Mark Twain is credited with the line, “Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which before their union were not perceived to have any relation.”
This points to what James Altucher has called, Idea Sex: The marriage of two seemingly different ideas coming together to make something new.
In the sixties, little girls used to be the only people who played with dolls. Most little boys didn’t want anything to do with dolls. They wanted action, guns, and adventure.
One day a man named Stan Weston noticed this dichotomy and invented the GI Joe. He didn’t invent a new concept, he simply brought two existing concepts together and created something that changed how kids around the world played.
Stan Weston said this about his success:
“Truly groundbreaking ideas are rare, but you don’t necessarily need one to make a career out of creativity. My definition of creativity is the logical combination of two or more existing elements that result in a new concept. The best way to make a living with your imagination is to develop innovative applications, not imagine completely new concepts.”
We love to talk about the intangible, spiritual muse of creativity, however, we can’t forget the side which Stan points out:
Creativity = Logical combinations of existing elements.
So now you have permission: Go into the world and have unprotected idea sex every day and make idea babies.
