Cliff Notes for: “A technique for getting ideas” by James Webb Young


Principle 1: an idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements

Principle 2: the capacity to bring old elements into new combinations, depends largely on the ability to see relationships. Consequently, the habit of mind which leads to a search for relationships between facts becomes of the highest importance in the production of ideas.

The Process

Step 1: Gather Raw Material

Important Point: “Instead of working systematically at the job of gathering material we sit around trying to get the mind to take the fourth step in the idea-producing process while we dodge the preceding steps.”

-The more specific knowledge is acquired, the more possibilities of different combinations

Step 2: Digestion

“Take the different bits of material which you have gathered…You take one fact, and turn it this way and that, look at it in different lights, and feel for the meaning of it. You bring two facts together and see how they fit….facts sometimes yield up their meaning quicker and when you do not scan them too directly, too literally.”

“What you are seeking now is the relationship, a synthesis where everything will come together in a neat combination, like a jig-saw puzzle.”

“two things will happen. First., little tentative or partial ideas will come to you. Put these down on paper. Never mind how crazy or incomplete they seem: get them down. Theses are foreshadowing of the real idea that is to come, and expressing these in words forwards the process.”

“The second thing that will happen is that…you will get very tired of trying to fit your puzzle together. Let me beg of you not to get tired too soon.”

“after a while you will reach the hopeless stage. Everything is a jumble in, you mind, with no clear insight anywhere. When you reach this point, if you have first really persisted in efforts to fit your puzzle together, then the 2nd stage in the whole process is completed, and you are ready for the third one.”

Step 3: Make a conscious effort to put the problem out of your mind. Go do something else that takes you mind off of it.

Step 4: “Out of nowhere the Idea will appear.”

Step 5: “take your little idea out into the world of reality. And when you do you usually find that it is not quite the marvelous child it seemed when you first gave birth to it.” “Do not make the mistake of holding your idea close to your chest at this stage. Submit it to the criticism of the judicious. When you do , a surprising thing will happen. You will find that a good idea has, as it were, self-expanding qualities. It stimulates those who see it to add to it. Thus possibilities in it which you have over looked will come to light.”

Review:

“First, the gathering of raw materials -- both the materials of your immediate problem and the materials which from a constant enrichment of your store of general knowledge.”
“Second, the working over of these materials in your mind.”

“Third, the incubating stage, where you let something beside the conscious mind do the work of the synthesis.”

“Fourth, the actual birth of the idea - the “Eureka! I have it” stage.”

“And fifth, the final shaping and development of this idea to practical usefulness.”

Link to full PDF:

http://www.advancedhiring.com/porta...ood%20young.pdf

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quote:

Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.

Very interesting read. Thanks for the post.

quote:

Originally posted by CalvP Great find, thanks for posting! Tbh i've never even thought of looking deeper than music resources for alternative techniques on forming ideas can i ask how you found this particular paper? very interesting subject

I was watching a youtube video on songwriting, and this guy mentioned this book as a basis for forming songwriting ideas.

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quote:

Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.