Reviving Creativity

Denise R. Jacobs

Inspire925: Creativity Goes to Work
Zurich, Switzerland
30 January 2014
For the Twitters
I am:
@denisejacobs
This fine event:
@inspire295
I’m get you to:
#revivecreativity
O hai!

Photo by Derek Kearney
Creativity is critical

http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/
I’m not the only one who thinks so…

http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/
Who here feels like they are creative?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/ &http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
Who here does not?
Who isn’t sure?
What is Creativity?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogil/1507585665/
“Creativity is newness produced.”
- Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds
“Creativity is all about making
connections and seeing
patterns.”
-  Bruce Nussbaum,
Creativity Intelligence
“Creativity makes day to day
experiences more vivid, more
enjoyable, more rewarding. When
we live creatively, boredom is
banished and every moment holds
the promise of a fresh discovery.”
- Mihali Csikszentmihalyi,
Creativity
The problem

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/
Internal: Unsupported, seems dead

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22326055@N06/4883520500/
External: Nothing in place to support it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/
Re·viv·al [ri-vahy-vuhl]
1. restoration to life, consciousness, vigor,
strength, etc.
2. restoration to use, acceptance, or
currency.
3. a new production of an old play.
4. an awakening, in a church or
community, of interest in and care for
matters relating to personal religion.
1. Restoration to life, consciousness,
vigor, strength, etc.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duroh/3894174362/
Your relationship with your own Creativity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/international-festival/3018718331/
Look at fears around creativity

Photo: Denise Jacobs
Inner Critic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lance_mountain/2849396572/
Perfectionism

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/
Procrastination

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
You become a terrorist to yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/koomatuomio/4182554398/
“Obsessing about preventing bad
things from happening also
prevents good things from
happening, or sometimes
prevents anything from
happening at all.”
- Scott Berkun, The Year Without
Pants
2. Restoration to use, acceptance, or
currency.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duroh/3894174362/
Refinding your Creativity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djwtwo/8323452857/
Comes from recognizing your brilliance

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_hamner/3386076488/
Love what you do. Do what you love.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmscottimd/616642026/
DO NOT focus on your weaknesses

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_hamner/3386076488/
You will only improve
10-15 %
(and it will be painful)
- Tom Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0
R-E-S-P-E-C-T

http://www.community-bar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/
3. A new production of an old play
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duroh/3894174362/
Creativity is a skill.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhenak/2664680892/
Practice: Speak up

Photo: Denise Jacobs
Practice: Delegate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/3645313261/
Practice: Capture ALL of your ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosengrant/3637839874/
Yes, ALL of them

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kara_allyson/5354860077/
Practice: Gather sources of inspiration

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmanviz/3181410714/
Tools to do so
Evernote
Pinterest.com
Delicious.com
Flickr.com
Trello.com
Zootool.com
Gimmebar.com

Dropr.com
Diigo
Tumblr
Imgspark.com
Scrnshots.com
Vi.sualize.us
Emberapp.com
Practice: Take yourself on Artist’s Dates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themuse.jpg
4. An awakening in a community
Creativity with others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/international-festival/3019543830/
External environment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/
“Getting people together is easy,
but having a culture of getting
them to be good at building
upon each other’s ideas is hard.”
- David Kelly, Founder of IDEO
Practice: Escape your silo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeemick/5106610165/
Seek diverse environments

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirinwiniger/3680885289/
Practice: Nurture the creativity of others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/2460475510/
Listen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684688/
I mean really listen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684632/
Practice: Amplify the ideas of others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/54381130/
Make your cohorts look good

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31246066@N04/4597640798/
Interactions and collaborations will get stronger

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schipulites/5407946699/
Eating my own dogfood: Power-Push Writing

Photo: Anna B. Scott
Good morning, sunshine!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ableman/543078380/
No matter where you

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilike/3707503212/
Whether it’s with yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/
Or with others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4957946157/
You’ll be on the right path

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevharb/3051473068/
To awakening the slumbering giant

http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/4179773749/
"We are awakening the
slumbering giant and filling it
with beautiful creative resolve."
- Denise Jacobs, Reviving
Creativity
And finally…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theredproject/3302110152/
Thanks to our Gold Sponsor!
My articles for further reading
netmagazine.com/features/
four-secrets-enhancingcreative-productivity
alistapart.com/articles/
reigniting-your-creative-spark/
alistapart.com/articles/
banishing-your-inner-critic/
How to find me
DeniseJacobs.com
 Sign up on my mailing list here!

denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs

Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

Reviving Creativity