The outside of the box
If I said to you, “Give me an idea that’s outside the box” what would you do? Most likely, you would tell me my request is absurd – thinking outside the box is reserved for the few “geniuses” among us. Or you would come up with something so far out, it would be hard to find any problem that your new idea could solve. We don’t need a toaster made out of rubber just yet.
The thing is, in both cases you would be wrong. But that’s because I asked the wrong question.
So is thinking outside the box difficult? Or is that that fabled area outside of the box a spectrum? Maybe we value ideas differently, compared to how far outside the box they are.
If the box represents our culture (what we consider normal, safe and acceptable) then there is plenty of room outside of it to move. You will probably not be anyone’s top pick, but it is very achievable to get there. So is that what we consider a work of genius? No, I don’t think so. It’s very easy to be “experimental” and create works of dissonance and chaos. In fact, I would say this is about as easy as making something completely normal and un-notable. The real hard work is done along the edge of the box.
This is the work that terrifies us when we see it, but the challenge of understanding it is exciting enough for us to come back for more. These are the works that last for generations, because they completely move the culture to a new standard of “normal.”
There is a game being played here between the artist and the audience. Not only does the artist need to challenge the culture, but the culture needs to accept the challenge. That’s why some ideas just don’t ever take off, even though they could revolutionise our idea of “normal”.
If our goal is to shift the culture through our work, it is up to us to challenge ourselves to leave the realm of safety, to leave normal behind. But it is equally as important to challenge ourselves to be selective with the ideas we pursue. After all, as the incredible thinker Seth Godin said, “a great idea before its time is not a great idea.”
