They offered the enormous prize of 200 gold florins to the architect whose genius could span the unfinished dome of the Florence Cathedral.

This was a great challenge. Even the original builders of the cathedral in 1296 left writings hoping that God would offer a solution because they did not have one.

Filippo Brunelleschi was the answer to their prayers.

He proposed the radical idea of a dome supported by a brick vaulting system that balanced the opposing forces, but without the customary central supports.

The experts called him mad.

Brunelleschi sought to demonstrate his design with a challenge.

He could stand an egg upright on a flat surface. Could they?

All were unsuccessful.

Finally, Brunelleschi cracked the bottom of the egg and set it down.

It must have been a mess, but it stood upright and demonstrated his idea.

The experts protested, but Brunelleschi remarked that they could have done the same if they had understood his design.

Of course, they did not. They didn’t understand creativity either.

They were too mentally confined by their concept of the possible. Figuratively and literally, the thought of solving the problem by breaking the egg never occurred to them.

One imagines their frustration trying to balance the round egg on the marble tabletop and their groans when Brunelleschi demonstrated the sloppy, but clever solution.

We all have eggs we never think of breaking.

These are the fixed states of mind that we accept without question as “the way things are.” These states represent the boundaries of our thinking and, therefore, our life experience.

Refuse to be confined by the eggs others never think of breaking.

Geniuses break eggs.

Break your share.

That’s why they make paper towels.
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Copyright 2004 by Tony Papajohn

About the Author: Tony Papajohn

Tony writes and speaks on success. Subscribe to his free SuccessMotivator e-zine at http://www.successmotivator.com.

But we make use of creative thought and problem-solving all the time, even if we are not making “artwork.”

And even some animals create “artwork” or at least something that may get called art. I’ve seen paintings in galleries that didn’t look much more sophisticated than “paintings” made by an elephant “artist.” Aren’t you at least as creative?

“Why do we assume that a rare and special ‘artistic’ talent is required for drawing? We don’t make that assumption about other kinds of abilities.”

Author Betty Edwards, known for her book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, goes on to say, “If you can catch a baseball, thread a needle, or hold a pencil and write your name, you can learn to draw skillfully, artistically, and creatively.” (From her book Drawing on the Artist Within.)

Personal growth psychologist Abraham Maslow once commented, “We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything.”

(Quoted in article Finding Your Own Creativity, by Tian Dayton.)

Psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (author of Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention) differentiates between big-C Creativity and little-c creativity, the sort used in everyday life. Paying attention to only big-c kinds of creative work can lead us to discount what we are doing creatively, and what we are capable of doing.

Creating – whether it is amazing, or simple and mundane – can satisfy us deeply, helping us learn so much more about our inner lives. Not to mention help deal with problems and challenging life situations.

There is a wonderful collection of bird pins made of scrap wood, paint and metal, from the book “The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942-1946.”

Most of the people in these camps were not professional artists – they were doctors, dentists, farmers, shop owners, teachers. Yet they created a variety of furniture, sculpture, paintings and writings, performed skits and played music.

Everyday creativity

Gloria Steinem pointed out: “Most art in the world does not have a capital ‘A,’ but is a way of turning everyday objects into personal expressions.”

She also said that telling ourselves “I can’t write,” “I can’t paint” (or whatever) is really saying, “I can’t meet some outside standard. I’m not acceptable as I am.”

In her book Understanding Creativity, Jane Piirto, PhD declares, “Having scored high on an intelligence test is not necessary. We are all creative. Those who are more creative than others have learned to take risks, to value complexity, to see the world, or their own surroundings with naiveté.

“They have learned to be creative, or their creativity has not been pushed down, stifled, and diminished by sarcasm and abuse.”

Another part of our concept of creativity may be that it is a “gift” or unique inspiration from a muse, rather than something we can develop.

That attitude is a self-limiting belief that can stop us from even trying to be creative.

Creating takes time

Researcher Howard Gruber reported, “Perhaps the single most reliable finding in our studies is that creative work takes a long time. With all due apologies to thunderbolts, creative work is not a matter of milliseconds, minutes, or even hours – but of months, years, and decades.

“The creative person cannot simply be driven, but is drawn to their work by visions, hopes, joy of discovery, love of truth, and sensuous pleasure in the creative activity itself.” (From his book Creative People at Work.)

And Dr. Piirto notes, “many disciplines–for instance, the performing arts–are never truly mastered. The pianist, who has practiced and prepared for years to interpret a masterwork, achieves a novel interpretation. This person is creative (little c); however, time, music critics, and CD and ticket sales will tell if he or she achieves the eminence required to be creative (big C).

(From the Duke Gifted Letter, Expert’s Forum on Defining and Encouraging Creativity.)

Male standards and female creators

Sally Reis, PhD. explains that “female writers, artists, scientists and creators in all domains deal with male conceptions of creativity and a creative process that has been accepted as the standard within that domain, but may only be the standard for male creators.

From her article Toward a Theory of Creativity in Diverse Creative Women. Reis is author of the book Work Left Undone: Choices and Compromises of Talented Women.

More meaning for our lives

Author Riane Eisler thinks “The creativity we invest in our day-to-day lives is often the most extraordinary. It can give far more meaning, and even sanctity, to our lives.” (From her book: Sacred Pleasure.)

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About the Author: Douglas Eby

Douglas Eby, M.A./Psychology, is a writer, researcher and online publisher on the psychology of creative expression and personal change. He is creator of the Talent Development Resources series of sites (http://talentdevelop.com) and author of the book Developing Multiple Talents – The personal side of creative expression. (http://developingmultipletalents.com)

So don’t let perfectionism stop you in your tracks. Now that that’s been said, let’s consider what it means to be creative in your journal.

POETRY: A journal is a terrific place to write those snips of poetry that come to you from time to time. Don’t worry about rhyming or not rhyming. If you like poems that rhyme, let it go. Never mind that rhyming poetry is out of vogue if it works for you. In fact, try a structured rhyme scheme, like a sonnet.

CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: If you have dreams of being a published writer, work through writing books in your journal. Do the assignments in your journal and you will be amazed what gems of wit you will have, and all collected in one place, too.

PERSONAL FRUSTRATIONS: Intersperse poems and writing assignments with your frustrating moments. Perhaps on paper, the humor of an impossible situation will begin to emerge. Never underestimate the healing benefit of a sense of humor.

WISHES, HOPES, DREAMS, AND PRAYERS: What would you most like to see happen during your lifetime? Do you dream of business success or fame? Do you long for a relationship with a special person? Do you have altruistic desires, wishing that underprivileged or downtrodden people could have a better life? Is there someone you love who is sick or has an addiction? Pour out your heartfelt desires and prayers for their recovery. Scientists are beginning to document just how much real power there is in prayer.

LISTS: They may not look very creative, but lists make wonderful journal entries. List your goals or your favorite things. List the qualities you adore about your cat. List the decorative changes you’d like to make in your bedroom. List the staples you’d like to always have on hand in your pantry. Of course, these are just ideas, but lists can be both creative and practical.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: To take time to remember what you have going for you might be the biggest benefit of your journal when it comes to improving your attitude and preserving your mental health. Get creative as you think of things you appreciate. Have you considered the good highways you have to travel? How about that nice quality set of pots and pans you have for cooking for your family? Do you have your own washer and dryer, or one you can access easily? Write down all those little blessings that are so easy to forget.

Remember that there is no one right way of keeping a creative journal. The goal is to find the ways that work the best for you. Let these ideas get your own creative juices flowing, so that your personal journal becomes your very own unique expression of who you are.
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About the Authory:  Shery Russ

Shery is the author of the books, The Journaling Life: 21 Types of Journals You Can Create to Express Yourself and Record Pieces of Your Life and The Authentic Self: Journaling Your Joys, Griefs and Everything in Between.

So the first thing to do is select your own board. You can have a lot of fun here deciding who you will appoint. The people can be living or dead; it doesn’t matter. What you need is people who you believe are, or were, in some way outstanding. You want people who will be able to represent different perspectives and you want people you admire.

Personally, I think you probably want to keep the board fairly small and select just one person to represent each perspective you will need to cover. So you don’t want multiple people who all represent creativity, for example. After just a little thought, here is a candidate short-list for my own Imaginary Board of Directors:

Leonardo da Vinci
Thomas Edison
Martin Luther King
William Shakespeare
Oscar Wilde
Nelson Mandela
Martin Luther King Jr
Ghandi
Albert Einstein
Richard Branson
James Caan
Walt Disney
Steve Jobs
Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Bobby Charlton
Socrates
Pablo Picasso
M.C Escher
Edward De Bono
Salvador Dali

And here are the five positions (perspectives) I have on offer:

Director of Creativity
Director of Design
Director of Business
Director of Writing
Director of Moral/Ethics

As you can see, I had to do a bit of mental interviewing to select my final board. With Leonardo, Walt Disney and Albert Einstein all applying for the role of Director of Creativity, it was a tough choice and I may change the personnel from time to time. But here is the final choice for my own board:

Director of Creativity: Steve Jobs
Director of Design: Thomas Edison
Director of Writing: Oscar Wilde
Director of Moral/Ethics: Nelson Mandela
Director of Business: James Caan

Now, to make use of this idea, you first get yourself into that quiet meditative state we have spoken about in the past and then, in your imagination, you go into the boardroom. There you meet with your fellow directors and you hold your board meeting in which you raise the issues that are of immediate concern. And each of the directors gets the opportunity to make their point from their own perspective.

So there you have it: a really interesting idea for exploring your own creativity. I wonder if you would like to give it a shot too.
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About the Author: Will Edwards

Will Edwards is Founder of http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk.  If you enjoyed this article, you will also enjoy The Inspiration Blog

Divergent thinking is the way someone uses to attract the larger number os ideas to a given problem. For problem, let’s think of any situation that could require a creative activity – the will of painting, taking a picture, writing a sonnet, cooking a dish, the task of developing a new product, fulfilling a market need, establishing marketing strategies, anything. No matter how artistic, technical or business related your activity is, at one part of the process, in order to get the most out of your creative potential, you’ll have to let your mind go and collect the most references you can. Create random associations with the problem – or whatever it was that triggered your imagination – no matter how useless or unpractical they are in the real life. This is essential for the creative process because useful, brilliant ideas can come fragmented. You might find that, when you put  two or maybe more stupid ideas together, an extraordinary solution to the question can emerge.

Convergent thinking, on the other hand, deals with the judgmental profile of every creative process. It’s an analytical and more logical part of the process. It’s through convergent thinking methods and techniques that we evaluate all the generated ideas by the rules of the real world. How practical, possible, effective, tangible the ideas actually are. Instead of focusing on the amount of thoughts or suggestions, we now pay attention to the quality of them. We go from the abstract world – in which most of the ideas tend to be great, unique, superb – to the everyday life, where any idea has to face limitations such as cost, time, gravity, legal aspects and so on.

Even though the divergent thinking techniques might seem more into creativity than the convergent thinking ones, both of them are equally essential to the creative process, as one is useless without the other.

Without analyses, ideas become too abstract and random to be implemented. Without imagination, no one will be able to stand out from the crowd and go a bit further into the solution, coming up with fresh, new ideas.

They both have to coexist and – apart from everything – cannot control each other. If you’re into a divergent part of the creative process, you should not allow any restriction to the ideas. Go with the flow.  And afterwards, when analysis comes up, be critical and stop beating about the bush. Go to the point. Each piece of the puzzle must have its own, unique place for the process to achieve its most.

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About the Author:  Henrique Fogli

Henrique Fogli is a generalist. He studied Marketing and Advertisement at University, finished, got bored and went for Literature. After that, he began to study music, and now he is up for drawing and acting – beginning his clown course. He also worked cleaning toilets, as a barman and a bank clerk, tried working with photography and being a civil servant. Today he is working with web content and, apart from other things, he’s talking about creativity here, at the http://creativegibberish.org

REASON TWO: Training yourself to create art regularly contributes significantly to making an idea work by exploring, expanding, building, performing or sharing it.

REASON THREE: The creative process takes time. However, it can be structured and directed. You can finish your creative projects on or before your deadline.

REASON FOUR: Creativity stretches your comfort zone. Practicing a creative skill, takes time, concentrated effort and consistent work. I know that I feel angry as I progress through the first phrase of the creativity process. I struggle to admit that I need to practice, that I don’t know everything, that I don’t need help and that in spite of these thoughts, I can still make progress using my skills. I am not comfortable when I fail to meet my expectations. When I complete one creative project. I know that I’ve done a good job. My next challenge is to patiently repeat the first phase of mechanical learning for as long as it takes, to complete my next job. My reward is to become more comfortable using my creative skills ,over and over again.

REASON FIVE: Creativity is fun. I love looking at numerous possibilities. It’s wonderful to be able to freely interpret and produce a creative product.
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Copyright 2005 Writer’s Eye Advisory Service

About the Author:  Lael Johnson

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer’s Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and additional writing resources. For more information visit: http://www.writerseye.com

About the Author

About the Book
To truly understand the creative process and use it effectively, one needs to understand that uncertainty is both necessary and desirable. You may feel uncomfortable with uncertainty, most people do, but you can overcome this discomfort and use the process to your advantage.

In the following chapters, Fields uses stories of actual creative and innovate people to show us different skills we need to develop in order to actualize our own creative selves.

In FIND YOUR CERTAINTY ANCHORS Jonathan explains the desirability of creating “certainty anchors,” or rituals and schedules that will help you overcome the resistance our brains offer up when we are stepping off the ledge of certainty.

The chapter BUILD YOUR HIVE is a take on putting together a group of people who you can depend on to tell you, gently, how things really are, keep you grounded and yet help you attain your goals in the face of uncertainty. I think of the Hive as my “mentor group” or network. Fields shows you that in well-built hives there is no such thing as a zero-sum game. In the hive, it becomes a “zillion-sum game!”

SOCIALIZING CREATION discusses how, with the new technologies available, we can dramatically shorten the time we spend in uncertainty. We’re now able to release a product, or piece of a product, and get immediate and valuable feedback. Using that information, we can then quickly make any changes deemed necessary and re-release. No more being trapped in uncertainty for months, if not years!

In TRAIN YOUR BRAIN Fields talks about using exercise, meditation, and “process visualization” to effect changes in your brain that will suppress the fear and anxiety that generally accompany uncertainty.

SEE THE FOREST reminds us of that well-known saying – “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” In this chapter, we learn not only the importance of seeing the forest but also how to create a series of “circuit breakers” that will bring you back up from the trenches to reconnect and possibly revise your “quest.”

And last, but certainly not least, you will learn how to OWN THE STORYLINE. In order to overcome the fear of uncertainty, you need to face in full daylight several questions. Most, if not all, of us are familiar with the fear that accompanies our own “going-to-zero” story. That is, what will happen if we fail utterly and then recover? Will I be dead broke and homeless if I don’t succeed? I don’t know about you, but I often jumped automatically to that mind-set when considering a new project. Fields points out the need to also consider what will happen if you decide to do nothing, and what will happen if you succeed utterly. It’s important to open yourself up to the very real possibility of success!

BRING IT HOME is the culmination of the book. It is a brief overview of how learning and using Fields’ ideas and strategies will help make your own creative process, even when facing the inevitable uncertainty, more enjoyable and productive.

BONUS! At the end of the book you’ll find some great chapter summaries which make it easy to refresh yourself on the tools and suggestions outlined in the book. You’ll also find some additional free resources such as the “Creation Mind-set Audit” and an “Uncertainty: Fuel for Brilliance” workbook.

Do I recommend this book? You bet I do! As someone who has suffered greatly from the fear resulting from uncertainty I can vouch for the usefulness of the techniques noted in the book. Jonathan Fields has done a wonderful job of writing a non-fiction book that is very readable and extraordinarily useful. It’s also a book I’ll read again and again to keep that uncertainty monster from stopping my creative endeavors.

Product Details
(Courtesy of Amazon)

Title: Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance
Author: Jonathan Fields
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (September 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 159184424X
ISBN-13: 978-1591844242
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,258 in Books

Additional Books by Jonathan Fields

Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love

Get it at Amazon!

(Disclaimer: Author received a complimentary copy of Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance for review.)

We are not born with, or in a cage, the cage is more a sort of family heirloom, passed down by previous generations of children, parents and, crucially, educators. Some cages are bigger than others and some cages even grow, or at least stretch, as time goes by.

Sadly though, what is more common, is for the cage to shrink. Ultimately of course, the cage represents our creativity, or at least it measures our ability to think creatively. What too few people realise, is that creativity was never supposed to live in a cage.

When it is first put in there, it struggles and fights against the bars that have surrounded it and sometimes it might even slip through the bars and briefly escape, but it is quickly told ‘no’ and is scooped up and put back in the cage. Eventually, the creativity stops trying to escape and simply resorts to bouncing off the walls of the cage, constantly retreating back over ground that has been covered before. Finally, the creativity stops moving; the cage has won and begins to close in around it.

The 6 walls that hold your creativity captive are labeled above. Each plays a fundamental role in restricting and eventually restraining creativity. These ideas, much like the walls of the cage, rely on each other to reinforce the message that creativity is not wanted or valued.

FEAR of being ‘wrong’ or told NO leads to CONFORMITY, which leads to a TOLERENCE that believes in the status quo.

A constant message that FACTS & KNOWLEDGE (in its traditional form) are all that really matter leads to an INHIBITION when it comes to thinking creatively.

Believing only in FACTS & KNOWLEDGE  leads to a reliance on yes and NO answers, which ultimately leads to shallow thinking based on a TOLERANCE of CONFORMITY and CONFORMITY will only take you so far before you hit a dead end – or indeed the side of a cage.

The foundation of the cage; the one upon which all the other walls are built, is NO. NO is what all the other walls of the cage rely on.

NO is one of the most powerful words in our language. It is absolutely loaded with connotations relating to danger, restrictions, negativity and failure. In classroom and boardroom alike, NO can be the most brutal and destructive of words.

It takes courage to put forward an idea, whether in a group (verbally) or singularly (perhaps on paper or one on one) and to be told NO can have a lasting impact on the desire to go on creating ideas. It is crucial to successful creative thinking at any age or level, that the word NO is removed. The word NO is linked to the idea of the impossible and no great idea or invention was built upon ‘impossible.’

Anything is possible.

Young children believe this. But, slowly, we begin to tell them NO and the process of eroding their unfettered belief in the incredible potential of everything gathers pace. Reality dictates of course that sometimes NO, really is necessary. But stop to consider how often you use the word NO in a dismissive or even belittling way; as a way of yielding power, or forcing others to conclude as you have already done. ‘Yes’ is a positive word. It is full of possibility and encouragement. It is one of the most motivating words in our language.

***********

In order to think ‘cagelessly’ we must tear down the walls of the cage and allow ourselves to think without prejudice or restriction. The process of writing this book was born out of hearing too many creative thinking experts explain that what they wanted to get people to do, was ‘think outside the box.’ To me, this is the wrong mentality. This makes the assumption that to think creatively, we should raise our heads above the parapet long enough to have a creative or ‘left-field’ idea and then return back to our previous ways of seeing the world.

Cageless thinking is a way of seeing and thinking as broadly as possible. Eventually the cageless thinker will have a complete 360° panoramic picture of his options, unconstrained by anything. It is however, a big step to move out of the cage and discard it completely. After all, the cage can become rather comfortable and familiar, and whilst these things may not inspire creativity, they feel safe (‘Safe’ often being synonymous with both FEAR and CONFORMITY). Nonetheless, there is a step that can be taken between being stuck in the box and the end goal, Cageless Thinking…

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About the Author:  Adam Webster

Adam Webster is a teacher of English at an independent school in Surrey, England. Over the past 6 years he has been developing a variety of creative thinking techniques to help his students become better, more innovative and creative learners.

This has lead to him designing the ‘Cageless Thinking’ concept, which is based around the idea of eight different animals which represent methods of either generating or developing ideas. The 9th animal, the Polar Bear is symbolic of the complete cageless thinker.

Beyond the classroom Adam is also on the English Advisory Panel for the Times Educational Supplement, which he also writes regular columns for.

Contact details:

Email: adam@cagelessthinking.com

Twitter: @cagelessthink

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cageless-Thinking/249106175151466?sk=wall

Website: Cageless Thinking

Or, perhaps the same item could be used in a different way. Which came first, the ballpoint pen or roll-on deodorant? Both use the same idea — a rolling ball that applies liquid to a surface.

Perhaps you can take a new approach that works. This was the case, for instance, with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda when it was discovered that putting an open box into the refrigerator would soak up odors.

Finally, you might use your creative powers to develop special mastery in areas that can contribute to workplace effectiveness. For example, you might try opening yourself to new ways of experiencing life, increasing flexibility and open-mindedness. There are lots of ways in which creativity can be fostered to produce really great outcomes. And all it takes is practice. We all have the abilities…what we need to develop are the skills, the methods, the focus.

OK, now it’s time to examine the process of creativity itself. There are five steps involved.

First, there’s PREPARATION. By this I mean that all knowledge contributes to creativity. No matter what you read or see or hear, it might become a part of a brilliant, new idea. Truly creative people are always hungry for new knowledge and information, even on seemingly unrelated subjects.

The second step is INCUBATION. When a situation or project needs a shot of creativity, the real job is to get to know every intimate detail of the subject at hand, then to put it all into the very back of your brain and let it “stew.” It’s sort of like making bread. You mix all the ingredients, then you put them into the pan and let the dough “rise.” The important thing here is that there’s no way to force the process. You’ve got to let go and let it happen.

The third stage of creativity is ENLIGHTENMENT. This could also be called INSIGHT. It’s the moment at which the unconscious and the subconscious minds, having finished working on the problem, present an “AHA!” A “EUREKA.” An “I’VE GOT IT!” We’ve all had this happen. Sometimes it comes in a dream; sometimes it’s as simple as suddenly remembering where we left our keys or glasses. But it’s a critical part of the process, and those who forego it are taking a sort of foolish risk — the risk that creativity won’t present itself.

Next, there’s an EVALUATION of what’s come up. It’s not always the right answer, even though it may be excitingly creative. At this stage, we match imagination to reality and make some decisions about practicality. There’s room for imagination and creativity here, though. The question, “Why not?” is vital at this time and at this stage. Consider this to be the moment at which the real risking in life begins.

And finally, the risk goes on as you begin the IMPLEMENTATION of the ideas your creativity produced. And the cycle can begin again right here with new information, new incubation, new insights, new evaluations and further implemented outcomes.

Now let’s look at the ten keys to creativity.

The first step is to stimulate yourself to get the process started. One way to do this is to look back at all the creative things you’ve done. Every one of us has had really good creative ideas that have produced wonderful outcomes, and remembering those things often puts the wheels in motion. Then?

1. Write a list of creative achievements – and add to it as new memories surface. This can be a valuable tool that can be used time after time when creativity is what you’re focussing on. I have such a list, and it grows, usually, by about one item a month.

2. “Can the Can’t!” This is just a short and sweet way to say, “Get out of any negative place you’re in.” If you believe you can’t do something, you probably can’t. And it’s not that you don’t have the intelligence, the drive, the resources, or even the track record. It’s that you BELIEVE you can’t. Your mind is a neutral place. It listens to what you tell it and acts on that information without regard to whether or not it’s good for you. So keep yourself aimed in a positive direction.

3. Be willing to bend. I always feel a little subversive when I talk about this key. Why? Because you need to read a couple of extra words into this phrase?the words are: “the rules.” You see, I’m not talking about bending to someone else’s will or adopting someone else’s ideas. I’m talking about bending your rules! This means, pay attention to whether your mind is locked in to a pattern of behaving a certain way because you’ve been told that this is the way it’s done. You see, I was always told that the rules are the rules because they work. What they didn’t tell me was that sooner or later, things change. What used to work just fine may not work any more. As soon as that becomes clear, creativity has an opening. What’s more, the old saying “If it works, don’t fix it” can be a real cop-out. Maybe — just maybe — it could work a little better if it were creatively changed. Now, I don’t believe the other extreme — “If it works, break it” ? I don’t accept that as an option. But I do think that almost any rule can be re-written to work better so as to fit a changing, dynamic environment, and that’s a real creative challenge. So question the rules. See if a different approach, a different method, or a different attitude might yield a different – and better – outcome.

4. De-stress. Creativity and stress just don’t fit together. You can’t expect your mind to work well when your body is stressed, because they’re both part of the same system — the system called YOU. So take care of stress. Spend time relaxing, meditating, even daydreaming. This simple process can often be a direct route to creative insight. And, since stress is often a consequence of fear, there’s a natural “fear” consequence when approaching creativity because the creative process usually takes you outside of your comfort zone. You need to be willing to?

5. Take chances. Move outside of that comfort zone – perhaps in small steps – and be willing to fail or to make a mistake; that is, to have no outcome at all, or an unsatisfactory outcome. That’s all part of the creative process. And here I’d like to add that most successful people failed many times on the way to their success. The minute you become willing to fail, you become capable of real success.

6. See mistakes as lessons, not failures. This is particularly interesting, because it’s a creative act in itself to break out of the notion that a mistake isn’t a failure. I think that our system of schooling builds this into us from a young age. Getting it “RIGHT” is very important…our grades depend on it. So, getting it “WRONG” is the same as “BEING BAD.” Get off it. Look at mistakes as object lessons about what doesn’t work. Forget about right and wrong.

7. Ask the right questions. We all seem to have a pat set of questions about life. “Why?” seems to be a leader. But you know, it may not make any difference “why” something is, or happens. The right question might be, “What REALLY happened?” And the WAY we ask questions – the languaging – is important. In other words, it’s also important to ask questions in the right way. In fact, when you’re tempted to ask “why,” here’s a possibly valuable substitute question. “What is it about ______ that ________. For instance, instead of asking, “Why did you move to Los Angeles?,” ask, “What is it about Los Angeles that made you choose to move there?” When you ask someone “Why?,” that person sometimes may feel challenged, or negative. “Why did you move to Los Angeles?” might be perceived as questioning the wisdom of the decision. But if you ask, “What is it about Los Angeles that made you choose to move there?” there’s no threat…no negativity. And when you ask this kind of question of yourself – “What is it about this idea that appeals to me?” – you’ll find yourself opening up channels that wouldn’t be available to you by wrestling with a “why” approach.

8. Ask your opposite. What I mean by this is, try a “contrarian approach” to whatever it is you’re working on. If it’s a business problem, seek out a vendor, a competitor or a customer to interview. You’ll get specific perspectives and information you’d never come up with yourself. It’s a way of playing devil’s advocate that is much more reliable and comprehensive than trying to do it yourself.

9. Study something new each year. The most creative people I know are folks who seem to have an unquenchable need for new knowledge. And they also seem to study a lot of different things. What they tell me is that by learning about unfamiliar subjects they learn new ways of thinking and relating and associating. This gives them broader platforms for decision making. And here’s the final key

10. Identify the real problem. Many people ask me, “Why wasn’t this the first key?” Are you thinking this, too? Well, observe what the key says…what’s the REAL problem. After you’ve mulled over whatever is challenging you, be prepared to re-evaluate the first premise of what you’re working on. Only after you’ve done all the creative work can you begin to see clearly where you’re headed, and that’s the time to ask yourself whether you’re actually working on the right problem. One of the world’s major creative failures, I think, is that too many people fail to take that last, long look, to question the work already done, and to be willing to start over or keep on going, but this time in a new direction. Well, there it is, a short course in creativity – five steps, ten keys. It didn’t take long to outline, but it may take you a long time to master it. So please?start now.

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Copyright 2002, 2005 Optimum Performance Associates/Paul McNeese

About the Author: Paul McNeese

Paul McNeese is CEO of Optimum Performance Associates, a consulting firm specializing in transitional and transformational change for individuals and institutions through publication. His publishing company, OPA Publishing, is an advocacy for self-publishing authors of informational, instructional, inspirational and insightful nonfiction. Email: pmcneese@opapublishing.com Websites: http://www.opapublishing.com and http://www.opapresents.com