“When things get tough [in life], make good art.”~ Advice from Neil Gaiman Doctoring is my profession. The job requires writing notes, billing patients, dealing with insurance companies, and the list goes on. At some point, I began to loose sight of the things that I enjoyed about doctoring. When I discovered storytelling as a …Read More
Tag: Creativity
The Puzzle of Motivation ~ Daniel Pink
Are you motivated by the carrot or the stick? reward or punishment? These are the traditional motivators of most traditional business models. Reward the person who is most productive; punish those that fall short. Extrinsic Motivators Extrinsic incentives (like reward and punishment) work really well for activities that need narrow focus on a goal that …Read More
Rediscovering Play ~ Come play with us
Can you come out and play? Just show up at the Retreat Center of Hope Springs Institute, and let yourself be nurtured. Everything is included so you can relax – beautiful lodging surrounded by nature, gourmet meals, plenty of fun, and a Kindred Spirits Community. Rejuvenate with activities that stimulate creative expression in a community …Read More
John Cleese: On Creativity
John Cleese is a writer, comedic genius, and co-creator of Monty Python (the comedy troupe). Creativity, he says, is elusive because it comes from the unconscious mind. While the conscious mind will “prime the pump” as you contemplate a problem, it is the unconscious mind that comes up with creative solutions. Creativity is not a talent …Read More
Steven Johnson – Play, Creativity, Invention
“Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation.” —Michael Schrage Creativity and play are inextricably linked. If necessity is the mother of invention, play might just be the father. The interplay (pun intended) of necessity and playfulness have both brought the world some serious innovations. In the TED talk video below, …Read More
Creativity is like washing a pig
“Creativity is like washing a pig. It’s messy. It has no rules. No clear beginning, middle or end. It’s kind of a pain in the ass, and when you’re done, you’re not sure if the pig is really clean or even why you were washing a pig in the first place.” ~ Luke Sullivan Read …Read More
Tim Brown, Serious Play Conference
Creativity is stifled by the fear of judgment. We must go back to childhood playfulness in order to stimulate creativity. We need an environment of trust where we can play with ideas and feel free to make mistakes. In his TED talk at the Serious Play Conference (Yes, there is such a thing!), Tim Brown …Read More
What do you do when creativity stops?
“And then one day, the songs stopped coming, and while you’ve suffered from periods of writer’s block before, albeit briefly, this is something chronic. Day after day, you face a blank page, and nothing’s coming.” ~ Sting, Sing-Songwriter What do you do when creativity stops? Even a famous prolific singer-songwriter can run out of ideas. …Read More
Elizabeth Gilbert – On Creativity
In a prior blog, I talked about flow states. One of the states where we feel like we are “in the flow” is when creativity “flows through us.” In her TED talk below, Elizabeth Gilbert (author of the book Eat, Pray, Love) discusses the myths of creativity, and how changing our mindset can improve access to our …Read More