Archive for November, 2008
How to be creative on demand
Posted on November 25, 2008, by dazzer67, under creativity basics, inspiration, perspiration.
In my current job incarnation, I need to be creative. I need to be creative at certain times, to meet certain deadlines. Planning my time with these deadlines in mind helps. A creative space, days or weeks before a deadline, eases the pressure and allows free creativity. But what happens when I, or you, need to be creative and create something within a couple of hours. How can we be creative on demand?
Deadlines can be persuasive. It is easy to see deadlines as the enemy when they loom in front of us, but they are a source of encouragement. The added stress that a deadline brings will get adrenalin and the creative juices flowing. We all need an amount of stress to provide motivation. So, being given a short time to be creative in, can actually be exactly what we need.
Open the cupboard of hints and tips. If you are getting nowhere, give yourself a helping hand with the simple creativity exercises we love to hate. All of the following, and many other, tips can help trigger the creative process, so don’t be afraid to get back to basics.
- Think of five related words around the main subject of your project and see where they lead.
- Think of the opposite to what your subject is, again seeing where that takes you.
- Think of your subject in a situation where it is not normally found, what ideas does that spark?
Avoid a blank sheet or screen. The pressure is on, the deadline is imminent and all you have in front of you is a blank sheet of paper or an empty electronic document… run! No, seriously, get away from it. As the pressure and stress levels rise, the last thing you need is an empty space. This blank nothingness will grow and grow engulfing any hope you have of creative lift-off. A quick walk around, a little tidy-up or a ‘phone-a-friend’ moment can break the ‘blank’ spell. Taking your mind off a problem can often allow your mind to solve it, and be creative. Be sure to keep a capture device relatively close by though… that deadline isn’t far off.
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Successful creativity
Posted on November 19, 2008, by dazzer67, under links.
Wonderful post from Liz Strauss on focussing creative energy.
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Inpirational Swipe File
Posted on November 17, 2008, by dazzer67, under inspiration, links.
There’s a great post on creating a Swipe File. Writie to Done shows you the why and how to create this inspirational idea.
Inspiration on Demand: Create a Swipe File | Write to Done
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Simple to do list maker, MiniTask for AIR
Posted on November 14, 2008, by dazzer67, under links, preparation, software.
The reason ‘to do’ lists are helpful in planning what you need to do, is their simplicity. All you need is a piece of paper and something to write with. You write what you need to do on the paper and then tick or cross it off once it’s completed. The reason many software based ‘to do’ list solutions aren’t, is because they are over-complicated. They are great if you want to procrastinate for hours adding items to them, but that rather defeats the object.
Now I often fall into that later category, so I was very pleased to find out about MiniTask, an Adobe AIR based widget, to sit on the desktop of your computer (MAC or PC becasue it is AIR). It’s strength is its simplicity, just like pen and paper, you simply list what you have to do and then do them… mmm, now how do I procrastinate.
MiniTask has a few additional features to pen and paper but they don’t get in the way of the simplicity of it. And the website is possibly one of the best in terms of telling you what MiniTask is, what it can do and how to get it up and running. Don’t belive me, then follow the link… and be creative.
MiniTask - Minimalist task management - Flash Player Installation
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How to forget about critics by Jean Sibelius
Posted on November 7, 2008, by dazzer67, under inspiration, quotes.
“Pay no attention to what the critics say… Remember, a statue has never been set up in honor of a critic!”
Jean Sibelius
Oh, and his music is pretty good as well, see what forgetting about the critics can do!
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