Creativity Management

Creativity Management ? Artists and Creativity

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

Artists and Creativity

There is a common perception that being creative and being an artist are one and the same. That if you are one, then you are also the other. This is bad thinking:

a) What people are referring to is their perception of a creative type. In fact it is highly contentious that there is a creative type at all. Whilst some theorists argue that there are creativity traits such as tolerance for ambiguity and intolerance for conformity, others counter that these traits are hard to identify and are situation dependent. Further, motivation is more important than traits.

b) If creativity is problem identification and idea generation then we all have this ability. Further, we can all produce large numbers of ideas, numbers of diverse ideas and numbers of novel ideas. This is related to task competency.

c) Creativity is a cognitive ability. People may look "creative," but this is a bad guide to their actual cognitive performance.

d) There are many types of "artists." Poets and painters are two very different types. Bunching all "artists" together compounds confusion. The ability of painter, for example, is related to at least two factors. First, there is his or her cognitive activity ? what he or she finds aesthetically pleasing etc. Second, there is the mechanical capability of being able to translate those images onto a physical canvas with paint. This second ability is related to the hard wiring of the painter ? motor neurons etc.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com/

Kal Bishop MBA, is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

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9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same number of hours in each day. For most people, the hours available are usually less than the hours needed to get everything done. However, by using the following principles of creativity, you should be able get more done in less time, while making certain that you are doing what's most important and moving yourself closer to your goals.

1. Start with quiet focus

When you have a lot to do, your first instinct is probably to hit the ground running. If you feel you have a tremendous amount to do, you may feel the urge to jump in and get started on your work. Rather than doing that, take a few minutes to get calm and organize your thoughts. Think of this as a short form of meditation; just try to empty your mind. After you have done this, your focus, energy, and perspective will all be improved. Taking a few minutes up front to center yourself can make you tremendously more productive.

2. Brainstorm your day

Take a piece of paper (it can be a loose sheet, but it can be helpful if it's part of a designated notebook or planner) and write down everything you need to do that day. Let your mind flow, and get everything out. As with all creative exercises, don't criticize your ideas. Don't think of something you'd like to do and then not write it down because you think you won't be able to do it or that you shouldn't do it. The most important thing here is that you get everything onto the page.

3. Apply the 80/20 Rule to your List

Take this list you've created and apply the 80/20 rule to it. Remember, 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your effort. Circle only the 20% of items that will yield 80% of those results. This step will focus your day down to the critical tasks you must get down.

4. Chunk Up

For each circled activity, chunk up. Put the bigger picture in perspective. This will refocus and motivate you to work on it. Or, it may make you realize that the task is not as important as you thought. Having a 'why' is very helpful in getting us to work towards our goal, especially if the task is something we're not excited about doing.

5. Chunk Down

For each circled item remaining on the list, chunk down. Break the items down into smaller parts. You should strive to get them to a point where each task is broken down into a series of single action items. How big each item is depends on your work style. I like my action items to be things I can complete between 15 minutes and 1 hour.

6. Prioritize your list

Prioritize every item on your list. A simple way to do this is look at your list and ask yourself, 'at the end of today, what one thing on my list, if finished, will have the biggest positive impact on my life?' The answer to that is your number one priority. Ask that question again with the remaining items on your list. That's your number two item. Continue this until your list is complete.

7. Schedule those activities

For every action item in step 5, schedule when you will do it and how long it will take. Resolve to stick to the schedule. You can take two approaches to scheduling. First, and the way to ensure you get the most important work done, is to schedule your first priority item first in the day, then your second, and so on. You can also schedule your high priority items during your most productive hours. You have high and low productive times during the day. You know when they are, not me (if you don't know, pay attention to yourself for the next couple of weeks and figure it out). Scheduling this way ensures you devote your best time to the most important activities, but if your most productive time is not first thing in the morning you run a greater risk of your high priority items not being done.

8. Go with the Flow

Be aware that the day has a way of stealing your time. Keep your 80/20 priorities in mind when new things come up. Make sure to prioritize and evaluate new things that come. Don't sacrifice an important item on your list to do something less important. At the same time, keep an open mind and be willing to flow with new items. Your schedule and list is there to help you. If something new comes up that will be more beneficial for you, go with it.

9. Go one at a time

Work through you list and schedule in the order you have it. For big tasks, don't be overwhelmed by the number of tasks, just work through them one at a time. Put your attention solely on the task at hand. For the vital action items, try to remove distractions. Turn off the phone, close the door, or work at a time when everyone else is asleep. You can finish a task that you might think would take you three hours in one hour if you put 100% of your attention on it.

Try following these 9 steps and watch your productivity explode!

About the author
Avish Parashar has a refreshingly unique approach to speaking and training: identify the fundamentals of success and then give people the tools to implement those fundamentals. Avish's approach can be deceptive; it's fun, funny, interactive, engaging, entertaining, and ridiculously simple. Success isn't complicated, it's simple. So visit the web site to learn more about the "Ridiculously Simple Ideas That Everybody Needs and Nobody Uses."

Learn More:http://www.avishparashar.com

Free Creativity Mini-Course:http://www.avishparashar.com/creativity-free-minicourse.html
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Tapping into Your Super Creative Power

Tapping into Your Super Creative Power

Do you consider yourself creative? How about super creative? Most people may not think of themselves as creative, but I believe that everyone has the potential for great creativity. They just need a little understanding and practice.

Think of two parts of the mind: the conscious, and the subconscious. The conscious is the part that thinks. It's the part that you are aware of. The subconscious handles everything else. Your bodily functions, sensory input, memories, feelings, associations, and more are all handled by the subconscious.

The subconscious is much more powerful than the conscious. The subconscious handles thousands of things every minute. The conscious mind can only focus on one. Even when you think you multi-task, you are actually switching your focus very quickly between different things.

The real power of creativity lies in the subconscious. Your creativity comes out of all the things you are not aware of -- memories you don't remember, things you have seen but have not noticed, and feelings within you that naturally occur. All of your new great ideas are lying inside of your subconscious, right now. The trick is in figuring out how to access them.

Most people have a lot of 'gunk' (no, that's not a scientific term) inside of them. The first step towards getting to that creative subconscious part is to clear that gunk out of the way. So how does a person do that? There are many ways, but here we will talk about two common ways: meditating and Journaling.

Meditation has the reputation of being mystical and religious. For our purposes, meditation is just sitting in silence. This sounds simple, but it is very difficult. In our society we are constantly bombarded with input -- TV, radio, the Internet, other people, etc. As a result, we never sit in silence with ourselves. When you first meditate, your mind will race. These thoughts are what's in your conscious mind, and as long as they are there you are not getting in touch with your subconscious. The key here is to relax and let those thoughts go. This will seem impossible at first, but practice it. Start small, with 5 minutes a day, and work your way up.

Journaling is similar to meditating in that you are trying to get past conscious thoughts. Journaling is simply writing your thoughts down. Unlike keeping a diary, though, the kind of Journaling we are talking about it is free flow writing where your pen never stops moving and you don't care about what you write. When you start, it is ok to write 'I have nothing to write' over and over until something comes up. Don't censor yourself, and don't let your pen stop. It is best to journal in the morning, before your conscious mind has been filled with events of the day. Journaling should be done by hand, not on the computer. When you write, try to fill three pages. The first page or two will be basic conscious stuff you need to get out of your mind. Filling three pages helps get past all that.

For a good deal more on Journaling, read 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron.

If you want to start tapping into your creativity, start clearing out your gunk. Start doing some meditating (sitting in silence) or morning Journaling everyday. It won't have an immediate effect, but over time it will make you immensely powerful.

By Avish Parashar
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Creativity: The Key To Getting More Done In Less Time

Creativity: The Key To Getting More Done In Less Time

If your to-do list seems as long at the end of the day as it did at the start (or worse yet, longer!) then you could definitely use an injection of creativity in your work day.

Here are five simple ways of using your creativity to improve the quality of your day:

1) Stop banging your head against the wall -- A good chunk of the time people waste in a day is due to stressing over the same problems that face them day after day. When you have a problem that you don't know how to solve, you get paralyzed, get inefficient, and get overwhelmed. Not only do you not solve the problem, but you also start to slack off in other areas. The key is to get out of that state by using your creativity to generate more solutions to your problem. Here's one way -- sit down at a table with a blank sheet of paper. Write your problem across the top, and then force yourself to fill the page with possible solutions. Don't worry about how feasible or crazy your ideas are; you will be tapping your creativity and empowering yourself. Just keep the pen moving until you fill the page. This will free you from overwhelm and let you go about your day. Also, the new solution to your problem may very well be on that page!

2) Stop wasting time -- If you have been at your job for any period of time, you probably have a routine. Routines are great because they are safe, but once in a routine you run the risk of missing out on ways of doing it better. The worst answer you can give about why you do something is to say, 'that's the way I've always done it.' Keep your mind, eyes, and ears open for new and more efficient ways of doing things. Even if you can save 15 minutes on 4 daily tasks, that's one extra hour every day. Question and examine your routines!

3) Love your job, even if you hate it -- It's extremely difficult to be productive if you are unhappy. This leads to an ugly cycle: you don't like your job, so you are less efficient, so work piles up which adds stress, so you like your job even less, and so on and so on. If, for whatever reason, you choose to stay at a job you hate, then at least find ways of enjoying it. How does one do this? I don't know; it depends on you. This is why you have to use your creativity. You can listen to music, or set up your environment you enjoy, or work on a special project that fulfills you, etc. Life is too short to be unhappy for 1/3 of it; use your creativity to bring happiness, fulfillment, and joy into your day.

4) Get someone else to do it -- Here's an interesting fact: for every task you hate to do and are not good at doing, there's someone else out there who enjoys doing it. And, for every task you love to do and are great at, there's somebody out there who hates doing it. Find someone who hates doing what you love and loves doing what you hate, and you both can benefit immensely. You'll both get more done in less time and be happier doing it.

5) Get what needs to be done done -- This is the simplest technique that is the least used. Take a look at what you need to do today. Take a look at the item that would have the biggest positive impact on your day/life/business. This should be your number one priority. Do it first and get it done, even if other things don't get done. The challenge is that this is probably something you don't want to do (otherwise it would be done already). Get creative, get focused, and set up your day and schedule to work on your high priority tasks first, and you will get more done in less time than ever before.

There you go. Get out there, start using your creativity, stop wasting time, and spend more time doing what's important to you and your business.

By Avish Parashar
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Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street

Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street

Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back in shape time!' For me, that means strapping on the sneakers and going for a run (well, at this stage it's more of a slow loping jog...).

I live in a city (Philadelphia) so I have to deal with traffic and crosswalks when I jog. A few days ago I was out for a run and I came to a red light. I jogged in place and looked for an opening in traffic so I could cross the street and continue my exercise.

After a few moments, all the cars had passed but one. This one was approaching the intersection with it's turn signal blinking, meaning that it was going to turn before it reached me. In theory, I should have been able to safely cross the street.

I was about to go, but then I stopped. Something about the car didn't feel right. Maybe it was the speed, maybe it was the position, or maybe it was just a gut feeling. Whatever it was, I decided to wait.

Sure enough, the car whizzed right past me while its turn signal flashed on and on. I may not have gotten squashed if I tried to cross, but there probably would have been a big scene with screeching tires and honking horns.

Once the car was past, I safely proceeded on my way.

So, what does this have to do with creativity, improv, business, and life?

I personally take two powerful lessons away from this experience:

1) Always look beneath the surface.

If I took what the car claimed it was going to do (turn before it got to me) I might have ended up in a body cast. I paid attention to details in addition to what it was explicitly telling me.

Similarly, when talking with someone, it is important to pay attention to more than just what comes out of the person's mouth. Watch their body language. Listen to their tone of voice. Just because a person says one thing doesn't mean that they really fully feel that way.

2) Get out of your own head.

People spend a great deal of time wrapped up in their own thoughts. I find pedestrians and drivers to be two of the guiltiest of this. If I had been lost in my own thoughts I may have just glanced at the car's turn signal and started crossing. By putting my attention out on the world around me I was able to learn a whole lot more about the situation.

This idea is fundamental to both Creativity and Communication. Put your attention on things outside of you and your creativity will start to freely flow. Get out of your own head and your ability to listen and communicate effectively will grow exponentially.

All that just from crossing the street. Maybe I should jog more often...
By Avish Parashar
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Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side

Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side

Did you know that winning actually puts less wear and tear on the body than worrying? And did you know that you could worry yourself sick to the point that you'll end up in a hospital bed? And that, depending on the severity of the problem, when it becomes chronic and acceptable mode of conduct, it could lead to options beyond hospitalization? It could very well lead to imprisonment or interment!

Dr. Charles H. Mayo once said that half the beds in American hospitals are filled by people who worried themselves into them. The human mind seems to be like a calculator. Before you can solve a problem with it, it must be cleared of all previous problems. Worry jams up the mechanism; it short-circuits the whole operation.

It has been proven many times that by a simple change in attitude, in mental outlook, the same amount of time and energy most of us devote to worrying about our problems could be used to solving them.

Creative people look at problems as challenges. They realize that without problems, everything would come to a stop. Problems do to our emotions and psyche what pain does to our body: They keep us moving forward searching for a solution. They are responsible for every forward step we take, collectively and individually.

So, if you want to have a lot more fun and a lot less worry, try the following:

* Put your problems in their true perspective.

* See yourself as a part of the world, and the world as a part of the universe, and the universe as a part of a great and mysterious living picture.

* See problems in their true light: a temporary inconvenience.

Every problem has a solution. You may see not the solution immediately, but a solution is a available. You may not like the available solution, but in time you can change it to whatever suits you best.

Think about these the next time you are faced with a problem:

* No problem is permanent.

* Every problem has a solution.

* There are probably a number of ways to solve your problem.

* The same kind of problem has been solved a million times before some where around the world.

* You have the God-given powers to solve your problem.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

aBOUT THE AUTHOR
Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW
Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme: "... helping you maximize your potential." He offers management and marketing resources at http://www.maximizingyourpotential.blogspot.com.
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Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us, do talking mice and a multigizillion dollar company come to mind? Actually, those are only the products of his prodigious and rich creativity - dig deeper and you start to realize one of the most intriguing heritages Disney left was his processes.

Disney was a creative and problem-solving genius. He knew how to make fantasy come alive in the minds and hearts of millions of people around the world. He employed several techniques to do this, but one of the most interesting is his ability to seamlessly slip into different creative "people" or "roles."

The dreamer, the realist, the critic
One of Disney's coworkers once said: "There were actually three different Walts [and] you never knew which one was coming to your meeting." Robert Dilts, a scientist who studied Disney, called the three different Walts "the dreamer, the realist and the critic." Each persona had a specific role in the creative process, and only together did it become "Disney magic."

Dream a little dream - The dreamer

Roger von Oech, creative consultant and author of A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, actually divides the dreamer into two different roles. The explorer, where you search for tidbits of information and interesting facts, and the artist, where you rearrange all the different pieces of information to make new and interesting patterns.

Being the dreamer means you let your imagination go wild - combine random thoughts in new and unusual ways; ask what if?; try every possibility then think of a few more. There are no stupid ideas at the dreamer stage - every idea has some possibility, no matter how remote.

Now for the real world - The realist

That idea may sound good on paper, but how do you make it come to life? That's what the realist does. The realist, or warrior in von Oech's language, figures out a way to implement the idea - after all, it doesn't do a lick of good lying flat on the paper.

But is it any good - The critic

Okay, you've thought of a new and unusual idea and you've figured out a way to make it work. Now, the question you have to ask yourself is should you? Here's the place where you can finally label all those ideas as being really cool or really stupid. Von Oech also called this persona judge. Evaluate the idea, look for drawbacks and benefits and critically weigh the evidence - only then will you know if it's worth pursuing or not.

How can I get all this to work in my life?Say you're looking for a new way to market your business, or you're trying to figure out a way to beat the competition, or you need a new sales tactic. Whatever your business problem, you can use these techniques to fire up your creativity.

Bryan W. Mattimore, creative consultant and author of 99% Inspiration: Tips, Tales and Techniques for Liberating your Business Creativity (where, incidentally, he goes into much more depth on Disney's creative process), recommends setting up three different rooms - a dreamer room, a realist room and a critic room. When you want to take on a different persona, you go into a different room.

Don't have three rooms? Why not put three chalk marks on the floor? This exercise, taught to me by Organizational Consultant Tracy Puett, has you physically moving to a different circle on the floor depending on which role you want to invoke. The physical act of moving helps many people take on the different persona.

Or, a third possibility invented by creativity expert and author Dr. Edward DeBono is to use different colored hats. Each color represents a different persona. When you want to think like that persona, put on a different hat. You can even add additional colors for other moods, such as feeling an emotional point of view, if you want.

But, the real point of creativity is to try to break the mold. Once you're able to step out of habits and old ways of thinking, then you re ready to let your creativity soar.

bY Michele Pariza Wacek
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Quiz -- Are You Creative?

Quiz -- Are You Creative?

Worried you may not be creative or you may not be creative enough? This quiz will help you find out just how creative you are.

Take a piece of paper and number it from one to seven. For each question, write down the corresponding letter of your answer.

1. When you come across a rose, you immediately:

A. Smell it.
B. Quote every rose poem you can remember.
C. Write your own poem.
D. Sketch the rose.
E. Step on the rose.

2. One of your dreams in life is to:

A. Write a novel.
B. Become a painter.
C. Travel the world.
D. Climb all the famous mountains.
E. Just once, get everything done on your to-do list.

3. Your desk:

A. You have trouble finding as it's buried under everything including the kitchen sink.
B. Resembles a natural disaster.
C. Is a bit of a mess, but you know where everything is.
D. Is basically neat -- you use the stacking method.
E. Is in perfect order -- everything in its place.

4. The person you admire most is:

A. Einstein.
B. Walt Disney.
C. Your mother.
D. Jane Austin.
E. Anyone who can get everything crossed off his or her to-do list.

5. You consider yourself:

A. Extremely creative.
B. Creative.
C. Somewhat creative.
D. A little creative.
E. About as creative as a turnip (come to think about it, turnips may be more creative then you are).

6. You get new ideas:

A. All the time.
B. Several times a week.
C. Several times a month.
D. Once or twice a month.
E. You dimly recall getting a new idea when Clinton was in office. Or maybe it was the first Bush.

7. You dream in:

A. Color.
B. Black and white.
C. Both black and white and color.
D. You can't remember now.
E. Nothing. You don't dream.

Scoring:

Throw out all your answers except for number five -- "You consider yourself:". If you answered:

A. Extremely creative -- Then you're extremely creative.
B. Creative -- Then you're creative.
C. Somewhat creative -- Then you're somewhat creative.
D. A little creative -- Then you're a little creative.
E. About as creative as a turnip -- Then you're about as creative as a turnip.

Okay, this was a bit of a trick. But it's true. How creative you think you are corresponds with how creative you really are.

A couple of studies illustrate this. A big company wanted to increase creativity in its employees. So it hired a group of consultants to come in. The consultants started by thoroughly testing all of the employees. They discovered the only difference between the employees who were creative and those who weren't was this: Creative people believed they were creative and less creative people believed they weren't.

Even more telling was what happened to the group that wasn't creative. The consultants focused on helping them nurture their creativity. At the end, those employees were actually more creative than the ones who had initially considered themselves creative.

And that means you too can become more creative. In fact, how creative you become is entirely in your own hands.

Creativity Exercise -- Assumptions

Ready to become more creative? Here's an exercise.

Write down all the reasons why you're not creative. Go on. Write them all down. Every negative reason you can think of.

Things like:

I've never been creative in my life.

I haven't had a new idea in over a year.

I don't have time to be creative.

Now reverse those negative assumptions and make them positive. Like so:

I am a creative person.

I have lots of new ideas all of time.

I don't need time to be creative because I already am creative.

Do this every day and see what happens. This is a great way to start getting rid of those inner demons that keep all of us from realizing our true potential.

bY Michele Pariza Wacek

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The Creativity Creed

The Creativity Creed

I believe that creativity is a natural order of life itselfand it provides my life with the purest of energies.

I believe there is an underlying creative force infusingthroughout my life.

I believe that when I open my creativity, I am opening theCreatorâ??s creativity.

I believe creativity is part of my destiny and just asimportant as all living things.

I believe creativity is my Creatorâ??s gift to me. Using mycreativity is my gift back to him.

I believe expectation of a fulfilling life attracts withpowerful changes when I allow creativity to flow through mybeingness.

I believe it is safe for me to discover my own creativityeven if it sets new paths not yet discovered.

I believe as I move more towards my creative self, I movetowards my own divinity.

I believe I am worth the time it takes to create whatever itis I am to create.

I believe I have the right to have all the creativity Ideserve.

I believe that when I allow my creativity to flow throughoutmy life, I tap into the source of all that there is and allthat ever was.

I believe that the time I spend creating is as precious asanything else in life.

I believe that as creativity gives to me, so does shedeserve from me all my faith mindfulness and commitment.

I believe in my creative self.

I believe in me.


By Catherine Franz__ is a writer and author of over 1800 publishedarticles and several books on various business subjects.
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Charge Your Imagination

Charge Your Imagination

"The challenges are not in the marketplace. They are in the mind"....... Jean Bernard

As we progress into new year, it is time for the professional and business class to "charge your imagination" for greater exploits this year. Take this message from IMAGINATION himself. Is IMAGINATION a person you ask? Yes he is, and he wants to address you, this season. It would be worth your while to listen. His sentences are short and language in the first person. This is the preamble of his message.

I am in your mind, your regular companion. I am of divine origin. You cannot see me, but I am always with you. You do not always acknowledge my presence and person. That is why you have not tapped into my power. I inspire people, motivate them and propel them to achieve the extra-ordinary. I am available. You can use me for great exploits. I am a good shepherd. I have the ability to make you form mental pictures, generate new ideas and show you things beyond your sight.

I give creative ability to a writer, and the power to see things which do not exist. I take people beyond their natural limits. Those who tapped into my power have made impact on humanity- the great scientists, inventors, writers, war veterans, statesmen, world leaders, sports legends, industrial barons and multinational corporations. I am IMAGINATION. I help you see the hidden, not only the distant. Great people have used me, you too can use me. I am easy to manage. I have creative powers. I give wisdom and can help you catch you your vision. I activate your faculties. I am not perishable, but you can perish without me.

I am ageless, yet I am like a baby. You need to nurse me to get the best from me. I am never in a hurry. You need patience, humility, and sound mind to use me. Be persistent and steadfast, I will put the world in your pocket. Neglect me; you will live a mediocre life. I activated the lives of great men and women. I can activate yours too. Who am I? I am IMAGINATION.

Now this is my message:

What would the world of business be like in the year 2030? You can only figure it out if you use your imagination. Let's go! Imagine this. You go shopping at a shopping plaza. A product catches your attention. It is well packaged and branded. The name: Peoples Bank. You wonder, how a bank can be on a supermarket shelf. Your attention has been arrested by something unusual just like the biblical Moses and the burning bush. Your curiosity is aroused. You want to find out what kind of bank is this? No bank has done this before. People's Bank is the first to do so. A bank on a supermarket shelf? This is just an imagination for now, but it may not be so in year 2030 given the rapid development in information technology and E-business. I am IMAGINATION...I inspire people.

Dear professional, I have a message for you. With imagination, you can form a mental picture of the world of business in 2030. Time separates us from 2030, but imagination can take you 26 years ahead or bring it to the present. I am a mental supersonic aircraft. I travel faster than light and sound. But unlike commercial jetliners, I cannot crash. But you can crash if you do not use me. Listen to me and give me your attention. You need me to see the nature and volume of business in 2030. Without me, you cannot do so. As you read this message, you are embarking on a Vision Flight to Business in 2030 which exists in the realm of imagination. Estimated flight time is 30 minutes for reading the three part message, and we shall be cruising at an altitude of 3000 words above writing level. You are traveling on Infomedia Writing Line. Your pilot is IMAGINATION.

Please listen carefully to the information about the place we are flying to -the Business World in 2030. People's Bank is already giving an insight of what to expect in 2030 when technology will put banks on supermarket shelves, chain stores, and even in homes. Technology will take man beyond the earth to put life in other planets. Are you surprised? You better believe me. In 2030, the world's commercial airlines will be making commercial flights to the moon. Man would have completely subdued the earth with science and technology. I am IMAGINATION, I inspire people.

Take British Airways for instance. It prides itself as the - world's favorite airline".. Airlines are already forming alliances to go global. There is the Star Alliance, the alliance network for earth. There is the Qualifier Group. British Airways belongs to One World. It is a pointer to what air travel would be in 2030.

The world in 2030 would be one big world of diversity with each constituent part, race, and gender and markets contributing to a unified world. God made the earth one world, but man turned it into many worlds. What is the key to one business world? Alliances, mergers and acquisitions, common markets and currencies. It is already happening. The EU is here. European countries have merged into a common market served by a single currency, the Euro. By 2030, the United States of America and Canada would have completely fused into a single market ruled by a new Dollar. Asia will evolve into a continental whole. Germany is now one country. The two Koreas are courting each other after more than 45 years of separation, while the Asian Tigers are evolving into a Super Tiger. I am IMAGINATION, I inspire people.

By Eric Okeke is a motivational speaker
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The Elements of Creativity: Attributes Listing Method

The Elements of Creativity: Attributes Listing Method



Attribute listing is one of the best ways to generate ideas, whereby there any many parts to the problem/ challenge faced. If you are asked to generate ideas or solutions to a complex challenge, the first thing you can do is to list all the attributes of your problem.

These may include:


Physical

Mental

Emotional

Social

and more (depending on the complexity of the challenge)


By doing so, you can then concentrate on each attribute at a time. This will no doubt give you more peace of mind (and pulling of your hairs) when generating your ideas.

The attribute listing technique is often used in a Research & Development (R&D) department of many companies, especially those who are constantly producing innovative products to have an advantage over their competitors.

Let's go through this worked example to give you a better understanding of how attributes listing can be of help to you.

For example, if your challenge is to design a new ladies' handbag, you could list the attributes as: the physical aspects which include- shape, length, colour, materials used and on the emotional aspects-the stress some women faced of misplacing their handbags. You might choose to first tackle the emotional stress of losing one's handbag by creating a new small gadget to be placed within the handbag to sound the owner that she is moving too far away (maybe one or two metre away) from her 'treasure chest'. After that, you could work on the other attributes, one by one, be it the shape or materials used for the handbag.

Putting Your Elements to Work:

Try to generate oodles of ideas using attributes listing with these sets of challenges:

1. Design a new toy for children under 6 years old to teach them simple arithmetic. Safety is an important attribute.

2. Create a campaign to encourage people to stop smoking. (Think through the attributes: Physical, Mental, Emotional and Social)

3. Set up an effective marketing plan (there are many parts to a good marketing plan: the 4 P's ? Product, Price, Place and Promotion) for your new products.

Have Fun!

About The Author
Dr. Alvin Chan is a Senior Research Consultant at First Quatermain Centre of Collaborative Innovation (www.firstquatermain.com).
You can contact him [email protected]
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Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)

Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)

How many times does an artist stare down at that blank piece of paper thinking "What on earth do I paint - Where do I put my first mark?" More often than you would imagine! It happens to all creative people actually, from visual artists, designers, poets, through to musicians and writers.

When this situation arises, you are in the grip of creative block. When you wrack your brains to come up with ideas but just can't seem to. There may be contributing factors to this state, such as tiredness, depression, environmental, physiological or psychological issues. On the other hand you could just be experiencing a period of simple low creativity.

When this happens there are a few things you can do to restore your creativity levels at will, however what you must not do is worry or fret about it. If the worst comes to the worse and you don't seem to be able to produce any work, simply regard the period as a 'holiday' or a rest. Your creativity level WILL rise again. In the meantime, utilise the time spent not creatingto do positive things anyway.

Research other artists' work. Visit galleries or surf the net and see what other people are doing. Join artists' chat rooms or visit message boards or forums where you can exchange ideas and views with other artists. Just talking to other creative people can give you a real buzz! You might even make some new friends in the process.

Spend the time you are not actually producing art, by increasing your marketing efforts. Send postcards to galleries, research upcoming local art fairs or events where you could possibly take a booth to sell your art. Have some leaflets or brochures printed up all about yourself and your work. Take a couple of days out of your schedule and do a local neighbourhood leaflet drop.

Update your website or online portfolio. You may think it's already perfect but it's not often that things can't be improved or sharpened in some way. Update your artist's statement; put new 'zing' into your descriptions.

If you really can't face doing anything concerning your own artwork, visit the theatre, go to a pop concert, browse local museums. Go to a restaurant or coffee bar with friends and have a (non art related) natter.

Use the time to take a complete break, if this is what works best for you. You will instinctively know when the time is right to 'go back' to your art. When this happens there are lots of techniques you can use to get back into the swing of high creativity. These I explore in my article 'Overcoming Artist's Block (part 2)'.

About the author
Gail Miller is a professional artist whose artwork is a visual feast of colour and fun. Her fascination with bold colours and fluid, expressive shapes and line are evident in funky abstracts, sinuous nudes, vibrant stilllife paintings and lively townscapes. Visit her website at http://www.gailmiller.com
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Overcoming Artists Block (part 2)

Overcoming Artists Block (part 2)

Once you are ready to start working again you will know itinstinctively. All artists go through periods of 'creative block' - it's normal, but after one such episode there are ways of stimulating ideas and getting the creative juices flowing again.

Visit your local library and take out books that cover materials,techniques and subjects that are not familiar to you. If you are a watercolour artist, why not try oils for once? If you paint large acrylic abstracts, would it be possible to try soft pastels on a smaller scale? What results could you achieve by doing something completely different to what you're used to?

What about trying collage or mixed media work? Take photos ofyour neighbourhood, family or friends. Local places of interest, the countryside, the seashore, the city. Manipulate your photos on your PC and print out as digital art. Use the images, either natural or manipulated as collage pieces. It is so therapeutic cutting pieces and sticking them down. Use a range of materials to finish your work.

Instead of going straight back to paintings or drawings on normal scale, why not create some miniature pieces? How about greetings cards? White card 'blanks' are very easy to source. How delighted family, friends or customers would be to own an unique hand painted card.

Try drawing for once instead of painting, if that's your usual medium, or vice versa. Fill a sketchbook with small quick sketches. You could even time yourself. Three or five minutes maximum for each sketch.

When you're ready to go full size again, try loosening up your technique, by again setting a time limit for each piece of work you create. With a deadline to meet, you will speed up and loosen up. Try not to be precious with your art. Be quick and bold - see what happens.

Paint upside down. Start a new piece, then half way through turn the paper or canvas round 90 degrees. This is a great technique for abstracts. Use new colours - let them flow into each other. Splatter colours onto the wet surface. If you like, you could turn the work once more to finish. What a great way to create 'happy accidents'.

Paint or draw to music. Use only your emotion to make marks on the surface of your support. Play your favourite rock, pop or classical music, let the melodies and rhythms wash over you, influencing how your artwork evolves. I often paint to 'Smile' by Brian Wilson .... and boy do I get inspired!

What about painting left handed if you're a right-hander and vice versa. Trying to do a representational work with your weakest side will produce art that is still yours, but will have a completely different edge to it. Challenging and great fun to do ... if you have the discipline!

Finally, once you get back into full flow, remind yourself of all the artwork you have created successfully. How appreciated you are by your customers. Read their testimonials. Feel that glow again, when you realise that your creativity block was only temporary and that there are fans out there just waiting for you to release some wonderful new artwork into the arena.

about the author
Gail Miller is a professional artist whose artwork is a visual feast of colour and fun. Her fascination with bold colours and fluid, expressive shapes and line are evident in funky abstracts, sinuous nudes, vibrant still life paintings and lively townscapes.
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Becoming Radiant: Boost Your Teams Creativity with Mind Mapping

Becoming Radiant: Boost Your Teams Creativity with Mind Mapping

I don't take notes anymore. Instead, I create one wildly colorful, creative and inspiring page whenever I need to make a decision, prepare a presentation, or plan an event. That whole two-column plus and minus approach? Gone.

Bring on the Mind Maps!

I read Tony Buzan's first book on Mind Mapping back in the early eighties, but I was too caught up in the old-school world to see how it could be of use to me. I recently rediscovered Mind Mapping and it has become an integral part of the work I do with clients.

Tony Buzan created the Mind Map concept in the early seventies. Based on his brilliant observation that our brains do not process information in a linear way, Mind Mapping allows us to use words, images, and color in an effort to engage the right side of our brains in what is normally considered a left-brain task: organizing information.

We've already learned that one of the keys to maximizing our potential as humans is to forget that whole right-brain/left-brain divide. Instead of seeing ourselves as a logical person OR a creative person, we're both. We've simply chosen to put more energy into developing skills associated with the analytical left or the daydreaming right. We must recognize that there's a fine line separating analysis from daydreams and that in order to have a fully integrated brain, we need to do both.

We speak in a linear pattern. We can say only one word at a time, and we can hear only one word at a time. Similarly, we read in a linear pattern-words flow in lines across the page.

So when it came time to organize notes and teach the proper form for creating outlines, it's easy to see why we turned to the tried and true linear approach. You know the format: Roman numeral one (I) followed by A, B and C, followed by 1, 2 and 3. We look for things to slot into each line in order to make it fit properly.

In school, we spent hours preparing these outlines for book reports, speeches, and term papers. In our work as adults, we do the same thing with agendas, meeting minutes, and project plans. Orderly lines of information. Black ink on white pages. Empty spaces.

Boring, boring, boring--and not the best way to use our brains.

Along comes Buzan, who says that we would be much better off if we allowed our right brains to get in on the game. So, instead of creating typical linear outlines, Buzan insisted on becoming radiant. He developed the concept of putting your central idea right in the center of the page. Your main points then radiate outward from the center. Each one of these points sprouts its own branches and twigs. He referred to this star-like pattern of ideas as Radiant Thinking.

The beauty of this is that you can see everything on one page. No time wasted sorting through pages. No need to flip through your notes to see your next point or find your conclusion--it's all right there in front of you. No need for extra notes. No energy spent on rewrites.

He didn't stop there. Buzan understood that color is a strong factor in helping us remember, so he encourages us to use different colors for each of the radiant thoughts and sub-thoughts. Instead of using only words, incorporate little line drawings and images to make connections between thoughts.

This is the way our brains work naturally. We don't picture the word B-O-X when we picture a box. Instead, our brains conjure the image. We don't always go from thought A to thought B to thought C. We're just as likely to start with A, then head over to E, skip back to A and then saunter over to R. Our neural pathways look like webs, not straight lines. In fact, the more criss- crossed our connections, the more we're able to synthesize complex ideas and come up with new ways to use old information.

Mind Maps give us an excuse to play. They give us a reason to keep a whole set of colored pens right on our desk for everyone to see. Mind maps allow our thuggish left brains to make friends with our timid rights. For once, there's harmony on the playground!

Use a Mind Map for your next planning session, and watch the reaction. Raised eyebrows give way to smirks, which dissolve into delighted grins. Linear notes become circular masterpieces. Black and white becomes a rainbow. Words become pictures. Workers become creative. Work becomes the joyful collaborative experience it is meant to be.

Grab your markers and become radiant. Your brain is waiting to play!
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About The Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse.
 
Recharge Your Battery

Recharge Your Battery

It was 4:15PM on a Thursday when I arrived at the hair salon to get my haircut. My hair appointment was at 5PM but I arrived there quite early.

As I set down in the comfortable leather chair in the little "waiting corner," I looked down to my left with an intention to pick a magazine from the big basket that was filled with maybe over 50 magazines.

I sorted through the magazines but nothing would catch my eye. There were so many different magazines; I couldn't decide which one to pick and read while waiting.

Then, as I lifted a big batch of magazines to choose from, one of them fell down on the floor. I immediately dropped all the other magazines back into the basket and took the one that fell on the floor.

The beautiful view of a tropical island in the background, surrounded by crisp clear water covering the entire cover of the magazine, got my attention.

The magazine contained a large number of photos from tropical islands, vacation resorts and everything tropical you can imagine. I submerged myself into the pictures so much that 40 minutes went by like 4 seconds.

When I was all done with the haircut, I asked Isabella (the hair stylist) if I could take the magazine. She said that it wouldn't be a problem because anyway they recycle the magazines at the end of each month when they bring new ones in.

The magazine is called Islands. It was a June 2004 issue. When I went home I put it next to my computer and until today's day, it's still sitting there.

I look through it periodically. All my life I've lived in the northern hemisphere of the planet, and winter is definitely not my favorite season. Not to even mention the driving headaches when we get dumped with a few feet of snow.

The tropical theme has always been a dream place of mine.

So, every time I feel down, discouraged, marketing plan isn't working well, a goal doesn't get accomplished, problems and obstacles appearing out of nowhere, motivation is down, no inspiration, the world is coming down on me ... and so on ...

I take few peaceful minutes - no children, no computer. I pick up the magazine and literally isolate myself from this world. I transfer my soul to the tropical beauty shown in the pictures and I visualize myself living there and not just vacationing.

My battery gets recharged; I get the smile back on my face and I say to myself: "One day ...."

How many times have you felt down and depressed because of one reason or another?

How many times have you felt that you needed to recharge your battery? How many times have you lost your inspiration and motivation? How many times have you faced problems and obstacles that discouraged you from persisting with your goal?

What brought you up and what pulled you down during these crucial times?

I remember back in 1994 when I was starting college, a friend of mine gave me a study to read. The study came from a major corporate research. It was on "why executives rise to the height of their company and why other people don't."

The executives told in their words what they did to achieve such a success. I don't have that study anymore but I remember it very well because I'm still practicing what they said.

One of the steps was to have material goals. Something that you can see.

The material goals represent something far beyond material form. When you visually see the material goals that you're striving for, you receive the feeling of the kind of person you need to become in order to have them.

That feeling will recharge your fuel cells and bring your enthusiasm to the front line.

We live in a material world and we have to operate in a material world. We want material things because they're a representation of who we are.

What you want is good, because what you want is an extension of you becoming better.

And sometimes, you just need a basic material something to spark you into a higher level of achievement.

About the author
Steve Dimeck; Publisher and author of The Success Maze - an ebook dedicated to the people who are still looking for ways to succeed online but feel a bit lost in this online Maze -- or should I say Jungle.FREE Details: ==> http://www.thesuccessmaze.com
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Internet Business: 10 Important Creative Ways To Get New Product Ideas



Creativity is one of the most important keys to success in any business.

If you want to succeed in any business, you have to bemore creative and pragmatic.

Below are a few internet business tips on how to generatenew product ideas:

1. Solve an existing problem for people. There arethousands of problems in the world. Create a productthat can provide a solution to one of those problems.

2. Find out what's the current hot trend. You can findout what the new trends are by watching T.V, readingmagazines and surfing the net. Just create a productthat's related to the current hot trend.

3. Improve a product that is already on the market.You see products at home, in ads, at stores etc. Justtake a product that's already out there and improve it.

4. Create a new niche for a current product. You canset yourself apart from your competition by creating aniche. Your product could be faster, bigger, smaller,or quicker than you competitor's product.

5. Add on to an existing product. You could packageyour current product with other related products. Forexample, you could package a football with a teamjersey and football cards.

6. Reincarnate an older product. Maybe you have abook that's out of print and is no longer being sold.You could change the title, design a new front cover,and bring some of the old content up to date.

7. Ask your current customers. You could contactsome of your existing customers by phone or e-mailand ask them what kind of new products they wouldlike to see on the market.

8. Combine two or more products together to createa new one. For example, you could take a brief caseand add a thermos compartment inside to keep adrink hot or cold.

9. Survey the people who visit your web site. Youcould post a survey or questionnaire on your web site.Ask visitors what kind of products they would like tosee on the market.

10. You could create a new market for your existingproduct. For example, if you're selling plastic bottlesto a pop company, you could turn around and sellthose bottles to a fruit drink company.

May these internet business tips help you tomake a lot of money.


By I-key Benney, CEO

I-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of "Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System", home based business, online investment opportunity (investing online) program, which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.

Mscsrrr Millionaire Cash System helps you to generate $1,500+/Week for life, from home or office, part time or full time. No large investment or hassles. Win $1000-$2000 free "cash".
 
A New Discovery Of An Old Secret

A New Discovery Of An Old Secret

Some years ago, when the world seemed to close in on me and I felt asthough I was trapped between the sword and the wall, I made an excitingdiscovery. Actually, it was a phenomenon that was as old as dirt but ittook on significant meanings for me because it freed me from all myproblems and all the stresses and pressures that were being imposed uponme.

I discovered that there is only one simple root cause of all problems.When this primal cause becomes known, understood and properly applied, allproblems disappear like snowflakes on a hot griddle. In fact thisdiscovery launched me on a life-long career as a professional problemsolver for a widely diverse personal, professional and corporate clientbase that included many of the giants of American business.

I had discovered the law of opposites.

Take just a minute and think about the world you live in. Have you evernoticed how everything you're involved in is comprised of opposites?Opposites abound everywhere and in every situation. Webster has manydefinitions for opposites but they are best summed up in the one where hedefines opposites as "elements that are so far apart as to be totallyirreconcilable".

For example, we have such irreconcilable opposites as up and down, leftand right, short and tall, light and dark, assets and liabilities,success and failure, freedom and bondage and on and on and on. I doubtthat you think of anything that does not have an implied opposite

Think about it: We live in a world of division. We live in a world where"twoness" prevails; a world of duality where very position, situation andcondition is challenged by some alternative where one side is alwayspulling against another or pushing up against a wall that will not yield.

This is living in a world that is perfectly designed to promote struggle,turmoil, conflict, confusion, disputes and disagreements. This law ofopposites is the cause of all problems. Without knowing how to control orovercome this law of opposites, people try to adapt to it withoutrealizing that by so doing they only succeed in increasing theirfrustrations and prolonging any solution. Is it any wonder that so manypeople are suffering such pressures, stresses and anxieties!

If these people could somehow prevent this law from operating in theirindividual experiences they could enjoy living is a world where onenessprevailed and those things we call problems would have no influence overthem.

This might be best illustrated by using such familiar opposites aspositive and negative. Positives and negatives are opposites and havenothing in common. They cannot mix or commingle. Neither can one bedescribed in term of the other. Try as you might, you cannot successfullyjustify one to the other. They are opposites. It is the law!

A problem is defined by Webster as "an intricate, unsettled questionwithout an answer; a source of perplexity and vexation". By their verynature, problems are negative. Webster defines "negative" as "somethingthat is the opposite, or negation, of something". That "something" is thepositiveness of the problem's solution. Webster's definition of"positive" is "that which is real, not speculative, not fictitious andlogically affirmative; that which has actual existence".

Just as a negative has absolutely no positive characteristics, so apositive has absolutely no negative characteristics. They are opposites.It is the law! And because it is an absolute, universal law it is notsubject to chance, change, modification, circumvention or debate. Itmaintains its own integrity, is self- enforcing and works simply becauseit exists?forever! When properly applied it is your absolute assurance ofsuccessful conclusions.

The problem is negative and unreal. The objective is positive and real.Logic, then, demands that in order to experience your goal or objective orreceive the answer to your question, you must discipline yourself tomaintain a mind-set that is responsive to the positive ideas that willdissolve your negative problems.

This is probably the most demanding discipline you will ever be faced withbecause we've been trained to accept both positives and negatives asreal. From this premise, we attempt to solve a problem by confrontingit as an adversary with which we are compelled to do battle. We try to"understand" it and "deal" with it as though it were a reality instead ofsimply being a negation of that which we are seeking.

Does all this sound too abstract to be practical in what we call the"real" world of nuts and bolts? While individual circumstances will vary,the procedural application of this law is always the same.( See my article "Taking the Problem Out of Problem Solving")Consider this case study: Static sale plagued a company and great effortand money was invested to find some means by which they could increase thesales volume of their product. Their best efforts failed and theyresigned themselves to the conviction that the market was flooded to thepoint of saturation and nothing further could be done. They were preparedto "eat their losses" and move on.

Then the principles embodied in this discovery were initiated by oneindividual who, in the secrecy of his own thought, maintained theintegrity of this positive, constructive, solution oriented approach. Hementally rejected all discussions that focused on the "problem" eventhough circumstances required that he be involved in them. Soon a planbegan developing in his thought. Every detail of a brand newmerchandising procedure unfolded that was a radical departure from alltraditional methods. The plan was implemented and sales increasedimmediately to a level that far exceeded the company's most optimisticprojections. As an added bonus, the implementation of this plan did notrequire any additional capital expenditures.

This confirms Victor Hugo's statement that, "there is nothing morepowerful than the right idea whose time has come".

The sales "problem" simply disappeared. Why? Because, being an unrealnegation, it never did have the substance or reality of its positiveopposite. Where did the problem go? It went to the same place the flatworld went as soon as Columbus discovered that it was really round. Itdidn't "go" anywhere because it wasn't a real "something" to begin with!

Details of this discovery are fully outlined in a logical continuity ofdemonstrable natural laws and principles in my latest book "The DYNAMICSof ACHIEVEMENT".

For more than 40 years Davis Goss has been a creative consultant withparticular expertise in problem solving for widely divers client base thathas included many of the giants of American business. His latest book,"The DYNAMICS of ACHIEVEMENT": outlines the details of his unique problemsolving methods that are based solely on proven scientific principles.

about the author
Davis Goss has had more than 40 years experience as a creative consultant to the benefit of a widely diverse client base that has included amny nof the giants of American busibess. His particular expertise in problem solving and new product development. His latest book "The DYNAMICS of ACHIEVEMENT" details the continuity of his scientific approach whichis based solely on natural laws and principles.http://www.davisgoss.com

[email protected]
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Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve. Customers want our products and services to be better, delivered faster, and produced less expensively. This means that everything we do needs to be improved. All employees can be thinking about how to reduce costs, looking at safety issues, reducing wastes, and improving the environment, while at the same time developing skills to identify, articulate and communicate those kinds of things.

The Gallup Organization has studied thousands of companies and surveyed millions of employees. Their research has shown that very few employees are engaged and that a relatively small increase in the amount of engaged workers can reap great benefits for a company.

At the lowest level, engaged employees help a company stay in business and at a higher level employees start thinking about how they can improve themselves. They can take some ownership over their job; and also over their own development. It starts people thinking in new and different ways about the things they do.

In the book, â??First, Break All the Rulesâ?? by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman from Gallup, it is noted that the manager, not anything or anyone else, was most critical in building a strong workforce. A lot of companies struggle with leadership skills, communications interaction, and improving management skills. We are now undergoing a paradigm shift as many organizations are beginning to realize that managementâ??s job is to support the people doing the work as opposed to dictating how to do the work.

Engaging employees in improving their work creates new levels of communication and gives the ownership of improvements to the worker. We now recognize that â??you know your job better then management does because you are the one that does it every day.â?? Since people are the expert in their work, who better to come up with ideas to improve it then them. We all want, need and deserve respect.

Claudia designed a fixture to hold bubble wrap she used for packaging. It made her job easier. Ken saw the fixture; thought paper would work just as well and asked his customers. The switch to paper saved Kenâ??s employer about $100,000 a year and a lot of storage space. Engaged people see the fruits of their labor as their ideas are implemented. They now receive positive feedback for a â??job well done.â??

Any process, any product, any service can be made better in some way, somehow. One plant manager said, â??It used to be that my problem solvers were solely the management team, but now my problem solvers are everybody in the building.â?? How can you beat that?

By Chuck Yorke
About the author
Chuck Yorke is an organizational development and performance improvement specialist, trainer, consultant and speaker. He is co-author of "All You Gotta Do Is Ask," a book which explains how to promote large numbers of ideas from employees. Chuck may be reached at [email protected]
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Shyness - Another View

Shyness - Another View

We are all born shy, aren't we? When we see little children clinging to their parents, hiding behind Mom or Dad, we are reminded about the shyness of first coming into this World. As this early stage of our life we are not ready to be seen just yet. We want to hide until it feels safe to come out and be visible.

Becoming visible is what Life is all about. Revealing ourselves, showing ourselves and expressing our "inner self" are about becoming visible and declaring ourselves "Ready" to meet the World. Much of the World certainly seems to like the shy person. People want that person to reveal themselves, to display their talents and capabilities. The World can be generous that way. It would seem that "repression" is an aberration to that so-called "Worldy Manner" where we usually invite others to share themselves with us.

This is a good thing, I believe, where we encourage each other to come out and display our wealth of creativity. As a species we are all enriched by these contributions from our shy members. It's like we know at some level that we will benefit from their displays. And perhaps they will teach us something about ourselves, since all of us have some inherent shyness built in.

Here's an interesting fact about shy people, those that still display shyness as adults - they are Creative. Very creative, as a matter of fact. The more shy a person is, the more creative they tend to be. A lot of actors and performers are shy people. Why? Because they are creative. So why do shy, creative peopleshow themselves? Because the joy of giving, of displaying their special abilities far exceeds the limited payoff of staying hidden and allegedly safe. It's a contradiction of course, but it is true nevertheless. Most shy people (not all) are creative, and most creative people would rather give of their talents than hold back.

Are you shy? Are you creative? Then perhaps you are ready to give of yourself too! Wouldn't that be worth pursuing? If you see yourself as a "Shy" person then here's what you can do. You can hold yourself up to the light of day and declare "I am ready to meet the world." And the world will respond. "Welcome" it will say. "Yes indeed, we need you. Please show us your stuff."

And all the shy people of the World will step forward and give of themselves unanimously. Wouldn't that be a big surprise? To see all of us out there, dancing a jig, showing off our stuff, our talents and abilities.

Yes, we can do it, we who are shy. We can show our stuff to the World. Time to come out from behind Mom's skirts, and take a peek around the corner. The World is waiting for you to "Strut Your Stuff." Don't be shy now!

About the author
Maurice Turmel has a PHD in Counseling Psychology and was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years. Self-Help issues are dealt with regularly in his monthly Ezine "The Self-Help Advisor." Dr. Turmel likes to use parable stories to illustrate important points. He has authored 3 books and is also a performing songwriter. He can be reached through his Website at: http://www.MauriceTurmel.com

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How You Can Improve Your Creativity - What You Need to Know

How You Can Improve Your Creativity - What You Need to Know

Would you like to enhance your creativity? Do you think that increased creativity is something that would improve your life?

Before you answer yes or no to that question, take some time to explore what the word "creativity" means to you.

If you think that creativity is something that you only need if you're an artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may decide that increased creativity is not really important to you. But creativity is actually something far broader than artistic expression, and it's required in many areas of life.

Your idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer, working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on stage to an audience. All these people are expressing themselves artistically, and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even if no one else enjoys their art.

But what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a new company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of people? Doesn't this also require creativity?

What about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in an effort to cure disease? Isn't this creative? What about a single mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny budget? Isn't that creativity?

To one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics. And to another person, being creative might mean coming up with an ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line.

When we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot of other potential applications for creative thinking and problem solving.

An artist painting a picture, or a writer working on a novel, both have something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur, and the person gluing seashells to picture frames.

They are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn't exist before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing something, putting together existing forms and ideas in new ways.

They may be creating a new idea, a new look, a new product, or new technique. Sometimes the ability to be more creative can lead to personal fame and fortune; sometimes it just provides a deep sense of personal satisfaction.

Can we improve our ability to be creative? Yes, in fact, learning to be more creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do. Most of us were very creative as children, before we learned the official rules about how things are supposed to be. We can resurrect our ability to be more creative by exploring some of the many techniques that have been developed to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative problem solving.

Some of the techniques that are used to improve creativity include brainstorming, mind-mapping, various forms of hypnosis and meditation, and guided imagery.

The techniques that have been developed to try enhance creativity all have one thing in common. They are all trying to bypass the inner "judge" or "critic" we have in our minds.

Most of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on everything we think and do. We might barely notice this inner voice much of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our life.

In many of us this inner voice is usually very negative. No matter what we want think about, or want to do, this inner voice is running like a tape in the background of our minds, criticizing our ideas, our performance, and our ability to be successful.

When we come up with a new idea, our inner voice may be saying, "This idea is stupid." Or it might tell us, "I should never be mediocre or average, I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. All my ideas should be totally brilliant and innovative. If my ideas aren't perfect right from the start, I am a failure and it's better not to even try".

Our negative inner critic does not always appear as a voice. Sometimes we see visual images of ourselves failing. Or we may have physical sensations of fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new actions.

Your inner critic isn't being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative comments and reactions of other people to your ideas.

Our inner critic is trying to make us perfect and safe, but it can have an unforeseen damaging effect.

If our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities will suffer.

Instead of helping us to come up with better ideas, this endless barrage of negative inner commentary will hurt our ability to come up with new ideas.

You can't be creative, and be critical at the same time. These two processes require different ways of thinking. The critical, judgmental, analytical function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative ideas.

Even the types of brainwaves that you generate when you are being rational and analytical are quite different than the brainwaves that go with maximum creativity.

When it's time for you to be creative, you have to send your "inner critic" out for a walk.

This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled "How to Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative" Check it out at http://www.royanereal.com
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