Creative Problem-Solving in Photography and Business

by Skip Cohen

Many years ago, I shared the "Top 10 Creative Rules of Thumb." I was wandering through cyberspace and found a site called Quoteland.  After a little mining, I uncovered the following gem from Charles "Chic" Thompson.  While he obviously added his own twist of humor to the concept, think about each of his ten points.

The pandemic has changed everything in business today, and everyone is facing similar challenges in how to get things back on track. As the political and medical world argue over how to reopen the country, you've got one significant advantage - you've got time to do things right!  

• Start with your skillset and figure out where the holes are. Then, start filling them!
• Look at your brand awareness in the community and figure out how to get more exposure.
• Look at your products, and then call your lab and ask, "What's new?"
• Do the services you currently offer match the needs of your target audience?
• Are there other companies, including photographers, in the community you can work with? 
• Last but not least - stop thinking you're alone or have to solve the challenges by yourself. Pull together a couple of good friends and become a sounding board for each other.

Things will get back to normal, but it'll be a new normal, and it's going to take time. Use the list below to help you think it all through and then hit the ground running!  And if you're stuck and need help, you know where to find me. 

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Top 10 Creative Rules of Thumb

1. The best way to get great ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away.

 2. Create ideas that are 15 minutes ahead of their time…not light years ahead.

 3. Always look for a second right answer.

 4. If at first you don’t succeed, take a break.

 5. Write down your ideas before you forget them.

 6. If everyone says you are wrong, you’re one step ahead.
​If everyone laughs at you, you’re two steps ahead.

 7. The answer to your problem “pre-exists.” You need to ask the right question to reveal the answer.

 8. When you ask a dumb question, you get a smart answer.

 9. Never solve a problem from its original perspective.

 10. Visualize your problem as solved before solving it.