Frankenstein wasn’t a monster, he was the scientist who created the monster.
Even though he wasn’t real, the idea is fantastic (for a book or movie, of course).
But where do you think he got the idea?
That’s where it all starts, right?
With an idea.
Ideas Are Wonderful, Elusive Things
Thoughts create meaning. Meanings create purpose. Purposes create ideas.
Let’s take an example, let’s start with two thoughts…
1. We need to move heavy things around.
2. We want to do it without working too hard.
These thoughts create two meanings:
1. Work requires effort.
2. Effortless is better.
These two meanings form a single purpose:
1. Work without getting tired.
Now let’s add another purpose: make something else do the work.
These two connect to form a simple idea: To work without getting tired, get the work done by something/someone else.
And that, kids, is how your ancestors met the wheel.
This is an incredibly long and boring way to explain so obvious.
But it’s necessary.
This is how your mind works, and if you understand how your mind works, you can reprogram it to get wonderful results very fast.
Brainstorming Despite The Storm (In Your Head)
“Brainstorm”.
Such a fancy, posh word.
Let’s say it again.
“Brainstorm”.
Yup. Still fancy.
Brainstorming is an ideation technique. When done right, you end up with lots of
nice little ideas. But it’s more of a magic trick than a technique for those who don’t
know how to do it.
One search on YouTube will give loads of results: How to do it, how to do it right,
how to do it fast, how to do it like your class topper, and much more...
Yuck.
Why is something so vital for creativity such a bore? Why can’t it be fun and easy?
Actually, it can.
Ask Frankenstein.
How Frankenstein Brainstormed
At some point, you have to agree that Dr. Frankenstein got up in the middle of the
night, his hair all ruffled, his room all cold, sweat dripping down his forehead, pale
brown curtains fluttering in the wind, notebooks scattered all over his desk, papers
and clothes everywhere , and a little candle in the corner…
(That’s not really how it happened, but let’s imagine it did for the sake of this weird discussion.)
You’d think he’d get up and say, “I really need to clean this room.”
Nope.
He thought, “How do I make a dead guy not dead?”
And that’s how he created his monster.
But where did that idea come from?
Why didn’t logic and common sense stop him from realizing that death isn’t
something you undo?
Because he brainstormed in a way that nobody else did.
Now, this is important, so pay attention.
Not only did he brainstorm, he conquered the storm of ideas in his head.
Conquered, that’s the keyword.
So what’s his secret? How did he do what no other man in his time and life did?
How did he achieve the impossible?
What makes Dr. Frankenstein different from everyone else?
What Set Dr. Frankenstein Apart
You need to realize that getting the idea to undead a man is nothing.
People have weird ideas all the time.
At one point in my life, I wanted to fly.
Did I? Nope. But I bet if I was Dr. Frankenstein I would.
Dr. Frankenstein accumulated tremendous knowledge throughout his life. This
knowledge was both general and specific.
But this is nothing new. There were many other doctors in time who had more
experience and knowledge than he did.
What separated him was the way he connected this knowledge together to create ideas.
The idea to create a monster was just the first. After he got that idea,
he had to come up with a hundred others…
Where do I get a human body?
If I can’t get a body, will parts work?
How do I join them together?
How do I make sure the bones are all the same size?
Will the final body hold the parts together?
Will it breathe?
How do I start the heart?
And so on…
He answered these questions with ideas, not answers, because there were no
answers. He then used these ideas to find answers.
Stealing Frankenstein’s Technique
Now, brainstorming is just a way to make ideas. It’s not the only way, but it’s a nice
way. So let’s talk more about it.
If you’ve seen any good bank robbery movie, you’ll know that a good thief learns
before he steals.
He learns about the bank: blueprints, staff, location, neighbourhood, customers etc. etc.
We’re going to do the same thing. Kind of.
We’re going to learn how Dr. Frankenstein thought, before we go out to create our own monsters.
The Frankenstein Exercise
No, we’re not creating any monsters. Not real ones, at least. Metaphorical and
imaginary, maybe.
The Frankenstein Method is simple: you create ideas, and then you combine them. The next time you want really fun ideas, here’s what you need to do:
1. Make a list of ideas. As many as you can.
2. Write down 8-10 of the best ones on cards or pieces of paper. Fold them up
and throw them in a bowl.
3. Set a timer for 5 minutes (for 10 cards). You’ll now work to finish the bowl
before the timer runs out.
4. Pick any two cards at random. Merge them together to create a monster idea.
Do it in a way that makes sense and fits your current task. Be quick, but
deliberate.
5. Now, keep these two cards aside, and write down the monster idea on a new
card. Add this new card to a new monster pile.
6. Again, take another pair and repeat the process. Do this until you run out of
cards in the bowl and have 5 monster ideas in your monster pile.
Congratulations! You’re now the proud parent of 5 “monsters”. Take care of
them and make sure they grow up into fine works of art.
Why This Works
The new ideas won’t always be very good, but they’re a great starting point for
creative ignition. If you’re doing creative work, this will get you very far, very fast.
• It’s a great exercise for your mind to practice creativity.
• It works instantly.
• It breaks logical barriers in your mind.
• It lets you swim in creative waters.
• If done in a group, it breaks down structures of power and authority: even the
intern will have great ideas now.
• It lets you practice creating ideas with speed and control.
• And finally, it throws creative blocks out the window.
So, the next time you’re stuck, ask yourself, “What would Dr. Frankenstein do?”,
and do this instead.
Happy creating!
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