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ARC stands for: Add, Relate, Communicate
Transclude of How-ARC-+-Basic-Idea-Emergence
ARC depicts the flow of your ideas across time and space. But it does more than that. It provides a practical framework that empowers you to reclaim the core of your creative process.
We can’t cover too much about ARC here (that’s what we do in the workshop), but in a nutshell: ARC gives energy to your ideas. Here’s a basic workflow:
Basic ARC Ideation Workflow
When something sparks with you, add it to your ideaverse.
When you are ready, relate the new thing to other things. In Ideaverse Pro, we can only briefly cover three simple but effective note-making techniques. Even though they are simple, if you habitualize any of them, it will transform the way you interact with ideas.
- R&R
- This & That
- BLANK Because
R&R stands for “Remark & Relate”. That’s the core of active, engaged thinking. We are just making it visible and shapeable in our digital ideaverse. What did you add to your ideaverse? What can you say about it? What is it related to?
This & That provides an elegant solution to R&R. It’s a prompt that goes: “It’s about THIS, but it’s really about THAT.” The first part is the surface level answer; the second part is the deeper answer. With this prompt alone, you’ve accomplished R&R.
To add more flavor, challenge yourself to answer the BLANK Because. It’s a prompt that goes, “It’s BLANK because…” All you have to do is fill in the blank and answer why. For example, “It’s important because it reminds me of my dad.” Easy.
If you are getting lost or wondering “what’s the point” you need to fast-forward to communicate and immediately find a way to share your thoughts. If your motivation is lagging, it’s usually because there is nothing at the end of ARC to pull the ideas forward. Is this something for work? Is this something you can share with family, friends, or the internet at large? At the very least, challenge yourself to email a sharable draft to yourself.
ARC isn’t just a method; it’s a mindset that breathes life into your ideas. By adding, relating, and communicating, you’re not only nurturing your creativity but also building bridges that connect your thoughts to the world—making every idea a stepping stone towards personal and shared growth.