Posts Tagged ‘LinkedIn’
Slow Down to Boost Creativity
Some years ago I learned from my ultrarunning coach, Scott Jurek, bestselling author of Eat and Run, that to boost your endurance and ultrarunning performance, you have to slow down. You can’t go out every day and run your hardest. In fact, your body needs you to slow down and work other systems that support speed. Going slow on a lot of training days allows your body to recover and perform at a higher level, giving you more energy to … Read more
Ten Tips to Spark Innovative Thinking
To fuel growth, many of our clients are pursuing company-wide innovation initiatives. We often assist in these large scale efforts by providing innovation processes and creativity training. A client recently requested a few tips to help individuals think more creatively as their company-wide innovation effort takes hold. Here are ten tips I shared with my client:
1. Find creative inspiration. One great way to keep your ideas flowing is to surround yourself with things that inspire you. Gather a … Read more
What’s Your Vision for the Future?
Whether you’re managing a company, a department, a brand, or your career, it’s important to have a clear picture of the future. As innovation becomes a driving force in virtually all industries, a clear vision provides a guide for where to take your entity.
A well-articulated vision tells you where you want to be in the future without getting bogged down in how you’ll get there. The “how” work comes with strategies, objectives and goals. If innovation is part of … Read more
The Art of Creating Fine Wood Furniture
Ken Richards, fine furniture maker for the past 30 years, approaches each project with the attitude of an artist. “I am not just trying to create beautiful furniture, I want to create works of art,” says Ken. From initial inspiration to delivery of the final product, Ken meticulously completes every detail himself, ensuring the highest quality and the full expression of his design vision. He is a rare breed, working with the finest materials and designing pieces that take incredible … Read more
What is Your Innovation Temperature?
Take this simple innovation quiz: How would you describe your innovation temperature? Are you …
- On fire
- Crazy busy (don’t even have time to take my temperature)
- Below zero
This simple quiz provides useful diagnostic information about your innovation health.
On Fire – If you’re currently on fire, keep stoking the flames. You likely feel in the flow and ideas come easily. Sparks fly as you move ideas into action. You are in the innovation zone. People who feel “on … Read more
Is failure a state of mind?
When something fails, it is done, finished, the end. There is no energy or passion for failure. Hide the failed idea in the closet and forget about it because it is (whisper) a failure. We say with a somber tone, “The product failed in market.” “Martha failed to meet expectations for her job.” “John failed his science test.” Yet embedded in each of those statements is an untold story, a journey, something to learn, or to do differently the next … Read more
Talking Creativity on Talk Radio
I was recently a guest on the Walk the Talk with Kim radio show on KKNW 1150am (www.walkthetalkwithkim.com). If you had a chance to listen in, I hope you enjoyed the show. I shared a few tips for creating great ideas and talked about turning my personal adventures into a way to give back.
Creativity Tips
As promised, here is a quick summary of the brainstorming tips I talked about on the show:
Speak in How tos and I wishes: … Read more
Helen Thayer: An Uncommon Life of Adventure
At the age of 48, Helen Thayer, a world class athlete and mountaineer, stood on top of Mt. Communism in Tajikistan and was struck by an inspiration. At that moment, she decided to start a new chapter in her life by using her world expeditions as metaphors to teach and inspire students. She founded the non-profit Adventure Classroom with the mission “to inspire students to embrace integrity, demonstrate courage, and assume responsibility for their actions.”
“I work to inspire kids … Read more
Gum Wall
One of Seattle’s unique attractions is found in a nondescript alley near famous Pike Place Market. It’s a wall covered in gum. The gum wall, located outside the Market Theater, started in the 1990’s. Theatre-goers stuck their gum on the wall as they waited for tickets.
It’s become a collaborative work of art, an ever changing gum mosaic with great variety in color and design.
The wall has been scraped clean twice, but people can’t seem to stop sticking their … Read more
Creative Thinking Books
Bookstore shelves are packed with resources that claim to inspire creative thinking and innovation. These five stand apart from the pack. Ranging from playful to artfully designed to more serious, each book keeps you thinking long after you’ve put it down.
1. The Art of the Ideaand How it Can Change Your Life by John Hunt
John Hunt is an award winning playwright, author and World Creative Director of TBWA. He’s created a sharply written and well-designed book that … Read more
