A lightbulb is not an idea!

How images support your text

Why do some images support a text better than others? Let’s start with a quick example:

Illustration of an idea

Creativity is the ability to imagine something that isn’t there — yet. Its core ingredient are ideas. An idea is a new thought that springs up from existing knowledge. Thoughts collide — something “clicks” in our mind.

If you want more ideas, it helps to have more knowledge. We first immerse ourselves in a topic and learn about a subject as much as possible. The more thoughts we have on what is, the likelier it is that some of them combine to an image of what could be.

The typical creative cycle has two parts: to take in knowledge and then let your mind do its associative magic. Creative work is basically like breathing. We take in information and emit new ideas.

Now let’s get back to what makes a good illustration! How did the images above help me make my point? How did they support the text?