Tag: QREATIVITY

Create a portable creative environment

Inspiration comes unannounced.

And if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

SO, HERE’S THE SECRET: create a portable creative environment.

My new favorite creativity Big Shot is Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. (Try saying THAT one three times fast!)

Anyway, he says, “Shape your immediate surroundings so as to feel in harmony with the small segment of the universe in which you happen to be located.”

So, if you’re a creative professional, you can’t expect to do all of your best work in the office or studio.

You must learn to thrive in many environments.

Here’s a list of tips to help you create on the go!

1. Capture. Keep a jotter or small notebook on your person at all times. It’s five bucks and probably the biggest lifesaver for idea capturing in the WORLD. Also, Zebra makes a contractible pen for easy storage.

2. Prepare. Keep books, tapes, pictures and other inspirational material everywhere. On coffee tables, in your car or bag, even in the bathroom! Make a list of all the places you might be stuck for a few minutes. Assure that each of them has SOMETHING to motivate your melon.

3. Commutes. If you take public transportation regularly, make a Creativity Travel Kit. Include writing tools, blank paper, books on brain-building, inspirational materials, music and a few protein-based snacks.

4. Car. Great ideas often come behind the wheel. Be ready to capture them with easily accessible tools like notepads or audio recorders. NOTE: be careful when getting creative while driving. Your new idea won’t do you any good if you’re stuck in the hospital!

5. Visits. If you’re a regular visitor or overnight guest at the houses of friends, family members or significant others, be ready. Let them know you’ll be keeping a notebook or small bag at their place, just in case.

6. THREE WORDS: get a laptop.

7. FOUR WORDS: index cards and Sharpies.

8. Backup. If you get a new idea on the road, at work or at any other unexpected time, email or call yourself and leave a message.

The key idea to remember about creating a portable environment is that it’s tailor-made and makes you feel in control.

To quote Mihaly again…

“Regardless of whether the conditions in which they find themselves are luxurious or miserable, creatives must manage to give their surroundings a personal pattern that echoes the rhythm of their thoughts and habits of action. Within this environment of their own making, they can forget the rest of the world and concentrate on pursuing the Muse.”

Good luck!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Where do you create outside of your studio?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Create your portable creative environment today!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

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13 reasons to give stuff away for free

1. Because the more you give away for free, the wealthier you will be. Read more about this theory here.

2. Because stuff that you create doesn’t do you any good sitting in a folder on your computer.

3. Because you can let the world be your editor. By sharing your ideas (for free) with lots of people, you will get unexpected, unsolicited feedback on how to improve it.

4. Because the more stuff you have out there for free, the more fans you will create.

5. Because the Internet was founded upon the idea of free. And some things (like information, articles, videos, content,) are so readily available, that if you DON’T have at least SOME stuff for free, people are going to find them elsewhere.

6. Because if you dropped a piano and a plum off of the Empire State Building, which one would hurt more if it hit you? Exactly. The piano. Because More Mass = More Power.

7. Because who’s more of an expert: someone who wrote 12 articles or someone who write 1,200 articles?

8. Because, “The act of giving away our knowledge makes it again fresh in our mind,” says my hero, Julia Cameron.

9. Because it boosts your Google juice.

10. Because it increases the odds of someone NEW reading your stuff, thus earning their loyalty.

11. Because it increases the odds of someone OLD reading your stuff, thus reinforcing their loyalty.

12. Because it delivers multiple forms of value.

13. Because it increases website revisitability.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Why do you give stuff away for free?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best reasons here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

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Who are you creating art for?

Some artists create art for fame.
Some artists create art for money.
Some artists create art for awards.
Some artists create art for getting laid.
Some artists create art for recognition from critics.
Some artists create art for recognition from other artists.
Some artists create art for people who don’t appreciate it.
Some artists create art for the needs and wants of a certain target market.

Here’s what I think:

I THINK … when you care the least; you do the best.

I THINK … when your stakes are lower; your results are higher.

I THINK … when you create for the wrong reasons; you become a dishonest and gluttonous artist.

I THINK … when you create for the right reasons; the world starts paying attention.

I THINK … when you detach from outcomes and just concentrate on the components; you win.

You know, “journey, not destination” stuff.

SO, THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION: who (or what) are you creating for?

I believe that we, as artists, have a few options:

Create for … YOURSELF
Because you love to create.
Because it makes you happy.
Because you can’t NOT create.
Because it’s your calling, your purpose.
Because it’s just something you like to do.
Because sometimes, the theater of the mind is better.
Because it’s your release, your meditation, your spiritual connection.

Create for … THE SAKE OF CREATING
Because creating is healthy.
Because creating is necessary.
Because you’re an artist, and that’s what artists do.
Because making something out of nothing is totally cool.

Create for … THAT WHICH ENABLED YOU
Because usefulness is worship.
Because you have been given a tremendous gift, and to utilize that gift is to honor the giver.
Because God, The Muse, The Higher Power, The Source, The Divine Light or whatever you call it, deserves it.
Because your creative talents came from something bigger, stronger and more powerful than you, and it’s time to give back.

Create for … NOTHING AT ALL
Just because.

I think Dr. George “Running Guy” Sheehan said it best:

“If you are doing something you would do for nothing – then you are on your way to salvation. And if you could drop it in a minute and forget the outcome, you are even further along. And if while you are doing it you are transported into another existence, there is no need for you to worry about the future.”

SO, HERE’S THE DEAL: if you create art, that makes you an artist. Period.

Eliminate the word “for” from your vocabulary.

You don’t need to create FOR anything. Or anyone.

Just create. That’s it.

Grant permission to your authentic voice to sing as loud, as silly, as creative and as original as it wants.

Because usually, that’s when the best stuff comes out.

AND BEWARE: people might not like your work. People might not even care about your work. It might not sell. It might not be as good as your other stuff. It might not be the right time for that particular piece.

Many forms of negative resistance are standing by to throw themselves at you.

So, it only makes sense to detach from outcomes and just CREATE.

For you.
For the sake of creating.
For your Source.
For nothing at all.

Because, even in the worst case scenario; you can always say:

“Whatever. I liked it.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who are you creating art for?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Read Hugh’s ebook NOW. That’s what inspired me to write this post.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

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Detach from outcomes

When you’re writing…
When you’re creating art…
When you’re brainstorming…

REMEMBER THREE WORDS: detach from outcomes.

For five reasons:

1. When you detach from outcomes, you relax more.
2. When you detach from outcomes, you lower your guard.
3. When you detach from outcomes, you lower other people’s guards.
4. When you detach from outcomes, you produce better quality work.
5. When you detach from outcomes, you lower the stakes and raise the results.

Author and creativity guru Mihály Csíkszentmihályi encourages the same.

He teaches artists, inventors and entrepreneurs to practice something called flow.

“What keeps you motivated is the quality of the experience you feel when you are involved with the activity. Enjoy the process of creation for its own sake.”

What’s more, Csíkszentmihályi’s idea of “flow” describes a person who is autotelic, not exotelic.

o Autotelic means there is there is no reason for doing something except to feel the experience it provides.

o Exotelic means people do things not because they enjoy them, but rather to accomplish a later goal.

So, if you want to produce better quality creative material, strive to be more autotelic.

Love the work more than what it produces.

See, it’s REALLY easy to create for the wrong reasons.

Money. Fame. Ego. Power. Self-validation. Approval.

All are outcomes.

Which doesn’t mean they’re bad things!

They just suggest that your creative process is results-based, not process-based.

SO, HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: focus on process, not product.

Verbs, not nouns.
Pursuit, not attainment.
Journey, not destination.

Don’t do it all for the nookie.

Do it because you love doing it.

Detach from outcomes.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Why do you create?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best technique for detaching from outcomes here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
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13 Steps to Entertaining an Idea

Ideas are your major source of income.

As such, you need to become a MASTER of entertaining those ideas.

Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

Note the distinction.

He’s talking about being objective.

Being open. Brainstorming. Considering the possibility that an idea MIGHT be good.

Or, that it might suck.
You won’t know until you entertain it.

So, whether you’re working on a new product, a new business or a new piece of writing, you need a system.

Here’s the Content Management System I’ve been using for years. Feel free to adapt it to your own creative process…

How to Entertain an Idea
1. Write it down. Start a new blank document. Put your idea – or the key point of your idea – at the top of the page.

2. Save. Make this phrase your file name. Save it in a folder called “Ideas,” “Brainstorms” or “Modules.”
3. Start with a List. Write a bullet-point list of everything you know, every question you have and every example you can think of that relates to your idea. Dump your brain until you have nothing left. (This could take five minutes or two hours.) Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or order. Order comes later.

4. Search. Spend a few minutes on Google. Find out what else has been thought, written and said about your idea. Check out blogs, articles, and Wikipedia for verification. Also, hop on Amazon to see if any books have been written specifically about your idea.

5. Gather. Take the facts, statistics, quotations and related information that support your idea and add it to your list. Still keep your document as a list. Don’t organize anything just yet.

6. Stop. Now would be a good time to take a five-minute break. Go work on something totally unrelated to your new idea. This will help you return to the task at hand with an objective perspective.

7. Organize. When you return to your idea, re-read your list. Edit, delete, add to and modify any points that need clarification. Trim the fat and only keep the best material that supports your idea.
8. Filter. OK, now it’s time to bring ideas from one field of knowledge into another field of knowledge. Ask yourself the following Filtering Questions:

*How does this idea fit into my picture of the universe?
*What does this idea have to do with me?
*How does this idea relate to my expertise?

9. Stretch. Expand on specific points as they relate to your expertise. Think about past experiences that would be make good support material.

10. Organize. Break up the list into logical groups. Rearrange key ideas and points together.
11. Edit again. Repeat your editing process.

12. Evaluate. Ask yourself if this is a good idea or not. Decide whether you want to move from “entertaining” to “accepting.” Solicit feedback when necessary.

And, the final step…

13. Leverage. Sell that idea for millions of dollars.

Good luck!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you entertain an idea?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your creative process here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
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13 signs that your idea probably isn’t that good

1. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If everybody loves it.

2. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If nobody wants to steal it.
3. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can easily duplicate it.

4. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you don’t have them at hello.

5. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can’t explain it to a five year old.

6. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If it’s just an ECHO of someone else’s idea.

7. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If people can’t easily and quickly repeat it.

8. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can’t explain it in eight words or less.

9. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you continuously get shot down at “Why?”

10. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you have to try excessively hard to convince people.

11. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can’t convince a bank to lend you money.

12. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can’t write it down on the back of a business card.

13. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you have to spend three weeks constantly explaining to someone why your idea is so cool, and they STILL don’t “get” it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are the telltale signs of an idea that isn’t that good?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Complete this sentence, “If _________________, then your idea probably isn’t that good.”

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
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Be willing to suck in the beginning

I’ve been writing books since I was 21.

But, I didn’t find my true author’s voice until I was about 25.

It comes with the territory. Whether you’re a rock star, a artist or a business owner, you’ve got to “get the shanks out.”

LESSON LEARNED: be willing to suck in the beginning.

Dare to do it badly.
Seek progress, not perfection.
Spend some time paying (or playing) your dues.
Invest some sweat in creating work that isn’t very good.

Because when you do, here’s what happens:

After a while, say a few years or so, you start to get good. You begin to discover your voice, your groove, your unique style, your “thing,” your sound, your approach.

And eventually, once all the shanks have been disposed of, you start to ROCK every time.

Not that you don’t mess up. Or make some junk here and there. Or create something that isn’t amazing. (Even U2 writes a weak song every once in a while.)

The point is:

Because you paid the price, you developed patience.

Because you developed patience, you got the shanks out.

And because you got the shanks out, you made room for the good stuff.

REMEMBER: your most valuable ideas, projects, notes and words are just DYING to come to the surface.

But sometimes, you might need to dig through a few layers of junk to find them.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you willing to suck in the beginning?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Go through a stack of old creative work and find something that was TERRIBLE. Post it on your bulletin board as a reminder.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
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Make a name for yourself here…

10 Critical Components of Creative Environments

Creative professionals MUST exist in a creative environment.

Here’s why:

1. A creative environment provides stimulation.
2. Stimulation creates, expands and refines ideas.
3. Ideas are your major source of income.

Not to mention, the place where you spend the majority of your time needs to be enjoyable!

If you’re looking to motivate your melon, here are 10 Critical Components of Creative Environments:

1. Appeal to your eyes. Multi-sensory stimuli stimulate more ideas. Cover your walls with beautiful art. Include visual representations of your goals, ideas, motivational words on sticky notes, past work you’re proud of, fan mail and other positive images. Blank walls are the enemy!

2. Appeal to your ears. Crank some tunes. Set the ambiance of your room or studio with the right music. Consider creating your own playlist or mix for certain times during the day, projects or moods. Music sets moods.

3. Appeal to your nose. Light candles, incense or other pleasant smelling tools. Smells, fragrance and aromas also have a direct influence on mood. Follow your nose!

4. Appeal to your mouth. Just as long as it isn’t pure sugar or starch. Stick with protein. And don’t eat too much of it, either. Creativity expert Doug Hall says, “When the body is stuffed with grub, your body is spending too much time and energy processing food and your brain in shortchanged.” Carbs are the enemy.

5. Colors. Use pink and orange sticky notes. Buy the Sharpie 36 pack. Collect ideas and information on multi-colored note cards. Colors stimulate creativity.

6. (Dis) Order. It doesn’t have to be spotless, but sometimes disorder can be helpful. Be chaotically tidy.

7. Lose the clocks. Don’t let time impose limits on your creativity. Make it easy to get lost in your ideas. Get lost in your art.

8. Insulation. No, you don’t need to soundproof your walls. But try to avoid working near distracting noise. Wear headphones all day if you have to do! Just be sure you can easily get into your zone. Get lost in your art … seriously.

9. Natural Beauty. Be sure you have quick access to some sort of natural beauty, be it plant life or sunshine. Mother nature is a great artist companion!

10. Toys. Or, anything you can play with on your break to motivate your melon.

NOTE: if you’re not one to be cooped up in a studio or office all day, no worries!

You just need to figure out where your brain thrives.

Make a list of five alternate environments for your creative success. Perhaps your art is more conducive to the park, the bus station or sitting in a public square. If so, great! Experiment by displacing yourself regularly.

Once you’ve narrowed your list down to a few options, visit them regularly. Learn to incorporate various components of creative stimulation into your “portable creative environment.”

That way you can thrive anywhere!

Whatever type of creative environment you choose to create, remember one thing: make it yours.

Customize your surroundings to best fit your learning style, creative abilities and work schedule.

And you WILL motivate your melon!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your ideal creative environment?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Interview five other creative professionals like yourself. Find out how they motivate their melons!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
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Make a name for yourself here…

The importance of having a HOT body

The most successful artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and inventors of the world aren’t One Hit Wonders.

Rather: they have HOT bodies.

…of WORK, that is.

Let’s explore five examples across several disciplines and decades.

(Keep your eyes open for commonalities…)

HOT BODY #1
When you think of the word “inventor,” one name comes to mind: Thomas Edison.

Talk about a HOT body! He holds about 1,800 patents. It’s also no surprise that his archives amount to 3500 notebooks and four million pages.

LESSON LEARNED: writing is the basis of all wealth.

HOT BODY #2
Linus Pauling was an American quantum chemist and biochemist.

According to Wikipedia, Pauling is widely regarded as the premier chemist of the twentieth century. He pioneered the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry, and in 1954 was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work describing the nature of chemical bonds.

What’s more, Pauling is well known for his philosophy about having a HOT body. He once said, “The best way to have a great ideas is to having a lot of ideas!”

LESSON LEARNED: quantity leads to quality.

HOT BODY #3
Julia Cameron, best known for her book and philosophy, The Artist’s Way, also has one HOT body.

She’s not just an author, either. Cameron works as an artist, poet, playwright, novelist, filmmaker, and composer.

In her book The Sound of Paper, she wrote, “Each day’s work is part of a larger body of work, and that body of work is the work of a lifetime. Unless we are able to take this long view, we will be derailed by rejection.”

LESSON LEARNED: think library, not book.

HOT BODY #4
Mechanical inventor Jerome H. Lemelson was granted over 600 patents, making him one of the 20th century’s five most prolific patent grantees.

In the book Inventors at Work, author Kenneth Moore asked him what his favorite invention was. Lemelson replied, “My favorite invention is always the next one.”

“Sometimes you think you have exhausted your last idea,” he continued. “But you really have an endless stream of ideas in there. You just have to be willing to go in and look for them and bring them out to the light of day.”

LESSON LEARNED: always ask, “What’s next?”

HOT BODY #5
Bluegrass Goddess Allison Krauss has one of the hottest bodies I’ve ever seen.

Her anthology includes dozens of albums, production on countless soundtracks and several live DVD’s. During her career so far (she started when she was 10) she has won twenty Grammy Awards – more than any other female artist in the world.

And she’s still under 40! Which means she’s constantly asking herself, “What’s next?”

LESSON LEARNED: it’s never too early to get started.

Five people.
Five different disciplines.
Five unique ways of delivering value.

And yet, three commonalities exist in each of their HOT bodies:

H – Have LOTS of ideas. Write mass quantities of content.
O – Open your mind’s floodgates. Let the ideas flow.
T – Think about what’s next. Keep a focused eye on the future.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you a One Hit Wonder, or are you developing a Body of Work?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Write the phrase, “Library, not book,” on a sticky note and post it on your desk. Look at it daily.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

How to be a Sticky Note Superstar

Sticky notes.

Pretty much the greatest invention ever.

Especially when you post them on your:

Wall.
Desk.
Door.
Mirror.
Fridge.
Wallet.
Pantry.
Planner.
Computer.
Dashboard.
Bulletin board.
Laundry machine.

The possibilities for self-motivation are endless!

And even if you’re not a visual person, here are seven variations to become a Sticky Note Superstar!

1. Self-Assessment Questions. If you continuously ask yourself the same few questions every day, you will accomplish more, stay focused and remain motivated. That’s what QREATIVITY is all about.

STICK WITH THIS: “What did you write today?” “Is what you’re doing right now consistent with your #1 goal?” and “Did you make a sale today?” Check out this ebook for a few more suggestions.

2. Goals. Consider your #1 personal and #1 professional goals for 2007. Post at least ten sticky notes all around your home and office. Keep it short and simple, i.e., “Weigh 170 pounds!” or “$10,000 per month!”

STICK WITH THIS: post these two goals on the inside of your wallet, your car’s dashboard, or anywhere else you might look at several times daily. Remember, the key to self-motivation is repetition.

3. Quotations. Make a list of your five favorite quotations. Keep them short, keep them simple and keep them positive.

STICK WITH THIS: bathroom mirrors are great spots for these sticky notes. This will be certain to start and end your day on a positive note. (No pun intended!)

4. Motivators. All it takes is a simple word or phrase to keep yourself motivated. Write something emotional, powerful and visual.

STICK WITH THIS: Put “Yes!” sticky notes everywhere. Also try statements like, “You rock!” and “You are succeeding right now!”

5. Reminders. If you have an important phone call to make, email to send or errand to run, write it down on a sticky note.

STICK WITH THIS: the inside of your front door is the perfect place for a last minute reminder, i.e., “Did you turn the lights off?” Also, your pantry or fridge is a great place to catch yourself slipping, i.e., “How many vegetables did you eat today?” or “Are you REALLY hungry right now?”

6. Current ideas. Creativity requires incubation. If you have a new idea, project or brainstorm that needs constant attention, post a key phrase in a visible spot. Keep your new idea in front of your face and at the top of your mind.

STICK WITH THIS: “How will you improve the Johnson Account?” or “Get more ideas for next week’s staff meeting!”

7. Education. If you’re expanding your vocabulary or learning a new language, sticky notes are the perfect education tool.

STICK WITH THIS: put a single word (and a brief definition) in your wallet or on your desk. If you’re learning a new language, put the translations on items around your house. Great for repetition.

NOTE: these Sticky Note exercises might seem a little cheesy to you.

Just remember: cheesy doesn’t mean ineffective.

ALSO NOTE: your coworkers, friends or partner might think you’re a bit crazy for posting sticky notes all around the house or office.

Don’t let them stop you. They’re either jealous of your success or insecure about their own lack of motivation.

Ultimately, sticky note reminders like these work because:

1. They make you CLARIFY … so your goals are specific.
2. They make you WRITE … and writing is the basis of all wealth.
3. They make you VISUALIZE … what you want and how to get it.
4. They make you ACCOUNTABLE … to yourself and the people around you.

Stick with that.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you a Sticky Note Superstar?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your #1 best use for sticky notes.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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