“Creativity in Times of Chaos”
What the world needs in all things is creativity - and what we all have in abundance is creativity - most of us just don’t flex or work our creative muscles as often as we can and could and might…if we thought about it differently.
What is Creativity?
Creativity: The ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things.
Some synonyms for creativity: originality, imagination, inspiration, ingenuity, inventiveness, resourcefulness, vision.
Doesn’t that describe you?
Words are Powerful
What we say comes true. By saying something, we make it real to us even if it isn’t real in reality. Get rid of your limiting beliefs about creativity. You ARE CREATIVE! Say it aloud, because it is true.
“I can’t draw” is untrue. Everyone can draw a stick figure without thinking and it’s a powerful communication tool. Stop comparing yourself to others and enjoy your creativity!
“When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something… That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” ~Steve Jobs, founder of Apple
The Letter Game
Use this game for a quick and easy brainstorming technique with a group of people to get the creative juices flowing:
- Choose a letter
- Determine the direction of play (clockwise, counter-clockwise, etc.)
- Each person must say a new word that begins with that letter
Resources Mentioned to Keep Close at Hand
Joe Vitale’s book Hypnotic Writing (click here for Amazon link)
20,000+ Words by Zoubek, Condon, & Leslie (click here for Amazon link)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (click here for Amazon link)
“The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.” ~Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
The idea of the book is to take a chapter a week for 12 weeks. Some of the ideas included that are particularly effective are:
- Morning Pages - do a “mind dump” every morning for 3 pages to get the “ick” out, so that great ideas and inspirations have room to emerge.
- Artists Date - plan a date with yourself to something different, fun, and inspired. Some ideas are to go to a museum, zoo, dime store, etc.
- Media Break - a full week off from pleasure reading, television, films, radio, etc. Just yourself thinking, being, and observing. It’s tough, but very rewarding.
“In the middle of a hard project, I remind people to do something else. Sometimes people need to work on something completely different to get the best ideas.” ~Brad Fregger, CEO of 1st World Library
Juicing the Orange by Pat Fallon & Fred Senn (click here for Amazon link)
How to turn creativity into a powerful business advantage! They give Seven Principles of Creative Leverage:
- Always start from scratch
- Demand a ruthlessly simple definition of the business problem (127 specific questions in three fields of interrogation to find the one consumer insight that forms the basis for the solution. The questions are not listed in the book, but can be found on their website: www.juicingtheorange.com)
- Discover a proprietary emotion
- Focus on the size of the idea, not the size of the budget
- Seek out Strategic Risks
- Collaborate or Perish
- Listen hard to your customers (and then listen some more)
Fight FEAR
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.” ~John Cleese, British Comedian
The Creativity Book by Eric Maisel, PhD (click here for the Amazon link)
A year’s worth of inspiration and guidance, broken into weeks with a variety of exercises, such as a version of the artist’s date and asking unusual questions: “Should a leader strive to be moral or strive to be effective?”
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp (click here for the Amazon link)
Full of exercises, stories, and personal examples of how creating habits that nurture creativity really do work. One point in particular: when we prepare to be creative, set the stage and atmosphere, and have the tools on hand…we can be more creative.
What tools can you keep close to help get your creative juices flowing? Pen, pencil, paper, books, bookshelf with favorite books, quotes, etc. are all great!
“Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. They are any man’s greatest asset - ideas.” ~Harvey Firestone
