Given the fact that I have a full queue (thankfully!), you might have thought I wasn’t appreciative that Jeffrey Scott nominated me as a creative blogger a while ago. No, this was the first spot I could insert my response that would not upset the applecart (or is that the Leaning Tower of Pisa?) that describes my blog queue.
Continue reading Moi? Creative Blogger? Mais, Oui!
I was going to write a completely different blog. No, it probably would have covered a lot of the same material- but the tone would have been different. Very different.
We can (no, should!) enhance creativity in our kids and employees. Because our genetic composition only provides about 1/3 of our creative capabilities (eugenics). The rest of our creative juices are developed as a result of the environment in which we grow and live (euthenics).
Continue reading Creativity Enhancement
Maybe this is why we come up with our best ideas when we sleep? It seems that we are more creative when the lights are turned down low- very low.
Continue reading Really! Being kept in the dark may be useful!
Isn’t it amazing that we develop things based upon what we see? And, that’s the real reason why we need to offer our kids toys that augment their creative sparks- and not those video games that seem to be proliferating at the birthday table.
Continue reading A Centennial, Of Sorts
I am tired of hearing that Marissa Mayer made a mistake. For those of you who live under a rock, she’s the head of Yahoo that was hired to turn the company around. And, when she came off her maternity leave, she decreed that working from home is not in Yahoo’s best interest. Her ostensible reasons? Yahoo needs to move quickly, it needs to focus on collaboration and communication. And, in her mind, that means working remotely full-time doesn’t work. That also means that some of the Yahoo employees are going to have to move- or quit. 
Immediately, many folks (in and out of the company) began complaining, citing that there is data that folks are more productive when working from home. That folks need to balance life and work- and this move does not fit that model. Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, the creators of ROWE (Results Only Work Environment), took tremendous umbrage at Ms. Mayer’s approach. Their site posted this letter… Continue reading Telecommuting?
OK, so I’m still catching up on my reading. Between the novels and technical reading that I do (about 150 journals and four books a month, plus tables of contents of a hundred or two other journals), I try to read non-fiction. And, I don’t always get to the books when they first come out.
Continue reading Low-hanging Fruit?
I’ve been asked by some of you, by my kids, and by my students: What skills or talents does a good designer possess. I wish I had all the answers- but I have amassed a few findings over the years. I call these observations the four I’s- inquire, involve, interconnect, and intrust.
Continue reading Four Eyes? Or Four I’s?
Creativity is at least half due to an inherited trait. Given that fact, you want to hire creative folks, since that gives you better odds to having creative new ideas within your organization. But, being creative does not mean the creative one can convert those ideas into a useful product or service. So, is there really an advantage in hiring those creative types? After all, it’s not like you can call me up tomorrow and say “Can you have that creative new invention for me by 12 noon? I need it for my press conference.”
Continue reading Got a better idea?
I have written about my morning routine. I head off to my local coffee shop, St. Elmo’s, after my morning prayer rituals, where I read the papers and have discussions with my friends. And, on occasion, I whip out my computer (laptop, netbook, or tablet) to accomplish some of my other daily tasks. I occasionally return to St. Elmo’s in the evening, to review the days events, finish a task or two, and prepare for the next day of clients’ needs. At home, I have a TV on, usually the radio, and do some more work. And, during the day (when I am not in discourse with my clients), I have the radio on, as well as music streaming from my computer.
Continue reading Silence is golden? Not when it comes to creativity!