eleMENTAL Design by Paul Greco

If necessity is the mother of invention, one of the sons or daughters will have to carry it through. That old adage of 10% inspiration followed by 90% perspiration still holds true. "Nothing happens by itself... it all will come your way, once you understand that you have to make it come your way, by your own exertions." -Ben Stein (from "Win Ben Stein’s Money"?) This is known by just about anyone who has actually accomplished anything. That said, all human endeavors have one common thread: Concept, development and completion, or what might collectively be known as design. Early Beetle design sketch from Battle For The Beetle -Robert Bentley Publishers Webster’s dictionary defines the word design as to think up and plan out in the mind, or to create for a specific function or end, and, to make a pattern or sketch of, or to think up and draw the plans for. Everything we touch has seen the process of design. Even nature has a design process, though humans cannot always see or understand how it works. There, a higher power guides it, but for human undertakings, we rely on nature’s greatest gift to mankind: Our brain, and the power of creativity it holds. Creativity is unique to humans (except for a few monkeys, I think they are from the Suffolk chapter). I like to call it the ability to make 1+1=3. Today’s buzzwords might be "realization" "insight" "vision" or "thinking out of the box," but it is still the same old story; the ability to take existing knowledge and put it together or extract from it something completely new. How our brain does this is not completely understood, but as I like to remind my boss, you can’t schedule it. When it happens, I gratefully accept it as a blessing, but it can be stimulated! Every time a person wanders around a car show, or picks up a magazine, their ability to create is stirred. Those late night "bull sessions" do the same. This concept is known as brainstorming, and has at its core the rule that any idea is acceptable and should not be criticized. This brings up some issues that can block the path to that sought after creative prize; stuff like fear and anger! That’s a whole topic in itself. You probably know someone who keeps a really busy desk, or has "junk" piled or hanging around his or her shop, backyard, or living room. Well, they’re doing it – stimulating their mind, that is. I recall reading in Popular Science Magazine many years ago about a technique for stimulating the creative mind. It required pasting pictures of the things that interest you inside a large box and then sitting inside. I guess that i s one form of meditation, which not only quiets the mind, but also excites it at the same time! Any way you try it, the minds eye can be opened. Besides surrounding ourselves with stimuli, some of us might require more than a few beers or to stare out a window for hours, but there is a method for everyone. The next important consideration is what am I going to do with this newfound wisdom. My personal belief is that there is no shortage of good ideas, only the limits of the resources required to bring them to fruition. And the risk! Like ourselves, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was a "car nut" who liked to dream about the possibilities of automotive design. Unlike you or I, a much greater resource was made available in which to complete his visions. Still, who could have foresaw the impact his work would have on the world, or that it would take almost 40 more years to reach it's zenith. The world is full of uncertainty, but one cannot allow that to prevent the attempt. I have come to accept that any endeavor I attempt will have to be tried at least two times before it is even close to being right. History has shown this to be true with every introduction of new technology. It probably took hundreds of years for the Samurai warriors to perfect the manufacture of their swords, but I’m sure they realized the power of their invention immediately. The opportunities for creativity are ever present with every decision we make, every time we speak, and especially when we dream. Don’t let the controversy of opinion in the vein of "air verses water" or "front verses rear" distract you. These age-old issues may never be fully resolved. The world we know is fueled by our imagination and we now realize that it is best to let it run free! So take a chance, but the next time somebody laughs at your idea or says it will never work or whatever, remember that you know better and are aware of the existence of the creative process, and yes, it is definitely a process.