People tend to call on me when they have a problem with their homes – a long-standing issue they can no longer ignore or something new created by a change in circumstance. Either way, it’s just human nature to have a problem with problems. Often we don’t even want to acknowledge they exist for fear of discovering bigger, uglier problems lurking beneath!
Me – I love problems. Once you clearly identify a problem, you’re already half way to solving it. The key usually lies in understanding the problem itself, and applying a little bit of creative thinking to unlock it.
I got to thinking about this after watching ‘Dancing on Ice – The Story of Bolero’ on TV last night – a documentary about Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s record-breaking routine at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. As a teenager, I watched them skate to victory and remember both the beauty of the ‘Bolero’ routine and the acclaim that followed when they were awarded full marks by each of the 12 judges – a feat that hasn’t been matched before or since.
But what I found intriguing, watching the documentary, was how this extraordinary performance essentially started out as a problem. The original ‘Bolero’ piece by Ravel is 17 mins long – the competition rules only allow only 4 minutes skating time. Torvill & Dean hired a composer and worked with him to condense the key elements of the piece to meet the competition requirements. After working on the piece for 3 days, they managed to reduce it to 4 mins… and 28 seconds. No matter how hard they tried they couldn’t make it any shorter without losing the things they loved about the music.
Many might have given up at this point, picked another piece and worked with that instead but Torvill & Dean knew this was the right music for them and were determined to use it. When they examined the competition rules, they discovered the ’4 minute’ clock on the routine only started when their skates made contact with the ice – and so they designed a routine where they didn’t make contact with the ice for the first 28 seconds! What they created as a result was iconic, ground-breaking and, of course, Olympic Gold.
Had they been able to condense Bolero into 4 minutes exactly, would they have come up with as memorable an opening? The need to solve the problem of the extra 28 seconds made them look at their work from a completely different angle. It was creative thinking at its most elegant – a response that not only solves the initial problem but enhances and improves the whole, taking it to new heights.
I know I’ve struck gold when a client tells me I’ve presented them with an idea for their home they’d never have thought of themselves and, instead of seeing a problem, they start to get excited about new possibilities. Next time you’re feeling dissatisfied about your home, remember this – as troublesome and annoying as a problem like lack of space or natural light may be, it also brings the opportunity to create something new and better. All it takes is a little creative thinking. Now isn’t that music to your ears?
If you found this article of interest, you may also like:
It’s Not About Looks – Good Design Works
Elephant in the Room 1: The Bad Extension
Elephant in the Room 2: Spaced Out
Do you have any any pet peeves about housing or home design? Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this subject or any other home improvement or design issues you’d like to see featured.
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