Community Genius: Leveraging Community to Increase your Creative Powers

Shelly D. Farnham, Ph.D. Waggle Labs Ignite, April 29, 2009 Community Genius: Leveraging Community to Increase your Creative Powers

What is Community?

"I define "community" as networks of interpersonal ties that provide sociability, support, information, a sense of belonging, and social identity.”

Barry Wellman (2001).

Seattle Cupcake Society

Community is to Social Capital as Love is to Babies http://www.how-to-draw-funny-cartoons.com/image-files/cartoon-babies-3.gif

Community Groups Enable Transitive Relationships Hey I’m in The Cupcake Society too ! Can I borrow some sugar? Sure! And try my special recipe!

Process of Creativity

novel ideas

Manifested into reality

Social!

Remixed!

Tip 1: Seek Diversity

Tip 2. Seek High Rotation in Weak Ties http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak_tie

Tip 3: Develop Colleagues/Friends with Good “Flow”

Tip 4: Get a White Board

Tip 5: Play Different Roles

Passive observer

Active participant

Leader

Tip 6. Play Nice

Reputation spreads like wild-fire

http://www.judiciaryreport.com/images/universal-fire-6.jpg

Tip 7: Hang Out a Lot in Bars Conversation drives creativity

Tip 8. Give Away Ideas and Knowledge Freely

The Love Cat Way

Be a Love Cat!!

Tip 9. Play the “Yeah, and“ Generative Idea Game Dudes, lets do something really geeky! Yah like with LASERS Yah and it plays music like a giant harp! Yah and like you’re inside a giant brain playing laser neurons!!! Yah like a Giant Robot Brain!!! Dudes this is going to be sooo cooool

Tip 10. Generate *Many* Ideas, but Pick Only a Few Ideas to Execute