On working on the floor

June 26, 2008 6:05 PM

When was the last time you worked on the floor?

Probably never.

In fact, the excuses you’ve given were most likely:

“But I’ll look dumb.”
“But the floor is dirty!”
“But I’ll wrinkle my clothes…”
“But I’ll get yelled at by my boss!”

Oh no! God forbid you look silly! Or get your clothes a little dusty!

Get over it.

LOOK, THERE’S GOOD NEWS: Working on the floor works.

Since I started my company in 2002, I’ve spent at least SOME time, every single day, working on the floor. And as a result, I’ve discovered a host of benefits to doing so:

1. You’ll have plenty of room to spread out your materials. This will help you more effectively solve problems, come up with new ideas and brainstorm because you’ll see everything involved.

2. You’ll break your patterns. It’s also a nice way to break up the monotony of your typical workday.

3. You’ll change your thinking. Once you sit down on the floor, you’ll start thinking about how silly you look, whether or not your pants are getting wrinkled and what you’re going to say to your boss when he walks in the room. And all of these thoughts will take your mind of your problem, thus enabling you to solve it quicker.

4. You’ll gain new perspective. Working on the floor enables you to approach your canvas from a different angle. So, by literally changing your perspective (what you see in front of and around you) you also change it metaphorically (what you see inside of you.)

5. You’ll humble yourself. By working on the ground, you ground yourself. This modest posture will instill an attitude of appreciation and respect for your creative environment. Ultimately, by honoring your space, you invite more creative solutions.

6. You’ll make your dog happy. (See above picture of my sole coworker, Paisley.)

7. You’ll connect deeper. To the earth. To the floor. To the ground. The Muse. To the divine. See, ironically, when you sit lower, you connect to something higher.

8. You’ll relax. By removing yourself from a typical desk position, you’ll relax your body in ways you’re not used to. Especially your legs. As blood flow circulates, you open the floodgates of creativity.

9. You’ll bring out your inner child. If you’ve ever said, “But I’m too old to sit on the floor,” then that’s EXACTLY why you need to do so. You’ll reconnect with your childlike, curious nature. That will lower your defenses, which will enable you to see your problems with a younger, more innocent set of eyes.

REMEMBER: Working on the floor works.

It’s good for your brain, good for your body and good for your creative soul.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go stretch.

And my pants are getting a little dusty.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time you worked on the floor?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Your company need a creative boost?