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How to collect more points for creative thinking.
Creative thinking requires you to fill your head with interesting stimuli. This takes effort. Because life’s most interesting elements don’t just show up on your doorstep like Ed McMahon, with a giant check, balloons and a camera crew. That’s why I make a regular point of visiting museums.
Long before social media and hipster shopping sites made curation seem like a cool new idea, museums around the world began curating facts, images, stories, ideas and experiences. Museum-style binge-learning helps you stretch your mind in unexpected directions. This is good for everyone. But essential for professional creative thinkers, like me.
My family and I hit the museums hard in Chicago this weekend. Not to mention the pizza, hot dogs and donuts.
I visit the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry at least once a year. But there is so much to see that I always find new things to tickle my brain. Here are a smattering of things that caught my attention this weekend.
9 Things That Stretched My Brain
1. Sea Dragons
These beautiful little dragons don’t breathe fire. But they do look like bigger, more elegant versions of sea horses. What really fascinated me were the almost invisible fins near their bums, and behind their heads, that provide propulsion and change of direction. The Mother of Sea Dragons should be very proud of her intriguing little offspring.
2. The Helicoprion
Check out that lower jaw! That thing is ridiculous! It is like a weaponized dip-lip. Wait a minute, maybe these sharks chewed tobacco, got mouth cancer and that’s why they went extinct. #truthsleuth
3. Vertical Farms
I learned how vertical farms in sky scrapers could help us feed urban populations, close to home, year round, without weather reliance or threats of drought. I also like the idea of growing popcorn at high enough elevations that it pops itself.
4. Our Proximity to Space
The quote above is a novel thought to me. Evel Knievel and Bo and Luke Duke were more like astronauts than I ever knew. In fact, we are often closer to outer space than we are to neighboring states. It makes me want to stop by to borrow a cup of space sugar.
5. Zheng He’s Treasure Ship
Holy Ship! Check out this beautiful Chinese vessel! I had a hard time wrapping my head around how big the actual ship was, based on how long ago it was built. Read the story below for more.
6. The Rate of Extinction
This is a frightening number. Although it also makes me wonder how many species are created every day. Oh, and when the asteroid that killed the dinos hit, it also wiped out half of the other species on Earth. #NeverForget
7. The Tiger River Stingray
I was fascinated by the pattern on these rays. It made me wonder which came first, the tiger or the tiger ray? This species should get its own breakfast cereal. Tony-Ray, The Tiger River Ray, would make a Grrrrrrreat spokesperson.
8. How Sue Got Its name
Sue, The T-Rex, is the most famous dinosaur in the world. Ok, maybe it is just the most famous dinosaur in my world. But I never knew why it was named Sue. It was actually discovered by Sue Hendrickson, an explorer and fossil collector in South Dakota. And hence the name. Although scientist don’t know if it was a male or female. (Don’t you just look at it’s private fossils?)
9. How They Got The Boeing 727 to The Museum
I have been on this airplane at the MSI many times. But I never thought about how it arrived at its current location. There is a fun video that plays nearby that tells the story. Highlights: It was flown to an airport on the lakeshore. It was loaded onto a barge, and then driven/pulled across the beach, down the street and into the parking lot. Then, one of the museums massive columns had to be removed to bring it into the building. When it was finally in place there was a huge celebration with tiny little bags of peanuts.
Key Takeaway
If you want to think in new and more interesting ways, you have to continue to feed your brain new and more interesting food. There is no better way to expand your thinking than exploring a museum. I encourage you to find one near you with a reciprocal membership that offers access to museums in other cities. That way you can see great museums whenever you travel. Or better yet, you’ll have great new reasons to travel.
Bonus Points: Can anyone name the art museum in the featured image at the top of this post? Leave your guesses in the comment section!
Adam Albrecht is the Founder and CEO of the advertising and idea agency, The Weaponry. He believes the most powerful weapon on Earth is the human mind. He is the author of the book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? He also authors two blogs: the Adam Albrecht Blog and Dad Says. Daughter Says., a Daddy-Daughter blog he co-writes with his 16-year old daughter Ava. Adam can be reached at adam@theweaponry.com.
View all posts by Adam Albrecht
4 thoughts on “How to collect more points for creative thinking.”
That has to be the Art Institute of Chicago. Loved that place. I lived up there right out of school and used my old student ID to get the student membership pricing. Only $40 for the year. It was my weekly escape from the noise of the city.
Hey Drew! I love the AI too! It’s one of my very favorite museums. But this was a trick question. Because the image is not from Chicago, but a trip from 2018. I wondered if anyone was so good at museuming that they would figure it out by the setting or the artwork. There is another image I could have shared that would be a dead give away. But I’m holding out.
Getty Museum. I’d like to say I’m an art connoisseur. But more like a private eye. Latitude and longitude in the EXIF data of the picture leads to The Getty.
Adam Albrecht Blog 
That has to be the Art Institute of Chicago. Loved that place. I lived up there right out of school and used my old student ID to get the student membership pricing. Only $40 for the year. It was my weekly escape from the noise of the city.
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Hey Drew! I love the AI too! It’s one of my very favorite museums. But this was a trick question. Because the image is not from Chicago, but a trip from 2018. I wondered if anyone was so good at museuming that they would figure it out by the setting or the artwork. There is another image I could have shared that would be a dead give away. But I’m holding out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getty Museum. I’d like to say I’m an art connoisseur. But more like a private eye. Latitude and longitude in the EXIF data of the picture leads to The Getty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nailed it! Nice work Jeff! We were there last April during spring break.
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