creativity

3 Clever Creative Strategies!

2008-07-16T20:01:00.039-07:00

I've got a confession to make... there are many ways leaders can be more creative, innovative and ingenious than are presented in this article.

It does not matter if you desire to be a marketing, entrepreneurial or organizational leader, you do have to use your creativity to be successful.

Most leaders have trouble discovering new opportunities, generating good ideas and promoting innovative solutions. In the game of creativity, you need both quality and quantity to win the prize.

I'll show you how to use 3 simple ways to boost the number, power and value of your ideas. All you need to do is learn them, practice them and make them the most used tools in your personal leadership-toolkit.

Create It This Way! Map It Out, Map It All!

Want a way out of that mental block or trap? Don't look for some guidebook, create yourself a map and follow it out of your troubles instead.

How do you draw a map to find new ideas, opportunities or create inventions? It's easy, all you need is a place to start! And like Dorothy learned in the Land of Oz, you always begin at the beginning.

Do you have a problem you're trying to solve? Do you have an unmet need? Do you want to search for something? Do you suspect something is missing or something is out of place or something is more than what is needed?

Use those questions to define your map's point of origin. Place that starting point in the center of the paper and then draw lines to any related problems or missing items.

Once you identify your problems, needs, missing pieces or suspicions and connect them in some logical order [by putting your worse problems at the bottom of the page and easier ones on the top] - then you can do the following:

=> List possible ways to find solutions

=> Draw lines to groups or people who can help you solve the problem

=> Use different shapes to show problems, solutions and key people or tools

=> Color your problems and their related solutions with the same colors [use red for the main problem and its solution, but use green for another problem and its solution]

=> Include push pins, sticky notes, stars or artwork when possible to add vitality, depth and substance to your map

Create It That Way! Ask and Answer It Quickly!

1) What is the situation, what is happening or going on here?

2) What are the problems, difficulties or challenges?

3) How do those problems impact, affect or influence the situation?

4) What good will the solutions to those problems need to do, provide or fix?

Ask those 4 questions and always ask 'why' at least 5 times for each answer and you will find tons of beneficial solutions.

Create It Anyway! Bend It, Shape It, Anyway You Want It!

So you tried mapping, drawing, picturing and asking or answering it and you still aren't getting any great ideas, are you?

Well here are some last chances for you - just re-arrange it, combine it with its own or different parts, mix-it-all-around, shuffle it, remove parts of it, throw it at the walls, step into the middle of it, step away from it, turn it upside down or inside out or round and round, talk about it with others or even yourself, meditate on and pray about it.

Whatever you do, do not let it just sit there without making some effort to move it or yourself.

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Even though these seem a bit lightweight, they are the most powerful ways known to mankind for solving problems, finding ideas and opportunities and for creating useful inventions.

When you use these techniques, you will be employing the secrets of history's greatest inventive minds like Edison, Newton, Copernicus, Jesus Christ, Marie Curie, Franklin and Einstein.

You can do this, it takes only a few moments a day to master them and then you will find yourself lighting-up the world with your bright and valuable ideas.

Necessity is and always will be the Mother of invention. Make your Momma proud by using these methods whenever you have the need to bring meaningful contributions to our lives!

How To Increase Creativity... Set Deadlines!

2008-07-16T20:01:00.037-07:00

Deadlines are something all of us face from time to time. We face deadlines whenever we set even a small goal and commit to accomplish it... that's when deadlines becomes important and valuable to us.

Why is a deadline so important?... Without one... many of our projects would, be put off, or eliminated completely. The closer we get to a deadline the more our thoughts, ideas, imagination and creativity go to work to help us meet the deadline.

Daily... many of us set goals to start projects, complete and send out ezines, finish articles, or finish writing a sales page for our websites. How many times do we put it off till the last minute?

Then we remember, were committed... and have a deadline to meet on the project. That's when deadlines show their value and importance. Because, a deadline gets our juices flowing with new thoughts and ideas so we can get into action and complete the job... sometimes at the last minute.

Even small goals take commitment and deadlines to accomplish. Either they're important enough, to make a commitment to doing at a certain time, or we eliminate the goal completly.

My ezine goes out on the 4th and 18th of every month. Some times a day or two before it goes out... the deadline gets me into action. Thoughts, commitment and imagination go to work to motivate me to complete it on time ... and my ezine goes out at the specified date.

The importance of a deadline is easy to overlook . I hadn't realized their value, or hadn't thought much about it until writing these comments. Without any kind of a deadline on projects ... I wonder how many would get completed?

Have you noticed as you get closer to a deadline, you become more creative? Deadlines cause our thoughts and imagination to become active giving us ideas to get the job done before the deadline.

Deadlines are what causes us to get into action... sometimes at the last minute, to complete a project or goal we set with commitment days before.

By Bill Parks

Five Basic Steps to Benefit from Your Creativity

2008-07-16T20:01:00.035-07:00

The ability to exercise your creativity is even more important for you than you probably think. Why? First, your creativity tremendously contributes to your self-actualization, which is essential for you to feel satisfied with your life and be happy. Second, it is exceedingly important for being successful in building relationships and earning money.

Taking creative approach contributes to your emotional state the similar way as the spice contributes to the taste of a course stimulating the appetite. If you generate ideas and fulfill them, your life becomes more and more interesting and exciting. This does not mean that you must generate a waste amount of ideas to feel excited and call yourself "creative"; quite the contrary, you should rather be able to generate from time to time really good ideas. If you generate too much ideas and are unable to prioritize, select and fulfill them properly, you will finally feel exhausted and discontented. There are some important factors that should be taken into account to avoid this danger. Please read the five practical guidelines below and ask yourself: "How often do I follow them in my life?".

1. Liberate yourself from the overstrain. A stress is not only the bitterest enemy of your creativity, it is also a violent destroyer of your nervous system. There are simple efficient ways to reduce stress or even entirely get rid of it. First, plan your time regularly. You should avoid emergency jobs to the maximum extent under your control. Schedule your jobs for at least 2-3 days and make reminders in order not to forget to do things in a timely fashion. Second, you should store all your important information in a convenient form, always accessible for retrieval. The inability to quickly find a required info cause stress. If you need a phone number, address, date of a meeting, or the latest result of a negotiation, you must be able to quickly find it. You should better make from time to time a few efforts to accurately write down your information, than to make later on incredibly huge efforts to search for the lost information. Remember, there is much more free space for brilliant ideas in a calm mind than in overstrained one.

2. Seize opportunities. Do simple jobs immediately as they arrive. Do you have to make a note for tomorrow? Write it down right now, or you will inevitably miss the deadline and will have to do an emergency job under time pressure. Is an idea flashing in your mind? Write it down right now, or you will forget it at once and forever being distracted by so many things you have to do. Do not lose the golden opportunity to generate a brilliant idea.

3. Concentrate your attention. Do not think about several things at a time, focus yourself exactly on the work being done. Try to reduce the number of distractions, or their impact on you at least. In order to do so, it is very essential to be able to quickly write down any incoming information securing it to be easily found later. If you can do that in an unobtrusive way, you will not get distracted and you will keep your mind focused in most cases. A good concentration is important for you to feel comfortable at work and it forms the solid background for ideas creation.

4. Spare your resources. Do not make too much efforts to immediately turn a newly arrived idea into a ready to implement solution. When an idea is flashing in your mind, simply write it down. When you have time, read and think about it; then forget it for a while to revert back later. Repeat that process over and over again until you could finally decide whether the idea is good or bad. Do not worry about the fact that you are not deliberating on your idea; at this stage of the idea development this does your subconscious. By forgetting an idea for a while you get a good chance to see it several times with a fresh look and evaluate it objectively. Moreover, and that is extremely important, by doing so you avoid wasting your personal resources on implementation of premature ideas and stop working on fuzzy goals.

5. Use your computer. There is a tremendous information processing power located inside the case of your computer. Make all those Gigabytes and Gigahertz work for you to solve simple yet very important issues: scheduling, quick setup of reminders, taking notes and ideas, archiving them into history and searching them. Take your time to find a software that really fits your needs, it will spare your time and efforts daily in the future. A good software for the everyday use must be convenient for you, smooth to operate, unobtrusive and it must in no way turn itself into another problem when you apply it to solve the original one.

In this article you have been presented five practical guidelines to build a solid background for discovering and efficiently using your creativity. Regardless of how much creative you are, you need to perform appropriate actions in appropriate circumstances to get real results. If you are not doing actions, doing inappropriate actions or doing right actions in wrong circumstances, you will only waste your potential and lose opportunities. The guidelines above ensure that you are acting properly. This article deals both with your personal organization and creativity, because they contribute tremendously to each other. That is why you should exercise them both to get practical results. This is the only solid bridge you can build from your creativity to your success. Good luck to you!

By Nicholas Kabarow

Dare to Dream

2008-07-16T20:01:00.033-07:00

Have you ever thought of this? When you were young and at school the teachers always reprimanded the dreamers - "You live on another planet", "You've got your head full of silly notions!" and the like.

Then we are in the playground. The boys say, "I'm gonna jump over that garbage can" and the other boys say, "Nah, you're not good enough, you can't do that."

You back up and run your hardest at the garbage can and try to ignore the taunts of your disbelieving friends - you leap - and on passing over the bin, catch your foot and crash down".

You can still hear the laughing and to this day blush in embarrassment when you think about it. Perhaps your teachers were right - dreams are silly. Perhaps the other kids were right - you're not good enough.

Do you relate to this? Many of us do. If something like this has happened to you in the past you will know the disbelief and laughter of your childhood peers can cut a very deep wound. But you know there is a wound that is far worse than that? It is the wounding of our intestinal fortitude and the weakening of our lifetime resolve that occurs when we picked ourselves up of the school yard, hung our head, walked away along and thought, "They must be right, - I - can't - do - it". Have you said that about yourself and your business? The difference between those who achieve extraordinary goals and those who don't, is always in their thinking.

The incredibly fun, magical and simple thing about multi level marketing is this. If you can learn to reprogram your childhood self- limiting beliefs - you can do anything...earn an extra $500 per month right up to earning large royalty checks that you're your whole destiny in life!

Are you ready to reprogram your thinking? Create a vision for yourself - and play with possibility thinking? Create an environment around yourself where you dwell on achievements rather than failures. See yourself leaping over the garbage can - over and above every conceivable obstacle. Any worthwhile achievement must start in the brain. An old prophet once said, "As a man thinks, so he is". If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!

I have heard it said that Thomas Edison created 800 light globes before he made one that worked! If he didn't believe he could do what seemed impossible, I am quite sure he would have stopped after the second or third attempt! Is your thinking stopping you achieving your dreams?

By Kim Beardsmore

Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side

2008-07-16T20:01:00.031-07:00

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.

By Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

Rejuvenate & Re-Fuel Your Inner Drive

2008-07-16T20:01:00.029-07:00

I believe that as solo-entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives we all need a pat on the back. Give yourself commendation. Why? Because we have the courage to step outside of the corporate box and start our own businesses, be our own boss and take on the challenge and responsibilities required for this adventure. In order to even contemplate that step we must have had a vision, a dream and a passion to bring it to fruition. So commend yourself.

Now, we're in business. We've been working our little brains out. We are dedicated to making our dream come true. But some time has passed and we may have exhausted ourselves of ideas, that passion that once used to drive us is fading and our never ending "to do list" is overshadowing our dreams.

Do not be discouraged, we only need to refuel. Picture the never ending stair master at the gym. I know we all dread that machine, because it seems like you just keep climbing and there is no landing. But each step is a further progression. Each step brings us to a higher level. Perhaps by reading these strategies we can replenish our passion and reinvigorate our inner drive. So let's focus on a few ideas that I have found to be helpful.

1) Narrow Your Niche I know that as a woman, mother, wife, housekeeper, and a chef, solo-entrepreneur and so on, I tend to think that I can handle it all. Maybe not with grace, but I can accomplish a lot. I am a multi-tasker. We assume that if we can do so in our personal lives, the same should be true in our professional lives. No doubt, we can manage a lot. And as solo-entrepreneurs there are a lot of hats to wear. Business owners are in advertising, marketing, accounting, and so on. But when it comes to the services we offer we should consider "narrowing our niche".

We may be more proficient in a particular area of our practice. By honing in on our skills in that area, we are creating a competitive edge, an area of expertise. You can position yourself as a leader in your own industry. Opposed to fitting in with a thousand of professionals offering the same service, we are now exposed to clientele as specializing in a certain skill. We can also appeal more specifically to a "target market".

2) Partnerships and Alliances Wouldn't you agree that we all need support? We need confirmation that we are heading in the right direction, a resource for assistance, or an honest opinion when we need advice. That's why it is essential to group ourselves together with a variety of individuals who are enlisted within a similar profession. It also increases our professional appearance to clients when we can refer them to an associate of ours who specializes in a particular area of expertise. (Hence the importance of "narrowing your niche"). There are many associations and links available to aid us in our endeavors. So make the connections needed and integrate yourself with a partner or an alliance and unite together with a support system. (E.g. become more involved with the community at www.solo-e.com/community/ where you will connect with individuals who are coming together to help you present yourself with the resources you need).

3) Maintaining Passion The word passion is described as: "enthusiasm, excitement, desire for a particular activity, or devotion to a cause". How do we maintain that enthusiastic approach? Focus on your core message. This is the innermost substance of your business. Maybe our business is a consulting firm. Why not focus on and think about how you are empowering other others to accomplish all that is needed of them by assisting them with your services and/or your products.

Try focusing on the message that you are communicating to others and try to incorporate that in your everyday duties. For instance, the core message of my company is growth. Not only personal growth, but business growth and helping other businesses grow, expand, and develop. I try to allow clients to see the quality of my concern and I enjoy the opportunity I have to help them. When they become more productive and increase profits, I benefit too! My motto is "If you grow - I grow!"

Another way to maintain your passion is to find similarities in your personal values and your business. All of us have a certain moral code. We all have things that are of particular importance to us and if we harmonize that connection between our work ethic and our personal ethics we will be passionate about what we do. Most of us appreciate sincerity from our family, friends and associates; by reflecting the same sincerity to others we are highlighting its importance to us. Having synchronization with our personal and business values will bring about passion, thus helping us to enjoy the entrepreneurial experience.

From my business to yours, I wish you much success and delight in your journey.

By Amy Ewart

Becoming Radiant: Boost Your Teams Creativity with Mind Mapping

2008-07-16T20:01:00.027-07:00

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!

By Maya Talisman Frost

Tapping into Your Super Creative Power

2008-07-16T20:01:00.025-07:00

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

Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street

2008-07-16T20:01:00.023-07:00

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

Internet Business: 10 Important Creative Ways To Get New Product Ideas

2008-07-16T20:01:00.021-07:00

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

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

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

1. Solve an existing problem for people. There are thousands of problems in the world. Create a product that can provide a solution to one of those problems.

2. Find out what's the current hot trend. You can find out what the new trends are by watching T.V, reading magazines and surfing the net. Just create a product that'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. Just take a product that's already out there and improve it.

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

5. Add on to an existing product. You could package your current product with other related products. For example, you could package a football with a team jersey and football cards.

6. Reincarnate an older product. Maybe you have a book 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 contact some of your existing customers by phone or e-mail and ask them what kind of new products they would like to see on the market.

8. Combine two or more products together to create a new one. For example, you could take a brief case and add a thermos compartment inside to keep a drink hot or cold.

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

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

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

Warmly,

By I-key Benney

Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)

2008-07-16T20:01:00.019-07:00

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 creating to 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)'.

By Gail Miller

Riches Through Creative Thinking!

2008-07-16T20:01:00.017-07:00

When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means of coming up with the solution, think in terms of unorthodox methods. Vary your thinking and try to solve the problems by creating something completely new and irrelevant. Come into the problem through the "back door".

Research and curiosity go hand in hand in solving the toughest problems. Quite often the answer is so simple, it is not obvious to us. Use an organized plan to work with and record the results logically so you will have a format to follow and a basis for review as you proceed to create something new or solve an "unsolvable" problem.

Creating new programs or products by association is another method of thinking. You first think of an object which is similar or adjacent to the subject item, then continue the "chain" of associated thoughts until new and useful programs or products emerge as ideas. Relate these ideas to the subject item by trial and error or by analysis of all the variables involved.

Plain old fashioned "daydreaming" is another method of creative thinking. Make up a fantastic story in your mind and try to visualize (dream) your way to a successful conclusion based on what results you are trying to achieve.

Consider all the alternatives to what you're trying to come up with. Gather together and analyze all the data you can find about the subject. If you get into a rut, leave it lie. Go to some other aspect of the puzzle. come back to it later. Quite often as you progress it will suddenly appear, bright and clear. When it does, write it all down so you won't lose it as your mind drifts to the next step.

Complete one step at a time. By breaking it down to size you can solve it in segments. Don't try to override your mistakes. Recognize them and bury them so they will help, not hinder, your progress toward your creative goal.

Don't further confuse the issue by doing so much study and research that there are too many roads to take. If you want to get tons of new ideas and get the right ideas, you can visit http://www.best-internet-businesses.com to grab a few brainstorming tools and softwares.

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By Julia Tang

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

2008-07-16T20:01:00.015-07:00

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!

By Avish Parashar

Three Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business

2008-07-16T20:01:00.013-07:00

I have a friend who has struggled with her creativity for a long time. She's extremely uncomfortable thinking of herself as "creative." We've been working together on it, and making progress. One of the tools that's really helped her has been journaling.

From Julia Cameron's The Artist Way to Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones to Linda Trichter Metcalf, Ph.D. and Tobin Simon, Ph.D.'s Writing the Mind Alive to numerous other publications, journaling has enjoyed a long history of creative-nurturing along with a host of other benefits.

For my purposes, I'm defining journaling as any sort of loose, longhand writing. Whatever thoughts come into your head you put them down on paper. There's no structure, no form, nor concern about spelling or grammar or even legibility.

Even if writing isn't your dream, incorporating a regular program of journaling into your life is a wonderful way to jump-start your creativity and cultivate a constant flow of new ideas. Here are three reasons why.

1. Helps you get rid of the junk in your head. We all have it. Junk thoughts. Everything from self-defeating comments ("Oh, I'll never be good at that." or "Who told you that you could be a writer?") to the "worry of the moment" to neurosis of every type to the ever-growing, constant to-do lists.

Who can be creative with all that noise going on? For that matter, who could even hear a creative thought over all that racket?

Journaling is a way to quiet the mind. Writing all that junk down transfers it from your head to the paper. Suddenly, you find you can actually think rather than simply react.

The best part is this quiet lasts long after the journaling is done for the day. And if you journal frequently, then the effect is cumulative.

When I finish journaling, I find that I feel peaceful. Calm. Able to focus. The junk is gone, leaving space to be creative.

2. Gives you a chance to try new ideas. What better way to see if a new idea will work than to try it out on paper? You can write out the pros and cons, describe a scenario, play "what if" games ("What if my new business was successful?" "What if I tried that new advertising campaign?" "What if I contacted the editor at Money Magazine?"). And the best part is it's all in a private little notebook that no one will ever have to see.

Try writing down your hopes, dreams, goals, visions. Play around with them. You may find as you journal about them, a strategy for making them come true suddenly presents itself, right there in the pages of your notebook.

3. Helps you build a bridge to your muse. This one really only kicks in after you've sufficiently done number one (at least, this is the way it works for me). It seems only after I've gotten most of the junk out of my head that the muse sometimes slips out to play a bit.

How do you know the muse came to visit you? When that brilliant idea flashes in your head. It may not happen while you're journaling, but instead while you're showering, walking, driving or something else. This is the muse talking to you.

It's important to remember muses have quiet voices. They can easily be drowned out by the incessant bickering of the other noisy chatter going on in your head. Once you can get those other voices to shut up, you can start to listen for the muse.

Don't worry if this doesn't happen right away. There have been weeks and even months when I write nothing but junk down. But then, one day, that great idea appears on the paper or in my head as I'm walking my dogs.

And when that happens, I know all the time I spent journaling about nothing has paid off.

Creativity Exercises -- Journal more ideas

I would love it if you made a pact with yourself to journal regularly for a month. If that's too much of a commitment for you, try it as a creativity exercise.

Write down your challenge at the top of a piece of paper. Maybe it's ways to increase business or promote your products more or a new PR campaign. Now just start writing about it.

Don't think, just write. Fill a few pages of musing about that particular challenge. Don't type it either -- write longhand. If you wander away from it, try nudging yourself back.

Write for at least 20 minutes. If no answer presents itself in that time, don't get too hung up about it. Try it again the next day or a few days in a row. Sometimes it just takes awhile to jar things loose. And remember, great ideas have a tendency to pop up in the most unexpected places, not just when you're doing something "creative."

By Michele Pariza Wacek

A Quick Course in Creativity

2008-07-16T20:01:00.011-07:00

This quick course in creativity is designed to give you a platform to stand on as we look at the various ways you can handle home, social and workplace situations, job-search details and career-path decisions. Let's examine what creativity might look like.

Here are some of the ways in which creativity expresses itself. Perhaps the creative idea is one that mixes and matches items or ideas that haven't been combined in just this way before. A wonderful example of this comes from Anita Roddick, who founded the Body Shop, a chain of personal care products and stores. She combined the need to help underdeveloped countries earn income with the need to avoid destroying their resources and environment. She built her business by using natural products produced by these countries.

Or, perhaps the same item could be used in a different way. Which came first, the ballpoint pen or roll-on deodorant? Both use the same idea -- a rolling ball that applies liquid to a surface.

Perhaps you can take a new approach that works. This was the case, for instance, with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda when it was discovered that putting an open box into the refrigerator would soak up odors.

Finally, you might use your creative powers to develop special mastery in areas that can contribute to workplace effectiveness. For example, you might try opening yourself to new ways of experiencing life, increasing flexibility and open-mindedness. There are lots of ways in which creativity can be fostered to produce really great outcomes. And all it takes is practice. We all have the abilities...what we need to develop are the skills, the methods, the focus.

OK, now it's time to examine the process of creativity itself. There are five steps involved.

· First, there's PREPARATION. By this I mean that all knowledge contributes to creativity. No matter what you read or see or hear, it might become a part of a brilliant, new idea. Truly creative people are always hungry for new knowledge and information, even on seemingly unrelated subjects.

· The second step is INCUBATION. When a situation or project needs a shot of creativity, the real job is to get to know every intimate detail of the subject at hand, then to put it all into the very back of your brain and let it "stew." It's sort of like making bread. You mix all the ingredients, then you put them into the pan and let the dough "rise." The important thing here is that there's no way to force the process. You've got to let go and let it happen.

· The third stage of creativity is ENLIGHTENMENT. This could also be called INSIGHT. It's the moment at which the unconscious and the subconscious minds, having finished working on the problem, present an "AHA!" A "EUREKA." An "I'VE GOT IT!" We've all had this happen. Sometimes it comes in a dream; sometimes it's as simple as suddenly remembering where we left our keys or glasses. But it's a critical part of the process, and those who forego it are taking a sort of foolish risk -- the risk that creativity won't present itself.

· Next, there's an EVALUATION of what's come up. It's not always the right answer, even though it may be excitingly creative. At this stage, we match imagination to reality and make some decisions about practicality. There's room for imagination and creativity here, though. The question, "Why not?" is vital at this time and at this stage. Consider this to be the moment at which the real risking in life begins.

· And finally, the risk goes on as you begin the IMPLEMENTATION of the ideas your creativity produced. And the cycle can begin again right here with new information, new incubation, new insights, new evaluations and further implemented outcomes.

Now let's look at the ten keys to creativity.

The first step is to stimulate yourself to get the process started. One way to do this is to look back at all the creative things you've done. Every one of us has had really good creative ideas that have produced wonderful outcomes, and remembering those things often puts the wheels in motion. Then?

1. Write a list of creative achievements - and add to it as new memories surface. This can be a valuable tool that can be used time after time when creativity is what you're focussing on. I have such a list, and it grows, usually, by about one item a month.

2. "Can the Can't!" This is just a short and sweet way to say, "Get out of any negative place you're in." If you believe you can't do something, you probably can't. And it's not that you don't have the intelligence, the drive, the resources, or even the track record. It's that you BELIEVE you can't. Your mind is a neutral place. It listens to what you tell it and acts on that information without regard to whether or not it's good for you. So keep yourself aimed in a positive direction.

3. Be willing to bend. I always feel a little subversive when I talk about this key. Why? Because you need to read a couple of extra words into this phrase?the words are: "the rules." You see, I'm not talking about bending to someone else's will or adopting someone else's ideas. I'm talking about bending your rules! This means, pay attention to whether your mind is locked in to a pattern of behaving a certain way because you've been told that this is the way it's done. You see, I was always told that the rules are the rules because they work. What they didn't tell me was that sooner or later, things change. What used to work just fine may not work any more. As soon as that becomes clear, creativity has an opening. What's more, the old saying "If it works, don't fix it" can be a real cop-out. Maybe -- just maybe -- it could work a little better if it were creatively changed. Now, I don't believe the other extreme -- "If it works, break it" - I don't accept that as an option. But I do think that almost any rule can be re-written to work better so as to fit a changing, dynamic environment, and that's a real creative challenge. So question the rules. See if a different approach, a different method, or a different attitude might yield a different - and better - outcome.

4. De-stress. Creativity and stress just don't fit together. You can't expect your mind to work well when your body is stressed, because they're both part of the same system -- the system called YOU. So take care of stress. Spend time relaxing, meditating, even daydreaming. This simple process can often be a direct route to creative insight. And, since stress is often a consequence of fear, there's a natural "fear" consequence when approaching creativity because the creative process usually takes you outside of your comfort zone. You need to be willing to?

5. Take chances. Move outside of that comfort zone - perhaps in small steps - and be willing to fail or to make a mistake; that is, to have no outcome at all, or an unsatisfactory outcome. That's all part of the creative process. And here I'd like to add that most successful people failed many times on the way to their success. The minute you become willing to fail, you become capable of real success.

6. See mistakes as lessons, not failures. This is particularly interesting, because it's a creative act in itself to break out of the notion that a mistake isn't a failure. I think that our system of schooling builds this into us from a young age. Getting it "RIGHT" is very important...our grades depend on it. So, getting it "WRONG" is the same as "BEING BAD." Get off it. Look at mistakes as object lessons about what doesn't work. Forget about right and wrong.

7. Ask the right questions. We all seem to have a pat set of questions about life. "Why?" seems to be a leader. But you know, it may not make any difference "why" something is, or happens. The right question might be, "What REALLY happened?" And the WAY we ask questions - the languaging - is important. In other words, it's also important to ask questions in the right way. In fact, when you're tempted to ask "why," here's a possibly valuable substitute question. "What is it about ______ that ________. For instance, instead of asking, "Why did you move to Los Angeles?," ask, "What is it about Los Angeles that made you choose to move there?" When you ask someone "Why?," that person sometimes may feel challenged, or negative. "Why did you move to Los Angeles?" might be perceived as questioning the wisdom of the decision. But if you ask, "What is it about Los Angeles that made you choose to move there?" there's no threat...no negativity. And when you ask this kind of question of yourself - "What is it about this idea that appeals to me?" - you'll find yourself opening up channels that wouldn't be available to you by wrestling with a "why" approach.

8. Ask your opposite. What I mean by this is, try a "contrarian approach" to whatever it is you're working on. If it's a business problem, seek out a vendor, a competitor or a customer to interview. You'll get specific perspectives and information you'd never come up with yourself. It's a way of playing devil's advocate that is much more reliable and comprehensive than trying to do it yourself.

9. Study something new each year. The most creative people I know are folks who seem to have an unquenchable need for new knowledge. And they also seem to study a lot of different things. What they tell me is that by learning about unfamiliar subjects they learn new ways of thinking and relating and associating. This gives them broader platforms for decision making. And here's the final key

10. Identify the real problem. Many people ask me, "Why wasn't this the first key?" Are you thinking this, too? Well, observe what the key says...what's the REAL problem. After you've mulled over whatever is challenging you, be prepared to re-evaluate the first premise of what you're working on. Only after you've done all the creative work can you begin to see clearly where you're headed, and that's the time to ask yourself whether you're actually working on the right problem. One of the world's major creative failures, I think, is that too many people fail to take that last, long look, to question the work already done, and to be willing to start over or keep on going, but this time in a new direction. Well, there it is, a short course in creativity - five steps, ten keys. It didn't take long to outline, but it may take you a long time to master it. So please?start now.

By Paul McNeese

Creativity: The Key To Getting More Done In Less Time

2008-07-16T20:01:00.009-07:00

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

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

2008-07-16T20:01:00.007-07:00

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 dreamerRoger 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 realistThat 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 criticOkay, 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

Quiz -- Are You Creative?

2008-07-16T20:01:00.005-07:00

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

Recharge Your Battery

2008-07-16T20:01:00.003-07:00

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.

By Steve Dimeck

Overcoming Artists Block (part 2)

2008-07-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

Once you are ready to start working again you will know it instinctively. 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 of your 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.

By Gail Miller

Break An Egg For Creativity

2008-07-11T21:59:00.011-07:00

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.

They offered the enormous prize of 200 gold florins to the architect whose genius could span the unfinished dome of the Florence Cathedral.

This was a great challenge. Even the original builders of the cathedral in 1296 left writings hoping that God would offer a solution because they did not have one.

Filippo Brunelleschi was the answer to their prayers.

He proposed the radical idea of a dome supported by a brick vaulting system that balanced the opposing forces, but without the customary central supports.

The experts called him mad.

Brunelleschi sought to demonstrate his design with a challenge.

He could stand an egg upright on a flat surface. Could they?

All were unsuccessful.

Finally, Brunelleschi cracked the bottom of the egg and set it down.

It must have been a mess, but it stood upright and demonstrated his idea.

The experts protested, but Brunelleschi remarked that they could have done the same if they had understood his design.

Of course, they did not. They didn't understand creativity either.

They were too mentally confined by their concept of the possible. Figuratively and literally, the thought of solving the problem by breaking the egg never occurred to them.

One imagines their frustration trying to balance the round egg on the marble tabletop and their groans when Brunelleschi demonstrated the sloppy, but clever solution.

We all have eggs we never think of breaking.

These are the fixed states of mind that we accept without question as "the way things are." These states represent the boundaries of our thinking and, therefore, our life experience.

Refuse to be confined by the eggs others never think of breaking.

Geniuses break eggs.

Break your share.

That's why they make paper towels.

by Tony Papajohn

20 Ways to Keep Your Writing Inspiration and Creativity High

2008-07-11T21:59:00.009-07:00

When stressed or blocked it is wise to make a change so that
we don't stay in that place. Yet, many times we forget some
of the simple things that we can do for ourselves, quickly
and easily to bring our inspiration back and increase our
creativity.

1. If you usually type your first drafts, hand write them.
Nothing compares to the feeling the ink melting into the
paper and the surge of that creative flow.

2. If you spend too much time at the computer, take a break
every hour. Go for a walk or just sit outside in the sun.
Even five minutes in a winter sun does wonders for a mood
and creativity.

3. Flip through magazines or books. Their colors and ideas
will give you sparks and switch your attitude. Blue and
green can reduce your stress levels by 30% or more.

4. Add strong smells to the room. Light scented candles
around you, visit the fruit isle at the grocery store, or go
to a store that is heavily scented. Find an orange or
strawberries and smell it. Both will change a mood or
create inspiration. Smells awaken your creativity. Smells
trigger memories and are a great method to rekindle stories
from the past.

5. Go see or rent an inspirational movie. Relaxation time
is important. You can even take your notebook and record
inspirational phases. Afterwards free write that those
phrases bring up from your subconscious.

6. Read a book that stirs you or sparks your creativity.
If you prefer, read poetry.

7. Look at bold and bright colors for a few minutes. These
change your mood.

8. Talk with a friend about your topic to flesh out ideas
and creativity. Record the conversation, with their
permission of course, and play it back to hear the little
nuances that you might have missed.

9. Write an e-mail to a friend to tell him or her what you
want to accomplish. If you are stuck, say so and ask for
help.

10. Check in with your vibrational energy and do something
to switch it into high gear. Take a shower. Go for a walk.
Turn on some music and dance naked for a few minutes.

11. Hire a virtual assistant to do some typing so that you
can stay focused on writing. You can fax your writing or
dictate it into the computer and send her a voice file for
transcription.

12. Go to church for the noon service or whisper a prayer
or two. This reconnects your energy with the universe and
replenishes what might be missing.

13. Complete an appreciation exercise. Pick something
around you, like the telephone, lamp, or pen. Talk to it
and tell it how much you appreciate having the electricity
to turn it on, the opportunity to write with a tool that has
the ink inside, not like a quill, or the softness of the
paper you write on. Be grateful for that you have and not
what you are missing. Or make a list of "count your
blessing" items.

14. Write a personal note to friends or family and tell
them how much you love them, appreciate their
thoughtfulness, or kindness.

15. Authentic, flat-out, raw laughter frees the psyche and
opens the creativity process.

16. Find a setting with lots of trees and flowers and feel
nature. If the weather permits, take off your shoes and
socks and feel the grass between your toes. Nature has a
way of freeing our spirit and renewing our soul.

17. If guilt or a passed incident has captured your mind,
write a "Dear Me" letter and ask yourself for forgiveness to
loosen it's grip and expand your freedom.

18. Are you use to writing in a quiet place? Find a
noisy place to write, like McDonald's or the mall. When
your space is noisy you will have to focus harder in order
to write with clarity.

19. Go for a quiet leisurely drive, listen to a favorite
CD. You can sing out of tune and no one will notice
(laughter aloud).

20. Do something nice for someone else that you wouldn't
normally do and be a gracious receiver of a hug.

That was exciting, wasn't it? Post this list in a
conspicuous place so that it is readily available when you
need it, right next to your writing area is best. Do one or
two of these daily and keep on writing. Your readers are
waiting to read your words.

By Catherine Franz

Creativity And You

2008-07-11T21:59:00.007-07:00

95 percent of what we know about the brain, we have learned in the last 20 years. So, your beliefs about creativity were probably shaped by faulty information.

For instance, many believe that only special, talented people are creative - and you have to be born that way.

Wrong.

The notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso and Mozart were `gifted' is a myth, according to a recent study at Exeter University. Researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics and sports, to find out if "the widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability a person must possess an innate potential called talent."

This particular study concludes that excellence is determined by five key elements:

opportunities

encouragement

training

motivation

practice (this one, most of all)

The research also indicates that few showed early signs of promise prior to parental encouragement, and no one reached high levels of achievement in their field without devoting thousands of hours of serious training. Consider Mozart who trained for 16 years before he produced an cknowledged masterwork.

Let me tell you a few more interesting facts about creativity:

- Research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training,the greater is your potential for creative output.

- Additionally, it has been shown that in creativity quantity equals quality. In fact, the longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Typically, the highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.

- The average adult thinks of three to six alternatives for any given situation. The average child thinks of 60.

- Creativity is an individual process. Traditional brainstorming has been proven ineffective because of fear of social disapproval.

- Groups are best for idea selection rather than idea generation.

All of this is interesting and enlightening but doesn't necessarily get to the root of the issue of creativity. I think there is one element even more important than the five mentioned above. Let me tell you a true story to illustrate what I think the prime factor in creativity is.

A New York publisher was concerned about the lack of creativity among his editorial and marketing staff. He hired psychologists to try to determine what differentiated the creative employees from the others. After a year of study, the psychologists discovered that there was only one difference between creative and non-creative employees: belief in their creativity. Creative employees believed they were creative, and the non-creative ones believed they were not.

So, you are creative, I guarantee it. All you have to do is believe me. Is that too much to ask?

Harry Hoover

Unlock Your Creative Secret Weapon

2008-07-11T21:59:00.005-07:00

It seems like this week a ton of people have been asking me how they can become more creative. I even had one client jokingly accuse me of being in cahoots with the Devil in trade for my creativity. "Where do you get all of your ideas?" he asked. Well, I have decided to share my secret with you in this issue.

In the following paragraphs you will learn my creativity secret weapon. I use it all the time. It will work for you just as it works for me. It has served me well and it is this technique that got me into the buyers meeting of a major drug store when I was just 15 years old. Yup! You read that right. At age 15 my creativity strategy got me an appointment with a major drug store buyer where I sold my "Idea's" to them. I didn't even have a clue what I was doing and I walked right past the suit and tie businessmen right into the office of the guy they were trying to get an appointment with. This happened simply because I was more creative. I know you will have fun with this weeks issue. Enjoy!

It's not rocket science! : Creativity doesn't have to be rocket science. We all have fountains of creative energy flowing within us. Our problem is that the world teaches us, in the interest of our own security, to use our heads far too much. In the process, we shift from the habit of spontaneous imaginary expression to intense self- censorship in service to our security conscious ego-minds. We become so concerned with the image we project that we lose touch with our inner "wizard behind the curtain."

I've learned that when I feel stuck, confused, and frustrated, and my intellect can't seem to find its way out of the cage, that it's this same mind that created the prison in the first place. Fortunately I've found a very simple way out. I've taken up the mantra during times such as these to simply "Just Make Stuff Up."

Experts became experts by studying other experts: Now our culture typically doesn't give a lot of credence to stuff that's just made up. Particularly if it's yours and you're a nobody (a non-expert with questionable credentials). But I think you'll find that in most cases, the experts became experts by studying other experts. And if you follow the line of experts to the very heart of their lineage, you'll most likely find that the originator of their expertise actually "just made stuff up" that hadn't been seen before and that happened to work, at least for the time being.

So the next time you or your group is stuck in a problem-solving or creative venture, please, encourage them to try "just making stuff up," and see what comes forward. There's something about this approach that frees us of our need to be right and invites our inner creative children out to play. Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Example: I've been personally challenged with just about all of my major projects for the past few weeks. I've felt a change of course was not only needed, but the path I was taking with these projects seemed to be reaching an impasse. Now I'm a pretty creative guy, but I felt really stumped, to the point of giving up on some of them. But being open-minded and self-reflective, I realized that the frustration and confusion I was feeling was energy that I could use to evolve these projects to the next level. This process could be effortless if I simply surrendered to the timing of the project in lieu of my ego-mind.

I discovered that I could view these projects as living beings with intelligence and a natural impulse to unfold in a way they are "intended." Like seeds that know fully what they are to become if nurtured properly and patiently. I made all of that up and you can do the same thing. Make stuff up that makes your life easier, more free, happier, etc.

We make up everything: So I began to actually listen to what each project had to tell me. I also started "just making stuff up" around each project. I found that the openness and freedom brought by the attitude of "just making stuff up" combined with the act of doing something, got me moving again into creative new arenas, with a sense of childlike lightness, fun, and adventure.

My Coach Steve Davis was discussing this with his partner Anna Dargitz. She decided to consult the wisdom of her seven year old daughter on this subject. When asked what she thought about the nature of "making stuff up," she replied with something like this. "Well, I make stuff up when I want something real." It took me awhile to decipher this sage advice. But then it hit me that we make up everything, including what we call real, and that admitting that we make it up, is the closest thing to real we can get...she's now our new guru.

How to practice this... This week, try just making stuff up or if you find your group, friends, clients, or colleagues stuck or confused, give them permission to try just making stuff up to see what happens. I'd love to hear you're perspectives and experiences on this. Please email them to me.

Before Ricky Brandon was a life coach, he was a professional Magician. He dedicated his entire life to learning and understanding how to tweak people's perception of reality. By by his early 20's, he was consulting and working with the worlds top Illusionists as well as training tigers for large production shows. Ricky now combines his skills as a Magician with Personal Coaching to teach people how to see through life's illusions so they can focus on what really matters. email him at: ricky@mymomentum.com

By Visit Ricky

Telling It Like It Is (Or Can Be)

2008-07-11T21:59:00.003-07:00

When you hear, "tell me a story," does your mind suddenly go blank? Don't panic. The good news is, you're already a natural storyteller! Surprised? You shouldn't be. It's built right into our genetic code. Human beings are a storytelling species. Of all the creatures on Earth, we're the only ones that share past memories and future dreams as a way to get to know others, build friendships, plan an endeavor, inspire a group.

In fact, we're usually telling ourselves some kind of story all the time - about our job, a relationship, the kids, neighbors down the street, our next vacation. You name it, and we're probably making up a story about it!

So, with all that creativity just naturally flowing, the secret is how to channel it into crafting a story that's interesting and fun for others to hear.

How, in other words, do you go from being a "natural" storyteller to being a good one? Here are 10 tips that will get you started in the right direction.

1. Know your audience. Do you want to tell stories to your kids? Your grandchildren? Your child's third-grade class? Co-workers? Family friends? The charming participation stories that enchant children may seem patronizing or insulting to a group of adults.

2. Choose a story you genuinely like. It could be a traditional folk tale or fairy story. A historical tale. A personal story. The most important thing is that you really like it. It doesn't matter how exciting a story might be or how well you tell it; if you really don't care about it, your audience will be bored too. Guaranteed.

3. Keep it short. A good story doesn't have to be long and elaborate. Especially when you're just starting out, it's much easier to practice and polish a piece that's only 4-5 minutes long.

4. Find out what the story is really about. Why do you want to tell this particular story? What does it mean to you? The exact same story may mean something different to every teller. That's fine. When you discover what the "heart" of the story is for you, you'll automatically find the passion and life in it.

5. Tear it down to the bare bones. Particularly if you're starting with a written text, read the story over a couple of times to get the basic outline, and then lay the book aside. See what you remember when you simply tell it. These points will become the foundation for rebuilding the story using your own creativity.

6. Know where you're going. Make sure you have a beginning, middle and end for your story. A good storyteller never makes the audience nervous that they (and you) are lost.

7. Practice out loud. Get in the habit of talking to yourself. You can never become a good storyteller by telling the story in your head, no matter how many times you practice. Tell the story in your car while commuting to work. Tell it in the shower. Tell it to your dog (pets tend to make quite good listeners, by the way). Tell your story over and over until you're as comfortable in it as you are in your favorite jeans.

8. Find your own voice. Listen to other storytellers to hear different styles of telling: flamboyant...quiet...dramatic...quirky...laid back...funny...serious. The list could go on and on. Notice which tellers appeal to you and which ones don't. There are no right or wrong ways to tell a story; there's only what's right for you.

9. Don't memorize. Storytelling isn't a theatrical performance. It's a shared experience. No matter how many times you tell a particular story - as long as you haven't committed it word-for-word to memory - you never know when something brand new and absolutely delightful will show up.

10. Roll with the punches. Did you suddenly remember a critical piece of the story you totally forgot to mention earlier? No problem. Bring it up when you think of it and let your audience be part of the discovery process. ("And what I didn't tell you before, was...")

Most importantly, trust the stories that choose you to be told through. Follow their lead. When you do, both you and your listeners will embark on a magical journey you'll not soon forget.

By Nancy Binzen

Why Do We Need Creativity?

2008-07-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives, but in modern times few people are able to access this as a resource. Alan Watts writes in The Wisdom of Insecurity:

"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy. As a consequence we are at war within ourselves - the brain desiring things which the body does not want, and the body desiring things that the brain will not allow; the brain giving directions which the body will nor follow, and the body giving impulses which the brain cannot understand...So long as the mind is split, life is perpetual conflict, tension, frustration and disillusion. Suffering is piled on suffering, fear on fear, and boredom on boredom.

The more the fly struggles to get out of the honey, the faster he is stuck. Under the pressure of so much strain and futility, it is no wonder that men [sic] seek release in violence and sensationalism, and the reckless exploitation of their bodies, their appetites, the material world and their fellow men".

Globally at the moment there are many problems facing mankind. Diminishing natural resources and increasing populations mean that we are in a spiral of entropy. Our investment systems have been using the capital assets of our planet as income since the beginning of the industrial revolution. We are putting little energy back into our planet.

Third world populations look enviously toward the apparent richness of first world countries, and wish to emulate the consumerism that appears to make its citizens so happy. Our media propagate the illusion that we can buy our way out of environmental destruction, and that retail therapy is the panacea to all dis-ease and unhappiness.

Although the nature of work is changing there is still more slavery in the world than there has ever been. Mass production is shifting generally to third world countries where cheap labour and the environment are more easily exploited. Tiny wage slavery is still cheaper than investing in up to the minute technology for many third world industries. New technology steadily gobbles up jobs. Service, leisure and electronic industries have replaced much of our manufacturing losses to the third world but now even these (often part-time jobs) are being 'outsourced'.

Certainly creativity is needed at individual and governmental levels to produce new opportunities in employment, information, education and leisure activities. Many of the manufacturing 'jobs for life' we have lost to cheaper workers have been replaced by part-time, poorly paid and insecure alternatives.

The development of new forms of employment and the ability to cope with accelerating change needs creativity at all levels. Pressures towards conformity stem from, "a demand that education should primarily the way to enhanced social status and a materially safe way of life" (T.P. Jones in Creative Learning in Perspective).

Aspects of specialisation (the mystification of knowledge into 'closed shops') and a centralised government system shift responsibility away from people. Many factors make it harder for an individual to act on their own behalf, on their own belief and to face uncertainty and possibly ridicule by doing something non-conformist. In education individual behaviour is still often construed as insulting and rebellious. Creativity, an Open University guide for teachers states:

"One of the problems with teaching for creativity in schools is that many of the personality characteristics and kind of behaviour associated with them are unpleasing to the teacher. Independent children who will not accept what the teacher says, simply because they say it, can be disliked by the teacher, particularly when such behaviour occurs on a heavy day or with a tired teacher".

The potential for divergent, self assertive thought and action is diminished in many sectors of society. People who 'rock the boat' and question authority are too often seen as a threat to established patterns. This has led to a breakdown in sensitivity to needs, the generation of ideas and the production of creative solutions. Financial reward and security are conditioned to be the primary motivations for work and life.

With the coming of automation and factories seeking the cheapest labour in third world countries, the emphasis in a successful economy needs to be more biased towards the production of ideas that create meaningful and sustainable employment. The education systems we have are slow to realise this and much of the training they provide is still geared towards values established during the Industrial Revolution.

The didactic education system we have is still partly based on training small boys for the priesthood, five-hundred years ago. The development of creative potential in individuals is an issue that the system simply does not know how to handle. Presently we are between two worlds, leaving generations high and dry concerning meaningful work and the generation of identity.

"Whilst assimilating that which he has inherited, and adapting himself to it, man [sic] must also preserve his essential individuality. Education must assist the society which nurtures it by inspiring each generation to add to the culture it has received by creating something new; there should be no passive acceptance of what has been handed down from the past. Serious consideration must therefore be given to the extent that non-conforming ideas can be considered as an asset for life in a conforming society".

By T.Powell Jones

Telling It Like It Is (Or Can Be)

2008-07-11T21:58:00.005-07:00

Why Do We Need Creativity?

2008-07-11T21:58:00.003-07:00

Top Ten Ways To Jump-Start Your Creativity

2008-07-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

1 - Take A Tour of the Great Outdoors

Consider a hike in the mountains, a stroll beside the river, a run along the beach, a jog through the park or a walk around the city.

2 - Soak Up Your Surroundings like a New Sponge Open your mind to the unknown and grasp the little details often overlooked in every day life.

3 - Read, Read, Read Read anything that interests you... Regardless of whether it´s related to writing or not! Think variety - from trashy romance novels and bad tabloids to The New York Times and Writers Digest. Find something different to read that you are really interested in and then actually take the time to READ it thoroughly.

4 - Escape Reality Temporarily Indulge yourself with rare pleasures - like a hot bubble bath, a professional massage, a visit to the beauty salon, a mini-shopping spree, a big bowl of REAL chocolate ice cream or just a little time ALONE!

5 - Play Like A Child Forget your responsibilities as a mature adult for a few hours! Remember something you loved to do as a kid and re-create the experience now. Or participate in whatever game/activity/adventure your child enjoys more than anything else. Roll up your sleeves, abandon your inhibitions, throw caution to the wind and play - really PLAY like you did when you were 10 or 20 years younger!

6 - Quit Procrastinating Finish that one particular project that you have been putting off for weeks.. Get it done now, so you can really focus all of your energy on new ideas and creative pursuits. If there's one thing that clouds your thinking almost daily, make it go away today!

7 - Just Write Write about anything. Write about the first thing that comes to mind - no matter how silly or irrelevant the subject may seem - put your feelings into words and get them down on paper as much paper as it takes! Keep writing about what you're thinking about until you can't think of any more words.

8 - Share Your Ideas, Opinions or Experiences with Someone Else Whether you have to call our mom or a close friend, talk about what's on our mind with somebody - almost anybody, who you know and trust. Interact with other writers on the web via e-mail discussion lists, open forums or critique groups.

Get your thoughts out there. Bounce your ideas off of somebody else. Share your feelings with others who can relate to your topic. Ask for feedback from people you trust.

9 - Identify Issues that are Important to You Make a list of topics that you think matter in today's world. Jot down at least ten subjects and then explore ways to transform these ideas into articles. Example of Issues: Child Abuse, Internet Technology, Scams Online, World Peace, Prison Reform, Senior Care, Freedom of Speech, School Choices etc....) Look at the headlines in your daily newspaper, think of recent stories broadcast by National news programs like 20/20...

10 - Search The Web Look for articles and other resources related to creativity. Read stories written by other writers and/or try some creative writing exercises.

By Danielle Hollister