Archive for Creativity
Creative Simplification
Posted by: | CommentsWe rarely think of a function of creativity as simplification, but it’s a useful trait. How do we do it? Seek streamlining of processes, procedures, ways of doing things…Here’s one simple technique from Dr. Edward DeBono, inventor of Lateral Thinking.
Look around and choose 3 items you can see- chandelier, calculator, fan. Now pick any 3 other words randomly (Notebook, CD, external harddrive…) and see if you can use one of the words in the second set of 3 to simplify one of the first words.
So, recognizing that some ideas come to us fully formed (rarely) and that some need further development, here are some possible ideas-
- the spiral binding on the notebook makes me think of a fan moving around the ceiling to cover a wider area
- external harddrive makes me think that a calculator could store certain regular expenditures so we don’t have to start from the beginning each time
- CD is writable on one side (not on the other) so maybe a chandelier crystals can reflect iridescence in one light and have a strobe or dimmer effect from another perspective
You just look for connection between any of the elements and remembering the focus is to simplify, then anything is fair game, whether far-fetched or not.
Your turn- practice with the items above or substitute one set and try to find simplifications, or just start with another set of lists, keeping them random. Have fun and be aware it’s also serious fun with real potential outcomes of value!
Clutter as Delayed Decision-making
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And I write....where?
Clutter is delayed decision-making? You mean it’s not Creative Clutter? Yes, it’s true that because I can see possibilities in most anything and because I teach creative thinking using props, my stashes of stuff are rightly awaiting their day in the limelight. But a recent ‘whack in the side of my head’ reminded me of the mind-body (intangible- tangible) connection- to whit, my physical clutter was a result of my mental clutter. Ouch! How can that be when I teach people how to think effectively?
A friend dropped this one-liner the other evening and it shot through my bones like a flash. Yup, it felt so right! Thinking of my various project piles, boxes of client files from past work, resouces and articles groaning under the weight of my intent to turn them into products one day, I had been telling myself that the delay was because I didn’t know the technology. True to a degree.
But I’ve taken some courses, acquired the equipent and certainly know how to think my way through the missing bits….what has been missing has been Read More→
Calling Your Creative BLUF
Posted by: | CommentsDan Roan wrote the simple yet insightful book The Back of the Napkin. In it he uses visual thinking to understand and work through issues. I’ll cover that in upcoming posts.
An insight he learned from the Marines and Naval officers about communicating ideas is the BLUF principle.
When presenting to a senior officer, always keep BLUF in mind:
- Bottom
- Line
- Up
- Front
Put another way, literally: Bottom line up front. In other words, get to the point immediately. If that is compelling, there will be plenty of time for details later.
Context plays a part, as some decisions must be made in a hurry, under duress, or on a deadline. That’s not usually the way of academia, unless it’s test time. Business falls in between.
One of the ways we can get to the point quickly is by using thinking tools. Over the next month I’ll introduce some of these and demonstrate how you can use them to gain mental clarity and get tasks done in the real world.
Mind Chi and Memes
Posted by: | CommentsI am a Mind Chi Mentor, teaching Mind Chi workshops and embedding the concepts in people and companies Iwork with.
In their new book, Mind Chi, authors (and my friends and long-time colleagues) Richard Israel and Vanda North suggest a method of harnessing the explosive power of a meme in moving us from our present situation to our chosen professional goals as well. The meme acts as the proverbial stake in the ground which keeps us from wandering too far off. It also serves to attract all our thoughts and actions into alignment as we take actions and make choices on the way to achieving our goals. So the meme acts as both a lightning rod and conductor of all our thoughts and actions, gathering momentum like a rising tide to catapult us towards our desired outcomes.
To set up a Mind Chi Plan you need to include the following elements:
• Your chosen goal and current reality in relation to that goal- as clear in your mind as possible by imagining through all your senses what it looks like, sounds like, feels like, tastes like and smells like
• Your transformational Mind Chi meme- a positive self-talk phrase that directs and aligns your thoughts in support of your goal
• Your current Mind Chi BEAT- acknowledgement of how you are currently functioning at levels of Body, Emotions, Actions and Thoughts in relation to your goal
• Your preferred Mind Chi BEAT- expression of how you want to feel at levels of Body, Emotions, Actions and Thoughts when your goal is achieved
• Action steps to move you from where you are to where you want to be, recognizing that some steps will become clearer as you move towards your goal
So if your goal were to ‘be an effective speaker’, and you assess your current situation to be that ‘my presentation skills are weak and I get nervous in large groups’ then you could set up a meme that says “I choose to improve my presentation skills and enjoy presenting.” You then analyze your Mind Chi BEAT for both your current situation and desired goal and set up action steps that move you towards your target, knowing that new steps will become evident as you get closer to your target.
The underlying dynamic of the Mind Chi Plan is structural tension , where you practice ‘flexible focus’, noticing the discrepancy, distance, or tension between the way things are now and how you want them to be. You use the transformational power of the meme to keep you on track as you take action steps towards achieving your goal. While your goal remains fixed, although further clarity make arise as your get closer, your day to day BEAT will be changing. This is transformation in the works and can be applied to any goal, humble or audacious.
This process can be applied to multiple goals in your business and personal life. By capitalizing on the power of the meme you send strong messages to your subconscious to align with your chosen goals, which facilitates their manifestation. As you grow in ability to ‘work your meme’, you gain personal power that will spread to anywhere you are active. You then become what I refer to as a ‘Meme Beam’, causing transformation on ever-expanding levels of impact. You have become the change you seek in the world, and your expression of creative infidelity referenced earlier will have become a virtue.
Memes Spur Creative Infidelity
Posted by: | CommentsBy the way, continuing our look at the power of memes, the meme itself comes with no value judgement; it exists to replicate and perpetuate itself. It is we humans who latch on to new memes and manage the change by adding our labels, values, rationales and justifications to a meme. This then allows and, indeed, invites us to practice ‘creative infidelity’ by looking and acting in new novel ways as we seek to stay up to date in the modern world. Over time, as many people accept the meme and it becomes embedded in society, that becomes part of the acceptable cultural tradition.
Memes do happen naturally as cultures and ideas bump up against each other; with outcomes unknown. I believe you can, however, harness the power of your mind and use creativity tools to stimulate and leverage meme generation. This process has been used in history by people who wanted to wield power or make a difference, at any level, for good or evil.
We can also use the power of memes ourselves, starting on a personal level, to design the life of our dreams and move upward and outward to ‘be the change’ we seek in the world. I will share with you a strategic dynamic to facilitate that in the next post!
Creative Infidelity Introduced
Posted by: | CommentsSo, what’s creative infidelity?
Popular topic these days, infidelity; and no, I’m not going to give you ’50 Creative Ways to Leave Your Spouse’. What I’m referring to here is a dynamic based on a new niche in psychology referred to as memetics, as popularized in Richard Brodie’s book Virus of the Mind. He defines a ‘meme’ as an idea, or unit of information, in one person’s mind that self-replicates, or spreads to other minds virally. They are internal representations of knowledge, or views on how we see the world, that result in outward effects on the world.
In any culture, be it national, ethnic or corporate, there is a rigorous survival dance between the forces of tradition and change. Tradition exemplifies stability and therefore asks fidelity, or faithfulness, to ways steeped in the history or past experience of that environment. The rituals, practices and processes that are carved out by way of either ‘the proper way it’s done’, habit or so-called ‘best-practice’ allows the identity of that group to be perpetuated and recognized by practitioners and outsiders alike. Torch bearers, card carriers and brand consistency are all terms associated with the ‘memes’ that beat the drum of belonging and keepin’ on keepin’ on.
Meanwhile, we’re all bombarded with reminders that change is the new paradigm and only those who can keep up with- or even better- become change agents, will survive. This new meme of the urgent imperative to embrace, foster and even champion change requires we engage in ‘creative infidelity’. We have to challenge old norms and previous ways of ‘business as usual’. We have to become unfaithful to and divorced from old, cozy habits which may have served us well in the past and we must come up with novel ways to perpetuate our cultural or corporate lineage. This requires courting new ideas, seducing untapped talent and value from existing resources, making new connections in the name of progress and engaging all parties involved to go along with the new ways of performing. And we assume it is progress.
ABC’s of Creativity-Attitude to look for Alternatives
Posted by: | Comments‘A’ stands for the ‘attitude to look for alternatives’.
A creative orientation invites an exploration of multiple options or alternatives before choosing the best one, based on why you need the idea and what the context is. Sometimes the ‘best’ idea overall is simply too expensive or too time-consuming for practical implementation at this time, can’t be undertaken by the staff you have or isn’t supported by current market conditions. Then you move to try on other ideas for size and fit and take action.
By knowing how to generate multiple alternatives, you know you will never be forced to choose a bad option just because it’s the only one or because it is the easy way out.
Inviting alternatives from the group allows for ideas of many people to be heard, not just the loudest, most forceful or senior person’s suggestion.
Finally, for now, having an ever-refreshing pool of alternative ideas to work from means Read More→
ABC’s of Creativity:Belief there’s a Better Way
Posted by: | CommentsAmong creative mindsets, the B Mindset stands for: belief there’s a better way and how you behave based on your varying perceptions. This is a two-part Mindset.
The belief there’s a better way continues the search for alternatives, knowing that by making the effort to widen the idea pool you are likely to choose and develop better ideas than you would by settling for the first one that comes along. A powerful side benefit is that by having to explore, select and choose among ideas, you are more confident in the ones you do go with; it serves as a kind of validation. This becomes extremely useful both when reporting to senior management and when defending your choices to colleagues or clients. When you believe there may be a better way to do something, your antennas are always up in a sweep of the possibility horizon. You sniff out unrecognized opportunities, undervalued resources, shortcuts, upgraded new ways to do an old task or look at an issue. Sometimes the focus is on new and better ways to utilize an existing product or service, sometimes on new products or services you could create to meet an emerging need, cool new ways to tap and delight your market, alternative processes to get the job done more efficiently or effectively, or sensing that some person would be a great fit for some project.
As for behavior, Read More→
