Once we've expanded the "in-between" space in our schedules in order to be more creative, how can we best leverage the brain's natural creative capacities? In this session, we'll explore several counter-intuitive and potentially subversive methods for fomenting creative productivity.

1. Bored
but never being
boring
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmcamposjr/3630714365/
Denise R. Jacobs
Media Evolution: The Conference
Malmö, Sweden
21 August 2013
Boredom, creativity, power,
disruption, and lies

2. I am
@denisejacobs
We’re at
#theconf @mediaev #mediaev
And I’m talking about
#boredcreativity
OMG, @twitter is so #boring

3. Speaker + Author + Creativity Evangelist
Photo: Derek Kearney

4. POWER

5. Giving it away
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6D-O5ECr5EUow5jrck2A2A

6. Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2084287794/

7. Addicted to hyperconnectivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersdenken/2082816707/

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/422469526/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoferbjorkman/6910216819/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2671039488/
Intermittent reinforcement

9. Unclosed mental loops
http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect

10. “Hyperconnectivity gives us the
perception of getting more done, it
makes us feel like we're doing more,
because we're using every free
moment of every waking hour.”
- Jonathan Fields

11. Afraid?
Photo: Denise Jacobs

12. We’re powerful
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89927155@N00/2144275209/

13. Overwhelmed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeflyer09/7574540716/

14. Instead of using it fully
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/

15. Try to contain it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gc_photography/4662878037/

16. Unleash it?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanekemp/6152286326/

17. Bored =
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

18. Seeking distraction/entertainment
http://www.flickr.com/photos/modenaroid/4103509077/

19. Something else
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djgarage/3680441291/in/photostream/

20. DISRUPTION

21. The in-between
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aguslepe/5512044294/

22. http://www.flickr.com/photos/beigephotos/16139687/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/beigephotos/16139685/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/beigephotos/16139686/
Allows creativity to blossom

23. “Genius is the offspring of the in-
between.”
- Jonathan Fields

24. Maximize
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44568283@N02/4097561067/

26. Integrate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/4639590640/

27. Neurons firing well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885580/

28. “When your brain is supposedly
doing nothing, it’s really doing a
tremendous amount.”
– Marcus Raichle, Neurologist

29. Spacing out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frinthy/4680321558/

30. Daydreaming
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/

31. Mindless activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabi/2499381396/

32. Being prone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snazzy54/4581347651/

33. Showers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3762676524

34. Walking
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcsaxon/542566756/

35. Meditating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/

36. Laughing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/3644297054/

37. Playing/Fun
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkendall/3613416741/

38. “When you are playful, you are activating
the right side of your brain. The logical
brain is a limited brain. The right side is
unlimited. You can (do and ) be anything
you want.”
- Madan Kataria, The Laughter Guru

39. Instead of this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielsilliman/4489863368/

40. Intend Alpha
http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg

41. LIES

42. Natalie
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/

43. From the mind of a 4yo
Photo courtesy of Laura Bohill (@LauRARbee)

44. Imaginary friends

45. “Sometimes dabbling in mysticism
can be a fun way to understand and
solve a problem.”
- Carl King, So You’re a Creative
Genius, Now What?
Helpful delusion

46. Travel our internal lands
http://archivingthecity.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/maps_of_the_imagination.jpg

47. Genius

48. Muses
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:NAMA_3_Muses.jpg

49. The three original muses:
Mneme - memory
Melete – practice or occasion
Aoide – voice
Muses were thought to be the true speakers for
whom an artist is merely the mouthpiece. Muses
inspire people to do their best.
Muses

50. Mneme (Memory)
Photo: Denise Jacobs

51. Melete (Practice/Occasion)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayray/4069381837/

52. Aoide (Voice)
Photo: Denise Jacobs

53. The spirit of the idea
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/3152875826/

54. “The world is being circled by ideas
and creativity that wants to made
manifest and are looking for portals
to come through…”
- Elizabeth Gilbert

55. Needs us to bring it into form

56. Ideas use us (not vise-versa)

57. Listen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684688/

58. Converse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/181249465/

59. Voila!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohman/174718774/

60. CHOOSE

61. power + disruption + lies
=creative flow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgeithner/5290115839/

62. True.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stealingsand/5563317146/

63. The goal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6005503875/

64. Embrace the space in-between
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdoublew/2663137942/

65. Thank you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4759535970/

66. Articles for further reading (mine)
netmagazine.com/features/
four-secrets-enhancing-creative-
productivity
alistapart.com/articles/
reigniting-your-creative-spark/
alistapart.com/articles/
banishing-your-inner-critic/

67. DeniseJacobs.com
denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs
How to find me
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

68. Sign up for news on my upcoming book,
projects, other announcements and whatnot at
DeniseJacobs.com
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