Film director Frank Capra observed: “A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”
I was reminded of this while organising the IAF Oceania Conference, where a few hunches, shared and explored together, became some of the moments people remembered most.
Have you had an idea visit you via a hunch? It might have been a fleeting insight glimpsed out of the corner of your eye, or a feeling that briefly visited and left. Or maybe a hunch arrived with a deep sense of knowing, and you grabbed it and worked hard to bring it to life.
Creative ideas often have humble beginnings: small glimpses and tiny intuitive ‘aha’ moments. Acting on a hunch takes a leap of faith. There may be no early proof the idea will work, and others may think it foolish, far-fetched or destined to fail.
Others are entitled to their views, and some advice is worth hearing. But you can still choose to follow your hunch.
Have you had hunches and disregarded them? Recognised something unique and dismissed it? Maybe you thought it foolish, vague, or too much work and energy? Only to see that idea come to life somewhere else, by someone else. Ouch.
Next time a hunch appears, peer a little closer, listen a little more, and be curious about what’s emerging.
Hatch a Hunch Creative Activity
Some ideas arrive with a deep sense of knowing. Others need time before we can see what they might become. What hunches have you or your team been sitting on?
You’ll need: paper and pens. For a more hands-on experience, cut out some paper egg shapes.
Time: allow 20 to 30 minutes, or longer for deeper exploration and discussion.
Begin with a quick, playful round to get your hunches onto paper. Let ideas flow without judging, sorting or deciding which are worth pursuing. Then slow down, give them some thoughtful attention, and explore what they might become.
1. Draw an egg and make a nest
Draw an egg or use a paper egg shape. Give each hunch its own egg. Write or draw the idea, feeling, observation or question that’s bubbling away. Begin with “I have a hunch that…” and see what emerges. It can be vague, unfinished or a little far-fetched. Gather your eggs together and draw a nest around them.
2. Allow time for incubation
Choose one or two hunches to explore more closely. Now that they’re out of your head, spend a little time with each one. What sparked it? What might it offer? What would help it develop?
If you’re working with others, pair up and share. Be curious about each other’s hunches. What question, connection, resource or perspective might add value? Treat each other’s hunches with warmth and generosity.
3. What might be hatching?
Now that you’ve spent time with your chosen eggs, consider which kind each one is:
- The Golden Egg. This hunch feels promising and is taking shape. What gives you confidence in it? What qualities and details make it worth developing? Consider how much time, energy, and resources you’d like to invest.
- The Wild Egg. This is the unusual or unexpected idea that landed out of the blue. It may be wild, but it’s worth testing. Seek other perspectives or try a small experiment to see what you learn.
- The Resting Egg. This hunch isn’t ready yet. It may need more shaping, or more resources than you have right now. Let it rest, keep your nest somewhere safe, and revisit it in a month. Resting eggs have a way of surprising us.
As a team, you may see the same egg differently. Talk about that. What is each person noticing? There’s no need to agree straight away, and an egg can change places as you learn more.
4. Help it hatch
Choose the hunch you’d like to bring to life. What small actions can you take to help it along? It might be a conversation, a quick sketch or prototype, ten minutes of research, or sharing it with someone you trust.
I wonder what’s hatching for you and your team?