Setting up a creative space for your mind

If you are like me, creativity seems to come at the oddest time -- in the shower, driving to work, and sometimes (unfortunately) in the middle of the night. What is it about these environments that allow the brain to flow through thoughts and pull pieces together to create something new? And more importantly, how do we become more consistent in having these "creative moments"?

As a marketing consultant it is my job to be creative. So naturally I have to create the right environment that allows my mind to get into the creative mode. Here are eight tips that work for me.  

1. Get away from your desk (and your iPad and your cell phone). Go for a coffee, go for a walk -- just shake up your regular working routine to help clear your mind.
2. Make a list. Find a quiet spot and make a list of all the nagging things on your mind.  All the appointments, meetings, deadlines, write them all down. I always include personal stuff too. This will get your to-do list out of your head so your mind isn't preoccupied with forgetting something.
3. Look at your list and prioritize each thing. Put a date next to each item to help you spread the work out and make the list seem more manageable. This allows your brain to feel organized and in control.
4. Now your brain is ready to be creative. At this point I usually head home (or back to the office) and sit in a chair away from my desk. On a blank piece of paper I write down what problem I'm trying to solve creatively.  
5. Talk out loud. Now this might be difficult for people in an office setting! Often I would book a boardroom and pretend I was on a conference call. Talking out loud really helps the flow of thought.
6. Write down the ideas that seem to stick with you. Include phrases and other questions that pop up. These can be written all over the page you started with. Drawing pictures of your thoughts is a wonderful way to capture your thinking.
7. Ask yourself, "What does this idea remind me of?" This is were I start to think about metaphors that help explain my thoughts. If you have to present these ideas to others, a metaphor is an excellent way of bringing people into alignment with your thinking.
8. Don't rush. Creativity takes time. The more you rush, the less you can creative.  

I hope your next creative activity is a wonderful experience and that you can make it repeatable!

Regards,

Holly

Are you listening?

Listen. A word used a lot but rarely put into practice. I rush through life forgetting all the time to stop, open my ears and really listen. What does it mean to "really listen"? For me, it's about focusing all my attention on the person or thing I'm supposed to be receiving information from. And it's not just about sound. Listening includes the space between sound. The pauses, the silence. It includes the pace of delivery and the pitch. If I'm listening the message is communicated in its whole without being interrupted with my interpretation, my story, my thought.

Listening take a lot of energy. It takes patience, concentration and self-control.

The next time you encounter someone you love, ask them a simple question like, "What was your highlight today, and why?", then listen. Try to keep your stories at bay, your interpretation in the background and soak in their voice, their pace, their experience. It's quite refreshing.