artistic or intellectualinventiveness," it tersely summarizes. These perceptions failto satisfy. The beauty of creativity is that it overflows theboundaries we set for it. To anyone who has been called upon tocreate, the means are infinitely more interesting than thedefinition and at times even more interesting than the end.

For modern-day creative genuises Joe Moya and Joe Raia, ownersand founders of Joe Designer Inc., a product development andgraphic communications firm in New York City, creativity is thevery foundation of their business and the makeup of their souls.With their team of illustrators and industrial and graphicdesigners, they've developed products ranging from handmixersand toys to street-hockey blades and video game controllers forcorporations such as Betty Crocker, Toy Biz, Kodak, ViacomRetail/Paramount, 4Kidz and IVY Hill/Warner Media Services."Being creative," says Moya, "is kind of theultimate thing here."

Being creative. It's an overwhelming call, for sure. But forentrepreneurs, what could be more fitting to their constitution andmore, well, good, old-fashioned fun? We've pinned the Joes downand done exploratory surgery on their creative processes,uncovering some fascinating and practical insights into theirtheory of creativity--so you can learn to unleash yours.

In The Beginning...

. . . there were cartoons. Moya and Raia, both 32, believe theircreativity did not start with entrepreneurship but with theirchildhood influences, which ranged from Bugs Bunny to MTV. Earlyon, they learned how to reconcile the absurdity of the media withthe normalcy of suburbia. "We sort of mixed these thingstogether, the mundane with the fantastic," says Raia."The way we grew up, being on the cusp of Generation X, weacquired a skewed sensibility, which is a big catalyst of ourcreative ways."

That knack for coalescing the contradictory serves them to thisday. "A lot of times, we're combining different thoughts,different patterns, different theories, classic elements from thepast with futurist-type thinking," says Moya.

They're pretty good at combining childhood with adulthood aswell: They're still cartoon watchers and comic book readers,and proud of it. Raia and Moya aren't quick to throw out anysources of inspiration, whether past or present, silly orsublime.

It's far from a frivolous move. Isn't childhood theprime time of all creativity, that span of time in whichmake-believe is a part of daily life and in which each personbelieves he or she is inherently creative--a dancer, a painter, asinger, an illustrator, a writer? What's so different aboutcreating the ultimate sand castle and creating an innovativeproduct prototype?

The Play Must Go On

The setting: a Soho office. The players: Moya, Raia and five oftheir employees.

The office is, by Moya's definition, very casual, very hip.Since both Moya and Raia came from corporate backgrounds, they havevery intentionally rebelled against any semblance of corporateorder. Walls are taboo. "If someone wants to saysomething," reasons Moya, "they can just yell it acrossthe room."

"There's a little more respect when principals areinvolved in daily operations instead of hidden behind the glassdoors, behind the oak desk, overseeing everyone like BigBrother," says Raia. "We get more respect from our staffbecause we'll roll up our sleeves instead of pointing thefinger and asking someone else to do something."

"We let our staff know we're here not as their bosses,but as people," adds Moya. "That makes it a little easierfor them to think freely."

Moya and Raia set the mood with atypical office accessories thatencourage the all-work, all-play attitude. Moya admits theatmosphere is more nursery school than boardroom, complete withvideo games and a 68-foot track of Tyco race cars. Employees gathernot around the water cooler but around the ever-popular Nerf hoop.No framed pastel landscapes in this office. Blackboards, bulletinboards and erasable drawing boards are scattered along the walls,just in case someone is struck by an idea mid-stroll. "Idon't want to see blackboards empty," says Raia."Even if it's a hangman, those are still ideas; you'restill using your mind. At least you're not sitting there with aWalkman, typing on your computer."

Casual is more than a fashion statement here. "We'vebeen in the structured corporate environment. We've worn theties and sat in the cubicles," says Moya. "And that'sreally stagnant. This casual environment is about letting ourselvesand our employees breathe."

This casualness frees employees up to reveal their ownpersonalities. "The way they dress, the music they listen to,the way they speak--everyone's a little different," Moyasays. "And in not only permitting that but allowing it toflourish, it helps people be themselves and bring unique ideas tothe company."

In fact, traditional formalities such as job titles are banned."People are treated equally," says Moya. "There areno labels, no lines drawn, so there's less pressure on peopleto impress us and other staff members."

The time employees of other companies spend schmoozing, JoeDesigner's employees spend bonding. "I encourage ourgraphic designer to walk into the model shop and find outwhat's going on at the milling machine," says Raia."I don't want someone to not understand the differentprinciples and procedures. I like the idea of everyone knowingeverything."

Remember The Sponge

Unfortunately, many businesses tend to drop the creativity ballearly in the game--when scoping for clients. "Instead of[just] sending out letters and cold-calling, you have to use alltypes of techniques," says Moya.

"We started a business in a tenacious town, and we have tobe tenacious to get more work," says Raia. "So thequestion is `How are we going to distinguish ourselves from theperson next door?' "

Moya and Raia e-mail and fax like madmen. "We doillustrations of each other," says Moya. "So if we'vemet a prospective client, we'll send an illustration ofourselves saying `Hey, where are you? Why don't you call?'"

"Just by faxing illustrations, Joe Designer is constantlygoing across the desks of big CEOs," says Raia. "And whenwe sent out our two-year promotion, it was an expandable sponge.It's just a little twist to make people remember us.They'll get the printed calendars [from other companies], andthat's very nice, but people are going to remember thesponge."

Let There Be Light

Funneling broad creativity into a specific mission--beginning anactual project--is the stage that usually overwhelms most people.Moya and Raia take the first step forward in this practical realmwith research. "It's about knowing the market you'redesigning for," says Moya.

"We familiarize ourselves with market trends, the pasthistory of the product, the past history of the trends of thatproduct," says Raia. "We research by flipping throughmagazines. We pin articles, photos, everything up on the walls andfamiliarize the whole team with what the history is and what wewant to achieve. We really try to fixate ourselves on thefuture--on, say, what a handmixer would look like 10 years fromtoday."

Moya and Raia's idea of research is far from the drearyreality of homework. It's more of a mindset, in which creativejuices flow through daily life. You observe the blending of colorsin a sunset, the way a bird uses its wings, the perfect rippling ofa wave. When you hit this plane of hyperconsciousness, knowledgehappens.

"It's really not so much a sit-down-at-the-library typeof thing; it's just about keeping an open mind to differentelements, things you can use in your design," says Raia."You can apply architecture to a product or a product toarchitecture. There are beautiful things in nature that you canapply to products, especially with form. When we were developing[products with soft, rounded contours, such as the Betty CrockerHandmixer], we borrowed contours off everything from nature toclassic cars. And the steelwork, the bridgework in our city, theway it's mechanically fastened, just by scaling it down, itadds great detail to products."

When they feel led to do so, Moya and Raia postpone thehard-core research phase. "Sometimes it's better to comein with fresh ideas and not be affected by what's outthere," says Moya. "So we may start off a project withsome brainstorming sessions and rough concepts based just on ourinitial thoughts, and do the research after. Then we're notjaded by what we've already seen."

In Session

The brainstorming session--that awe-inspiring forum offree-flowing thoughts--is the birthplace of some of the mostrevolutionary changes mankind has seen. It's where anything ispossible, unfettered by earthly boundaries. Or, as Moya puts it,"it's where Joe and I bang ideas off each other."

At Joe Designer, banging ideas off others is a big deal. Care istaken in the details. The key element is music--sometimes blues,often jazz. "The dysfunctional notes in jazz have a lot to dowith how we think," says Moya. "It's not four-fourtime."

And it helps to have plenty of people. "Everybody isinvolved [in brainstorming sessions]. We bring in everybody, fromthe bookkeeper to the office manager, because they see thingscompletely differently than we do," says Raia. "We may bea little too far out in left field and need that middle-of-the-roadthinking."

The actual brainstorming sessions start slowly and, like atrain, build momentum. Moya and Raia brief the staff on the projectand its goals. Then they divide the project into differentcategories or characteristics; for example, a telephone will bedivided into its physical elements: the mouthpiece, the earpiece,the base and the cord.

People will randomly go up to the blackboard and sketch ordoodle something under the different sections, or maybe write downkey words that might influence the design or spark an idea."We try to break down the boundaries of stagnancy," saysRaia. "It inhibits people's thinking if they're afraidto throw something out that's in left field because the bossmight not like it. I want to see every little cocktail napkin theydraw on. I want to see everything because the smallest ideas areusually the best."

When lulls hit, rather than plowing through, "sometimeseveryone will branch off and come up with some ideas, play withTyco cars or video games, and then we bring it back together andwork as a team," says Moya. "There's a lot ofbreathing room."

Even having minds like the Joes, however, doesn't ward offall cases of scarcity in such sessions. "That constant need toinvent new ideas is hard at times," says Raia, who points outthat it's important not to limit brainstorming to the sessionitself but to partake daily, as naturally as you breathe. In otherwords, the brainstorming's not over until the fat clientsings.

Moya is always prepared for an idea to surface: "I'llwake up, have a pad of paper by the bed, turn on the light andstart sketching. That happens often. And it happens many times whenI'm sitting on the subway going to work. I'll see somethingand say `Where's my sketch pad?' "

The Rut (And Other Enemies)

The actual production may seem anticlimactic after a rowdy,Tyco-break-filled, banging-ideas-off-each-other brainstormingsession. "The most exciting part [of product development] isthat brainstorming session," says Raia. "Because afteryou come up with your concepts of what this thing should do, thenyou have to actually become practical, put it down on paper andmake it work."

What inevitably follows, says Raia, is "a long, longprocess--the development of the piece and then figuring out theengineering end of it. We work on how this thing will actually gotogether, and then how to make it better for less money. It'sthe struggle that's involved with thinking of thepractical."

"And sometimes you hit a dead end," admits Moya.

So many of us are confounded when we have nowhere else to gomentally, which is odd considering when we hit a dead endliterally, we know exactly what to do. We just turn around and takeanother route. It works the same way with creativity. "You maybe looking at something the wrong way," says Raia. "Youneed to take a step back, go around it and hit it from a differentangle."

"There's not one way to solve a problem," saysMoya. "There are many different approaches you can take. Sojust going back and reexamining does help when you're in a rut.Maybe there's a call for going back to brainstorming.Brainstorming is not just a onetime thing--it occurs constantlythroughout the process. It's a constant reexamination ofideas."

Sometimes the solution lies down another avenue. "When youthink you've proved the point or solved the problem, you maythen look and see merit in other designs. So you pick and choosefrom other concepts you've done, and it pushes you in anotherdirection," says Raia. "You may think you're in arut, but you may already have [figured] the way out. It could justbe hidden."

Other times, the right way is to work with what you already havein a fresh way. Consider this the "stand on your head"method to creativity. "Maybe you just need to take yourdrawing and turn it upside down," says Raia. "Justlooking at something in a different light helps. One little thingis [sometimes] all it takes to spark [your creativity again]. Itcould be as simple as a coffee stain on your drawing."

"And that may be the next graphic vision," adds Moya."You never know."

The major enemies of creativity? "Just doing theobvious," says Raia.

"Being closed-minded," agrees Moya. "Ifyou're stuck in a rut, sometimes it's because you'rejust doing the same thing over and over."

So what do the Joes do in those extreme moments, whenthey're completely drained, dried up, not another thought intheir heads?

"Nerf hoop," says Raia.

"Yeah, Nerf hoop," agrees Moya. "Seriously, itdoes help."

Thinking Ahead

One thing you should know about Moya and Raia: They are obsessedwith the future. "We have this fixation," says Raia." `How are we going to evolve? What is going to happentomorrow? How are we going to link the present with thefuture?' We think about the future with new technologies, newways of molding and manufacturing, new methods of client relations.We're constantly trying to determine what's going to happentomorrow and the day after and down the road, and what we'regoing to need to do there."

Their fascination with the future makes perfect sense. Creativetypes realize the future holds infinite possibilities unrestrainedby today's conventions. Creativity, like the future, is greaterthan Moya or Raia or you or me. The hugeness of it naturallyinspires awe, and the awe naturally inspires creativity.

Moya and Raia are, in the final judgment, idea men. If thefuture builds it, they will come. And they'll take a lot ofpeople with them. "We like leaving people with something newon their minds," says Raia. "Anybody can put a couch upagainst the wall, but to turn it on a 30 degree angle, put thislittle thing behind it . . . just adding a little twist tosomething, that's all creativity means."

Tips From The Joes

• Be like a child: Childhood is the breeding ground of creativethinking.

• Break down the barriers between you and your employees.Corporate stuffiness is so '80s.

• Keep your eyes open. Great ideas are all around you, waiting tobe discovered.

• Ask everyone you know for ideas. You never know--yourmild-mannered bookkeeper might just turn out to be a creativedynamo.

• When ideas aren't flowing, don't force them. Afive-minute break for some breathing space is better than an hourof stagnancy.

• Get a fresh perspective: Take the concept and turn it upsidedown.

• Play hard--recreation helps stimulate thinking.

Bulls-eye!

According to Juanita Weaver, a Takoma Park, Maryland,creativity consultant, Joe Designer is right on target when itcomes to the following strategies:

• Fostering a safe and open environment for employees."A major block to creativity is the internalized voice ofjudgment that says this can't be done; if you do it, somethingawful will happen; that's ridiculous; it's stupid; it wouldnever work; it doesn't matter anyway," says Weaver."When that happens, we can't even get a little idea out.The critical thing in creativity is to suspend this voice ofjudgment during the initial phase when you're trying to come upwith something new. Keep it positive. Just let go andproceed."

As a business owner, Weaver says it's important tounderstand, as do Joe Moya and Joe Raia, that while you can come inon the next stage and select, sort, evaluate and then implementthese new ideas, it's in that beginning phase that you justhave to move from impulse to impulse and trust your firstthoughts.

• Not trying to force creativity to happen. Especially inbrainstorming meetings, says Weaver, there needs to be some time inwhich each group member goes away alone and processes, and thencomes back to the group. This alone time is an important componentof creativity.

• Having fun. "[Moya and Raia] have the courage toplay," says Weaver. "We're trained to think[business] is so serious, and that shuts us down in terms ofplaying around and combining things in new ways. A sense of humorand fun opens us up again."

Meeting Of The Minds

Being creative means starting small, says Juanita Weaver, aTakoma Park, Maryland, creativity consultant. "Go about itgradually, even if you only change one thing, such as the way youhold a meeting."

Weaver suggests four ideas you can implement to get the creativejuices flowing in your meetings:

1. Give your employees five minutes to come up with five careersthey'd pursue if they weren't limited by external factors."This exercise elicits a lot of energy," says Weaver,"and you can take this energy back to your meeting."

2. Have employees take a minute to contemplate an issue, thenpick up magazines and tear out any images that appeal to them. Havethem relate these images to the issue at hand. "It's aboutusing images to tap into your subconscious," says Weaver.

3. Have everyone pick an object in the room and ask them towrite three poems about it: a haiku, a poem as if they knew nothingabout the object, and one relating the object to something fromtheir childhood. "This shows that you can look at one thingmany ways and find different levels of meaning in it," saysWeaver.

4. Pass out name tags, and allow your employees to make up theirown names. "Their names could be, for example, Queen of theNile, Down in the Dumps or Juanita the Great," says Weaver."It changes the energy and opens the mind up a bit."

Contact Sources

Joe Designer Inc., 131 Varick St., #1004, New York, NY10013, http://www.joedesigner.com

Juanita Weaver, 7220 Central Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912,(301) 270-1897.