Tim Andren - At the corner of Innovation and Marketing Ideas

Anvil: The Hoop Dreams of Heavy Metal

In life, there is always a 'real first experience' that usually makes anything before it seem as though it never happened.

Hoop Dreams floored me. It will always be remembered as my first documentary.

For the uninitiated, the story of Arthur Agee and William Gates pursuing their dreams of professional basketball is as inspiring, heartbreaking, and full of that craziness called 'real life drama' as ever produced on film.

I have literally attempted to feed my addiction to the genre ever since. Every film I've watched in the post-Hoop Dreams era has had a tough standard to meet.

If pressed, I could probably come up with a list of 25 films I've seen that are on par with Hoop Dreams.

A couple of weeks ago my brother Mike sent me NME's list of '50 Awesome Music Movies', which I had no choice but to immediately delve into.

A smile came over my face as I scanned the titles. I felt as though I were looking at yearbook photos of old friends.

NME, for added drama (and a few extra ad impressions) displays the list in reverse order. I could feel a sense of anticipation as I got closer and closer to the Top Ten. Surely I'd find a classic documentary or two there. 

Then I saw it. Smack dab at 'Number 2' on the list, 'Anvil: The Story of Anvil'.

My thoughts went down this path:

"What the heck is Anvil?" "...and how come I've never even heard of it?"

"Surely it's a mistake."

Then I watched it...

A-mazing. The Hoop Dreams of Heavy Metal.

After I finished the film I immediately began an e-mail discussion with Mike and the most knowledgable music maestro I know, my buddy Jaymes:

Tim: "This list is awesome. I just watched the Anvil doc recently - it really is a great piece of work. Jaymes, curious to hear your take on this."

Jaymes: "DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE! I saw Anvil on DVD about a month ago! I was floored, it was a really great shot in the arm and pick up when I needed it most. Very much the inspirational, overcoming the odds story, the real deal, LOVED IT!"

Tim: "...and there you have it, from the man himself! Mike if you haven't seen it, it is well worth hunting it down. The friendship and heart between the band mates is very palpable."

Mike: "Anvil was very, very good. You really wanna pull for them to succeed but can't help but think that the window is rapidly closing. My favorite scenes were simply the talks by (and between) Steve "Lips" and Robb Reiner..correct bro, there's some true love there."

One couldn't help but think of Spinal Tap when thinking of the words 'heavy metal' and 'documentary.' The 1984 mockumentary has an avid following and many a sublime moment of hilarity that its fans wish were true. 

Anvil has a few of those moments, but where it really delivers is in what makes documentaries so special. Heavy metal fan or not, Anvil will rock your world.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Museums, insects and how to get your next idea

'Music' by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Yesterday I took a day off to go to the Norton Simon museum. I regularly take time to get outside and see new things, to get inspired. It's as important for my own health as it is for my business.

This isn't always easy to do with the demands of a busy schedule, but the benefits far outweigh any productivity I would have realized chained to the office.

It's important for all of us to see and experience new things with a relaxed the mind in order to generate ideas. Everyone makes the mistake of working too hard at times, which inevitably leads to wheel-spinning and frustration - none of which will result in a great idea.

Sometimes hard work and hair-pulling is the worst thing to do when trying to differentiate or create a new product or business.

My trip yesterday with my buddy Justin allowed me to see the city, the museum and taste some great food.

'Whipped Salt Cod & Potato Gratin' – Bar Celona Tapas Bar, Pasadena

Justin's presence was valuable not only to share the time with a good friend, but also because he is a designer and a great idea person. Our conversation covered various subjects from the art we were experiencing to the latest technology effecting both of our industries.

The majority of the day was spent looking at the many periods of the permanent collection, which includes a lot of European pieces from the 14th to 18th century. If a piece spoke to me I made the conscious decision to slow down and spend as much time as I could examining every aspect of it's creation.

I couldn't help but ponder what the artists were responding to in their own lives as they were painting. This is important to do before you read the notes next to a piece. I make a bit of a game out of it to see how close I can get.

As funny as it sounds, if you practice this enough you'll be able to get a tremendous amount of insight into the artist and the culture of the period.

You'll also notice that this little exercise causes you to get outside of yourself and your creative limits and you leave the experience with a refreshed spirit.

Merely looking at the art will give you one level of visual response, the additional act of thinking as the artist will expose yet another layer of creativity. The ideas begin to come a mile a minute on the drive home, unless you're stuck in traffic of course.

'Woman With A Guitar' by Pablo Picasso

A little while back I posted an article about how scientists were inspired for their new idea by examining Gecko's feet.

Today I read about a new advancement that's been made for cellphone video cameras inspired by a dung beetle.

What's next, the latest buildings inspired by bugs? Oh wait, that's been done.

The point to be taken is that inspiration will come from anywhere, especially the natural world which has efficiently invented and reinvented for ages.

Your next idea will probably not come from hanging around a bunch of the same people in the familiar confines of your office. Want to create a killer app or the next great product? Get out and see something different and you'll give yourself a good chance.

This is a big reason why I don't understand the lemming mentality at business conferences. 'We're all going off the cliff together, yaaaaay!' But seriously, there are some benefits to attending a conference, but don't expect it to be a petri dish for explosive creativity.

Get outside (and I don't mean walk to Starbucks), travel, read children's books, eat at a new restaurant, or watch a foreign film. If you can do all of that in one day you might become the next Thomas Edison. Whatever you do, remember the best ideas come from the combination of seeing something new with a relaxed mind.

If you have a specific goal, the following series of steps works quite well. Since you already know your industry, do some gathering of information for the subject/s at hand, tell yourself you are taking a day to do research that will benefit you and your business and then just go.

You can feel okay about leaving the office if you tell yourself that the benefits will outweigh the paperwork or pencil-pushing that will inevitably leave you frustrated.

Don't turn back, don't answer your phone, isolate yourself in the experience as much as possible.

Where do you like to go or what do you like to do to get inspired?

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Today's breakthrough was yesterday's great idea

I can't remember where I heard this quote but it absolutely rules! 

I woke up with this thought bouncing around in my head and I just had to share.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Inspire: Sandpit by Sam O'Hare

Sometimes the right combination of moving pictures set to music can really do wonders. Occasionally, when watching a movie I can get a sense of a connected study of life. When the art of film is focused on this angle of 'the observer' observing us it can be quite inspiring. 

Films like the one below do a great job of telling the tales of our lives because the storytelling craft allows us to pause and reflect on our feelings about ourselves and of those around us. 

Sam O'Hare has assembled a vision of timeless grace using what we would often consider to be bland subjects of everyday life. The true artist doesn't need anything more than what we see and respond to every day - it's the assembly that counts.

For visual effect O'Hare use a process called tilt-shifting. Tilt-shift photography delivers a time lapse style while creating a 'miniaturizing' effect. Beyond that, my two classes of photography at college aren't going to do much to help me explain this process on a technical level. 

Beauty is as in the eye of the creator before the beholder.

You will rebuild our economy

I have written this post especially for you. I want you to know that you are needed. You are important. Your work is important. Your business is important.

Our economy is struggling right now. Jobs are being lost. People are suffering. The way out of this is through small business. The way out is through you. Small business will lead the way for job creation. You and your business will rebuild this economy. One day at a time.

Now don't take these words lightly. You have a responsibility. You have enjoyed all of the good economic times of recent past. You have been given a tremendous amount of freedom and opportunity. Now is time to honor what you've received by assuming a responsibility that is yours. You have a part to play in getting us back on track.

Right now we should not be looking to government for job creation. We should not be looking for hand-outs. We will thrive, as we always have, on innovation and hard work. Now is the time for both.

The ripple effect
Part of the reason the economy has slowed down so much is that everybody is spending time and energy talking about how bad it is. People have that kind of power. You have that kind of power. The economy is based on everyday decisions made by people just like you. If you decide to spend money, start a business or even talk about doing so, it creates a psychological ripple effect to those around you. Be a part of effective change. Speak only of growth, opportunity and how we can build together. Even better, put your money where your mouth is and invest in yourself, your business and your local economy.

You are the foundation
Small business is the foundation of our economy. Small business creates jobs. Small business creates local economy. Local economy effects national economy and so on. You and your business are part of our economic engine. Remember, all great the businesses of today had to start somewhere. All the blue chips began on a drawing board, the back of a napkin, in somebody's garage. Some small businesses will turn into the next Dell or American Apparel. Be the foundation of something bigger. We are counting on you.

Take care of the people
Your business thrives on people. People are essential to sales, promotions, success. Take care of your employees, your clients. Give them what they need. They will succeed - you will succeed. Invest your time and money in them and they will pay tremendous dividends to your business, and in turn, the economy at large. Be sure to give back a multiple of what you receive. Be a bigger giver than receiver. Go above and beyond what is required.

I believe in you. I believe you make a difference. I believe in your ability to effect change for our economy by your words and actions. You can start right now by doing what I've for you today by passing along this message of encouragement to others. What does it feel like when someone tells you that they believe in you?

Now go and tell somebody else. Forward this message to your friends and colleagues.