Ah, the question every artist loves and dreads at the same time: "How did you come up with this idea?" It’s like people assume I have some magical creativity potion on tap. Spoiler alert: I don't.
Now, some people are born with the ability to "think outside the box." For the rest of us? Well, it takes a little more effort. But don’t worry, even if you're a box dweller, there’s hope! As a High School Entrepreneurship Instructor back in the early 2000's, I taught my students how to break out of their box—and it’s way more fun than it sounds.
Here’s how it worked: I’d have the class come up with three completely random things. Like, for example, a dog, velcro, and light. Sounds ridiculous, right? But trust me, this is where the magic happens. I’d challenge the students to combine those three random items into a product. Cue the brainstorming frenzy—students throwing out ideas like a dog nightlight that sticks to the wall with velcro, or a glowing dog leash for night walks.
The best part? They got creative and weird, and that’s the sweet spot. If you’ve never done this, give it a shot! But don’t be surprised if your brain feels a little constipated at first. That’s when you head to Google, because, you know, even creativity needs a boost sometimes.
The more you do it, the more your brain flexes its creative muscles. Before you know it, you’ll be coming up with ideas you never thought possible—like, oh, I don’t know, LaHairCards.
So, how did that idea happen? Well, sometimes genius strikes by accident. (And sometimes, it just slaps you in the face with a handful of doll hair.)
Picture this: my daughter, as a toddler, hated anything that restrained her wild, free-flowing hair. Clips? Nope. Hair bands? Not a chance. So, her hair was always everywhere. You know those cartoons where the character’s hair is like a tornado? Yeah, that was her.
One day, in a moment of sheer frustration, I had a brilliant idea. I grabbed a piece of paper and drew a face. Then, in a stroke of what I thought was genius, I cut off some of her doll’s hair (sorry, Barbie!) and stuck it onto the head of the drawing. It was wild. It was crazy. It was exactly what my daughter’s hair looked like on a daily basis.
I figured she'd look at it, gasp in horror, and beg for a hair tie. Instead, she looked at it, her eyes lit up, and she said, “That is soooo coooool!”
Excuse me, what?
My plan had backfired spectacularly. Instead of taming her wild mane, I’d just given her a new appreciation for chaos. But in that moment of defeat, I realized—hey, maybe there’s something to this. And thus, the LaHairCards were born: cards with fun, quirky faces and crazy, untamed hair.
Sometimes creativity hits you when you least expect it. Other times, it’s just your kid telling you that your failed mom strategy is actually "cool."