Denise R. Jacobs' presentation at Front End Conf in Zurich emphasizes the importance of creativity in web development and design, asserting that both designers and developers are inherently creative. The discussion covers overcoming creative blocks, fostering a growth mindset, and the balance between risk and challenge to achieve a state of 'flow' for enhanced creativity. Jacobs encourages individuals to embrace their creative potential, choose impactful work, and collaborate for greater innovation.

1. Possibilities
Infinite
Denise R. Jacobs
Front End Conf CH | Zurich, Switzerland
2 September 2016

2. @denisejacobs
#FEC16 @FrontEndConfCH
#infinitepossible

3. Get the slides, y’all!
Creativedo.se/FEC16-ip

4. Grüezi Y’all!
Photo: Denise Jacobs

5. In case you didn’t know
Photo: Denise Jacobs

6. Photo by Derek Kearney
From Front-end Dev à Creativity Evangelist?!

7. Clients can be…special
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/154640125/

8. Projects started feeling like this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4052943367/

9. And then there’s these people

10. My true love: speaking/training/teaching

11. à Founder + CEO/Chief Creativity Evangelist
http://TheCreativeDose.com/

12. So frontend devs/designers, much respect!
https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/bow_down1.gif

13. 1,1,2,3…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdunnette/143567420

14. It’s the new Black
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

15. IBM CEO Study, 2010
https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/31670.wss

16. Time Magazine Creativity Poll, 2013
http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/

17. Survey of 684 Developers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/8812567121

18. “The web can and
should be a
vibrant medium
for creative
expression.”
– Andy Clarke, “Art Directing Web
Design”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016
https://twitter.com/purzlbaum/status/771263711373688836

19. We have it. Then we lose it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/

20. This is Water.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seotaro/2101165162

21. Whether you are a designer or a developer
Photo: Denise Jacobs

22. You are powerfully creative
http://www.designyourway.net/diverse/4/ux/brainy.jpg?e8a293

23. Masters of strategic simplification
Can translate complex
information & data into accessible visuals
Evoke emotion & provoke thought
Make the mundane beautiful
Gifts of Designers

24. Passion for accuracy
Analytical
Learn quickly
Problem-solvers
Curious
Thinking critically
Gifts of Frontend Developers

25. You design + build + guide the web…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/

26. Now’s the time to value yourself
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgraths/3277839203

27. “The new scarcity: the time, energy,
and brainpower of bright, creative
people.”
- Mary Poppendieck, “Think For Yourself”

28. How to move forward?

29. It starts with One
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/

30. (Thanks, Andy!)
Photo: Denise Jacobs

31. The pattern of nature

32. We are part of this pattern
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124263610@N08/14201837570/

33. The Golden Ratio
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdvan/14910785913

34. Everything comes from this divine unfolding
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rammorrison/2718543921

35. The Dark or the Light

36. What direction should you go?

37. Making one solid choice is the beginning

38. The paradox of choice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/

39. Let’s take a look at how this can work
https://twitter.com/sbruggm4nn/status/771304309795332096

40. CHOOSE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

41. Non-Creative or Creative?

42. http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
Who here is creative?

43. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kosmotesto/3794445313/
“Creativity is all about making connections
and seeing patterns.”
Bruce Nussbaum, Creative Intelligence

44. Child, please.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahalie/276780530/

45. My response:

46. Internal fears = Inner Critic
Photo: Denise Jacobs

47. Creativity Denial
https://www.flickr.com/photos/42186300@N07/3891508982/

48. In Tibetan, creative = natural
https://www.flickr.com/photos/norte_it/2340805781

49. Creativity ≠ Trying to be Creative
http://www.theprofessionalcreative.com/take-the-first-step-to-become-creative/

50. Trying ≠ Practicing

51. http://www.wallpaper4me.com/images/wallpapers/do_or_do_not_w1.jpeg
“Try not.
Do, or do not.
There is no try.”
– Yoda

52. “If I try to be creative, rather than just
accepting that I am creative, I fail.”
Andrew J. Epstein

53. Not about effort

54. More like breathing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/

55. Like breathing, you can build
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/

56. Get in tune with the process
https://www.flickr.com/photos/flavijus/566174947

57. What’s your creative frequency?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sine_waves_different_frequencies.svg

58. Listen/tune in

59. Filter out the background noise
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alt_design_summit/6724420849/

60. Frequency: Occurrence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/367425390

61. Frequency: Practice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/275200051/

62. Become an idea machine

63. Challenge/Homework: Ten Ideas a day
https://www.flickr.com/photos/evaekeblad/15294401442

64. “Deciding for creativity does not guarantee
that creativity will emerge, but without the
decision, it certainly will not.”
– Robert Sternberg

65. Decide upon Creativity.
Choose it.
Then, amplify your creative
frequency.

66. Fixed or Growth Mindset?

67. Mindset, by Carol Dweck
http://mindsetonline.com

68. Which looks more familiar?

69. Fixed mindset
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/7328405210

70. Perfection
Talent
Ability
Accomplishment
Comparison
Fixed Mindset focused on

71. “Maybe I don’t have enough talent.”
“What if I fail?”
“If I don’t try, I can protect my dignity.”
“It’s not my fault. It’s something/someone else’s.”

72. (Sounds an awful lot like the Inner Critic, no?)

73. Perfectionist much?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

74. Growth Mindset
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4441693270/

75. Learning
Willingness to fail
Curiosity
Expansion
Being self-referential
Growth Mindset focused on

76. Embrace and enjoy learning

77. How do you change from Fixed to Growth?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f-oxymoron/5005673112/

78. 1) Listen for your Fixed Mindset voice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684632/

79. 2) Recognize that you have a choice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjsmithphotography/6804513809

80. 3) Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice

81. “I can learn to do this with time & effort.”
“Most successful people have had failure along the
way.”
“If I don’t try, I automatically fail.”
“If I don’t take responsibility, I can’t fix it.”

82. 4) Take growth mindset action

83. Growth Mindset Actions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onegiantleap/4124211492/

84. http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959867550/ &http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/
Adopt a beginner’s mind

85. Release the Tyranny of the Expert
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64540855@N07/5878418781

86. Rediscover the familiar
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77654185@N07/8428225936

87. Re-learn something from a friend
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ribbitvoice/2339351666

88. Learn something entirely new
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13723940@N04/2648317554/

89. In my own life: learning Improv
Photo: Denise Jacobs

90. Learning from experience is key

91. “I don’t divide the world into the weak and
the strong, or the successes and the
failures…Idividetheworldintothe
learnersandnonlearners.”
– Benjamin Barber, Sociologist

92. Approach everything with
openness and eagerness.
Continue to increase your
knowledge and expand
yourself.

93. Blocked or in Flow?

94. Creative blocks?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99301367@N00/8497106802/

95. Fears
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_lin/3193080175/

96. “[We have] An
unwillingness to take
risks, for fear of
criticism or failure.”
– Andy Clarke, “Art Directing Web
Design”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016
https://twitter.com/frontendconfch/status/771257405464195078

97. Creative Flow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/

98. Is @ the Sweet Spot

99. Enjoy + Good at + Feeling Empowered
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/

100. = Empowered Play
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/

101. Aka

102. Your brain on Flow
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/13994747444

103. Flow banishes the Inner Critic!

104. The Flow “Afterglow”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/

105. How do you reach Flow?

106. “You can’t force yourself to get into
(creative) flow, but you can set the
conditions for it.”
– Ted Neward, “Managers are from Mars, Developers are from Venus”

107. 1) Get in touch with your brilliance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_hamner/3386076488/

108. Embrace your super-power
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89927155@N00/2144275209/

109. “I realized that I was more of a writer than a
designer.”– Heydon Pickering, “Test-Driven,HTML”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016
Photo: Denise Jacobs

110. 2) Have clear goals

111. 3) Uninterrupted, focused time

112. “How to ruin (developer) productivity”

113. My Father built airplanes in his spare time
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

114. (Instill the Headphones Rule)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/9824922293

115. Helps create space for ideas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/creativedc/2939649520

116. 4) Balance of risk & challenge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/

117. The Flow Channel exits between the two

118. 5) Immediate feedback
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8124124586/

119. Find your Flow to dispel
fears and experience
continuous creative growth.

120. Taker or Maker?

121. …Has little regard for
their potential to
shape the future or
ability to take action
on issues that truly
motivate them.
A Taker…

122. …A maker’s work is
characterized by morality,
creativity, craftsmanship,
and purposed problem
solving.
They view their work
through the lens of
service.
A Maker…

123. “….Makers choose their work based on
impact and happiness.”
Jason Cavnar, "Why developers should start
choosing conscience over profit"
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/18/developers-choosing-conscience-over-profit/

124. Up-level your Makership-ness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fragmented/2734290118/

125. 1) Stay a passionate problem-solver
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4435608143/

126. 2) Make “Bug” Lists
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acerriteno/3484407240/

127. 3) Cultivate a healthy disregard for the impossible

128. 4) Be clear on your “Why”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zlz212/198759134/

129. “When your ‘whys’ don’t line up, the
project will go horribly wrong.”
– Rob Farr, The Last Responsible Moment, DPM Summit
2015

130. Infuse meaning
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/5932362950

131. What are your objectives?
https://twitter.com/marclounis/status/771331407029338112

132. Whom are you aiming to help?
http://www.codefevermiami.com/

133. 5) Choose bigger, more creative problems to solve

134. 6) Spur creative thinking at scale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters,_Inc.

135. By using this:

136. Like folks at Pixar

137. Make things that matter –
to both you and others.

138. PROGRESS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harryharris/381154280/

139. What do you get?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlaughland/3475448568/

140. Life is complex and so are decisions

141. Two tracks

142. CREATIVITY GROWTH MIND
FIND FLOW BE A MAKER

143. Guidelines; stars to navigate by
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/9255191990/

144. “Clarity brings about purpose,
purpose brings about action,
action brings about change.”
– Joel Yeo

145. CREATE LEARN
FLOW CONTRIBUTE

146. Mobilize a dormant creative confidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/4179773749/

147. While we can’t predict the future
http://fusible.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/crystal-ball.jpg

148. Because of the unknown
http://hub.salford.ac.uk/energymonitoring/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/01/known-knowns1.jpg

149. Instead, we have an alternative

150. “We are the creators of the future.”
Umair Haque, “How to Have a Year That Matters”

151. You are Master Creators

152. Remember how powerful you are
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dingatx/4794442002/

153. “[We] can create the magic
of what the web can be.”– Una Kravits, “Practical Blend Modes”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016
https://twitter.com/frontendconfch/status/771279224292466688

154. Making them should be easier
http://www.cdmdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Choices.jpg

155. Critical

156. Not creative
Fixed mindset
Blocked
Taking what you can get
We’re all too familiar with these

157. “The decisions that most designers make are
based entirely on guesswork.”– Andy Clarke, “Art Directing Web Design”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016

158. CREATIVITY GROWTH MIND
FIND FLOW BE A MAKER

159. Release your inner Intrepreneur
https://twitter.com/KilianSSL/status/771623377198919680

160. Proactive
Committed
Integrity
Open-minded
Courageous
Resilient
Adaptive
Emotionally
Intelligent
Authentic
Encourages Intrapreneur qualities

161. Respect yourself (and recognize)

162. “We all are both Designers and Developers.”– Heydon Pickering
Photo: Denise Jacobs

163. This is your compass

164. Creativity is your True North

165. Work that is more creatively satisfying
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8127201319/

166. All of space-time started with a singularity
1,1,2,3…

167. Just as the Universe is expanding, so are we

168. An reiterative process
Photo: Denise Jacobs

169. Our choices should flow out from each other
https://twitter.com/ChristinaWeibel/status/771311547368943617

170. Now you have a framework

171. “Art direction is the gravity that pulls
atoms together.”– Andy Clarke, “Art Directing Web Design”, FrontEnd Conf CH 2016

172. Creativity is the “gravity” of your work
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeronimooo/9640105244/

173. The choice is clear
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matias3000/253871344/

174. “You need to trust
yourself and your
creativity and
make a leap.”
– Eva-Lotte Lamme
https://twitter.com/blueforce1/status/771306174935281665

175. Choose
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

176. Get the slides, y’all!
Creativedo.se/FEC16-ip

177. THE CREATIVE DOSE
A Creativity + Innovation Collective
Work Better. Create More. Create Betterness.
Creative Thinking & Problem-solving
Applying an Innovation Mindset
Creative Collaboration
Team Communication & Cohesion
TheCreativeDose.com
@thecreativedose

178. Banish Your
Inner Critic
Get on the list!
DeniseJacobs.com/InnerCritic
Identify and Eliminate Mental Blocks to
Unleash Creativity
My upcoming book!

179. DeniseJacobs.com
à Sign up on my mailing list here!
denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs
Connect, Chat, and Collaborate!
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

180. Thank You!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qqjawe/6511141237/