He combines the past Californian surf style (i.e. flat surface tricks like spinning 360 degrees) with the current urban street style (i.e. jumping staircases, sliding down rails, flipping the skateboard, etc) and forgets about what is impossible. It’s as if physics do not apply to him. Past and present together make him a unique and unforgettable skateboarder.

With rally cries for innovative entrepreneurship to usher in the next wave of industry, it’s easy to forget about the past. It’s always inspiring to thumb through old advertising awards books. It can be refreshing to see campaigns without the influence of Photoshop—when the idea wasn’t so stylized and masked in intricate design work.

As we are constantly looking for the next new advertising campaign, products, service, etc, it’s easy to remember what happened two, three, five, years ago. But look deeper. Advertising campaigns have been around a lot longer than ten years. Dig deep into the past creative works and see what the guiding principles were then and how they’ve changed. Connecting the past brilliance with today’s thinking will yield something new, different and interesting.

Blending different eras together makes Rodney unique, different and a blast to watch. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he goes beyond the basics to be an inventor of new.

Take a look at this video to see how fusing different eras can inspire creativity.

Too often we are bound to one dimensional thinking; too often we ask, “what can fit inside this frame?” For example, how many lawn care services can one town have? Mowing grass is all the same… it’s one dimensional. What if you dare to be more? What if you incorporated a social mission into your business–give it depth, meaning and character. No longer are you just another lawn care service, you have a emotional connection with the community and do good by your business and those you support.

To further illustrate multi-dimensional thinking, I stumbled across this incredible video that embodies many of the key characteristics of multi-dimensional thinking:

How does this video work in multi-dimensions:

Scrap and Start Anew — The artists that created this video were not afraid to scrap and paint over time intensive and intricate designs.

Be Ruthless — Be ruthless and re-examine what is possible. As you can see, this video incorporates many artistic styles that make it fascinating and unique.

Be Cohesive — It’s not enough to just throw random ideas at a wall and hopefully one will stick. It’s about having a clear mission and statement. Just because Revlon wants to paint a mural in make-up doesn’t mean it’s right for them. This video uses a motion and layers to create a cohesive and interesting story.

Be Off-the-wall — Literally. This piece starts on the floor, moves to one wall, then another, to the second floor, then back to the first–circling around the courtyard. One of the most important and unique qualities of this video is it is not bound by one setting.

The value in this video is that it showcases creative thinking that works. It’s about creating layers and multiple dimensions. When you have a new idea, explore it. Don’t dwell on what has been, explore what is possible.

Homer explores every gluttonous pleasure to design a $82,000 car (dubbed “The Homer”) for the “everyday person.” Equipped with tail fins, a bubble dome and three horns that play, “La Cucaracha,” the touted car of the future is a hideous monstrosity of a vehicle. The auto maker goes out of business and bankrupts Herb Simpson.

Without the middle men, Homer had free reign to do whatever he pleased. Why not put a tail fin on a car? It looks cool, right? No one could answer this question in the planning stages. It was only when the car made it to the showroom was the question answered. It is cool, right?

Had Herb kept the marketers, brand managers, research and development teams, he would be able to answer that question. No, Homer, no one thinks it’s cool. You are the only one that would want to buy such a hideous car, but couldn’t afford it.

As CEO, Herb had a strategic vision of where the company should be heading. Up until his encounter with his brother, he relied on that vision and had met success doing so. When he reunited with his brother, Herb abandoned that vision, cut out the “middle men” and ceded total creative control to his dim-witted brother.

Had Herb kept his team, they could guide Homer to a practical solution. As you launch new products and services, make sure there is a market. Is anyone going to say, wow, that’s cool? Just because you really think it’s an amazing idea, it’s critical to have a marketing opportunity and target audience to support your ideas and ensure they are viable. Last thing you want, is “The Homer” in your display case.

Every time our landlord or friend stops by, it’s always, “How’s the professor?” I’ve had many animals (a dog, cat and some others, turtle, gecko you name it) and no one has been “enthusiastic” about seeing them.

Though she is a black dwarf bunny, the back-story (her degree in herbology) is what makes her a visitor favorite. She is not just another bunny, she’s one with a degree in herbology from Cornell.

Creating a compelling story makes products, people, brands and things more interesting. Take example from a luxury brand such as the Ritz Carlton. In general, purveyors of luxury are detail-oriented. Cherries are not just cherries, they’re port cherries, and a French crisp salad is no ordinary leafy pile–it’s pepato, hearts of palm, white crane springs greens, villa manodori balsamic.

Details, details, details. Think of Harry Potter. From Quidditch to elaborate spell names like Aguamenti and Expelliarmus (there’s an entire dictionary of HP spell names on Wikipedia), J.K. Rowling was so detail-oriented she was able to create such a real, yet imaginary world.

Though details can create the illusion of a compelling product (i.e. Denny’s couldn’t go into Ritz Carlton-type of detail), it has to be authentic. If your salad has white crane spring greens, then say so. But if you purchased your leafy greens at TOPS, don’t fluff an already boring product.

In the end, it’s about being appropriate. It’s fun to have a dwarf bunny that has a degree from an ivy league school.