Brainstorm Abby

In the creativeworld, the world in which I live - one that often awakens me at midnight after only a couple hours of sleep - brainstorming is a daily part of our lives. Having said that, I often find it a very political event if the ground rules aren't communicated upfront. That's where the quandry lies. Doesn't it seem strange that a creative thing like brainstorming would have any rules at all? Isn't it everything goes - throw it up on the wall and see what sticks?

Now hang in there with me on this concept...

I was listening to the news about hurricane this and hurricane that, reports that seem to consume some part of the late summer news. I began to visualize these brainstorms off of the Atlantic. You know, serif and sans serif fonts going round and round in this upside down cone. Funneled towards land. As if somehow this would ground (pun intended) itself. Photos and illustrations being sucked up along the way. Designers, art directors, photographers, illustrators, clients, and marketing directors on the ground scattering every which way, desperately running for cover.

I have this great visual and it's in full motion. I can almost feel the humidity and being a southern california girl that's really a stretch for me.

So I think to myself - why don't brainstorms have the same naming conventions as hurricanes? For example, we'd call this one Brainstorm Abby.

Poof! The vision suddenly disappears like a teenager when there are chores to be done.

I chuckle to myself. Aha. The reason for rules in brainstorming... to herd cats ehr, I mean artists.

Spin on my friends!