Alan Kay wrote:

> Stephan --
>
> One should be very open so that ideas constantly manifest themselves,
> and then very tough to keep the 99.999% that are nonproductive from
> distracting. Sounds like that's what you do.

Sometimes creative ideas are productive only long enough to spawn the "better idea"
and then they no longer have value.

In my 20s I used to be so "goal" oriented.  Now I'm 45 and recognize that I'm
process oriented.  Both ways of living had their place at that time.

The things I learn on the creative journey are often more valuable that the initial
idea that may have launched me off.  Many times while exploring ideas with Squeak
I'll discover something even more fertile along the way and make a mental note to
"go check that out later".  Of course, there's only so many heartbeats in a day.

 - Steve (please call me Steve!)

>
>
> The most difficult ideas are the "good ones" (which often mask the
> much odder "great ones").
>
> Cheers,
>
> Alan
>
> ------
>
> At 11:35 AM -0400 4/20/01, Stephan B. Wessels wrote:
> >I tend to view ideas optimistically.  The example I often give is that
> >creating/ideas are like taking photographs.  You can go through several rolls
> >of film before you get a good one.
> >
> >Perhaps its because I've often been labeled "creative" that I get focused on
> >creativity in a social context.  It frustrates me that so much effort is spent
> >on proper management and doing the right thing today and nothing appears to
> >happen to encourage creativity.  Two examples come to mind quickly.
> >
> >      I compose music frequently and on the spot.  Most of it is junk.  But
> >      I firmly believe that by always stimulating and creating things does
> >      lead to some really nice stuff.  One of the pieces of music I
> >      composed that I'm really proud of happened because of a
> >      stream-of-conciousness session at the piano.  I went back and pulled
> >      out something really neat, polished it up - with a lot of effort,
> >      arranged it for orchestral palette and now I'm quite proud of it.
> >      Yet I meet so many musicians who only play from the sheet music.  How
> >      many times have you met someone who freely improvises, often?
> >
> >      I run Linux on a PC at home and have always used Macintoshes outside
> >      of "the office".  Someone just this morning asked me why I was
> >      planning to buy a new Mac G4 Titanium.  And I responded that forcing
> >      myself to do things "another way" keeps me creative.
> >
> >Sorry if I appear to be ranting.  Does this make any sense or ring true for
> >someone?
> >
> >  - Steve
> >
> >Alan Kay wrote:
> >
> >>  However, most ludicrous ideas are in fact: ludicrous.
> >>
> >>  Cheers,
> >>
> >>  Alan
> >>
> >>  -----
> >>
> >>  At 8:45 AM -0400 4/20/01, Stephan B. Wessels wrote:
> >>  >Les Tyrrell wrote:
> >>  >
> >>  >>  [...snip...]
> >>  >
> >>  >>  Objects were once considered ludicrous as well.
> >>  >
> >>  >>From "Dealers of Lightning", I read the following
> >>  >
> >>  >      At the first session the group piled on an unfortunate wild man from
> >>  >      that backwater, the University of Utah, named Alan Kay.  Kay had
> >>  >      stepped forth in a public session to pitch his vision of a computer
> >>  >      you could hold in your hand.  He had already coined a name for it:
> >>  >      "Dynabook," a notebook-shaped machine with a display screen and a
> >>  >      keyboard you could use to create, edit, and store a very personal
> >>  >      sort of literature, music and art.
> >>  >      "He was crazy," Wessler recalled.  "People greeted the whole idea
> >>  >      with disbelief and gave him a very tough time.  He painted this
> >>  >      picture of walking around with a computer under your arm, which we
> >>  >      all thought was completely ridiculous.
> >>  >
> >>  >  - Steve