Thinking outside the box

[Tai Goo]

“Traditional thinking is all about "what is". Future thinking will also need to be about what can be.”

“Complacency with our traditional judgment based thinking methods is not enough. Our existing thinking habits are excellent just as the rear wheel of a motor car is excellent but not enough. We need to put far more emphasis on creative and design thinking. Judgment and analysis are not enough.”

“Sometimes the situation is only a problem because it is looked at in a certain way. Looked at in another way, the right course of action may be so obvious that the problem no longer exists.”

Edward de Bono


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_outside_the_box

http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/thinking_outside-the-box.html

Exercises:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4819797_think-outside-box-creativity-exercises.html

 

[Tai Goo]

“Fear” is the main thing that keeps most people from thinking outside the box,… fear of the unknown, fear of leaving our “comfort zone“, fear of change, fear of making a mistake or being wrong, fear of being laughed at or looking foolish, fear of being different, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure,… or fear of success!… Just “fear“.

All we really need to do to think outside the box and find new creative solutions to our problems is start to look at things from a new perspective, change the angle,… or change the parameters, move the parameters, expand the parameters,… or remove the parameters altogether.

All our lives we’ve been taught to color within the lines and whenever we went outside the lines, we were scolded. We’ve been trained to think a certain way, through punishment and reward as though we were animals being domesticated. We’ve even gone as far as to domesticate ourselves. We tend to look at things as black and white, good or bad, correct or incorrect,… right or wrong. But,… is that the way “reality” truly is? When my kids were little I always told them they didn’t have to stay within the lines in the coloring book. We went through a lot of coloring books real fast, but my kids always had fun… and learned to think a little different. My son Ben is now in college full time (studying business) and is also getting to be a very accomplished hip hop musician,… and recording artist. He’s been painting pure abstract expressionism since he was about 5 years old! It’ll be an adventure seeing where it all leads…

It’s so important to leave our “comfort zone”. It seems like the first logical step, if we want to think outside the box. Part of the reason I bring this topic up, is because we’ve seen a few good examples of folks stepping out of their boxes recently on this forum. I think it’s a real good thing and would like to give them special credit. Will Leavitt, for his “paradigm shift” going "quasi-neo-tribal", and Kevin Cashen for his recent “romantic” smelting from his homeland soil,

… and me for having my hammers computer modeled and machined by Nathan.

I'm sure there are others. Sorry if I left anyone out. You know who you are!

Way to go guys!

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Tai, is it a prerequisite to have a good grip, understanding, mastery, whatever you want to call it of said box before trying to think outside of it? It seems that the ones you mentioned have all excelled within their particular boxes before venturing outside.
Is it something that someone new to a craft should strive for or should they wait to have a pretty good grip on the box?

Just thinking out loud.

Patrice

 

[Tai Goo]

Patrice, I think the box is already in place, and no effort is required to create the box. It's imposed on us AND self inflicted. It's just the limitations put on us by our society, culture and ourselves.

Can you start outside the box?... I think so!

Both my folks were creative thinkers and raised me that way, so it just seems natural to me. Although, there are always those obstacles and "walls" thrown up by society, logic, and conventionality etc... to overcome.

 

[Phil Dwyer]

Good thoughts Tai....imminently important....

Here's an amazing fella making a humorous, yet astounding pitch for holistic educational approaches that seems to resonate with your thoughts quite well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

 

[Mike Quesenberry]

Tai hit the nail on the head with the key word being fear. Fear is what holds most makers back. Fear of screwing up a blade beacause they don't want to try a clip. Fear of trying a new handle design and messing up a really nice piece of wood. We are not brain surgeons we're knifemakers if we screw up it's wood and steel, scrap it and grab another piece. I have a drawer full of guards that I was not happy with the fit up and started over. I've also hammered off my fair share of handles. But what I've had is a lot of practice and the more I do the better I get which aint all that. I'm a big fan of the Nike slogan " Just do it". I'll step down from the soap box now.

 

[Tai Goo]

Thanks Phil, I'll check that out.

From a mathematical standpoint,... there are an infinite number of ways to think!

Mathematically there is no box... the box is an illusion!

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks Tai, I will make an effort to do that. It requires an effort but when something new comes from having dared venturing outside it is a great feeling.

Patrice

 

[PIndelicato]

“Fear” is the main thing that keeps most people from thinking outside the box,… fear of the unknown, fear of leaving our “comfort zone“, fear of change, fear of making a mistake or being wrong, fear of being laughed at or looking foolish, fear of being different, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure,… or fear of success!… Just “fear“.

Hmm, that sure sounds familiar! Probably the biggest obstacle for me not only in knife making but in all of life. My family did a great job training (brainwashing?) me!

There's a good book called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. I listened to it once on tape and found it interesting...I should probably get another copy of it...

 

[butcher_block]

Tia that means we are going to see some SS knives from you soon ?

seems alot of makers are going over to the dark side (one side or the other )

seems to me more a marketing move with sales of some knives slowed up and a need to have diversification in ones "line "

i now see more makers making kitchen knives the even jsut one year ago and also razors have become fad (maybe replaced nesmuk and bushcraft blades)

as a maker you need to stay on your toes and have fun exploring new steel and new technique


when all you have is a hammer ......

 

[Lycosa]

Fear is correct. Meet it head-on!
"Be still and know."

 

[nc_cooter]

When you are outside of the box, fear does not exist, only opportunities.

 

[cdent]

So, outside of the box applies primarily to appearance. If it references back to the science thoughts, I'd still think there're some things that are too important to drift too far out of the box.

 

[Tai Goo]

Good science continually grows and crawls out of it's own box... it's an ongoing thing.

 

[Tai Goo]

Thinking outside the box is probably more about the departure, journey and adventure than the arrival,... because once you think that you’ve arrived,… you’ve just created yourself a new box and the adventure is over.

 

[cdent]

Good science continually grows and crawls out of it's own box... it's an ongoing thing.

Now that makes more sense to me, build and improve on the good stuff. If the edge rolls on an experimental blade, so what. If a doc is elbow deep patching up one of my kids, I wouldn't want them trying to break new ground. Same with the next generation of manned space flight, roll the dice, but no thanks on the jet I'm about to step on to for a commuter hop. The 'fear' might also be called common sense. Again, I like the continually growing and crawling part, if that's what's needed.

Take care, Craig

 

[MadBug]

Hate to be a wet blanket, but you cannot think outside your box. Everything new you try becomes common. When you push outside of your comfort zone you very quickly become comfortable again. The box only expands. Do you keep on pushing picking up bits and pieces of this and that, or do you stop along the way, and try to master your new discoveries? Of course this does feed on itself. New knowledge, or techniques opens up new ideas, and new techniques. Hideous. . hideous. There is no end.
"Trying" to think outside of the box is a waste of time. Like someone said "Just do it"!
And take notes.
Bob

 

[Tai Goo]

Thinking outside the box is an open invitation to adventure...

 

[MSCantrell]

Fear of the unknown is a powerful, powerful thing.

I've got two big ambitions lately, and I can't do both at the same time.

On the one hand, I want to buy a business and make a boatload of money. On the other, I want to buy a little piece of land and build myself a house, by hand.

Can't do both, and frankly both are scary.
Either one will make me glad I did it, when I die. Which is another important factor to consider when thinking about the box your life is in... you're going to die. Did you know early Christian monks listed "Remembrance of Death" as one of the most important virtues to cultivate?

 

[Will Leavitt]

I'm Schrodinger's cat.... maybe I'm in the box, maybe I'm not....... opening up the box destroys the experiment

I started making knives with the vision of a Japanese smith.... started humbly enough and starting accumulating tools along the way. I realized the other day while cleaning the shop that all my sketches had the radii of the contact wheels I had on my BK. I can sketch a freaking 2", 5" and 8" radii without thinking about it. That's when I realized I was too hung up on my tooling and not on my abilities.

I often tire of talking to new makers via emails and pm's and hearing their lament about the lack of tooling holding them back. They refuse to believe that I started with a barbeque grill forge and a sledge hammer head for an "anvil". I guess they think that I just showed up after a gun and knife show with tools and stuff.

My tooling and knives paid for food, gas and kept the power on during the lean times ...... well the tools, fellow makers and my customers did and for that I'm truly humbled to have people that are willing to spend their hard earned money and time on my poor work. Parting with my tools was painful but if I kept them they'd be there welcoming me to come and get back on the wide path I just left. The tools are with people I'm very, very glad have them, kinda like having to have your dog taken in by someone.

Don't think I'm running down however you choose to make a blade. We're all makers and we really need to help each other on the path, I'm just choosing to take that leaf covered path through the woods. If it works for me I'll continue on it, if not I'll backtrack or cut my own path (and hopefully I'll have a knife to hack with )

Tai, I'm not sure if I should run screaming and buy a supermatic 99 axis CNC or kick back and be appreciative that you thought of Kevin and I as something somewhat inspiring..... thank you.