If you’ve not seen the new documentary about the Beatles on Disney+ “Get Back“, you should…even if you’re just a casual fan.
Not only is it an intimate look at the Beatles on the verge of breaking up but an incredible inside look at how they developed some of their biggest hits.
Oh, and there are also some real-life tips all of us can can use to be more productive and to brainstorm better!
Medium outlines a few of them including:
The “yes and” rule It’s the first rule of improvisation. Instead of saying “no” to something, say “yes” and try to add something. George gets too negative while they’re working on “Don’t Let Me Down” so John and Paul stop him. Don’t shoot other stuff down unless you’ve got something better to offer.
Keep going but know when it’s time to stop. There’s a scene where they keep trying to hammer out “Let It Be” but Paul realizes they’re burnt out on it and suggests they step away and move on to something else for a while.
One conversation at a time There aren’t a lot of moments when the group interrupts each other. They’re mostly polite and let the others finish.
Embrace happy accidents They’re working on George’s song “All Things Must Pass” and John says the line, “A WIND can blow those clouds away” would be better as a “MIND” can blow them away. George’s handwriting made it look like the word “mind” but he ultimately ran with it and changed the lyric because he liked it better.
Don’t pass judgement too quickly Often the group tries stuff without expectations to see what happens and wait until later to judge whether it’s good or not. Then they make changes where they need to.
Don’t be scared to look silly or even stupid They toss lots of ideas around and many are bad but some of them end up leading to GOOD ideas.
If other people don’t like an idea, let it go The director of the original movie they were making in 1969 really wanted to do their last concert in a big outdoor venue in Tripoli and kept bringing it up, even after they rejected it. The band eventually performed (memorably) on the roof of Apple Records.
Don’t forget to eat! They often recharged with tea and toast. Sometimes a small break like that lets you shift your focus so new ideas emerge.
Hey…if it worked for them, maybe it’ll work for you, too!
