What It Means to Respond Creatively

One of the things you learn in PhD-land is to begin a discussion by defining the terms. Remember former president Clinton's public query into what "is" really meant. Such is the nature of intellectual work. :-) Yeah, right.

Going into your week-end, getting into the work that is not your job, I thought of putting out what it means to respond creatively to life. Creativity is not being artsy-fartsy, unless you really want to wear a beret and ripped clothing.

To respond creatively is to be open to new ideas, new people, and the world in general. It means letting go of some of your assumptions about everything. To be creative is to trust yourself a bit more and not to cling so tightly to being "right" all the time.

One thing I've learned is that you can do all the right things, and still not get the result you wanted. Doing the right things for the wrong reasons is a good way to experience major frustration. I used to be the kind of person who would go on a diet, and gain weight. I've learned to maintain my ideal weight, and haven't been on a diet in decades. That requires going deeper than sticking to a particular meal plan.

The ancient Greeks saw creativity as presence of the Divine in humanity. That's why a lot of teaching on creativity draws on spirituality.

People who practice creative living feel more alive. They experience life as leaders (not the ordained type, just real leaders) instead of victims.

Slogging 101 for Creative Multi-taskers

I you're like a lot of Mixonian readers, you are a creative soul. You can do a lot of different things really well. Being an enthusiastic creator is a blessing, no doubt, but focusing on one big project, the one that can get your job description or your business to the next higher level, requires slogging.

What is slogging? Working when you don't feel like it. Sitting down at the computer to write when you have nothing to say, or continuing to write when you ran out of inspiration a few pages ago. Sewing on the missing button.

In college, certified multi-taskers like to change majors. Sometimes they double major, double minor, or get a certificate in something else. The next degree is in another discipline, and then maybe another degree in another field is next on the menu. That course keeps life interesting, keeps things moving, and it may keep you from making the contribution of which you are truly capable.

These multi-taskers have a hard time deciding what it is they want to be when they grow up, even after they're grown up.

It's not that you need to narrow your life's focus on one project forever. But you do need to finish the big project, get one big project under your belt to create momentum.

As many of you know, my first big big big really big project to get nearly done is this dissertation. And it has been painful to slog through at times. I have now finished a draft of the last chapter and I'll turn it in this week. The project is still far from being finished, but I think the worst part is over. I expected to have the whole thing finished by May, 2008. It's now January, 2009.

Now I could tell you that one reason it wasn't finished on time was because of people and things outside my control. But those factors are ALWAYS present; you have to work around them. Those factors are your teachers.

The strongest temptation has not been quitting, although I've wanted to many times. My struggle has been all the other wonderful projects I want to do, I know I can do, and those projects may actually bring income, which a dissertation does not. That's what happens to creative people in the midst of a big project: when it's time to slog, there are so many bright shiny new projects out there, calling your name, and promising not be tedious, ever.

There are many tactics for slogging through; I'll post these as a reminder:

1. Decide what the big project is. Choose one to finish, even if you have several items on your plate right now.

2. Set a deadline. You may have to change it, but set one anyway.

3. Set mini deadlines for sections of the project. In the dissertation, this was done by chapters. Other projects are broken down differently.

4. Make appointments to get the work done. Do NOT wait for inspiration to come before getting to work.

5. Before your work appointment arrives, preferably the night before, ask the source of infinite intelligence to lend you some of that; if it was available to Einstein and Edison, it's available to you, too.

6. Show up to work.

Leaving projects unfinished diminishes self confidence and makes it harder to complete the next project. If you haven't slogged on your project yet, it may not be a big enough project for you. You don't have to relish slogging, just do it. It's not painful once you make up your mind to do it.

The photo is from publicdomainpictures.net.

How to Get Ideas and Write About Them

I get asked a lot how is it possible to write a fresh blog post every day, or almost every day. I always smile when I hear that question....that's one thing I've never read about, I just do it.

A lot of ideas come from reading articles, blog posts, and books. Usually I find something that validates what I had come up with, so I go on and express my perspective on the topic, whether it's style, creativity, making presentations, or de-cluttering. Sometimes I get inspiration from things going on in my life, a crisis of one sort or another, or maybe from those times of slogging through. Another way of getting ideas is that they appear in my brain, usually when that happens, I wake up with some hot idea and I rush to write about it.

There is a common thread from all of these sources. The commonality is that I seek and expect to find ideas. And I do find them and write about them.

The same thing happens with my dissertation. While I know a lot already of what needs to go into this tome, there's a lot I don't know how to structure, or how to connect the dots between the culture, politics, communication theory, rhetoric. I not only have to create a written product that's academically acceptable, it has to be as interesting as that medium allows me to be.

If you want to generate ideas, or develop your writing, here's the process:

1. Commit. Decide on a quantity of work you want to generate a day, or in a week and set aside time to sit yourself down to write.

2. Sit down. Either at your computer or with a fresh sheet of paper and pen. Sit yourself down to write. It does not matter that you have NO IDEA what to write. I deal with this all the time. You sit down and get ready to write.

3. Write something silly and/or stupid. Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, accurately stated that writing is all in the re-writing. There may be times when sublime material emerges in your first draft, but that's not usually my case. In fact my best blog posts are those I have time to work on over several days, but that's not always possible either. I have committed to get 5 blog posts out each week. Some I like a lot, some I sort of like.

4. Polish. This is the step where quality comes out. Keep in mind, however, that you can edit a piece from today until the day you transcend this earthly experience. Polish all you can, within your deadline.

C S S P: Commit + Sit + Silly + Polish. It's not a very catchy acronym, but that's how you git 'er done.

If you're writing in a journal, for heaven's sake omit the polish, just write something, even if it's your list of things to do this week.

The photo is by Anna Cervova. I got it from public domain pictures.

The Trap of False Dichotomies

Dichotomies, or black and white thinking, are of enormous value in life. I think the whole computer world operates on the 1 or 0 dichotomy. However, many times thinking in dichotomies is limiting your choices unnecessarily.

In The Wealthy Spirit, Chellie Campbell writes, "As I work with people to help them reduce their financial stress, I look at the choices they've made that put them in a financial position that isn't viable. One of the problems that seems endemic is the mental habit of considering only two options before making a decision" (138).

For example:

Do I quit my job and pursue my dream, or I do remain a slave to the corporation...or the university?

Well, you could pursue your dream occupation part-time while you continue saving money, making more contacts to support you financially, in the future.

Should I buy generic or brand name?

If what you're buying is really important to you, like maybe coffee, buy the brand you like. If it is not so important, buy generic. And you can always look for branded items on sale, especially these days!

Do we meet at your house or mine for coffee?

We could meet at The Tipsy Teapot instead.

That's why creative thinking is soooooo important. But to come up with the best solutions, you've got to realize that there are plenty of options out there, you just need to invest the time to think them up.

That's where brainstorming is useful. Develop as many possible solutions or alternatives as possible, knowing that most of them are not viable. But you can't get to the right one until you've worked at it for awhile.

I tell my students that their writing is like the faucet at the old house at the beach. You have to let the brown water run out, before you get to the sweet, clear water.

Why Gratitude Makes You Happy and Wealthy

By Christine Kane

Gratitude is more than being thankful one day a year. Gratitude is a practice. For some, it's a way of life.

Why do some people swear by this practice? Why do these people seem to live happier and more abundant lives than everyone else?

Because gratitude is about presence.

It's about waking up in this moment and being here - really being here - and noticing what's around you. Most people are so busy thinking about the next thing, or about their horrid past, that they don't wake up and look around at their present moment - the only moment there is.

Because gratitude is about honoring your life.

Do you ever compare your life with someone else's? Do you ever wish your life were better and more like [Insert Famous Person's Name]? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in wondering how we "measure up" to some standard set by our families or by the media. Comparison is the mind killer. And the antidote is gratitude.

Gratitude requires you to validate your own life. (And you really don't have any other life, do you?) It forces you to say YES to the gift that is you. The choices you've made and the changes you've gone through - they have brought you here. Even if here is a place that needs a little adjustment, that's okay. There are always gifts in any present moment.

Because gratitude is about attracting.

It's difficult to attract abundance and joy if you are constantly saying "no" to what IS. You say no each time you focus on the future or past, or when you criticize something that is in your present moment.

Attraction is about saying Yes. When you say Yes, you shift.

Gratitude says, "Yes, I love this!" And then more of this is attracted, because the this is what you're focusing on.

Because gratitude is about choice.

How you translate any situation is the situation. What you choose to see is the truth (for you).

This isn't proposing that you live in denial or phoniness. It's reminding you that your translation of any life situation is your own choice. We've all heard stories of people who have ignored others' translations of their talent, their projects, their art, their looks, their lives. These people chose their own translations and succeeded. You always have a choice when it comes to how you look at things. Choose to choose gratitude.

Because gratitude is about wisdom.

I think people believe they're being smart if they criticize, complain, and focus on the problems of the world around them.

Smart? Maybe.

Clever? Sure.

But not wise.

It is wise to look for and find the knowing place in your heart. It is wise to choose joy. It is wise to honor your riches. It is wise to focus on and grow the blessings of your life.

Because gratitude is about recognition.

Use your power of focus to hone in on beauty and on what makes your heart sing. Recognize the spirit in your life. It's all around you waiting to be noticed. In the words of Franz Kafka, "It will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

Because gratitude is about receptivity.

Gratitude makes you receptive. It makes you concave. It makes you a vessel, waiting to be filled.

I carry a tiny notebook with me everywhere I go. In it, I write down song ideas. I write down quotes I hear. I write down ideas for stage stories. As I do that, I become more receptive, and more ideas and songs come to me. It's a tool that says to my subconscious, "Send more my way!" And the subconscious always responds.

Gratitude is the same way. It says, "I am receptive! Send more!" And more arrives.

Because gratitude is about creativity.

Creativity is really all about attention. (So is genius.)

When I write a song, I build a relationship with that song. I spend time with it. I get to know it. I pay attention to it. Artists do the same thing with drawings. They spend time in rapt attention and the drawing is born.

Gratitude is how we Live Creative. It is a creative act to notice and pay attention to the moments of your life. Some days it's an enormous act of creativity to find things for which to be thankful.

Start today.

And have a Thanksgiving of presence, creativity, and gratitude!

---

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

D-I-Y Medici Effect

Given the fallout from the financial mess around us, it's time to take action. I'm not really sure how the government's commitment to spend more money is going to help, I mean where is that money coming from? While waiting for Washington to resolve things, I'd prefer do what I can on the home territory.

This is a time when the need for creativity becomes noticeably more apparent, if not urgent.

A few years ago Frans Johansson wrote, The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts and Cultures. As you might expect from the title, Johansson promotes the idea of cross-fertilization of ideas from different disciplines to create new ways of seeing and thinking.

So how does one create a Medici effect at home, the D-I-Y (do it yourself) way?

The answer is simple: over lunch.

You want to talk to people outside your field. Healthcare can talk to Advertising who can link with Education, and maybe Science and Art can contribute, too. Usually before any breakthrough happens, the Medici people have to feel comfortable with each other. That's why you have lunch often. It's not a meeting to exchange business cards; it's a meeting to have fun, challenge and tease each other, and innovate.

If you saw Seth Godin's presentation on Tribes I linked to about ten days ago, you may remember this tidbit: The person who had the idea to transform Target from a dusty K-mart wannabe into a top-design-for-less powerhouse was not a top executive, or creativity consultant. She was a mid-level employee who thought it would be cool to get a designer like Phillipe Starck to design stuff, meaning normal household tools like measuring cups and toothbrushes, their customer base could afford. Look at the change one person brought to the planet.

Create more. Communicate better. Connect abundantly.

Christine's #1 Favorite "No-Big-Deal" Creativity Tip

by Christine Kane

Creativity isn't a big deal.

It's like our breath. It's just a part of who we are.

Everyone knows this truth, but most people pretend that Creativity (with a capital C) is something special. People who say, "Oh, I'm not Creative," or "I don't have a Creative bone in my body," sound like they're trying to convince themselves of something, rather than telling themselves the truth. They make Creativity a BIG DEAL because, by doing so, they keep it safely out of reach. It then requires nothing of them, except to occasionally utter the phrase, "Oh, I'm not Creative!" These people are often a little disappointed when I teach them what they pretend they don't already know:

· Creativity isn't a big deal.

· Creativity is not an event.

· Creativity doesn't so much happen, as it is allowed.

This is boring. It's unimpressive. And it's also why so few people Live Creative. It requires presence and practice and allowing. And really, these aren't very exciting things. (Unless you've experienced them! Then you know they are!)

Canine Creativity Class

When I found my dog, she'd been badly abused. I was walking on a gravel road, and she was watching me from a mound of dirt in an old churchyard where she'd been dumped. She started to follow me. Each time I turned around, she'd stop dead in her tracks. When I tried to walk towards her, she'd tuck her tail under her butt and slink away from me. But when I just continued along my way, she followed me. She eventually got closer and closer. Ultimately she followed me home. This is how I experience Creativity.

If I try to turn around and catch it, it turns away. Living Creative is not about willing it or grabbing it. In fact, Creativity rarely takes to announcements like, "Today I'm gonna be Creative! I'm gonna write a novel!" It's a process. It's a way of being. And though it can't be forced, it can be cultivated and allowed. It thrives when you're already open, and your mind is receptive and quiet. There's almost a joyful laziness to it.

So, in the spirit of making Creativity a No-Big-Deal part of our lives, here is my #1 favorite no-big-deal Creativity Tip... Christine's Favorite Creativity Tip: Carry a Tiny Spiral Notebook

Get some tiny spiral notebooks. Carry one in your car. Carry one in your purse. Bring one along in your back pocket. Keep one next to your bed.

Songwriters call them Hook Books. It's a place to write down lyric ideas, especially the "hooky" song titles. But you don't have to be a songwriter - or even a writer - to use this tool. Here's why:

We all have great ideas. We all hear funny comments worth remembering. We all notice breath-taking moments. When we actually take the time to jot them down in our tiny notebooks, then we're honoring these ideas and these moments. We are essentially telling our subconscious mind that our creativity matters enough to take action on it. And we're letting it know that it's no big deal. Our subconscious mind gets the message, and begins its work of noticing new things and generating new ideas. When we keep a tiny notebook, we are training our minds to Attract Ideas.

Each time we put an idea or a moment on paper, it's like shouting "Yes!" to our Creativity. It doesn't matter if we DO anything with the note or the hook or the idea. It's easy for your logical brain to step in and say "Yea but will it pay the bills? Will it lead to a novel?" (In other words, will it be a BIG DEAL?) Maybe. But there are some definite things that this practice will do:

· It will teach you how to be an "Idea Magnet."

· It will show you that there are many solutions inside of you.

· It will train you to recognize what delights you and brings you deep joy.

· It will build your relationship to your Creative Self.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this tip. Over time, you'll begin to feel the profound effects it has on your life.

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at http://www.christinekane.com/. WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?See Christine's blog - Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous - at ChristineKane.com/blog.

Now That Your 401K Is in the Toilet....

Some germane reflections on wealth:

1. "Human creativity is the ultimate economic resource. The ability to come up with new ideas and better ways of doing things is ultimately what raises productivity and thus living standards" Richard Florida in The Rise of the Creative Class (xiii).

2. "The daily practice of gratitude is one of the conduits by which your wealth will come to you." Wallace Wattles, in The Science of Getting Rich written in 1910.

3. "Everything that happens in your life if moving you in the direction of your goals." Bob Proctor.

4. "There is no failure, only a delay in results" unknown source.

5. "There are no justified resentments" Wayne Dyer, PhD.

6. "The world is a looking-glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face" William Makepeace Thackery.

7. "Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant and usable and feeds into my creativity" Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit (10).

8. "Money-giving is a good criterion of a person's mental health. Generous people are rarely mentally ill people." Dr. Karl A. Menninger. I found this quote in Joe Vitale's e-book, The Greatest Money-Making Secret.

To summarize, your wealth is far more than your savings: ultimately your wealth is an inner resource. Making it grow does not depend on the stock market. Developing your creativity with the clear intention to create wealth together with a practice of generous giving and appreciation for what you have is what makes a person truly wealthy. Finally, resentments and unforgiveness may keep you from seeing opportunities to create good things in your life.

Neuroscience and Your Creativity

You've heard that we only use a small fraction of our brain's capacity, say around 5%. You may not have heard that your brain is actually very l-a-z-y. Yep, lazy.

Well you can hardly blame your brain, why would anyone put out more effort than is necessary to complete a task? Well, that's how normal thinking, all quite logical, keeps us from enjoying creative breakthroughs.

Gregory Berns, author of the book, Iconoclast, just published by Harvard Press, has applied neuroscientific findings to creativity. He defines iconoclasts as people who do things that others say can't be done, such as Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Dale Chihuly, and even Florence Nightingale.

What iconoclasts do that sets them apart is they perceive things differently. This is how Berns put it, in the October Fast Company article about his book:

Visual perception is largely a result of statistical expectations, the brain's way of explaining ambiguous visual signals to the most likely way. And the likelhood of these explanations is a direct result of past experience (54).

That would explain why media exposure is not good for one's creativity -- our brains are adapting media-produced explanations for what we see, and so our lazy brains accept those perceptions as default settings, unless we take action to intentionally imagine alternate realities.

That also explains why novel experiences break our established thinking mold and set off potentially creative responses. Everyone who's cooked has experienced this when in the middle of preparing some delicious dish, s/he finds out that someone else used up all the ________ (key ingredient!)

Here's Berns' advice:

When your brain is categorizing a person or an idea, just jot down the categories that come to mind. Use analogies. You will find that you naturally fall back on the things you are familiar with. Then allow yourself the freedom to write down gut feelings, even if they're vague or visceral, such as "stupid" or "hot." Only when you consciously confront your brain's shortcuts will you be able to imagine outside its boundaries (56).

Mixonian adds this: If you want to be more creative, consciously cut down time spent in front of the television or on the Internet. This one tactic catches your brain off guard and gets it to work, and you might even make a fabulous discovery.

National Bring a Dragon to Work Day

The working title for this post was "Bring Barney to Work" but then I realized that Barney is a dinosaur, not a dragon. I think.

Kenneth Burke defined human beings as "symbol using/misusing animals." For even as we love clarity, we love and live symbols even more.

People used symbols to share meaning long before they knew how to read and write. Probably our love of symbols and our desire to enhance our individuality is what's driving the tattoo industry. And that must be a thriving business, judging from the "standing room only" crowd just spotted at a local tattoo salon.

Symbols not only make meaning, they can make tons of money. Being a successful corporation today is virtually synonymous with leveraging symbols through branding and advertising. If you doubt the monetary value of Nike's swoosh, try borrowing that trademark to make money yourself and see how quickly you get sued! :-)

My mother assigned a symbol as a personal ensign to each of her four children when they were quite young: a swan, a bear, a lion, and a butterfly. We were reminded from time to time of the meanings of each symbol, and there were always several of these visual reminders in our rooms. Each of us still feels a strong attachment to our animal-symbol; it's a reminder of our unchanging essence from childhood.

You can use symbols to enrich your workspace, to make it more you and more representative of your values. It's potentially inspiring.

Take a minute and think what to you want qualities to you want to foster in your workspace (or your home). These could include abundance, kindness, creativity, balance, friendship, completion, self-care/appreciation among others.

Decide on two or three values with which you want to identify. You can add more later.

Now you have a great excuse to take a trip to a dollar store or Wal-Mart or some similar place, to shop for symbols to place as reminders in your own workspace.

Here are some symbolic suggestions. Feel free to assign your own meaning to different symbols.

Heart: for love, friendship.

Dragon: Chinese symbol for creativity, according to Julian Cameron.

Smiley face: happiness, self-acceptance.

Hammer: commitment to completion.

Unicorn: magic or creativity.

Bee: Mary Kay Ash used this animal to represent doing the impossible.

Swan: grace under pressure, elegance while working.

Fence: boundaries

The possibilities are infinite, Mixonian would love to know which symbols speak to you.

Repairing Brain Drain

You know about brain freeze, the unexpected feeling of being the deer in the headlights. Brain drain is a different sort of productivity problem.

Brain drain in this sense is not the flight of educated professionals from developing countries to more industrialized places. Brain drain produces an effect similar to that of writer's block. Brain drain is like burn out, that common disorder that results from doing too much too fast under too much pressure, for too long. This post is about yet another gremlin: brain drain

A case of brain drain can be like a wonderful fresh water well that dries up and your bucket only brings up a bit of sludge.

Our creative force is like a fish pond that needs replenishing. It is like a machine that needs care and cleaning. It is like a motor that needs fuel. But, unlike these tangible examples, there is no warning light to let us know we're running low on creative juice. You just wake up one day, and feel like there's nothing there up there.

When this happens, your brain has drained. Symptoms may include fatigue, but you can experience brain drain and not be tired. Brain drain is trying to think and only getting blank pages in response. It happens when you simply haven't been taking proper care of your own creativity generator.

It can happen when you get too busy. Too busy to write in your journal. Too busy to sketch. Too busy to visualize. You can keep running on inertia for a while; it seems that all is well. And then one morning you wake up, and there's nothing in the pipeline of creative force. You just hear an echo.

Brain drain is getting into a rut. It can be scary. You wonder if you'll ever have another new idea. Fortunately, the solution is not complicated or expensive. Most healthcare plans cover you.

While routines are good and necessary, if you don't schedule in activities to replenish your creative fish pond, then one day there are no fish to fish.

If you diagnose this problem in your life, you are also the only qualified doctor to prescribe the appropriate treatment. The prescription could be to plan a dinner party with some people you haven't seen in a while or it could be to visit a museum or a toy store. The solution could be to clean out your closet or desk, or maybe sign up for an evening class.

Here is a list of suggestions to consult in treating your own case of brain drain:

- Read a book that is not the kind of book you normally read.

- Try a new restaurant.

- Visit an antique shop.

- Buy new socks.

- Walk a different route.

- Talk to someone at work you normally don't talk to.

- Turn off all media. Including your computer.

- Light a fragrant candle.

- Sit down and write in your journal, even if you only write, "I have no idea what to write."

- Try standing on your head, against the wall if necessary.

Highly-functioning people are that way because they take care of themselves. You're in charge of your life, don't forget to water and feed your own creative force.

20 Reasons to Be More Creative

After all the posts about telling you dear readers things you can do to develop and strengthen your creativity, I thought we might think about the why to bother being creative. Here are 20 reasons to encourage you to be conscious of your own creative potential and be open to new ways to express your creativity.

When you decide to reach for new levels of creative-ness, you open yourself up to receive all these benefits:

1. It's a more delightful way to live.

2. You create more opportunities.

3. You develop more awareness of the miracles in your life.

4. You can create new sources of wealth.

5. You solve problems with more ease.

6. Your mind works better.

7. You live with less stress.

8. You become a more interesting person.

9. Your creative force is contagious.

10. Creative work wards off dementia.

11. You retain more of a child-like spirit.

12. You relate to children better.

13. Tacky people will not want to be around you.

14. You're in the same league as the greatest creative contributors from the past.

15. You attract other creative people into your life.

16. People (who are not your children) perceive you as hip, cool, and magnetic.

17. You have more things to celebrate.

18. Your efforts to shape your life the way you want it to be, are more effective.

19. Your approach to life is more pro-active.

20. Using your creativity connects you to the Divine.

It's the week-end, go turn up the creativity!

P.S. Mixonian is thankful for those of you who have shopped through this blog. Special hugs to you!

New Perspective on Creativity

If you're like me, you think being creative is for hobbies and extra-curricular activities, while being proactive is for business. Really think about what it means to be creative at work.

Last night I was reading an e-book, Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron. In one part he was describing the act of being creative using similar language to that usually denoting what it means to be "pro-active."

I first ran into, or absorbed the concept of being proactive when I worked with the Stephen Covey Group in Caracas in the early 1990s. Stephen Covey's first habit of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is simply: Be Proactive. What he means is that we don't wait to live a life of reactions to events, but we design our lives and work to merge our vision with reality.

Being pro-active is really more of an attitude, or way of being, rather than an activity.

David Cameron explained the same wisdom in terms of an attitude of creativity, in contrast to reactivity.

I think this is a valuable insight to broaden our understanding of what it means to be creative. This is on my mind because I'm developing an e-course entitled, "Creative Communication @ Work." My use of the word "creative" really does mean being proactive, not being creative in the sense of sending purple emails or wearing black nail polish to work, although I have no problem with either of these options.

You will not be surprised to know that I like the word, "creativity" much more than "being proactive." The former is much more humane sounding and the latter sounds more like business jargon to my ears. If you tell me to be creative, I'm excited; if you tell me to be pro-active, I feel pressure to perform. Ahhh, the power of words.

Only 6 Compelling Reasons to Write

Today is special. This is Mixonian's 100th blog post; the little blog is growing up so quickly! Mixonian was tempted to write a commemorative "100 Reasons to Write", but edited the list down to 6:

1. Writing brings clarity.

Our thoughts can be mushy and vague; the act of writing makes you choose words. Is that blouse merely expensive, or is it a rip-off? Is it overpriced, or a cherished luxury? Is it hopelessly opulent, or simply ridiculous? You're the writer; you get to choose. By choosing which words we want to use, we gain clarity.

2. Writing fosters creativity.

You could get up and paint every day; or sketch. Words or images, the act of putting them down on paper is inherently creative. Creative acts are the parents of new creative acts.

3. Writing crosses all time boundaries.

Albert Einstein, among others, posited that time does not exist. I don't know if that is true or not, but I do know I get up in the morning and in the blink of an eye, it is evening and I'm getting ready for bed. In writing, we can mix and mingle past, present, and future, while participating in a creative act in the present.

In teaching my students to write film treatments, they learn to describe something (the film they would like to make) in simple present tense, as if it already existed. To use a $20 word, this writing is generative: it can be a sort of midwife to bring this imaginary project into the plane of existence. Hmmmmm.....

4. Writing multiplies productivity.

Consider this analogy: First drafts, like journal entries, are like the brown water that comes from the faucet when it hasn't been used in a long while. Allowing the water to run out of the faucet makes way for the clear water to appear. Writing down the most mundane tasks floating in our minds, the library books that need returning, the need for dog food, and the clothes waiting to be picked up at the cleaner's, clears our minds for more interesting and productive thoughts and projects. That's why some people when they wake up in the middle of the night thinking of things, can go back to sleep after they write these things down.

5. Writing makes you more you.

Writing reminds you of your priorities and helps you to focus on what is really important, rather than what others insist is urgently calling your name. In the process of living this adventure called "life", the most ardent self-development fan doesn't want to become a different person, but rather an enlightened person. It has been said that each person arrives on the planet with a mission written on his heart, writing helps you remember this special mission.

6. Writing lets you use the cool words you've been learning.

For example: When that student was whining about his grades, I resisted the temptation to defenestrate him!

Have a creative day. Write about it!

20 Things You Can Do This Week-end

A definition of insanity goes something like this: keep doing what you've always done, and expect the results to be different.

Developing one's creativity, setting new goals, and polishing your communication are not ways to (finally) make oneself acceptable, we are actually fine as we are. Nevertheless, there's something innate to the human spirit that yearns for both predictability and surprise, routine and adventure. The following list is fruit of my work in an e-seminar by Christine Kane (there's a link to her blog on the left.) She, and others who have studied human creativity, recommend doing something everyday that you haven't done before- that's quite a challenge.

Here's a list of 20 suggestions from which to choose, or maybe this list will spark a different idea for you. Mixonian welcomes your suggestions. Either leave a comment, or send email to mixonian@gmail.com

1. Write an acrostic. In case you don't know what this is, here's an example, using the name "Ann." This is something I learned from the wonderful Merici community in Caracas:

Amazing friend
Naturally beautiful
Notable

2. Write a poem. A haiku is a short one to try.

3. Memorize a poem. Try the "Oh, When I Was in Love" from the June 4 post.

4. Decorate a journal with scrapbook paper.

5. Doodle for 10 minutes. This will develop your visual creativity.

6. Clean out an abandoned space in your home or office.

7. Add to your gratitude list.

8. Dress a bit differently from the usual look.

9. Visit your local library and check out a book of non-fiction literature.

10. Get a massage.

11. Teach yourself a word or expression from a foreign language.

12. Visit a museum you haven't seen lately.

13. Sit on your bed and do nothing for 20 minutes. Set a timer from your cell phone. Silence the ringer.

14. If you go to a restaurant, try a new dish.

15. Go to bed early.

16. Get up early. (Makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise :) .)

17. Think of five places you'd really like to visit. Write these in your journal.

18. Read news from a source that's new to you, could be the International Herald Tribune, or a newspaper from Australia.

19. Make your own list of innovations to try in your life.

20. Enter the drawing described in the June 8 post.

Have a restful and creative week-end!

Ideas from Smart World

"Logic takes you from A to B. Imagination takes you everywhere."
--Albert Einstein

Harvard University Press recently published Smart World: Breakthrough Creativity and the New Science of Ideas, by Richard Ogle. I came across it at the ECU library, while I was looking for books on charismatic political leaders for my ongoing (may be "never ending") research about Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan president since 1999. My finding this book is an example of a rabbit trail, an interesting side path one encounters while looking for something else, and is one of the many reasons writing a dissertation takes so long!

Writing a dissertation is much more involved than I ever imagined, but that's a good thing. If I had known from the beginning what is truly required to get through the process, I suspect fear would have kept me out of the whole business. In any case, this book seeks to answer the enigma of what it takes to experience breakthrough creativity, which is being valued more today than it has in a long time.

That's excellent news for those of us who don't feel like we fit into society's proposed cubby holes of rational and predictable behavior.

It is encouraging to realize, sometimes it is in the rabbit trails of research that real breakthroughs occur. I'm not saying that this blog post is a major breakthrough of any sort, but I encourage you to appreciate the reality that distractions that you encounter during work on your own project, may turn out to be more important than the project itself.

This book I've mentioned is packed with creativity research and is written from an academic perspective (by a linguist.) What first struck me in Ogle's writing (besides the fact it's dedicated to a "Laura" : ) ), is his emphasis on creativity not taking place in an isolated mind, but rather in the interaction among people, other developments, and idea flow. His work echoes that of Richard Florida, who cogently argued for the development of creative communities, not creative hermits. In other words, creative intelligence is not something that exists only inside your brain, it's inside there, and it's also out there.

Creative breakthroughs shape the future; just think how only 2 businesses, Amazon.com and Netflix, have changed the world for all of us. Perhaps on a smaller scale, our own breakthroughs shape the way we teach, consult, develop training programs, balance the personal/professional projects, raise our children.

There are so many opportunities to connect with the flow of creativity where you live; seek them and they will appear.

Win a lovely, soft alpaca scarf in our Free Drawing. See the June 8 post for the easy way to enter.

How Creative Companies Stay Creative

These ideas are about keeping innovative people happy at the companies that employ them. You may want to look these up at the source and show them to the boss; many of these ideas do not reflect the customary thinking at business schools. These nine suggestions come straight from the June issue of Inc. magazine, the commentary is courtesy of Mixonian:

1. Encourage risky behavior. How much risk can your boss tolerate? Find ways to try new things, without bankrupting the company.

2. Get multicultural. A variety of viewpoints means people working together with differing political views, ethnic backgrounds, languages, ages, social backgrounds. It could also mean having lunch at Dale's Indian Cuisine.

3. Provide lots of free time to think. Hmmmm....sounds anti-productive. But burning out employees is not exactly productive either.

4. Hire smart. Review the hiring process to encourage the qualities valued by your company.

5. Bring in outsiders. These can be poets, artists, film directors, theologians, astronauts (i.e. rocket scientists), physicists, musicians. Get their perspective on a your project, or have them talk to employees to widen everyone's views.

6. Do it for free. Reward employees for helping others. The trick is to set it up so it's not just another salary-enhancing practice, keep it unpredictable.

7. Mix up your people. Cross training has been around for awhile, and for a good reason.

8. Be flexible, very flexible. This also means being open, very open, to employee suggestions.

9. Write it down. This suggestion refers to employee-created publications, it could be a simple bulletin board. The idea is to provide a venue for employees to put out some wild ideas....one might turn into a big home run for the company.

See, creativity is for everyone. Not only does it make for a richer life, but it can lead to a richer bank account.

Tim Gunn on the Power of Words

Yesterday I found a copy of Tim Gunn's book, A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, at the local public library. Remember libraries have millions of books on all subjects you can borrow for FREE. They even have electronic audio books. Having discovered Project Runway through Netflix, my daughters, sister, and I are now Tim Gunn fans. He embodies numerous Mixonian ideals: creativity, style, vocabulary, kindness, tough love.

He studied English Literature at Yale; hooray for humanities majors! His career path was unconventional, but he found his way by connecting the dots between literature, art, teaching, administration, showing up when you're supposed to, and doing a great job. Here is his take on the power of vocabulary:

I am mindful of the power of vocabulary; it can unleash limitless quantities of defining and descriptive words and phrases that awaken the listener or reader to new dimensions of understanding....But vocabulary can derail, render impotent, and befuddle meanings or intended meanings. The words that we choose to critically analyze people, places, and things are especially important, and we must be responsibly cognizant of what we intend to say (22).

Sometimes we are caught off guard and spout off the most negative vocabulary free fall, which truly goes further than we intended. On the other side, it's much more helpful to explain why we "love" this dress, this ad, this article. Here are his suggestions on the all-important skill of giving feedback: honest positives and honest-but-not-hurtful negatives.

POSITIVE:
"I find this (insert item here) to be compelling, because..."
"I respond well to this, because..."
"I'm attracted to this, because..."

NEGATIVE:
"I'm not responding well to this, because..."
"This isn't working for me, because..."

Apart from Mr. Gunn's very useful tool for delivering a more precise and helpful message, he's wise to understand the power of language. Make it work!

You're Richer Than You Think

Despite my redefining myself as a "high-maintenance" person, my checking account balance is --shock-- the same! Doesn't it realize that high-maintenance babes require more $$ precisely for that high maintenance? Not to worry, there's gold around here somewhere, I just need to dig it up.

OK, the best things in life are free, but there are a lot of really wonderful second-best things, like a Kate Spade wallet, that cost money. If you're wanting to upgrade your assets, take a look at the wealth you already own. Consider the following riches:

- You can get almost any book that's ever been printed, for FREE, at the library. If what you want is not there, ask for an inter-library loan. Entertain yourself, educate yourself, or both.

- Want expertise on hydroponic gardening? There's plenty to be had, for FREE, on the Internet. Any subject, it's there in writing, and in audio form. You can educate your self about absolutely anything these days. And that knowledge can change into another form of abundance, the kind that you put in your bank account.

- Not all of you have this option, but I get to use the gym at ECU for about $20/month. That's almost free. Yesterday I swam one mile in their lovely pool. Usually it's heated, but yesterday it wasn't, because of some maintenance going on, so I got to burn extra calories to keep warm, at no extra charge. You can always keep fit by walking, for FREE!

- Want to connect with the world? Set up your own blog for FREE, at google. Express yourself, sell stuff, connect with people, for FREE.

- Want to raise some cash quickly? You can probably convert some of your books, objects d'art (that French for doodads), or picture you no longer care for. You can sell them on ebay, hold a yard sale, or visit a consignment shop. In any case, a tax deduction converts money owed to Uncle Sam into a much more useful resource. All of these options are FREE.

- Want to be extremely intelligent, ultra hip, super creative, and wildly successful? Read Mixonian. For FREE. Lucky you, you're already doing that. ; )

If it's true that the rich get richer, and it certainly seems to be that way to me, then maybe we can start by realizing that we already are rich. It's just a matter of using our unlimited creativity to transform our assets to better suit ourselves.

3 Remarks on Plagiarism

Probably most of you get through each day, and to sleep each evening, without thinking a whole lot about plagiarism. I'm usually that way, myself. However, as a writing instructor, my students occasionally bring it to my attention, through their decision to cut and paste, and present it to me as their own writing. It's hard to understand why a young, strong student would choose to sabotage himself that way.

Later today I'm meeting with two students, both of whom will fail the university course they take with me because of their decision to cut and paste, with no citation. Both would have easily passed if they had not made that decision. This particular course requires a lot of writing, and is prerequisite for other courses in the communication major, so having to take the whole course again is not something to take lightly.

I've been thinking over the past few days what to tell these young people in this meeting. I want to shake them tell them how disappointed and insulted I am by this action. But I don't think they really care how their teacher feels about their decision. I resist the very strong temptation to yell at them, "Do you really think I'm a total moron?!?!??!?"

Here are some remarks on plagiarism, a very stupid thing to do.

1. Plagiarism is essentially disrespect. Students who engage in this convey to themselves that they are incapable, that they are not strong enough to do the real creative work of life. This fundamental lack of self-respect is a heavy burden to carry, and it's not easy to let go of it.

2. Writing is an important way a person develops her voice. This is the voice to tell one's very own stories. Choosing to use wikipedia's voice makes it harder to find one's own way. Does anyone really want to go through life as a wikipedian, totally ignorant of one's own personal style?

3. Plagiarism distracts, and it's a deterrent to developing one's own creativity. The sad part is that it really doesn't save the student time and energy, it's simply that the student chooses to be a spokesperson for wikipedia, for free. Their own creative force is ignored, shoved down under more layers of stuff.

Life is too short for plagiarism. I think the reason people cut and paste is FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. Express yourself, not wikipedia.