Innovation Provocation - Beg, Steal or Borrow

"Bad artists copy. Great artists steal". At least, they do according to Pablo Picasso.

Looking at the work of others has always been a great source of inspiration for artists - and for writers, film-makers, advertising creatives, inventors, entrepreneurs and anyone else involved in coming up with ideas.

Of course, you don't want to simply rip off the ideas of others.

You want to take inspiration, pay homage, find that spark of inventiveness that starts a new train of thought which leads you developing something new, fit for your own purpose and answering your own challenge.

I heard a great example last week. I don't know into which category you'd put Rolf Harris - bad artist or great artist, but for me he's firmly in the latter category. (I still have to brush away a tear whenever I hear "Two little boys"). And anyone who can play "Stairway to heaven" on a wobble board in front of a capacity crowd at Glastonbury is truly great in my eyes!

Being interviewed by Jools Holland on BBC Radio 2, Rolf admitted that he'd heard a song by the great Harry Belafonte called "Don't tie me donkey down there, let him bray, let him bray". At the time, Rolf was performing every week at the Down Under Club in London, and looking for songs he could do with a chorus for the crowd to join in.

"I thought, if we change it to Kangaroo, and write some Aussie verses, that would do" said Rolf. And the rest is history - Top Ten in the UK, No. 3 in the chart in the USA, and Number One (of course!) in Australia.

Look around you - in other fields, other arenas, other organisations. What do they do that you could inspire new ideas for you and your team?

Use their Provocation to inspire your Innovation.