April 15, 2010
Tell a Story
A story has an arc—a beginning, a middle, and an end. A good story builds tension and anticipation, and has a climax followed by a resolution. An engaging story has a wealth of interesting detail, but themes that are universal. You can tell a story in a 30-second TV commercial, a building, or a symphony. Whatever you are creating, think about how your audience will experience it as it unfolds.
April 1, 2010
Why Be Creative?
Overcome obstacles by coming up with a new way around.
Resolve conflict with creative thinking. When my daughter was 16, I found out that she was not staying with her dad on the weekends as I believed, but with her boyfriend. I could have insisted she be home every night by curfew, and called her if she wasn't home, and tracked her down if she didn't answer her phone. I imagined that could lead to getting the police involved if she couldn't be found. That is a path I did not want to start down. My daughter was strong-willed and would not give in to a parental power play. So I asked her if she would take the dog with her on weekends. She agreed. What I really wanted was for my daughter to be a responsible young adult, and by taking the dog she accepted responsibility. (I also made an appointment for her at the gyno.) She has proven to make wise decisions for herself ever since.
Creativity gives you a competitive advantage no matter where you work.
Personal growth is available to the creative.
Thinking creatively brightens your outlook, because you know that there are no insurmountable problems. There are only opportunities that haven’t yet been discovered. My boyfriend Andy and I were driving to the Indianapolis airport one cold morning in January for a trip to Florida. It had been warm the day before and I-74 was a sheet of slick ice. Going over 35 mph meant losing control of the car. With a little luck and skillful driving, we made it to the airport. However, the drive took us 90 minutes longer than we had planned. I was getting bummed out that we might have missed our flight and end up stuck in Indianapolis. Andy said, if we have to stay here we will check in to the Canterbury, visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and have dinner at the hotel’s French restaurant. At that point, I almost hoped we would miss our flight. Well, we made it to Florida after a delay of many hours. Andy’s creative thinking made a potential disappointment into a desirable opportunity.
Being creative makes life interesting, because you are open to new ideas wherever you look.
As you can see, I do not have anecdotes for all of these because I don't want it to be all about me. Please share how creativity has improved your life in the comments.
Resolve conflict with creative thinking. When my daughter was 16, I found out that she was not staying with her dad on the weekends as I believed, but with her boyfriend. I could have insisted she be home every night by curfew, and called her if she wasn't home, and tracked her down if she didn't answer her phone. I imagined that could lead to getting the police involved if she couldn't be found. That is a path I did not want to start down. My daughter was strong-willed and would not give in to a parental power play. So I asked her if she would take the dog with her on weekends. She agreed. What I really wanted was for my daughter to be a responsible young adult, and by taking the dog she accepted responsibility. (I also made an appointment for her at the gyno.) She has proven to make wise decisions for herself ever since.
Creativity gives you a competitive advantage no matter where you work.
Personal growth is available to the creative.
Thinking creatively brightens your outlook, because you know that there are no insurmountable problems. There are only opportunities that haven’t yet been discovered. My boyfriend Andy and I were driving to the Indianapolis airport one cold morning in January for a trip to Florida. It had been warm the day before and I-74 was a sheet of slick ice. Going over 35 mph meant losing control of the car. With a little luck and skillful driving, we made it to the airport. However, the drive took us 90 minutes longer than we had planned. I was getting bummed out that we might have missed our flight and end up stuck in Indianapolis. Andy said, if we have to stay here we will check in to the Canterbury, visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and have dinner at the hotel’s French restaurant. At that point, I almost hoped we would miss our flight. Well, we made it to Florida after a delay of many hours. Andy’s creative thinking made a potential disappointment into a desirable opportunity.
Being creative makes life interesting, because you are open to new ideas wherever you look.
As you can see, I do not have anecdotes for all of these because I don't want it to be all about me. Please share how creativity has improved your life in the comments.
Limitations and Parameters
What is more intimidating than a blank page? The best spark for creativity is a limitation. Do not strain against parameters, use them to transcend the obvious. Deadlines and budgets are motivators. Materials and locations offer you their strengths (and weaknesses). How many of the things you love were created with unlimited time and money? Having no restraints can be paralyzing, or lead to worthless excess. Embrace your limitations and parameters.
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