Fresh Ideas, Creative Thinking

 January and it’s time for the annual JMW Turner exhibition at the National Gallery (A light in the Darkness). In accordance with collector Henry Vaughan’s bequest the watercolours, which are notoriously susceptible to fading, have their radiance preserved, by only being exhibited in the first month of the year.

Please see below a list of the top 100 learning tools for 2009 compiled by Jane  Hart, Social learning consultant and  and founder of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT)http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/jane.html

Scott Campbell’s original artwork features eight of the gruesome ways ideas can get themselves killed. 

Ben Zander (pictured) conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and professor at the New England Conservatory of Music, faced the same problem at the start of each semester. His students, all gifted instrumentalists and singers were so anxious over the measurement of their performance that they were reluctant to take creative risks and open themselves up to the possibility of making mistakes. And this, of course, inhibited their ability to be creative and learn.

Innovation, simply put, is about changing and improving the status quo. And, as such, having good resources to stimulate fresh thinking and alternative insights is always important. Grouped below (in no particular order) are ten of my favourite sources of innovation inspiration.

1. Springwise (www.springwise.com) and Trendwatching (www.trendwatching.com)-innovative business ideas and consumer insights from across the globe-always v. relevant, interesting and entertaining!