There is a new buzz in business town!
What’s the buzz? It’s a recycling of a creative hack currently known as a “spark file. “ In this instance “hack” means a short-cut or a trick – a novel method that increases efficiency. Throughout the years, the phrase “spark file” has masqueraded as everything from A to Z, including the kitchen sink or the desk drawer. Basically, a “spark file” is a catch-all digital file location for those fast moments when creativity is kind enough to pay us an impromptu visit and we want to reference the idea later when we have the proper time to dedicate to its expansion and development.
Stephen Johnson, an author of Where Good Ideas Come From, has spent his career researching and investigating the subject of where ideas come from and how we can make the most of them. Actually he has defined the “spark file” as a document where you can keep all your creative goodness – a place where you can place all your concepts in one file. Most creative individuals I know have committed to this method because they are overflowing with spontaneous ideas and they have a learned appreciation for the value and future potential of those thoughts. Truly, instead of trusting that they can remember the concepts, they keep a running file with small word promptings that gives them enough reference to the idea, so that when they return to it, the creative thoughts can be reactivated and developed.
My personal version of this hack is to use the notes app on my phone, which I have access to on all devices. I also use one side-trick: If I’m stuck with no ability to type, I will dictate key words in my phone as an appointment. Then at a later time, when I have the chance to advance the idea to my app or a running word file, I do so.
Here are a few tricks you can use in developing this creative hack:
First: Make this a working habit. The trick is to make the “spark file entry” a reflex when creative ideas visit. As soon as you have the thought, immediately put it into your spark file
Second: Give credence to your ideas. Embrace the fact that if something quirky pops into your head, maybe there is merit or a reason. Have the courage to act, own it. In other words, think like a songwriter.
Lastly, and importantly: A quick follow-up is the key to success. You don’t have to finish the idea, but a quick second visit to solidify your spark moment may make the difference in bringing your initial thought to life.
So how important is the idea of capturing impromptu creativity? Let’s ask Dave
Dave Cobb is the resident producer at RCA Studio A in Nashville. A few years back, Studio A was slated to be demolished for business condos, but the attempt was thwarted in 2014 when a group of influential Nashville music businessmen – spearheaded by Mike Curb and Aubrey Preston – were able to head off the horrendous idea and save the historic studio on Music Row. You may ask, “How does that tie into the idea of a ‘spark file?’” Well, if you are going to steal an idea, steal from the best. You see, Cobb has a “not so secret” secret. He always runs tape from the second one of his sessions begins, and he keeps running tape the entire time no matter what is going on. The reason for this is simple: Cobb wants all ideas, impromptu and otherwise, captured. Running tape is his very fancy version of a “spark file.” By using this “studio hack” all Cobb has to do is mark the spots where he thinks genius has come to life, and presto! The moment is already captured and can be recalled and revisited.
What’s the business play on this technique?
First, let’s start with an honest observation. People involved in creative fields are better at comprehending the value of spontaneous thoughts or “sparks” that pop into their heads. They are wired to respect the potential of those magic moments. For them to catalog these moments in a running file is a natural approach. Business leaders, on the other hand, are generally better at organization and favor a more statistical and analytical approach and although a spark file seems like a natural fit, business leaders probably give less credence to impromptu thinking.
Think of it as a right-brain, left-brain comparison
If you are a right brainer, congratulations – your work-world needs a “spark file” because your mind works like a popcorn machine at a move theater on a Friday night. But if you are a left brainer, you are organizationally based, and files are “your thing.” However, as a left brainer your reality is that you make a file, but don’t always recognize the value of spontaneity and often overlook ideas that could be put aside for later review.
The Takeaway
Whether you live in the world of business or the world of the creativity – or, like most folks in the music business, a blend of both – a spark file is a very effective tool. It does the remembering for you and celebrates an opportunity for the impromptu. A spark file allows you the opportunity to capture the impact of the moment and it preserves the “real-time “magic.
Every successful person I know uses some version of this technique. Today’s new business leaders are smart enough to recognize that they are well-served to take a cue from the creative clan, and thus, there’s a new buzz in business town.
Menzie Pittman is the owner and director of education at Contemporary Music Center in Virginia (CMC). Following a performance and teaching career spanning more than 32 years, he founded CMC in 1989 and continues to perform, teach, and oversee daily operations. He has 50 years of musical experience as a drummer and drum instructor. Menzie is a frequent speaker at NAMM’s Idea Center, and a freelance writer for MMR’s “Small Business Matters”.
