Category: Creative Thinking and Innovation

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The creative sails of the Fram

Translated from Norwegian, the word “fram” means onward or forward, making it an ideal name for a ship with a “full steam ahead” mentality.    

One rather famous European ship has that very name.  This “Fram” was designed specifically for polar research in the late 1800s.  Funded in part by the Norwegian Parliament, the Fram was created to do something never done before: explore artic waters.  Other ships had failed, getting crushed by the pressure of the ice.

Fridtjof Nansen had another idea: don’t meet force with force.  Instead of trying to send ships through the massive ice of the Arctic Ocean, he devised a vessel that could withstand such barriers and stay at sea for years.  The innovative design—one never used previously—resulted in a vessel with a hull that would be lifted upward by the ice.  In addition, the Fram had a reinforced stern and rudder to further allow for ice-resistant strength, all the while being large enough for adequate crew and dogs to spend years at sea.   

Launched in Larvik in 1892, the Fram was highly successfully on three long-term expeditions.  In addition to her initial three-year Arctic Ocean expedition, the Fram found her way to the Nunavut region of Canada (1898-1902) and to Antarctica (1910-1912).    

The “reverse” idea—a ship that went with the pressure of the ice instead of against it—was transformational in her success.  According to the Fram Museum, “Today, she occupies a unique position in the history of exploration, being the ship with the record of sailing both furthest north and furthest south of any.”  Now over 130 years old, the Fram is on display at the museum in Norway.

Yet the story isn’t moored there.  Fly about 4500 miles due west to the east edge of Lake Union in Seattle where another “Fram”—a neighborhood, dog-friendly café—resides.

The owners, Tina Donahue and Gabe Hajiani, were taken by the Fram story while mountain biking in Norway in 2018, a time when they were struggling with how to develop their Seattle property. 

Gabe and Tina knew what they wanted to do: create a design forward, multi-use project that would give also something back to the neighborhood. They also wanted to remain on the property, but the process of assembling a group to make it happen simply wasn’t jelling. 

The Fram story emboldened their belief in the power of creative problem solving. It was then they resolved only to work with a team that was willing to share this belief. “They [the ship developers] needed to put a team together that believed in creativity and using creative problem-solving as a tool,” Gabe said.  Nansen’s collaboration 125 years prior pushed the couple to move onward, just as the word “fram” suggests, and assemble the right project team for what they were trying to achieve.

With the couple’s experience in technology and architecture, they sought outside expertise in making their dream happen over the next three years. They envisioned a multi-family, multi-use site that, according to Gabe, “hoped to reach beyond a building into a third place for the neighborhood.”

The café feature of the site opened last October, and deciding on its name was obvious to Tina.

“I had a bunch of stupid ideas,” Gabe confessed, “but Tina said, ‘No, we’re going to name it Fram. That’s where it all crystallized for us.’” 

His response? “Oh, yeah. Of course.”

And this creative Fram sails forward.

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Creative factoid of the day: The telescope

Remember the acronym “SCAMPER?” It was used to create new ideas, and the letters translate into different ways to prompt fresher thinking (Eberle, 1972)

The “P” means “put to different uses.” Something originally intended for one purpose was used for something else, a creative pivot in its flexibility and value.

This idea leads to today’s creative factoid: Think of a telescope. What direction is it pointed? The answer may be upward, as many associate it with exploring stars and planets. Yet the telescope, invented by Hans Lippershey in 1608, was originally used for a different reason.

.[Photo credit: Lucas Pezeta/Pexels]

What was that initial use for the telescope?

Answer: spying on ships. What we associate with looking skyward wasn’t meant that way at all 400 years ago. Rather it was meant for peering across the oceans to look at enemy vessels. The creative “p” of changing the use and pointing the telescope to the heavens has helped astronomers in countless ways.

Eberle, R. F., (1972). Developing imagination through scamper. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 6(3), 199-203.

Rao, J. (2024, October). Look up! Facts about stargazing. Reader’s Digest, 20-22.

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What would Spyridon Louis think?

Imagine the chance to interview Spyridon Louis, the winner of the men’s marathon in the first modern Olympic games. 

Based on Klein’s (2021) article about the race, I have my questions ready:

Maybe Spyridon Louis would marvel at the adaptation of road races. [Photo credit: MabelAmber/Pixabay]

Had you met Michael Bréal, the French linguist who proposed the marathon for the 1896 Games?

How did a Greek farmer like yourself train for such a long race?

What was the running weather like on that early April afternoon?

Just why did you stop to eat an egg and drink some wine along the route?

What was it like to finish the 24.8-mile trek in the stadium in Athens, Greece—your home country—before 80,000 fans?

How many of the 16 other starters crossed the finish line?

The original third-place finisher was disqualified for getting a ride in a carriage for part of the race. Did you see this happen? 

You were a national hero at age 23 and chose to return to the farm.  Why did you not run another marathon?

And perhaps the most important question: What do you think of the evolution of the marathon, now roughly 26.2 miles, and other competitive races in 2024?

After all, races have adapted in all kinds of ways. 

In his handbook on creative thinking techniques, Michalko (2006) highlighted SCAMPER, a seven-letter acronym to spark ideas.  The “A” in SCAMPER—adaptation—involves the process of becoming familiar with others’ ideas.  As Edison pointed out, “Make it a habit to keep on the lookout for novel and interesting ideas that others have used successfully” (Michalko, p. 84).  Among the things that can be adapted for creative use include processes, contexts, behaviors, and materials.

The adaptation in running races is striking, and it starts with themes.  It is easy to find holiday-based races, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.  When it comes to food, one of the more creative runs is the Krispy Kreme Challenge, a race that starts on the North Carolina State University campus before moving to the nearest Krispy Kreme where runners try to consume a dozen donuts prior to the final 2.5-mile stretch to the finish line.  The annual event has raised over $2 million for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital since 2004 with over a million donuts being eaten in that time.    

This race is not the only food-themed event.  The Great American Bacon Race, found in various US cities, features a “‘Bacon Bash’ after-party” (what else?) at the end of the 5km course.

Hershey, PA, is known for chocolate, but in the running annals, the adaptation extended to a marathon under water.  The HydroWorx Underwater Marathon was held with runners on underwater treadmills.   

Adaptation in running is also seen in team-based events.  Race enthusiasts can watch the Providence Hood & Portland to Coast Relays, as teams of 8-12 runners from throughout the world make their collective way to the Oregon coast every August. 

Finally, a race that must be ranked high in creativity is the Course des Cafés, a competition in Paris that celebrates the tradition and pride in café service dating back to the 17th century (Treisman, 2024).  

Roughly 200 people, mostly restaurant waiters, have the goal of walking (not running) 1.2 miles as quickly as possible while keeping a tray with a croissant, a glass of water, and a cup of coffee intact.  Sneakers were permitted in the 2024 event, and an apron was required.  Only one hand at a time could be used, and participants’ trays were judged at the finish line.  An empty glass, for instance, resulted in a one-minute penalty.  Many of them took 13-20 minutes to finish (Breeden, 2024). 

Past races had a more formal dress attire with dress shoes being required.  Some included the participants carrying wine, not water, on their trays, and a longer route that was over five miles in length (Breeden, 2024). 

The 2024 race, held just months before the summer Olympic Games in the same city, exemplifies the innovative twists in racing.  One can only wonder what Spyridon Louis would think.

References:

Breeden, A. (2024, March 24).  Ready, set, garçon! Paris waiters race as storied contest returns.  The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/24/world/europe/paris-waiters-race.html

Galloway, L. (2013, March 7). High-heel racing for a cause.  BBC.  https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130304-high-heel-racing-for-a-cause

Klein, C. (2021, July 13). The Olympic marathon’s outlandish early history.  History. https://www.history.com/news/the-olympic-marathons-outlandish-early-history

Michalko, M. (2006).  Thinkertoys:  A handbook of creative-thinking techniques. Ten Speed Press. 

Treisman, R. (2024, March 24).  Hurry up and wait: Servers speed-walk through Paris, reviving a century-old race.  NPR.  https://www.npr.org/2024/03/25/1240667647/paris-waiters-race-tradition-cafe-olympics

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Re-starting in late adulthood: A time for creative zest

Starting something—a diet, a workout regimen, or a new language—can be challenging.  Two steps forward, one step back.  Making mistakes, then making more mistakes, and sometimes not recognizing the progress made. 

Starting something later in life, such as after retirement, comes with its own challenges.  Yet, at the same time, it is a period filled with tremendous creative potential. 

In her book It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again, Julia Cameron makes precisely this point.  She started piano lessons at age 60, and, even after five years of practice, she still considered herself a beginner.  (She added that her piano teacher applauded her great progress over this time.)

Why might retirement—a stage when “free time” suddenly appears—be a time when creative ventures go unexplored?

Cameron pointed to one clear possibility: vulnerability.  After a work life and a family life full of achievements, the “beginning again” exposes people.  Following a rewarding young and middle adulthood, the ensuing stage of older adulthood may be one of hesitation in starting something anew. 

In Cameron’s words, “Often, when we say it is ‘too late’ for us to begin something, what we are really saying is that we aren’t willing to be a beginner” (p. 7).  After all, the words “novice” or “amateur” or “elementary” aren’t praiseworthy descriptors in older adulthood.

But not for everyone.

Consider Oh Yul Kwon, a professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia who retired in 2013 and lives in Vancouver, BC.  Never an athletic type growing up, he started running at age 60 after an elbow injury sidelined him from tennis.  It was his daughter, a runner and triathlete herself, who then suggested running to him. At first the idea seemed a bit unusual.  In his mind, running was boring.  He recalled watching a colleague during a marathon and wondered, “Gee, how could people do that?”

Dr. Kwon ran his first marathon at age 68 in Brisbane, though he likely didn’t foresee where his “restart” would take him. 

In 2016, a month after turning 80, he ran his second Boston Marathon.  He finished in 22,064th place.  Completing a marathon at any age is an accomplishment, but this came with a special amount of pride.  Shortly after crossing the finish line, his son told him that he had “won” the race, coming in first place in the men’s 80+ age group.

He credits his mental sharpness to running.  “When I run,” he told me, “I do a lot of mental exercise” that includes reciting poems and doing calculations. 

Dr. Kwon isn’t sure exactly many marathons he has run in his “restart.”  The number is somewhere over 30, and altogether he estimates having crossed over 100 finish lines since his running ventures began.

His most recent accomplishment was completing the 2024 Vancouver Half Marathon, an event featuring over 4500 runners. 

He has plans for another 13.1-mile race in Korea in the Fall.  “I will run until I collapse,” he told the CBC News in 2016.

Dr. Kwon’s running restart typifies Cameron’s notion of beginning again, even when, in this case, it started with one step.  As she wrote, “There is no such thing as a time that is ‘too late’ to begin a creative endeavor” (p. 111). 

Photo credit: Oh Yul Kwon

References:

Cameron, J., & Lively, E. (2016). It’s never too late to begin again: Discovering creativity and meaning at midlife and beyond.  TarcherPerigee.    

Fisher, G. (2016, April 30).  80-year-old Boston Marathon champ from B.C. aims big for BMO Vancouver Marathon.  CBC News.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/80-year-old-boston-marathon-champ-from-b-c-aims-big-for-bmo-vancouver-marathon-1.3560887

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National Bad Idea Day?

Image: geralt/Pixabay

I searched without success.  Yes, I consulted the National Day Calendar, and it wasn’t there. 

I’m saddened to tell you that you missed “National Talk Like Shakespeare” Day (April 23).  Perhaps that news doth brings warm cheer to your heart.  Ironically it was the same exact day as “National Take a Chance Day,” which presented an opportunity for the most reluctant to move out of their comfort zone. 

But I couldn’t find it: National Bad Idea Day.  I guess that it doesn’t exist. 

The closest theme was International Day of Failure, an event sparked by students at Aalto University in Finland who reasoned that honoring failure would help entrepreneurs with their failure phobia and prompt more start-ups in the country.  Started in 2010, the Failure Day has mistakenly—er, intentionally—caught on in 17 other countries. 

Yet even International Day of Failure doesn’t capture what I was searching for.  I’m seeking that day of failures that didn’t morph its way to success.

Take McDonald’s, for instance.  In 2014, the restaurant chain tested bubble gum that tasted like broccoli.  The idea didn’t sprout, but the rationale behind the attempt was clear.  The idea, according to a chief executive at the time, was to encourage healthy eating among kids.  However, the young tasters who tried the gum were confused by the taste.  Mixing broccoli with gum didn’t match the success of pairing, say, peanut butter and chocolate. 

Bad ventures like this need to be saluted in a National Bad Idea Day. I give credit to McDonald’s for some courageous thinking before being stopped by possible young bubble-blowing customers. 

Dr. Tina Seelig (2009), the Director Emeritus of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, described a “worst idea” exercise for classes to show the value of seemingly not-so-great ideas.  After settling on a problem troubling a certain industry, such as attracting more customers to a theater, the groups of students develop a best idea and a worst idea for the challenge.  To the shock of students, she shreds the collection of “best ideas” before directing them to take the “bad ideas” and transform them into good ideas. 

The exercise points to possibilities.  In her words, “This exercise is a great way to open your mind to solutions to problems because it demonstrates that most ideas, even if they look silly or stupid on the surface, often have at least a seed of potential” (Seelig, 2009, para. 5). 

Planting that broccoli seed may be an invaluable idea in some way, enough so that it is not even mentioned on a National Bad Idea Day. 

References:

National Day Calendar.  (2023, April 23). What day is it?  https://nationaldaycalendar.com/what-day-is-it/

National Today. (n.d.) International Day for Failure–October 13, 2023.  https://nationaltoday.com/international-day-for-failure/

Picchi, A. (2014, November 14). Why McDonald’s created bubble gum-flavored broccoli. CBS News.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-mcdonalds-created-bubble-gum-flavored-broccoli

Seelig, T. (2009, August 13). The worst—I mean BEST—idea in the world.  Psychology Today.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativityrulz/200908/the-worst-i-mean-best-idea-in-the-world

Yuko, E. (2023, February 7). 125 interesting facts about practically everything.  Reader’s Digest.  https://www.rd.com/list/interesting-facts/

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Thanks to Beirut attendees

It was a joy to be with everyone at the workshop on “Creative thinking: Ways to Flourish and Innovate” in Beirut yesterday. Thank you for your positive energy and tremendous participation. My best wishes in creativity thinking are sent to all of you!