Creative 360 Degree

Elements of Creativity Theory include:

What are the definitions of and differences between creativity and innovation? There is much confusion, for instance, Franklin (2003) writes that "innovation is anything that somebody thinks is a great idea." At a minimum, creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Innovation often means that outside decision makers have to get involved, as complete development and commercialisation commonly requires the competencies and knowledge of a team. Different competencies, structures, processes, resources and time-scales are required.

Creativity

Common characteristics of creative people. Do creative people have common characteristics that we can identify, so that we can hire the right people? Some firms do not engage in creative activities because of a belief that "special" people are needed. Many theorists and practitioners think that there are common characteristics, such as tolerance to ambiguity and risk taking. However, many others argue that there are none ("For sixteen years I have been trying to find some common denominator which seems to apply to all creative people. There aren't any. If I could find five or six characteristics I might be more successful at hiring them. I could make a list of curiosity, vocabulary, good visual imagery etc and then I could interview hundreds of people and hire the best. But I don't know of any common characteristic. We've got fifty copywriters and I suppose the good ones are judged at the end of the year, when we compare how many successful campaigns they have created").

Learning versus talent. Can creativity be learned and developed or is it a talent / special gift? Why is it that some people just are more creative? Nature nurture arguments are notoriously inconclusive and trait theories assume stability across situations and time. The best way to answer this question is to investigate whether creativity improves with practice. The experience curve, automisation, learning theories and the experiences of practitioners suggest that it does improve but there are caveats.

Motivation. Motivation is arguably more important than nature / nurture or traits. Someone with natural ability or placed in the right environment may not take advantage of it unless motivated. There is intrinsic motivation, synergistic and non-synergistic extrinsic motivation. How can it be induced and measured? There are many elements: material reward, progress to the ideal self, self-determination, self-evaluation, feedback, enjoyment, competency expansion, recognition and feasibility.

Blocks to creativity and organisational culture. What are the blocks to creativity and how can they be overcome? We can all be more creative, so what is stopping us? There are many blocks such as evaluation apprehension (in its many forms) and lack of adequate finance and resources. Separating creative from critical thinking, incremental productivity, tools that draw out tacit knowledge and using frameworks to trigger flow are some of the effective unblocking techniques. What is psychological safety and freedom? What properties of an organisational culture cultivate productivity?

Organisational structure. What properties of an organisational structure most foster creativity? There are many reasons why an entity has a particular organisational structure: history, logistics, market segmentation, product line, strategy and so forth. It is often unreasonable to ask a firm to change its organisational structure, so how do we get around this problem?

Group structure What is the most effective team structure? Many people who are acknowledged to have made great contributions to society have worked alone, but it is very easy for individuals to go "off track" and feedback is required to some degree, as well as other things. It is also very difficult to separate the idea from its influences. Many others work in pairs or small teams, as this reduces the negative effects of large groups. Successful firms generally start off as very small, creative enterprises. Many people think that brainstorming in large groups enhances creativity, but large groups bring with them politics, status differentials, group think, dilution of ideas and conformity among other things.

The role of knowledge. What type and level of knowledge helps creativity most? Can someone with limited knowledge of a field make a significant contribution to it? Does excess knowledge cause blinkered vision? Intellectual cross-pollination fosters creativity, but how do we overcome competency traps and other negatives? How do we frame-break, reduce path dependency and collaborate effectively?

Radical versus incremental creativity. Radical / transformational / disruptive creativity is very much glamorised. But is this what is required most often? Is it wiser to target radical or incremental ideas? Is radical really radical or the result of incremental improvement? How is radical defined? If we want a radical idea as opposed to an incremental change, what are the implications? Incremental and radical creativity require vastly different structures, processes, skills and resources.

Structure & goals. Many creative people object to structure and goals - they argue they interfere with thought processes and originality; there is a very fine line between structure and conformity. Does structure help trigger a flow of good ideas? Do structure and goals help set the boundaries of a problem and produce more output that when an individual is simply allowed to "do their best?" Do structure and goals help us achieve the objective more rapidly? How many people have a half finished novel or screenplay in their office?

Process. Many people question the concept that creativity can be a process. Ask many practitioners what process they engage in and they may well deny there is one. But if you examine the activities of many creative people, common patterns of behaviour emerge. This common process makes insight / eureka / the aha! experience more likely. The process includes identifying and intensely investigating the problem, forcing production of ideas using creative versus critical thinking and other techniques; seeking stimuli and allowing the unconscious mind to take over by engaging in rest and unrelated activities.

Valuation. How do we value an idea, so as to decide how to invest resources? Even a painter who creates for pure pleasure has to decide which one of his ideas is best; there is always a value system and (some argue) always some sort of promotional instinct. There are decisions as to whether you are looking for applied creativity and who the consumer is; how do they benefit? There is no sure fire way to evaluate perfectly because there is no sure fire route to commercial success. But we can benchmark against those types of ideas that have succeeded in the past; firms must make a decision as to their strategic, competence and technical fit; there are comparisons against rivals and practical impediments; how do we make the go or kill decision and what are the trade-offs? A quantitative tool for measuring the value of ideas has been developed.

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The MBA research project and other creativity and innovation tools can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/.

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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

As creative people, ideas are our currency, our lifeblood. Creativity itself could be defined as "having and developing ideas".

If we have no ideas then we have nothing to build upon, nothing to cherish, nourish and encourage to grow.

Creativity

Our minds at any one time are full of ideas of different types, sizes, ages and levels of attractiveness. So how can we ensure we encourage this development of ideas, this creativity?

One possible way is think of your creative mind as a large hotel or mansion.

In each of the rooms is a guest that represents a creative project or idea that you've started in the past. It's not important whether you finished the project, but that you had the original idea, invited it into your conscious mind and began to work on it. You committed some time and energy to it.

Then, each time you have a new idea and begin a new creative project based around that idea, it's like a new guest arriving at your hotel.

They check in at reception, are given the key to a comfortable spacious room and are then invited to take to their new quarters and get accustomed to the surroundings, to make themselves feel at home. Each guest - each new creative idea - enters as an equal, and is given the same size room as all the other guests.

Or are they?

What kind of welcome do your new guests receive in reality? Are they greeted with as much respect, enthusiasm and bonhomie as all those in the past were?

Is your Creativity Hotel all crisp clean sheets, stylish comfy furniture, 24-hour room service and a complimentary mini-bar?

Or is it more in the style of a grubby fold away bed in a rundown motel, with "cosy" dimensions - two steps in any direction and you're provided with a convenient wall to lean against - complete with damp stained wallpaper and what looks like weeks old pizza sauce...

And what about managing so many guests at any one time? Your Creativity Hotel is infinitely huge. Maybe at reception there's a map of the hotel which shows at a glance who's staying at each of the rooms?

But how do they interact with each other? Do they even mix at all?

Is each new guest invited to a lavish welcoming dinner, to socialise with all the other guests, form new connections and share experiences, returning to their room in the early hours of the next morning tired, yet all the richer and more developed because of it?

Or instead are the guests at your hotel told to stay in their rooms and keep themselves to themselves, to only come out for meals and fire drills. Oh and don't forget that 9pm lights out curfew!

Consider too that each new idea we have as creative people - each new quest at our Creativity Hotel - does not come from some unknown alien place, but from the same place that all our other ideas have come from. So surely it makes sense to re-introduce them as old friends, let them mix a little and have the opportunity to thrive in diverse and creative surroundings?

Next time you wonder about not having new ideas, ask yourself how you really treat the new ideas and inspiration that come to you? Do you record them eagerly then let them develop naturally? Or do you treat them with contempt or suspicion or worse still ignore them altogether?

Every great achievement in the history of humanity started with a single idea. So think for a moment about how some of those ideas may have been treated had they arrived in their initial state at your Creativity Hotel.

Of course you can take this idea of your Creativity Hotel as deeply or as light heartedly as you wish, the options are virtually limitless. Adapt it so it works best for you and have fun with it.

But to allow yourself to be as creative as possible, ensure you do all you can to make YOUR Creativity Hotel a bustling, stimulating and happy place where new guests can't help but come flocking, and soon flourish in the company of others of a similar mind...

© Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin.

Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at http://www.CoachCreative.com

Introduction

The "entrepreneur" is one who creates a new business in the hopes of making a profit. If this is a valid definition of the term, then it is essential that businesses today utilize "entrepreneurial skills" in order to compete against rival corporations and small businesses that have become an even greater threat than before.

Creativity

Akio Morita is known to have said that initially Sony had three years of competitive-free sales before a rival came up with a product that bit into their margin but near his retirement, that "window" had changed from three years to three months. As the time to market is decreasing rapidly due to the increase of global competition and other powerful market forces, companies can no longer follow their traditional ways of product development. All businesses that wish to do more than just survive must think like the entrepreneur.

Listen to marketers

Marketers know that it takes a tremendous amount of time, money and effort to create new customers compared with keeping current customers. They know that their most valuable asset is the customer they already have. Following this logic, does it make sense to invest a huge amount of time and money to hire on a bunch of "avant-garde" thinkers to create explosively innovative products and services when the resource may already be within the company's ranks? Can businesses in these lean times afford to do so? I do not think so. Those that are best suited to create new and valuable products which are in harmony with the business plan and goals are those that are already in the system; the employees.

It doesn't end with creativity

Entrepreneurism does not end with creativity. Many people can create amazing concepts. Those concepts then need to be turned into products and services which meet the needs of the market and are PROFITABLE for the organization. What good is an idea with no reality? It has little value. In order to succeed, organizations must have the creativity as well as the ability to act upon that creativity in order to bring ideas to market profitably. This is the power of the successful entrepreneur.

Valuable traits

What kind of traits do these individuals usually possess? The entrepreneur is often seen to possess a:·

Desire for responsibility·

Preference for moderate risk·

Confidence in own ability to succeed·

Desire for immediate feedback·

High levels of energy·

Future orientation·

Skill at organization·

Ability to see value in achievement over money

If companies want employees to possess these kind of traits, they need to develop the environment that fosters such. How can they do this? I believe that if we look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs we can find the answer.

Up your hierarchy!

Not everyone agrees with Maslow and his hierarchy of needs which states that every individual must have certain needs met before they can move up the hierarchy to the next level. To me, it makes perfect sense. We can look around the world at the starving countries and ask ourselves, "why do they pollute so badly? Why don't they care about the world?" The answer is that they are too busy trying to survive to think beyond. Once those survival needs are met, they can progress to looking at the world differently.

At the highest level of the hierarchy is self-awareness. Once employees have their basic needs, and other intrinsic needs met, they are able to begin to think beyond what they "want" and focus on other aspects. This is where creativity comes into play. We all know that extrinsic motivation rarely lasts forever. Look at weight loss clinics and network marketing as two good examples. After the top people give their pep talks, everyone is pumped. When they all return to their normal world, that motivation disappears. Look, however to those people that are motivated from inside themselves; they are the creators, the individuals that can come up with the most amazing things.

Reward is a key criterion

Companies need to create the environment that empowers the worker to that higher level so that they feel they are important in the organization. When they have self-worth, and confidence, when they are rewarded for their efforts, then the creativity will flow from the intrinsic motivation. Eisenberger and Shanock have shown that "when individuals believe they can obtain rewards by being creative, they become more creative. The expectation that creativity will be rewarded causes individuals to define the task as requiring creativity, to become immersed in it, and to search for novel ways of carrying it out." 1

By providing the tools required to get the job done, education to enhance thought processes, empowering workers to produce excellence and rewarding them for doing so, employers will not only develop their own employees abilities to create, they will improve their competitive advantage in the market by increasing the invaluable asset known as knowledge. By instilling in employees a healthy skepticism for conventional wisdom they will further enhance a creative orientation. 2

Creative tension is a key criterion

In addition to this, by fostering a creative tension that is not based on emotional or anxious pressures, people will begin to see the gap between what they want to get done, and the reality of the situation. They will then be able to focus on the gap utilizing energy to make it smaller until goals, visions and reality converge. From this creative tension will flow the motivation. Companies must foster this kind of environment. 3

Conclusion

If organizations want to succeed and excel at global competition, they need to push their employees to challenge conventional wisdom, and give them the tools and the autonomy to test out their non-conventional ideas. Thinking they need to go on a "search for creativity and intrinsic motivation" will hinder their need for speed. Instead of looking for these abilities, they should implement the tools and adjust the environment to empower the employees to develop creativity and intrinsic motivation from within.

References

1. Eisenberger, R., & Shanock, L. 'Rewards, Intrinsic Motivation, and Creativity: A Case Study of Conceptual and Methodological Isolation.' Creativity Research Journal, 15, 121-130, 2003. (no longer available online)

2. Feynman, R. P. 'The pleasure of finding things out: The best short works of Richard P. Feynman.' Cambridge, MA: Perseus 1999.

3. Lori Reisenbichler, 'Creative Tension: A Crucial Component of Creativity in the Workplace', Center for Collaborative Organizations , University of North Texas. 2005/10/27. Retrieved from: http://www.workteams.unt.edu/literature/paper-lreisenb.html.

My fears are most powerful when they're simmering just under the surface of my awareness. I'm resistant to a new idea, I'm defensive about holding on to my old ways, I feel excited and panicked at the same time - these are sure-fire signs that there's some fear under there.

Shining a spotlight on my fear has been the best (and only) way to get to the other side of it.

Creativity

"Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love" - Ranier Maria Rilke

My fear is there for a good reason - to protect me. If I can have compassion for my fear, and understand what it's looking for, I'll be more ready to let it go.

I've been thinking about how fear and creativity often go hand in hand. As creative artists, what is our fear looking for? What does it think it's protecting us from? In exploring these questions I decided to brush up on Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs".

Abraham Maslow suggested that all human beings have the same basic needs, and that we spend our lives striving to meet them. His famous hierarchy of needs explains that at the basest level we need protection from the elements, food, water and other physiological needs.

Then, we need to feel safety and security within our family, our home and in our place in the world around us. We need to feel that we fit in and understand where we fit in and how everything works.

Next, we need to feel love and belonging - that we're accepted and appreciated.

We need to feel competent and masterful and that we're being recognized for our talents.

Finally, when all of those needs are met, we strive for the "top" level, "Self-Actualization" - to really live up to our highest potential, to feel a oneness with God, the universe and all of our fellow travelers on this Earth.

For some of us, long after the needs HAVE been met, we still fear losing them and having to meet them all over again.

Maybe that's why creating our art can evoke so much fear. Creativity is a direct form of self-actualization. When you're feeling fear about putting your creative ideas into motion, which of Maslow's needs are you concerned about meeting or losing?

* If I commit fully to my art then I won't be able to support myself financially - I could lose everything and be penniless and homeless

* If I put my creations out into the world, people may not like them - that means they won't like me, they may laugh at me, I won't fit in

* If no one likes my work, I won't fit in. No one loves, understands or knows me. I'm not fulfilling a need in the world - no one needs me. I'm not serving a purpose.

* If I try to create, I could make a mistake. I'll feel stupid and no one will like me.

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.

- Joseph Chilton Pearce

* If I go another year without trying to get my creative projects off the ground, I may never break free of my limitations, and I may live the rest of my life with unrealized potential. I may die with my creativity still inside of me.

Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully.

- Frances Moore Lappe

Have I missed any? Probably. Of course each of us have our own unique fears - and these are more universal ones that relate to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and to our creative hopes and dreams.

A well-known acronym for fear is:

FEAR = False evidence appearing real

In other words, even though what we're fearful of seems very real to us, it's usually something we've made up in our heads, as opposed to something we're facing in physical form. Studies on the stress hormone cortisol show that our bodies react to our thoughts regardless of what is actually in front of us. Our fears feel VERY real. And......they're not.

SARK, author of Make Your Creative Dreams Real suggests you to try this acronym on instead:

Fill yourself up creatively - Julia Cameron advocates something similar with her "Artists's Date" assignment in The Artist's Way. What sparks your creativity? A long drive in the country? Making a vegetable soup? Meditation? Prayer?

Explore what stops you - looking at your own unique methods of self-sabotage is a cornerstone of the Everyday Self-Care Workbook (http://www.genuinecoaching.com/esc-workbook.html), and of my upcoming book just for creative artists.

Accelerate movement - Do something, anything, to combat the inertia of staying still. SARK advocates "micro movements" that take anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes to complete. Those micro movements are the building blocks for our creative dreams and most importantly, get us moving!!

Repeat - luckily for us, this process continues as long as we're up for it!

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

- Dorothy Bernard

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Part of the romanticism of entrepreneurship is the thought that entrepreneurs are creative, innovative, go-getters, risk takers, driven. All of that implies a high self-esteem and determination. In reality, having a clear understanding of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship allows managers of institutions and corporations, as well as individual, manage each area differently to get the best results.

People like creativity simply because it is fun. We reconnect with the pure pleasure of getting something that did not exist before. When we create we forget our problems, we are just being, the child comes out, we connect with ourselves and it simply feels good. Our energy pours from the inside to the outside and leaves our imprint, the object of our creation becomes an extended part of ourselves. Creativity also lives in a time and purpose vacuum. The worst enemy of creativity is a good idea.

Creativity

People like innovation because it implies progress. When we innovate, we have a structure. Innovation becomes change. To change we need the reference, the constraints, the structure, the present, what is there. When we do things differently, we are also creating, but we create with a purpose, fun stops until we reach our goal. Thus, innovation has less power as a self-expression than creativity.

Then we come to the field of entrepreneurship, one of my favorite topics. Entrepreneurship is more about creating wealth than it is about creating a company. It is closely linked to creativity, entrepreneurs MUST have something NEW to offer. It is related to innovation, entrepreneurs MUST find new ways of getting in the market, making something new, doing things differently.

When we check most new businesses, they are me-too's, and most so-called entrepreneurs are people who have bought themselves a job. They don't create, innovate or add wealth. They shift what exists to a different person.

Entrepreneurship then is the process of exploring how to add value to others in a new or different way. Entrepreneurs capture that value in the form of wealth, and then that wealth with others: clients, users, employees, suppliers, community, governments, etc. To understand that being creative and being innovative is not enough and to be aware that there is a maximized value waiting to be discovered or created, is what entrepreneurs do best when they plan, then they take action, and finally, they evolve.

It is not a matter of luck as most people link entrepreneurship with creativity and innovation. If you don't have anything, you create. If you have an unwanted present, you innovate. If you want to create wealth, you give that creation or innovation, the best chance. You don't need money to create wealth, you need creativity and innovation.

It is by thinking and taking action, by consciously discovering where the creations or innovations have the highest perceived value that entrepreneurs build their wealth... and by doing so, create prosperity beyond themselves. It is not about becoming rich but building wealth.

Without the notion of creating wealth, creativity and innovation can't find a place in the market. To be able to distinguish where the highest value is, who is the ideal customer or client is to bring prosperity to our communities, and to act upon that thought, is what entrepreneurs thrive at.

There are many tools and methods that capture how entrepreneurs create wealth. It is not an art, or a science. It is the conscious effort of making the best of a product or a service, to find those who value it best, and capture that value, what lies inside the entrepreneur.

Creating wealth escapes the obvious, and creates new valued propositions. Sometimes we use innovation to improve what is there, but most likely, the best results come from a free, playful, fun exercise of creating wealth. Whatever you do to create wealth will improve your skills and build up that wealthing muscle. Even if you compose a song in tribute to your wealth when you are showering!

Here is to your wealth and joy,

Alicia Castillo Holley is an international expert on entrepreneurship and innovation. She has started 9 companies and one not-for-profit, raised millions of dollars and trained thousands of people. She's a recognized author, speaker and seminar leader.
http://www.wealthing.com

Are you planning on having a house built? Are you planning a renovation on the current place you are living in? Are you planning on getting a vacation home somewhere in your favorite vacation spot? If yes is the answer to any of these questions, you might want to explore the idea of designing a bedroom of your house in advance.

You might want to do it so that it reflects your personality, or perhaps to just find out how creative you can be. You can do it even if you are not an architect or an interior designer; you don't even need to hire one to do it for you. You can do this yourself, and all you need is a computer, Internet, and an imaginative mind. Yes, you can design a bedroom online.

Creativity

There are websites out there that specifically deal with online bedroom design. They usually have previews for you to take a look at so you would have an idea on how to go about it. Or, if you are really prepared and would want to do it yourself, that is a legitimate option too. There are three important steps on how to design a bedroom online.

First, you need to see the color combinations you will use. Maybe you would like your room to be painted in blue. What shade of blue? There are hundreds of color combinations of shades of blue. Online bedroom design websites usually offer this option so you can mix and match which paint colors to use. You can also check to see the color combination of the walls with the flooring, ceiling, furniture, so you can have a "color preview" of what your bedroom will look like.

Next is the layout design. How big will your bedroom be? Where exactly will you place the furniture and other items such as the television, study table, restroom, doors, windows, and more? How big of the total space will they consume? You can answer all of these by properly designing the layout of your bedroom. If the first step deals with the color combinations, this second step deals with space and measurements. You can check to see how many pieces of furniture you can place and how big they are and if they can fit or not (or if they are ideal or not).

Finally, the design plan itself. Calculate your total expenses by placing all the necessary information in a design plan. Included here are the sizes of the doors, windows, flooring, amount of paint to be used, etc. When you complete these necessities, you will have an idea of how much you will spend for the construction of your bedroom. The design plan is not only important for the calculation of expenses, but also for the exact data of your room - you will know every detail there is.

You might want to venture into designing your own bedroom online. It is a creative exercise and the satisfaction you will receive when the finished product is revealed while knowing that you were the one that designed it cannot be put into words. Whatever your motive is in designing your own bedroom, whether it is to reflect your personality or so you can test your creativity, it will be a fun thing to do. Remember, it is simple enough that all you need is a computer, Internet, and an imaginative mind.

Daniel is the father of two kids and enjoy sharing tips and home and bedroom design ideas at his website. From cool teenage bedroom design tips to home contemporary design.

Introduction

Before I list some very helpful and powerful exercises to encourage creativity, let's take a moment to consider what constitutes creativity, why we aspire to encourage creativity in the first place and what is required from the person who wishes to encourage creativity through exercises, be it her own creativity or that of others.

Creativity

Definition of Creativity

If one wishes to encourage creativity, it is advised that she first has a clear definition of this term. However, Creativity is an illusive and complex term that seems to defy definition, so let me list some options and choose what fit you most. Creativity has to do with original and flexible thinking, the ability to pay attention to details, the ability to cope with uncertainty. Creative individuals possess a high motivation to overcome obstacles and solve problems, the willingness to take calculated risks, the desire to work hard in turn for recognition.

Benefits of Creativity

Encouraging creativity through exercises is a proven way to develop young minds. Weaving creativity exercises into children's education greatly improves their chances of becoming successful and constructive adults who are able to cope more aptly with a rapidly changing world. An environment that encourages creativity is also a solid foundation for mental health. Creativity exercises cultivate highly motivated students who are less prone to adverse psychological states such as stress and boredom.

Creativity Exercises - What Is Required of the Teacher

Creativity Exercise #1 - Image Streaming

This exercise is to be carried out in pairs or individually. The exercising student closes her eyes and asks herself a question. The exercising student then describes out loud her mental visual imagery either to another student or to a tape recorder. Describing of the mental images should be flowing and streaming. In the process of describing the images she sees in her mind, the student should concentrate on sensory details. For example, "I feel the softness of the fresh laundry", "my feet are pressed against the cold tiles", "I smell the rain-soaked air." The student should aim to make her live or potential listener vividly experience what she sees. In order to develop and maintain the flow of streaming imagery, the student should ask herself new questions as to the nature of objects she sees in her mind and explore them in detail. Relaying the mental images should be done in a hastened pace to avoid judgment and critical thinking. Image streaming is to be exercised for at least 10 minutes each time. Over time, this exercise improves creativity and intelligence.

Creativity Exercise #2 - Challenge Traditional Thinking

This exercise can be practiced in a group or individually. Routine thinking is good for every day tasks, since you perform the task without employing your mind and wasting energy on the thinking process. For example, if you take the same route to work every day, you soon drive on auto-pilot. If, however, you have a task that requires you take a different route, then you have to concentrate and be aware of the left and right turns you make. If your thoughts drift, you will find yourself going unintentionally in the regular route. If you wish to exercise creativity in solving problems, you have to stay clear of routine thinking. This can be achieved by forcing the mind to find new routes. Instructions: make a list of words and write each word on a card. For each word instruct the students to come up with 2 related words and write these down on separate cards as well. You now have groups of three words each. And now for the creative part: randomly pick two unassociated words and instruct your students to come up with an association between the two seemingly unrelated words. This will force their thinking process to form an unfamiliar route, a connection between two dots that were unconnected until now. Forcing our mind to find new trails that connect A and B is exactly what enhances creativity. Along the same lines, you can try these variation: make a basic outline map of the United States without state names. Instead of state names, write down names of world countries. For example, instead of Texas write Canada, instead of California write France. And so on. Now ask your students to find associations between the state and the country. Remember that we are not after any correct answer. We are exercising this in order to create new roads. So don't test your students' knowledge. Encourage them to come up with any association they can think of. It can relate to culture, economy, language, but it can also relate to the spelling of the names or to their pronunciation. Be open.

Creativity Exercise #3 - The Gods Must Be Crazy

An African Bushman, unaware of white culture, discovers an empty Coca Cola bottle in the Kalahari Desert. The bushman closely examines this mystical object (casually dropped by a passing pilot), wondering what it is good for. He then tries blowing into it, and is very pleased to learn that it makes a noise. In this creativity exercise you encourage your students to become Bushmen. I mean it. You need to collect 5 to 10 props. You display a prop to your students and ask them to find a new use for it. This exercise encourages creativity since it forces the thinking process to erase or ignore what is known and come up with fresh ways of looking at something familiar.

Creativity Exercise #4 - Music's Story

Play a piece of classical music, preferably one that your students don't know. Dim the lights, instruct your students to close their eyes and listen closely to the music. The music tells a story, it tells about the weather, about a poor or rich man, about mad love that is now dying. Ask each student to follow every plot twist, every change of atmosphere. Then stop the music and ask your students to write down their stories, with as much detail as possible.

Eran Sadeh is publisher of Character-Slippers.com, a wonderful product that encourages both fun and creativity. To learn more about character slippers and browse through picture galleries and video galleries of character slippers, please visit http://www.character-slippers.com

Organizational structure can inhibit or foster creativity and innovation. The problem with organizational structure though, is that it is resultant of many factors, including history, organic growth, strategy, operational design, product diversity, logistics, marketing, client base, supplier base and so forth. Therefore, what managers need, are not recipes for complete structural change, but insights into the properties of fostering structures that can be adapted into the existing structure.

To start, it is useful to analyse the preferred structures against the not so preferred. There are many definitions of types of organizational structure, but one example is:

Creativity

a) Mechanistic structures (generally not preferred) - includes centralised control and authority, clearly defined tasks, vertical communication links, obedience to supervisors, rigidity and inflexibility.

b) Organic structures (generally preferred) - decentralisation of authority, tasks loosely defined, horizontal communications, greater individual authority, flexible, adaptable.

Experience shows that the above can be misleading. For example, flat organisations are generally preferred and hierarchical ones not preferred, however, even flat organisations are in reality hierarchical.

Importantly, if we have a mechanistic structure, what factors allow us to move in the right direction without wholesale change?

Some answers include:

a) Direct communication links to decision makers.

b) Communication and information flow between departments.

c) Tangible progression of ideas from problem to solution, product development to commercialisation.

d) Creative teams working outside but linked into the organization, whose culture, processes etc diffuse into the existing structure.

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

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

Do you often feel you're creating alone in a silent abyss?

Do you sometimes wonder if your creative work is like that riddle of the tree in the forest - "If a tree falls in a forest and there's no-one around to hear it, does it still make a sound?

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Applied this to your creative life and you may wonder - if I'm creating beautiful work but no-one's experiencing it and able to appreciate it, have I actually been creating at all??

There's no need to continue to feel this isolated. These days there are many opportunities to become a part of a thriving creative community and end these kind of doubts and fears.

Here are 7 of the top ways a creative community can support and boost your creativity to new levels:

1. You get to collaborate with others. Whatever amazing work you produce alone, there's something special about being part of a group project. Making your unique contribution to larger creative projects is a great way to bond with other creative people AND feel your work is making a difference.

2. You share the struggles of creating. There are times when we all find it hard to create. Knowing that other people are going through similar blocks and struggles, and learning how they get through them, gives a great boost and comfort.

3. You can share resources. Maybe there's a particular book, course or website that's helped you or someone else be more creative, or been the catalyst for a major creative breakthrough. In a creative community you can share these resources for the greater benefit of everyone.

4. You share and celebrate the joys of creating. Finishing a creative project then having no-one to share it with can put a serious dampener on your celebrations. Having a community where everyone can share and praise each other's creative achievements is a major incentive for all to be more creative.

5. You get to support others and make a difference to their creativity. A part of the creative life that's often overlooked is supporting other people in reaching their creative ambitions. Knowing you've made a real difference to someone's creativity is a unique and highly rewarding feeling.

6. You can challenge and motivate each other. Once you've been in a group a little while, people get to know you and what you're capable of. Gentle challenging and encouragement within a supportive environment leads you to raising your creative game to new levels.

7. You become inspired by other people's work. There's an almost infinite number of talented creative people out there. Seeing how others create and what they create day in day out can be tremendously inspiring in increasing your own creativity.

These are 7 of the best reasons why joining a creative group or creative community can enhance your creativity.

I’d like to invite you to CoachCreativeSpace, a thriving interactive creative community space for you to learn how to be as creative as you've always known you can be.

You'll find Creative Forums, Groups, Artwork and Blogs to share in and contribute to, and supportive like minded creative people who are experiencing some of the same challenges and triumphs you are. Check it out now, at:

http://www.CoachCreativeSpace.com

From Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin - http://www.CoachCreative.com

Having kids around for the summer after a long school year can cause boredom. Kids have the tendency to play video games or want to go places that cost money with their friends. What can you do to entertain your kids and their friends during the summer months? Here are a few fun ideas to help. Depending on the age you are looking to entertain, the activities can be adjusted to accommodate their needs.

One activity to have kids do is to create a scrapbook journal. If you live in an area that has state parks, or hiking trails, you can have the kids collect, draw and write about what they see around them. If you are not allowed to carry out plant samples or rocks, kids could use a digital camera or other camera to capture an image of what interests them. With the pictures, you could have them upload them to a computer and then write and print their experiences. If you want to inspire the artist in your child, buying them some water- based paints and They could do this with any activity, from playing in the sprinklers in the yard to riding their bikes with friends.

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Another low cost activity is to take kids to local museums and libraries. If you have a university close by, their museums may be free and have shows that can inform and entertain kids. Local libraries may also have story time and activities that can provide kids with mind challenging activities. It might be good to let the child get a library card and take them to check-out a new book a week. This will encourage reading, as well as teach them how to find things in a library.

The summer is a time for kids to have fun. Even though they are not in school, kids can learn, experiment, and expand their horizons by creating lasting memories. These memories can vary from a simple activity to other more elaborate planned out activities.

If you need an Anchorage printer then get in touch with Postal Instant Press (http://www.pipalaska.com/) to get one today. Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.

No matter what walk of life you may find yourself in, creativity is an asset. I've seen people be creative in career endeavors and others be creative in putting together dinner parties. It adds spice and zip to life, not only to your own life but to the lives of those around you. Here are my five tips for stimulating your creativity.

1. Turn off auto-pilot. Ever drive somewhere and suddenly realize that you didn't recall making a turn, only to discover you'd been on "auto pilot?" When we repeatedly perform the same tasks over and over, there's a natural tendency to find ourselves giving little awareness to what we are doing.

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To stimulate your creative juices try going a different way to work, turning down a different street. When you comb your hair, put the part on the other side. Stir your coffee with the other hand. Brush your teeth with the other hand. It will feel a bit peculiar, but you'll be very much in the moment.

2. Variations of a theme. Just as Mozart or Beethoven may have written a theme, and then variations, be creative. Practice this same approach in your day to day life.There are many things that we do without much thought or enthusiasm. Find a way to make them more fun and more interesting. Find ways to stimulate your creativity in every little task you do.

Anything that must be done more than once is an opportunity to use your creativity. It's a way of creating a slight variation each time; not just once but every time. Dare to be creative. Make it a game to come up with a slightly new twist. Just changing the time or location can make a difference. Try eating with the fine china, or with real cloth napkins, adding candle light or simply eating in the dining room if you seldom do. You will create an experience that feels totally new. Change your writing style, vary what you normally say or how you say it; write more or less than you usually do. All these things can get your creative juices going.

3. Try some new food. Try some new food that you've never had before. Consider something that maybe you've always avoided but never really tried. So, how do you know that you don't like it? Personally, for many years I would just not try sour cream. The name turned me off. When I finally tried it I discovered, of course, something delicious and wonderful that I'd been missing out on.

Be creative, visit a new restaurant. Be bold and daring if you've always been conservative. Try a different sauce, maybe some foods that don't normally go together. You might just come up with something totally new; maybe even start a new trend.

4. Take on a new hobby or course. Taking on something new makes us stretch. It creates new pathways in the brain. It stimulates brain activity and causes us to feel a greater sense of wellness and being alive.

So, if you've never taken yoga or martial arts, or a belly dance class, try it. Be creative. Perhaps try painting or take up playing an instrument. Try something you've never done before, maybe something you've even secretly thought that you didn't have the ability for. Stretch and try something new. Guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing. And you might just discover a talent you didn't know you had!

5. The "Mozart Effect". Don Campbell's book explains how Mozart's music, played in schools affected the minds of the young students hearing it. They were more creative and they performed better. He broke the music down into three categories, producing cd's for each. One, of course, was for "stimulating creativity". On that cd were very simple themes with variation after variation. It didn't take me long to see how it did indeed stimulate creativiy; how it opened the mind up to new possibilities. I often found that I felt like painting when I heard that music.

I don't say that it has to be Mozart, but I do recommend listening to some music that is a theme with variations, to stimulate your creativity and get those creative juices flowing. You hear the same thing presented many different ways. It is particularly helpful if you are a musician. And you certainly can't go wrong by choosing Mozart either.

If you try these five tips to stimulating your crativity, you'll find yourself paying more attention to your day. You'll find yourself more creative. You'll find yourself more involved in your day and I dare say that you'll find it more interesting too! By constantly thinking and making conscious choices, you are stimulating, using and practicing your creativity. And then when called upon to perform, it is honed and ready to go to work for you.

Gail Karen (G.K.) Eckert is a vocalist, musician, songwriter and teacher. She founded Musikhaus Studio of Creativity in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1987 and continues to guide students through the crucial steps of learning to sing. She believes that anyone can learn to sing, given the proper guidance and encouragement. She also believes that singing your music your way is not only a fun past time but is also crucial to self expression and well being.

For more tips on creativity and self expression, visit her site http://www.YourMusicYourWay.com gk@YourMusicYourWay.com