One thing that nature can really reveal us, is that from the stormy weather, there can be always surprises that keep us wondering. Thats what innovation is.... expectation for a surprise.
About innovation processes.... our mind is a well of ideas.... and an idea (as a surprise) can be a source of innovation... so, how can that occur "out of the blue"? What would be the right context to nurture your ideas? How much aware/ awareness have you from your surrounding world? How can you properly select or filter your ideas and get to the one that leads to innovation?
Of course that during our lives there's lots of noise that can't keeps always think in creation for innovative products, services, politics... whatsoever.... Many companies try to reproduce a favourable environment to enhance creation that leads to innovation.... which as good results (IDEO, 3M.... etc etc). But as a rainbow appears because some variables just gather properly in a time range, so innovation and ideas appear.
Da Vinci for instance, (and much more) had a inner source of ideas and most of it through observation ....
So observation through our possible senses, would be one of the keys.
But for itself
observation can't produce an action ... so you begin another development step: which is
questioning... like a child discovering things for the first time, trying to make sense of its surroundings....exploring and answering the naive questions (shape, proportion, colours , sounds, purpose, transmitted emotion, .... in a repeated process).
Do you feel like have answered the bulk of the questions? Can you figure a path for it ? Does it tell you anything... Can the answers
communicate with you in a compelling fashion and keep you connected?
Then lets
try it.... lets build your own scenarios and see how it goes you can imagine how would it be (does it exists already and anyone looking for your idea...?), or can actually make, produce, at the beginning as the simplest form as you can reduce it, but as a sample which is relevant for your idea....
does it work? good! innovation complete!
doesn't work ... good in the same way (lots of steps have been crossed , and you have now more info that you were at the beginning) try it again as an iterative and feedback process; If this process is taking too much of your resources (better establish a limit from the beginning and stay with it! ) then you have to be humble enough to leave it.
Do you have a tangible thought? Do you want to keep it for yourself? or otherwise do you want to show it to the world and make it go forward?
If you want to show it..... get your
compelling story for your idea and sell it....as much as you can, keep more ideas coming and get people as enthusiastic as you for you innovation.
Soul... is the master piece achievement.... the push forward strength that can tell you to believe on the art that you have just done, and to convince other to the same belief.... will be what it can differs from other.
Enjoy innovation and have good ideas!