Beauty is a free spirit and will not be trapped within the grid of intentionality.

“Beauty is a free spirit and will not be trapped within the grid of intentionality.”

John O’Donohue, late Irish poet, author, priest, and philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Kelly Sikkema

Have you ever tried to be intentionally creative?

Putting your head down and trying to focus on new possibilities is like trying to create breakthrough ideas in a group brainstorming session — it rarely works!

Alternatively, when we relax and have access to a lighter touch and a freer spirit, beautiful things often emerge.

EXERCISE:

Where has the power of intention held you back and limited your creative efforts?

Where might an unfocused or less rigorous approach act as a catalyst for new and wonderful things to occur?

 

“Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.”

“Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.”

Judy Gold, American stand-up comedian, actress, author, and producer

Image from Unsplash by Clint Patterson

Over the past few weeks, we watched several movies on the big screen at our local theater.

We usually enjoy the previews but in this case, the 20 — 30 minutes of previews included mostly scary, fear-inducing films, which are definitely not my cup of tea.

My upbringing and experiences with Halloween were very different. It was a time of self-expression in which we made instead of bought our costumes.

These creative efforts with our parents, siblings, and friends — along with all the candy — made this holiday extra sweet.

EXERCISE:

How can you enhance and expand your creativity on Halloween and through the coming holiday season?

How could more creating and less consuming contribute to an even more satisfying life?

Friday Review: Creativity

Friday Review: Creativity

What place does creativity have in your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Creativity doesn’t wait for the perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”

 

 

 

“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

 

 

 

“Some people look for a beautiful place, while other people make a place beautiful.”

 

 

 

 

What passions are stirring in you? How can you

What passions are stirring in you? How can you use these ingredients to create the perfect dish to serve the world?

Image from Unsplash by NisonCo PR and SEO

I love to cook.

It is one of the passions that help me express my creativity and serve it up to those I love. I consider recipes as mere guidelines for consideration.

We recently bought 75 pounds of peaches as part of my wife Wendy’s annual canning efforts. She, along with myself and our daughter Rachel as helpers, spent the better part of two days turning these orbs of juiciness into precious gifts for friends and family. This year Wendy chose peach salsa as a new culinary adventure which included all sorts of peppers and spices we rarely use. With my cooking experience, I tweaked the recipe to keep the heat tolerable and tasty.

Unfortunately, I also experienced what is called pepper hands, which had me holding an ice pack for most of that evening!

EXERCISE:

What are your passions?

How frequently do you engage in these activities?

What are some new and creative ways you can and will serve them up to others in your various communities?

Creativity doesn’t wait for the perfect moment

“Creativity doesn’t wait for the perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”

Bruce Garrabrandt, Artist, Author, Speaker   

Image from Unsplash by Alice Dietrich

Where in your life do you experience the most creativity? Where are you and what are you doing during these special moments? I tend to experience many of these moments when I am cooking, coaching, and more recently, when playing with my grandchildren.

Adapting a recipe with new ingredients and spices, engaging in deep dialogue, and being open and playful during seemingly ordinary moments often generates both positive results and delight.  

Creative sparks are almost always the outcome of various elements coming together in new and different ways.

EXERCISE:

How can you combine seemingly ordinary moments and life ingredients into more creative ones? 

Consider welcoming other cooks into your kitchen to create something tasty today.

“It is difficult to be creative and enthusiastic about anything for which we do not feel affection.”

“It is difficult to be creative and enthusiastic about anything for which we do not feel affection.”

—David Whyte, Anglo-Irish poet

Image from Unsplash by Dragos Gontariu

What are the things in life you love the most? Where do you find yourself being the most creative and enthusiastic?

Complete the following sentence. “I am looking forward to….”  Repeat this sentence five or six times for both your personal and professional efforts.

What activities and people spark your energy and engagement? Where and with whom do you find yourself going through the motions, waiting to punch out so that you can get on with the good parts of life?

EXERCISE:

Filter your day’s activities through the lenses of the words: More, Less, Start, and Stop. How does your affection and desires to engage in some of these pursuits enhance your enthusiasm and creativity?

“The best ideas rarely arise in one isolated mind, but rather develop in networks of curious and creative thinkers.”

“The best ideas rarely arise in one isolated mind, but rather develop in networks of curious and creative thinkers.”

—Esther Perel, Belgian psychotherapist

Image from Unsplash by rupixen.com

Over the past month or so, I’ve noticed the numerous announcements of this year’s crop of Nobel Prize winners. When you examine these exceptional individuals for their big ideas and contributions it is apparent that their work stood on the shoulders of many other curious and creative thinkers, who preceded or currently partner with them.

It’s clear that being a “Lone Ranger” never consistently produces the best ideas, and even if it did, life would be pretty lonely.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently working alone and experiencing limited success and considerable frustration?  Who are some of the curious and creative thinkers in your communities that can help you come up with more prize-winning ideas?

“The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.”

“The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.”

—Eric Hoffer, 20th Century American moral and social philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Ben Whites

Try the exercise of counting to one hundred by tens. This is no big deal for us adults, but for a two or three-year-old it’s pretty neat stuff.

Here we go:

10 — TEN
20 — TWENTY
30 — THIRTY
40 — FORTY
50 — FIFTY
60 — SIXTY
70 — SEVENTY
80 — EIGHTY
90 — NINETY

What comes next for my grandson Weston is, of course, TEN-Y! 🤣

How creative and playful are you in your personal and professional pursuits?

What enjoyment would you experience, and what new ideas might result to improve your life if you played and danced with a few more ideas?

EXERCISE:

Consider looking into the philosophical thinking and meditations of the stoics. One of my favorite books easily digested by even beginners is The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday.

 

“Decide to DIY your education.”

“Decide to DIY your education.”

—Chip Conley, American hotelier, author, and speaker

Image from Unsplash by Jo Szczepanska

I recently learned about Chip Conley through Seth Godin. They first met when attending Stanford and were part of a think tank or mastermind group supporting their entrepreneurial spirits.

Without question, Stanford is one of the finest academic institutions in the world, yet Chip and Seth saw it as limiting in some way. They decided to attract other great and creative thinkers, and take responsibility for their own extracurricular education.

Follow these links to learn about Chip and Seth, and how their continuing education is turning out.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can and will you create a DIY education plan for yourself? Who will you choose as your professors or partners on your journey?

“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

—Marissa Mayer, co-founder of Lumi Labs

Image of Marissa Mayer from Twitter

How innovative and creative are you compared to those around you? How do you stack up against your colleagues, your competitors, and to the global pioneers that are transforming our world with new exponential technologies?

If your ego has gotten a bit bruised by pondering those questions, there is coaching for you in today’s quote.

EXERCISE:

Take a few minutes to examine one or two top priorities in your personal or professional worlds. What is your vision for each area, and what limitations or constraints exist?

Consider expanding your vision in these areas to the point where the constraints become greater, requiring you to be even more innovative.

Even if you shoot for the moon and miss, your innovative efforts will land you among the stars.