“Allow your research to take you as far as you want. Allow one thought to lead to another. Don’t be afraid to go down a rabbit hole of research. ” — Es Devlin
If you’re feeling stuck, unsure where to take your business next, or looking for an idea for a business, the simplest thing you can do is to inspire your mind. The artist, designer and director Es Devlin encourages us to look for the connections and patterns in our work, and to follow them. Without following our instincts and looking deeply, we’re unlikely to discover, learn and grow. It’s in the discovery of these interconnections that we begin to see new ideas emerge.
Just as we look after our bodies, we need to nurture our minds and go beyond the areas we are working in. In Es Devlin’s masterclass she provides a way of not only turning ideas into form but exploring and connecting those ideas. This is the foundation of any type of exploratory research. As Es shows, not every research or idea gathering needs to look the same.
“Find the common denominators, find the patterns, find the underlying patterns and follow them intuitively.” — Es Devlin
Focusing on what you’re interested in, rather than what is necessarily part of your business, may inspire a new idea or way of thinking which is as important. Just like physical exercise, making time to explore new ideas, and taking these ideas and creating something with them is important.
If you’re more comfortable with shapes, then draw, paint or collage. If words, numbers, music or even cooking is your passion, use them. The important thing is to find what inspires you, to keep absorbing more and more, and recording, looking at the connections and patterns. It’s from this process that you’ll start to see what you’re interested in, and where the new opportunities for your business are. You may find yourself moving in a new, unexpected direction or realising that you’re on the path you need to be.
