Stealing Ideas - subconsciously or unconsciously

I'm putting together some web pages on how to unlearn how to NOT be creative.

"Don't you mean - 'How to learn to BE creative?' "

No, I think we are all born with the ability to be creative and are taught to NOT BE creative. So, in order to get BACK to being creative, we have to unlearn how to NOT be creative.

Anyway, I'm working on Brainstorming methods / techniques / exercises that begin with a "seed" - a word, a phrase, a song, etc. - and branch out all over hell - with creative ideas for possible turnings popping up in the process.

One of those "seeds" exercises starts with a cliche and results in a turned piece derived from that "seed"

- Hitting The Nail On The Head

- A Drop In The Bucket and one currently in vogue - again - by a certain political party

- Trickle Down Economics

I posted some of the cliche inspired ideas for turning to this forum and solicited suggestions for other pieces inspired by a cliche. One of the responses - from Arch - came up with a full dozen cliche inspired ideas for turned pieces - which I saved for future reference.

Now one of the cliche inspired pieces Arch came up with was based on The Light At The End Of The Tunnel and he introduces the idea of using a battery powered LED as the aforementioned light - to internally light

- a thin walled, to the point of being translucent, "hollow form" - a light bulb.

Recently, more than a year since Arch came up with the idea of using an LED to internally lit translucent turned piece, I came up with "a brilliant idea" - internally lighting pieces - with a small battery powered LED - and did two pieces playing with the Internal Lighting idea (Bottom two pieces on this page)

Now that the self inflicted bruises on my back - the result of giving myself a well deserved Pat On The Back (many times) for being so "creative" - I discover, while doing an "article" on Brainstorming Methods, that "my" brilliant idea" was, in fact, Arch's.

Here's the one, of the dozen ideas he came up with, that introduced me to the idea of internal lighting - and exploiting a thin walled hollow

- TRANSLUCENT - piece by internally lighting it - a TWO FER (as in Getting TWO FER One)

=================== 'the light at the end of the tunnel' Start with a lumpy, bumpy burl, preferably in a dark wood. Drill a hole through it then turn a thin walled light bulb shape, the wall thin enough to be translucent enough for light to shine through it. Add one of those little bright LEDs, with its little battery hidden in the threaded part which is turned separately and glued onto the bottom of the bulb. Place light at the end of the tunnel. ====================

So - consciously or subconsciously - what I thought was a creative idea I came up with - was in fact another example of Steve Job's maxim - "if you're gong to steal an idea, steal from the best ideas others have already come up with - but haven't used".

I'm certain Arch will disagree - but I think he consistently contributes some of the best ideas posted here - and - despite his probable denial - is a very creative guy. The fact that I stole one of his ideas (that I'm now consciously aware of stealing) proves it to my satisfaction.

Arch - you ARE a very creative guy - and I thank you for providing so many great ideas - to steal - or reflect on. You are a Thought Provocateur (sp?).

charlie b