What Came Down Today — Start where you are.

Call of the Quiet

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!(photo by Saint1604) Today, all should be quiet. I am grappling with life and how quickly things you depend on change. I am weeping at the loss of a dear friend. I am in awe of the design of our [...]

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We Must Believe in Creativity

From a business management book I’ve been working on (and just finished; emphasis mine): People often underestimate their own creative ability. Research indicates, however, that there is one major difference between people who exhibit creative tendencies and people who don’t: personal belief in their own creativity. That is, those who engage in creative thinking tend [...]

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Are You Committed?

You know, not just hemming and hawing along that you “think” this is what you are supposed to be doing, but you’re pretty sure. Maybe. Okay, I’ll think about it. I’ll try, tomorrow. I think I can do that. I think I can start after . . . when . . . if . . [...]

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Why the Fear of Hyenas Won’t Get You Anywhere

(via House of Turquoise) I fear hyenas. No, not the real animal. The ones I make up in my head. The ones that howl at me and rage at me and plot evil for me. The ones that I create when I’m blocked and procrastinating the work that I’m really supposed to be doing. “She’s [...]

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The Creativity Mindset

(photo by Ashlee Raubach) You know how they say it’s all about how you look at things? That is so true. I had a very uncreative day today. Sure, I worked with multiple clients, solved multiple client problems, and did quite good at it, but my creativity felt sapped. I wanted to do something else. [...]

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Passing Along Our Creativity

This week’s edition of Newsweek jumped out from the cashier stand today at the grocery store. The title, “Creativity in America: The Science of Innovation and How to Reignite our Imaginations,” intrigued me. The cover art (an American flag made of broken-up red, white, and blue crayons intrigued me). And it was cowritten by Po [...]

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Delusions of Grandeur

(via BedandBreakfast.com) I don’t think I mean what you think I mean. You probably immediately thought of Nero, Louis XIV, Marie Antionette, people from history who considered themselves fantastic when they were simply wealthy and enabled. I don’t mean those people. One of the quickest ways to shut down your creativity is to attempt to [...]

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Competition Is A Risky Business

(photo by Ashlee Raubach) Competition can push you to be better, greater, stronger, faster, louder, and smarter. It can also shut you off completely. You walk a tightrope when you engage in competition. It’s an instant thumbs up or thumbs down on any creative effort you bring forth. It’s like aborting your creative offspring because [...]

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What Humans Do To Block Creativity

(via House of Turquoise) This look is gorgeous. But my first response is: “I could never put a room that looks like this together, because I don’t know enough about interior design or paint.” This is my block. What’s yours? Food. Spending money. Sex. Work. Entertainment. “Woe is me” outlook. The list is long. We [...]

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The Brilliance of Baby Steps

(free pdf download from Brooklyn Limestone) It’s super difficult to keep taking baby steps. Even babies want to do more than that. My niece was quicker than the speed of light. The minute her mother set her on the ground after getting her out of her car seat, she was off like a shot down [...]

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