Creativity in Management

Now Closed...

2006-11-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

This blog has been closed.
Left here for archive purposes only.

Thanks for visiting.
http://www.onebitpixel.com

Permission to Suck

2006-04-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

A new BLOG, by Bruce DeBoer, devoted to creativity that can be found at http://www.PermissionToSuck.com. Please check it out. On it you will also find links to articles on creativity and a photo blog.

Restructuring

2006-01-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

Moving things around...
Cheers.

Creative Stretching

2006-01-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

What is Creative Stretching? In it's simplest form, Creative Stretching is an upcoming creative resource book to be published by HOW Design Books in early 2006. But it's quite more than just a book, it's really an alternative form of creative preparation. As creatives, we are all asked to expunge the greatest and most creative of ideas at the drop of a hat, whether we are ready to do so or not. Creative Stretching is a way to prepare yourself, everyday, for the challenges of thinking creatively.

Submit your ideas here:
http://creativestretching.com/

Engineering/Architectural Christmas Tree Specs

2005-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

Make sure you have all your safety specs in order and be aware of Universal Design when setting up your Christmas tree this holiday. PDF Download here.

Sweet.

2005-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

HondaSweetMission

http://sweet.tfm.co.jp/sweet.html

Yugo Nakamura’s latest web designs for Tokyo FM. It's like NPR's StoryCorps' booth on acid. It's completely in Japanese, however some of the comments are in English. I like the audio timer displayed and layered in the background of the comments. The interactive site collects voice diaries (in Japanese) from around the globe in an interface that combines social podcasting, blogging, and commenting /trackbacks in a uniquely integrated package.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done...

2005-12-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

Production Killer or Serious Research.

2005-12-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

This website/blog is slammed full of different ways people and companies view information and data utilizing various forms of interactive technology. Based out of Sydney Australia and run by Andrew Vande Moere at the Center of Design Computing & Cogniition - along with a pseudo staff of fellow bloggers and content researchers this is one to flag.

http://www.infosthetics.com/

2006 ideaFestival

2005-12-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

2006 ideaFestival scheduled for October 12-14, 2006
in Louisvile, Kentucky

The ideaFestival is an ambitious enterprise that brings together people with diverse backgrounds, knowledge and perspectives to explore innovations and cutting-edge ideas emerging from and at the intersections of many different fields. The Festival occupies a unique space by providing a stage to discuss cross-cutting ideas and the strategic tools needed to integrate and apply this knowledge toward developing new solutions, products and creative endeavors. Speakers confirmed to-date include: Burt Rutan, KC Cole, Richard Kogan, Valerie Boyd and Viktor Sukhodrev.

Presenting Sponsors to-date include

Department of Commercialization and Innovation, Economic Development Cabinet
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation
University of Kentucky
University of Louisvillle
Lead Sponsors to-date include

BellSouth
Greater Louisville, Inc.

http://ideafestival.typepad.com/

Emerging Artist: KEISHA ROBERTS + fiber art

2005-11-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

I think her "Blood on the fields" is a great concept and will no doubt be a hit... the simple lines, minimalist (which i can never seem to do), mataphor of what lies beneath the pristine...

I have always been fond of masks (my call handle is Tikimon) and how you can always put on a face or swap your 'face' depending on what task you need to do... Then, I was playing around with her idea of front and back... like the old Greek (or Roman?) Janus facemask (happy/sad or maybe its mad, as in insane). Worked on some mini applets that could demonstrate this...

so, Keisha (Ms.Roberts, ?) has a challenge demonstrating that the piece is two-sided... and how do you display this? floating in a gallery space or smashed between two planes of glass. on her website she gives some JPG examples but it really looses the context...

anyways, I threw this together to try something out:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~wlcherry/keishaRoberts.html

as you can see it flips and rotates hopefully conveying the idea better... however, the strings don't quite follow gravity... I'm working on that next:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~wlcherry/string.html

you'll need Flash MX or Flash 8 plugin to view these examples.
You can get that here:

http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW

anyways, any thoughts would be helpful in how to make this piece a little better...

Here website can be found here:
http://www.keisharoberts.com/

Project Platypus

2005-11-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Reinventing Product Development at Mattel:
http://gain.aiga.org/content.cfm?alias=ivyross

It’s called Project Platypus... 12 employees with various skill sets and backgrounds and from all levels of experience. They are given the task of conceiving and developing a completely new brand. Quarantined in a separate building—2000 square feet—that looks like a playground. The desks are on wheels. There are lots of toys and materials. Sounds like fun.

http://gain.aiga.org/content.cfm?alias=ivyross

Sand Art - Sisyphus III

2005-11-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

Some art never lasts the test of time... now, if you could capture the art digitally, store it and then replay it later. Works ok for movies, audio and a few photos but what about physical art. Sand art isn't meant to be permanent, however, with a specialized motor control system you could easily repeat a work of art. Now if you could only do this with paint, paint strokes and a canvas....

Sisyphus III
http://www.taomc.com/art_machines/sisiii.htm

How do you live for now

2005-11-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

what could you really do... if you only had one day to do it. Just one day...
maybe focus on the essentials or focus on the nonessentials.
really go out in a bang. just hang out a bit and soak up the scenery.
check out this 'viral marketing' campaign by vodafone that allows people from around the globe to put their own thoughts/ideas ou there...

Each user’s mayfly will live on the site for 24 hours. it's based on the mayfly. which just live for one day.

http://www.vodafonemayfly.co.uk/

When Mistakes Are Great!

2005-10-31T06:58:00.000-08:00

I posted on the Class Forum about mistakes and accidents leading to creative inspiration or ideas... turns out FastCompany has followed up with a nice article on OXO. Read "OXO's Favorite Mistakes" here.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/99/oxo.html

The 10 Faces of Innovation

2005-10-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Are you a hurdler or a caregiver? "Innovation is all about people. It is about the roles people can play, the hats they can put on, the personas they can adopt." The appeal of the personas is that they work. Not in theory or in the classroom but in the unforgiving marketplace. Ideo has battle-tested them thousands of times in a real-world laboratory for innovation. The personas are about "being innovation" rather than merely "doing innovation." Take on one or more of these roles, and you'll be taking a conscious step toward becoming more of an innovator in your daily life.

This is prime for a Q&A interactive to help hit your most notable roles... who says duel personalities aren't beneficial to team play! This could easily be created into a distinct set of shuffle cards. Pick a new role each day and approach challenges from that POV.

[VIA www.eybeam.org/reblog/]
Link to 10 Faces of Innovation.

Living with the dead...

2005-10-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

“This thread thrown between your humanity and mine…” – Toni Morrison

I found it perplexing that the wonderful works of sculpture, interpretive dance and contemporary music displayed by Jen Berline, Robin Harris and Mark Scearce utilized death as the inspiration for creativity. It seems almost antithetical to take the death of a loved one as finite and complete as it might be and bring out such moving and vivid forms of expressions – of which span three different art forms. More often death is portrayed in art and music as something to be feared or approached with dread; however, these three artists managed to create endearing images and instill activity and life in the art they ultimately reshaped from grief, guilt, sorrow and sadness.

Jen Berline turned her grief into an open process of transformation and renewal that was shared with her friends and family as well as the public audience. It is ironic that her final statue, completed during the fall season, seems to articulate the most vigor and sense of life when the time of year for the Fall Season is more the time of closing and slumber. She stated that “engaged in this activity, everything fell away…” that she connected in a hypnotic sort of way with her memories and her work. I found it very courageous that she not only extends her art for open criticism from the public (like any traditional artist) but openly/willingly shares what still seems like an extremely private and painful moment in her life.

Robin Harris, in a similar context, shared her childhood memories and her private thoughts this past week. Retelling stories about her ailing father as well as his journal entries from his childhood by integrating them through interpretative dance and visual storytelling. Although some of the steps and movements touched on the humorous one could still see how the allusions could draw you to a place in your life where you were surrounded by sadness, yet still understand it without letting it consume you.

Finally, using an entire orchestra, Mark Scearce painted a musical landscape of life and death based on the poem "The Dead of September 11" by Toni Morrison. The music “XL” reminded me of some of the works from John Williams, Holst: The Planets and “Danse Macabre”. It felt like “new age” crystals but evoked images of tapestry, thunder, strife and twists. It tasted like post apocalypse, Soylent Green, the saltiness from a bloody lip - Fight Club. I could see it used as a soundtrack to a film based on works from Hitchcock, Tolkien or Shakespeare. There were moments of twists, turns, agony, punched attacks, epic crescendos with layers of repeated silence between the notes. This music, like the other artistic forms of expressions mentioned earlier drew out a lot of movement and life which was created from the depths and finality of death.

Accidents.

2005-10-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

Had to sit through a new employee orientation video on workplace safety... very hilarious stuff. You could tell it was created during the era of "Tootsie" and when you could still light up a cigarette in your office. I imagine they didn't bother remaking it because it must have cost them a fortune to pay for all the stunt actors used in the case example. Then again it was pretty popular. This thing made The Three Stooges look like a precision Nascar pit crew...

The video demonstrated some of the more common workplace accidents - from standing on a swivel chair so you can change a light bulb to accidentally stabbing your hand with pencils because they were put in he container upside down. It also showed how filing cabinets are the worst things in the world for office traffic. In addition, it talked about the accidents that occur from things that you wouldn't expect or that were not blatently visible - torn carpet that might be a tripping hazard, office hallways with blindspots.

So, after all the chuckles died down and the real boring bits of the training kicked in I began to wonder about accidents that lead to good things... Trivial things that are done in the moment of experiment that are complete accidents but turn out to influence an idea, dictate its outcome and/or provide the best end user experience. How do artists use intentional accidents (often a series of accidents) to find ideas in the accidents that are impossible to develop by force of will? I guess the best aproach would be to have fun, get joy from what you do, experiment and let accidents inspire creativity... although this approach is the most difficult for the majority of straight-laced, business executives that seem to want to micromanage any process.

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
--Scott Raymond Adams (it's the that dude that made Dilbert)

Dealing With Death...

2005-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

A common theme among the last few exhibits and lecturers was death as inspiration for creativity. I don't know if it was intended or not but here's something I found that was an interesting followup in preparing for my paper.

http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/emotions/death/article6.html

I also remember an exercise that entailed writing your own obituary... as morbid as it sounds it does help you clarify some things you want to get out. I imagine this is personal reflection and individual death as inspiration not neccessarily utlizing death of others (loved one or not) as inspiration or creative engine to move through the grieving process.

43 Things

2005-09-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to see that some of the readings in this class are overlapping the readings for Change Management that was taken during Summer Session II. One thing that was stressed in that class and is brought up in the current readings is the idea of a focused leader having a set of ideas, goals or thoughts in order... This being the most critical factor in obtaining success in one way or another - family, life, business. Without going into a great deal of debate and rhetoric over Neuro Linguistic Programming or Kyudo's one-mind-one-thought ideology both class readings have commented on a disciplined approach to modifying thought, behaviour, habit to work towards clearing one's mind and getting to a desired outcome. The creative exercise 10 Ideas in 10 Minutes is a helpful start and I imagine mindmapping and fishbone diagrams might help narrow some ideas down however these approaches go at it solely from an individual's point of view... I found a website looks to be a great way to get started without going it alone. You can match yourself with a "community" of individuals that have a particular set of goals in mind - 43Things.com

You spin me right round baby...

2005-09-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

Finished reading the part in the Creativity in Business book about drawing Mandalas... I'm used to digging out a maze puzzle or drawing endless spirals while thinking up something new but never really thought about just doing circles. Although I do remember this exercise in art class, way back when, where we had to do free draw circles - grade being dependant on the perfection of the circle. Similar in nature but with a different focus. The circle is definately a powerful image / icon that seems to cross cultures and generations - cropping up in history (no pun intended).

Crop circles, circle of life, small circle of friends, circles of influence/persuasion, salt of circle to keep out the witches, circle of doom, circle of protection - centered within, encircled, circle the wagons - unlucky if you are Custer... Ring around the rosy... ring of power - alas poor Frodo. Unbroken circle, trusted circle, halo, infinite twisted circle ala Escher's mobius strip...

Mandala in Sanskrit means both circle and center... I'll have to hook up the scanner (it's SCSI not USB so it's a pain) and post up the image - unless the digital camera will pick them up ok. I noticed that I'm drawn to to the Sharpie heavy black ink and deep red... other colors work well but, again, mostly toward the darker hues (forest green, midnight blue). This was actually a great exercise to do with the rugrats at the kitchen table. I wonder what the author would say about drawing outside the circle - no mention... I was never one to color within the lines anyways... It is interesting to note that at one point or another, you can tell just when the circle or thought is just right and you move onto the next circle.

Mood Music

2005-09-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Creative "challenge" posed by Venky last class was Listening to My Favorite Music - L O U D! Simple enough... considering I've been doing this during the ride home from evening classes in the MBA program from the start. It's great to unwind during the trip home... reflecting on some of the discussions during class that night or figuring out what I needed to do the next day for work.

If I'm not on my iPod I mainly listen to WKNC 88.1 FM which is a student run, non-commercial, educational radio station located on the campus of North Carolina State University that broadcasts at 25,000 watts. N.C. State has had different forms of radio stations off and on since 1922, but WKNC has been around since 1966... they don't usually play the mainstream stuff that gets piped through the standard radio channels.

Listen Now: http://wknc.org/listen.php

I figured I would tie in what I was listening to with the Exploris project and dug these albums out from the iTunes library... Seeing how I listen to pretty much anything these reflect, in no particular order, the ways and means of getting into the thought about a global museum. How music might sound from a different culture. As well as hearing the effects different types of instruments add to the whole environment and imagery.

Deep Forest, Boheme
(Just plain spooky, nice rhythms and visual effects... different subject matter but similar to the Enigma series with multiple layers and strange background noises and languages)

Mickey Hart - Planet Drum
(Crank up the volume)

Fifth Element Soundtrack
(Diva sequence plays well really loud)

Green Day
(Great album, 'growing' up...)

Beck
(A little something different, retro mixes are nice, newer stuff has an interesting rhythm)

White Stripes
(When you're done with this duo try Helena)

Wagner - aka Apocalypse Now
(Must have in any collection... by far the best orchestral music made in during my lifetime have been made specifically for movies - although this one borrows generously from the classics)

Amadeus
(Last few tracks are pretty haunting)

Blue Man Group
(Speaking of odd cultures)

Dreamtime Return - Steve Roach
(Picked this up for a flight back home from a business trip in Boston... great environmental effects... calm and quiet, however, listening to it loudly produced some nice full ambient sounds)

My Creative Workspace

2005-09-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

Interesting to see a big difference in the workspace (aka cubicle) that I work in at work vs. the workspace that I work/play in at home... a pseudo studio as much as one can be in a 13x13 second bedroom. Functionally it's utilitarian space... space utilized for the sole purpose of storing crap - paperwork, files, in progress, magazines, etc. It has a lot more freedom in the corner space. Various speakers, headphones and PDAs; because, like a good pair of shoes, I can never seem to find the right "fit"... There is just enough space enough to do work on the computers, do paperwork, draw and take things apart.

Click here to view My Creative Space...

Computers with large, you can never have enough, monitors - Flat panel NEC and an old Trinitron from undergrad - friggin' workhorse that thing is. The first "real" mac, I still own (PowerPC 7100/AV), sits as a monitor stand - the 'very first' was a IIGS I harassed my parents into getting which got lost in shipping on the way to Germany back in the day... then it was more about getting the spare parts needed to put my own PC machines together.

Multiple VCRs and PVRs to capture video feed of stuff that I will probably never get to edit but will more then likely watch and file away... distractions to some but again, it's background noise. "Distractions" and clutter are scattered around most used as inspirational outlets. Piles of paperwork, collections bound for ebay, electronic projects half completed, half started - depending on how you look at it. There are examples of good design and bad design... items of curiosity, planned obselescence (sp?). There is just enough space with creature comforts... hidden spaces for hidden things, lost things, broken things, parts to things that may or may not be in a box somewhere... neat things, cool things, wow, why didn't I think of that things...

John McIlwee, Director of University Theatre

2005-09-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

When asked why he was so creative, John McIlwee commented that he hadn't given it much thought. He never really questioned the origins of inspirational creativity for himself. Although he feels that one is creative by birth, that it is intrinsic in nature to be instinctively creative, he reflected that he wasn't sure where it came from because his "parents had talents… just not much". This response really reminded me about the old argument of “nature vs. nurture”. Attributing his initial foray into the arts to a close mentor, John asserts the principle that Creativity is not a choice but more often is a lifestyle; he elaborated that his talent and creativity were refined through the development of an environment that supported and "nurtured the creative spirit". I found that this “push and pull” with the inner nature of the individual and the external influence from the environment could be balanced by utilizing some basic personality profiles and tests. By understanding how you learn and internally process the world as well as how you react and how others perceive, you can gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to interpreting something new or approaching others when explaining something.

I find it fascinating that somehow with only a great interest in art, where no art or artistic channels were available, he managed to surround his life and work with creative outlets that kept his attention, challenged his skills and refined his personal outlook. I can relate to the regiment of learning the vocabulary and the technical proficiency of the craft as it becomes critical to the development of a mature creative path. I believe that it is through this maturity and understanding where one can be able to effectively communicate one's ideas and vision as clear as possible to those around you. Taking what is common to the field of endeavor yet building upon those foundations to be able to translate a set of requirement or to better describe your ideas using language from both fields of practice.

In line with Patrick Fitzgerald's philosophy, John emphasized that creativity isn't derived through analysis alone but is developed through routine and practice. The development of many iterations of design, without stopping to question each individual idea, is required to fully explore the nuances of a particular task or project. Although this task at first seems daunting I find it is helpful to first change something minor – color, shape, size, texture and then incrementally build up over time then by starting over with something completely different. Once you get into the routine of modifying a single design and cranking out ideas over and over you get into a focused frenzy, boxing out portions of the design, scribbling over ideas that were created or combining two separate ideas - where alone they would look simple but once merged together they look refined. Only through this practice can one explore both the mundane and the elaborate while displaying the myriad of choices available without settling for the norm. Once “complete” you have at your disposal a good assortment to choose from as well as an archive of the design process for which someone else can utilize or see where the idea evolved or was deconstructed down to its simplest form.

An idealist and perfectionist, John McIlwee stresses that he is dissatisfied with compromise. Understanding that no matter what the outcome is, it is the he alone that will get some form of blame, criticism or ridicule for the project as a whole. Therefore it is of importance, as the creative artist, to please oneself first while following through with strength and character – being both honest and true to the craft; telling the story from the heart and blocking anything else out in order to focus or lock into the vision. He recommends that you not be hindered by the rules of others so that you may envision, enact, and espouse in order to get your vision out.

Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten...

2005-09-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Brad Kayal has a great write up from this "How To Be Creative" List by Tom McMahon.

"Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten... Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, "I¹d like my crayons back, please." So you've got the itch to do something. Write a screenplay, start a painting, write a book, turn your recipe for fudge brownies into a proper business, whatever. You don't know where the itch came from, it's almost like it just arrived on your doorstep, uninvited. Until now you were quite happy holding down a real job, being a regular person...

Until now.

You don't know if you're any good or not, but you'd think you could be. And the idea terrifies you. The problem is, even if you are good, you know nothing about this kind of business. You don't know any publishers or agents or all these fancy-shmancy kind of folk. You have a friend who's got a cousin in California who's into this kind of stuff, but you haven't talked to your friend for over two years...

Besides, if you write a book, what if you can't find a publisher? If you write a screenplay, what if you can't find a producer? And what if the producer turns out to be a crook? You've always worked hard your whole life, you'll be damned if you'll put all that effort into something if there ain't no pot of gold at the end of this dumb-ass rainbow...

Heh. That's not your wee voice asking for the crayons back. That's your outer voice, your adult voice, your boring & tedious voice trying to find a way to get the wee crayon voice to shut the hell up. Your wee voice doesn't want you to sell something. Your wee voice wants you to make something. There's a big difference. Your wee voice doesn't give a damn about publishers or Hollywood producers.

Go ahead and make something. Make something really special. Make something amazing that will really blow the mind of anybody who sees it. If you try to make something just to fit your uninformed view of some hypothetical market, you will fail. If you make something special and powerful and honest and true, you will succeed.

The wee voice didn't show up because it decided you need more money or you need to hang out with movie stars. Your wee voice came back because your soul somehow depends on it. There's something you haven't said, something you haven't done, some light that needs to be switched on, and it needs to be taken care of. Now. So you have to listen to the wee voice or it will die... taking a big chunk of you along with it.

They're only crayons. You didn't fear them in kindergarten, why fear them now?" - Brad Kayal

“DOWNTOWN APPETITE FOR ART”

2005-09-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

As part of the 100th birthday celebration of the Glenwood-Brooklyn area as Raleigh’s first planned neighborhood, the Historic Glenwood-Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (HGBNA) will be hosting “Downtown Appetite for Art” on Friday, Oct. 14 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Exploris Museum. The event – cosponsored by Mix 101.5 (WRAL-FM) , Sullivan’s Steakhouse and DowntownRaleigh.com -- will be a charity fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs.

• An art auction of valuable works, including contemporary and traditional paintings, sculptures, lighted art designs, pottery, and mixed media art;
• A silent auction of additional items donated by artists, including wine and food gift baskets, sports memorabilia, gift certificates, sports memorabilia, professional services and jewelry;
• A wine tasting provided by local businesses, with food courtesy of Sullivan’s Steakhouse and other eating establishments; and,
• Musical entertainment by The Connells. There also will be live jazz music.
• Tickets to “Downtown Appetite for Art” cost $35 if purchased by Oct. 3. They can be obtained by visiting HGBNA’s website at www.glenwoodbrooklyn.com. After Oct. 3, tickets are $40 and may be purchased on the website and will be available at the door on the day of the event. A ticket purchase and all other purchases at the event will be considered as tax-deductible contributions to the Boys and Girls Clubs under North Carolina law, according to event organizers. Also, each buyer of a “Downtown Appetite for Art” ticket will receive a free ticket to the Glenwood-Brooklyn Tour of Historic Homes on Dec. 3.

For more information about “Downtown Appetite for Art,” contact Rhett Fussell of the Historic Glenwood-Brooklyn Neighborhood Association at 412-5476 or email appetiteforart@nc.rr.com.

How To Be Creative List

2005-09-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hugh MacLeod is a marketer turned illustrator turned tailor with his trademark business card doodles jumps into the discussion of not-so-everyday life and bussiness in general. He has a long version of "How To Be Creative" peppered with his illustrations.

(The short, short list)
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

Read more here @ The Gaping Void.

"The Consumer Culture Garden"

2005-09-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

EAT (Pat FitzGerald, Ted FitzGerald, David Millsaps, Dana Raymond and Amanda Robertson) will be presenting their interactive exhibit "The Consumer Culture Garden" at the CrossCurrents Exhibition in the North Carolina Museum of Art

Opening is on SAT 24th at 7pm. Tickets are $30 dollars in advance and $35 at the door. The next day is free!

American Cities That Best Fit You

2005-09-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Finding your place and settling in... depending on what you like in your surroundings maybe having just another test to find out where you really should hang out for a while is the best way to go:

Cities that fit me the best...
55% San Diego
50% Atlanta
50% Chicago
50% New York City
50% Seattle

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Creative Whack Pack

2005-09-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

I looked through the set of Innovative Whack Pack during the first few sessions of the class and it felt very similar to the Creative Whack Pack... I got my first whack pack as an undergrad design student at NCSU. I don't think they repurposed it and just briefly flipping through the cards they've approached it from a different direction so it's nice to see them branch out with this concept. You can access an online version of the WhackPack here which randomly pulls a card from their database: http://www.creativethink.com/?470

This idea of using cards to guide or reshape your thinking isn't anything new per se... it goes as far back as reading tarot cards. Although the old adage is that you should never really "play" the Tarot cards alone using them as a way to think differently about a problem couldnt' really hurt. I have a few different styles (Classic Rider Waite, Sandman, etc) and each gives an interesting spin to the flavor/history of the Tarot as well as allowing for you to get different images to work with. If you do happen to object to using paranormal means to get through a creative block there are plenty of series of different cards, writings and books that could be used in place of the Tarot Deck or WhackPack... The collectible trading card games like Magic:The Gathering and Heresy: Kingdom Come(great technology as religion card game, out of print) have gorgeous images as well as interesting quotes and symbols that can be used to generate a different mood or thought. Out of print and basic, introduction decks can be purchased fairly cheaply at stores, eBay or flea markets...

I managed to get a hold of a fantastic book, at Reader's Corner - $4.00 (used), called "Suggestion" (Chronicle Books, $12.95), created by some New York artists - Illegal Art... they basically got people to submit a suggestion on a card and drop it into a box. The artists say they collected about 2,500 suggestions. They came up with the idea for the suggestion box while brainstorming ways to get people to connect with one another. They carried the box through all five boroughs, speaking with children, the elderly, the rich and the homeless. The artists combined them into this book and they range from radical to whimsical but all approach life, problems and solutions from very personal and innovative ways...

Make a suggestion here.

The Official Rules

2005-09-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

I had originally thought about using mindmapping as the creative technique to mention in class but this one seems more like fun...

This is not my original idea... It's an interesting creative exercise that seems to have been derived from ideation and brainstorming but it has some refined rules to help out folks that need some guidelines and structure. It would be curious to combine this with an affinity exercise in a group setting and see how many like ideas their are or if the group develops completely radical ideas for answering a question or solving a problem.

10 Ideas in 10 Minutes™
Here is a simple process called 10 Ideas in 10 Minutes™, or 10 in 10™ for short. It is a simple creative approach to creativity problem solving. Try it right now!

Get out your stopwatch (it’s a selling feature on almost every new phone), or set the timer on the microwave, or look at the analog second hand on your watch, or dust off that old box of Boggle sitting in the basement and steal the hourglass egg timer, but figure out a way to mark the passage of time. Count if you have to, or mark the length of your shadow (only works outside during the day).

Prepare 1 question or creative problem you would like to solve or brainstorm on.

Write down 1 idea every minute.

Repeat as needed.

It’s that simple. Don’t lag. Don’t hesitate (or you’ll be lost don’t forget). Don’t self-edit. Partners or groups are okay with me if they’re okay with you. Go back and take your time exploding the ideas that resonate.

Caution: rules may change at any time.

It's borrowed (in its entirety) from Jason Theodor, he's an Associate Creative Director. His blog can be found here: http://jasontheodor.com/

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

2005-09-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

It appears that I'm a rational human being...

Rationals, are the problem solving temperament, particularly if the problem has to do with the many complex systems that make up the world around us. Rationals might tackle problems in organic systems such as plants and animals, or in mechanical systems such as railroads and computers, or in social systems such as families and companies and governments. But whatever systems fire their curiosity, Rationals will analyze them to understand how they work, so they can figure out how to make them work better.

In working with problems, Rationals try to find solutions that have application in the real world, but they are even more interested in the abstract concepts involved, the fundamental principles or natural laws that underlie the particular case. And they are completely pragmatic about their ways and means of achieving their ends. Rationals don't care about being politically correct. They are interested in the most efficient solutions possible, and will listen to anyone who has something useful to teach them, while disregarding any authority or customary procedure that wastes time and resources.

Rationals have an insatiable hunger to accomplish their goals and will work tirelessly on any project they have set their mind to. They are rigorously logical and fiercely independent in their thinking--are indeed skeptical of all ideas, even their own--and they believe they can overcome any obstacle with their will power. Often they are seen as cold and distant, but this is really the absorbed concentration they give to whatever problem they're working on. Whether designing a skyscraper or an experiment, developing a theory or a prototype technology, building an aircraft, a corporation, or a strategic alliance, Rationals value intelligence, in themselves and others, and they pride themselves on the ingenuity they bring to their problem solving.

Rationals are very scarce, comprising as little as 5 to 10 percent of the population. But because of their drive to unlock the secrets of nature, and to develop new technologies, they have done much to shape our world.

The Four types of Rationals are:
Architects (INTP) | Masterminds (INTJ) | Inventors (ENTP) | Field Marshals (ENTJ)

Branching

2005-09-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

one of the coolest things about the web is the ability to jump from topic to topic without any real goal in mind... hyperlinking, surfing, browsing... whatever term they are using now... but i'm not talking about the technical nature of the html and the href links... and i'm not saying "just google it" which will bring back far more links then you might ever need... i'm looking at it from the perspective of expanding or creating multitude of ideas from one starting point, word ideation using html and the web.

i see it as a sort of wandering from information or non-information to the next and picking up trivia or doing research without any intention of neccessarily using it. i don't recommend doing this while you're at work - it's one thing if you work for yourself but corporate tends to look down on this sort of "research"... this idea network branching of information gathering is a great way to look at different subjects that may or may not be related to what you originally were looking at. in the end you might find something that is actually worth your time (or your bosses time) clicking through the links... if you're lucky you'll click to something that someone else has followed your train of thought/thinking and clickthroughs and actually came up with something that is viable and useful.

there are companies working on the reverse engineering of this and applying it to profiling customers and the use of banner ads - similar to the other "real world" class project i'm working on in my other class... i.e. this customer looked at this page and clicked on this bannerad, follow the customer's breadcrumb trails of previous links and may, just maybe someone else that followed this "train of thought" weblinks will more then like click this ad so one can serve up the next ad that will more then likely be useful (i.e. make that person want to click on it to buy something)...

so, what's the point...
can we use this "evil marketing" ploy to reverse think the way people search out information to better serve up the next click through of content or needed website or website that they might actually be interested in... why, well someone followed that search pattern at one point in time or within a certain percentage of searches and they may (high probability?) want or think they want, will want to click on the next set of information/website being displayed... an AI sort of search engine that thinks ahead a number of searches for you and displays them.

Creativity During Crisis

2005-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

This man is blogging from downtown New Orleans, using power from a generator and jury-rigged communication channels... It amazes how quick creativity takes an exponential leap during a moment of crisis or life/death emergency. People used any means neccessary to get from one place to another - converting shopping carts into wagons and tubs into rafts... call it creativity, ingenuity or neccessity... When communication was at a standstill due to flooding why didn't someone drop ship several hundred cheap FM radios (and MREs) into the flood zones for stranded people to listen in on what was being said/done in the outside world... to notify people not to bother and hike their way to the stadium because they would be better off on their own... to let them know that people were actually concerned and that they weren't forgotten. I understand time, money, politics and logistics are all an issue but it still amazes me that we can fedex items overnight and get Japanese camera crew into the center of the flood zone but we couldn't somehow manage some local or federal coordination of resources - what if it had been a terrorist attack on the levy system!? It seemed an awful shame that civic groups have been much more creative in their efforts to get organized, take the lead and do something. It looks like following the straight and narrow standard operating procedures (if any) put in place by a bureaucratic system doesn't necessarily work in real-time or under intense pressure and public scrutiny.

Strawberry pickin'

2005-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Stawberry pickin'
Originally uploaded by tikimon.

Blogger is tied nicely with Flickr... Flickr has been a great tool to break out and find different point of views... it's very interesting to see how others see things around them - everyday things, from a digital camera or camera phone. The tags and the cluster search options are an innovative and quick way to narrow down a search for an image that your looking for if you need a nudge to develop an idea or get inspired...

Found Objects…

2005-08-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

What to else can you do with a toothpick?
15 minutes:

Build models
Make puzzles using toothpicks
Great for railroad tracks and bridges
Stack in a bundle and use to fill holes or dowel filler in wood projects and stripped screws
Prop open eyes during exam, see movie "the fog"
Game of pickup sticks
Use them to prop insects/moths in a shadowbox
Use them as currency at your next poker game
Use them as bones for mahjong
Burn them as incense - love the smell of pine
Make a backscratcher
Make a Zen rake for a sand garden
Decorate the plate to make fancy swirls out of chocolate/raspberry syrup
Use to build an Eiffel tower
Miniature flags for garden planting
Glued together on a large board to make a mosaic
Set up a nasty booby trap
Shoot through straw into the ceiling at work when you're bored
Pick your nose
Use in cooking pigs in a blanket
Hold a quesadilla together
Soak in flavored liquid (espresso) and chew to alleviate cravings
Great for playing with Legos as instruments/weapons
Kindling for starting a campfire
Give to hamster to chew on
Teach your kids how to count with them

Found this...

Robot Art, Weed:
http://www.artreenvisionstechnology.com/proposals/weed_AIB/weed.htm

and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothpick

Googled it…

Applying glue
Removing glue
Distressing the painted finish on furniture
Drapery rod
Supports to keep your dollhouse windows open
Carving decorations on clay
Poking holes in clay
Applying tiny dots of paint
½” scale table legs
Chair spindles and stretchers
make an old-fashioned plate rack
use the fancy toothpicks for pegs on shelves & on a coat rack
as handles for various miniature tools such as shovels or trowels
as the framework for a miniature kite
dripping paint or resin onto surfaces
cut ends off and weave together to make a ½” scale wooden fence
moisten the end of the toothpick and use to pick up small beads and findings
counting stitches in miniature needlework
columns on miniature wedding cakes
the flat kind as miniature chopsticks
glue sandpaper to one and use to sand rounded edges
use to make streaks of paint when marbleizing a finish
use the stub of a toothpick to make a fat candle
as “nails” to hold foamcore together
Armatures for clay dolls
Spindles in porch and stair railings
Cut off the ends and paint green to make pickles
Use a toothpick to curl small pieces of paper to make flower petals
Paint red to make the handles on a rolling pin
Diagonally sand the end of a toothpick until it is rounded and use to smooth ridges in clay figures
A toothpick with the end rounded can be a stylus for making flowers
The base of a parasol or umbrella
As a tool to make green beans

Mind-Mapping Tool

2005-08-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

CmapTools has been updated to v3.8. The release was accompanied by a story from the Associated Press that appeared in The Boston Globe. CmapTools is a freely available, open source mind-mapping tool developed at the Florida-based Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) with funding provided by NASA and the Department of Defense.

From the description of CmapTools at IHMC's website:
The CmapTools program empowers users to construct, navigate, share and criticize knowledge models represented as concept maps. It allows users to, among many other features, construct their Cmaps in their personal computer, share them on servers (CmapServers) anywhere on the Internet, link their Cmaps to other Cmaps on servers, automatically create web pages of their concept maps on servers, edit their maps synchronously (at the same time) with other users on the Internet, and search the web for information relevant to a concept map.

CmapTools website (via SchoolTech Leadership)

Cracking the books...

2005-08-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is a blog set up as a quick journal for an elective class in creativity in management... I'll update it once it a while and if possible post to it long after the class is over. I'm using the free blog service and not really putting much though into the layout and design right now due to time limitations.

This is a self-analysis/introduction about me. Mainly for the group/class but just to put some things out in writing to more understand where I’m coming from for the rest of this class.

I am currently in the product innovation management tract, MBA at NC State University, should graduate in December... Unless I decide to hang out another semester in the part-time program to take two other classes. My background is undergrad Industrial/Product Design also from NCSU focusing on design and development, mostly graphic/multimedia, interface/GUI and some universal (think senior/elderly - 'inclusive') design. I was in graphic and visual design industry; I now work the (pseudo) IT industry... I used to do a bit of freelance in graphic design and new media development - www.onebitpixel.com

My present job places me in Human Resources – which on most occasions is devoid of creativity… I’m a Webmaster/HRIS/Staff Development Specialist for NC DHHS while I finish up my MBA. Any extra time outside family, work and school I use to watch movies or play World of Warcraft. I used to be more active, cycling and climbing but climbing went away after I got married... Lately, I fill in as a dial-up consultant/producer/project manager for a friend of mine at Distill Advertising Group, in downtown Raleigh, until they get their PM/Producer back from maternity leave.

Last year my Myers Brigg type was INTJ but a few years before it was something else (INFP?)... I think due to a big shift from doing straight creative work and gradually moving into it. On Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence Test my learning style “test” showed that I scored high (9 or 10) on logical/mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, intrapersonal, naturalist and med-high (7 or 8) on linguistic, interpersonal and bodily-kinesthetic.

My first language is not English but I was so mainstreamed (Carter administration) that I’ve long since forgotten how to speak Mandarin – I do know when my mother is talking about me to her friends.... Took French in high school because Spanish was full and dabbled in Latin just to pick up on Roman/Greek history. I come from a military family. I've lived up north, grew up down south and traveled the world... I'm a fast talker, spit out a lot of ideas and ask questions to the point of annoying people... I am a visual thinker... I doodle, I like to line up french-fries before eating them, but I don't think I am obsessive compulsive. It doesn't bother me too much if I don't stick to a schedule but keeping to one is fine too, hence the project management background in software/multimedia development... I write in stream of thought consciousness and tend to use lowercase far more then I technically should.

Cheers.
Lee.

Booklist

2005-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

A short booklist for this class but interesting ideas presented in them...

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas
Integrating insights from the worlds of psychology, engineering, management, art, and philosophy, Adams identifies the key blocks (perceptual, emotional, cultural, environmental, intellectual, and expressive) that prevent us from realizing the full potential of our fertile minds. Employing unconventional exercises and other interactive elements, Adams shows individuals, teams, and organizations how to overcome these blocks, embrace alternative ways of thinking about complex problems, and celebrate the joy of creativity.

Creativity in Business
This book is the distillation of the course that Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. It is theoretical. It is practical. A collection of thoughts, insights, anecdotes, exercises and real life examples of applying creativity to business - the exercises are intriguing and the anecdotes are inspiring. This is a book that presents you with tools and some understanding of why they work, so that you can apply them in your life and in your business. Nice section on destroying the Voice of Judgment that shoots down creativity.