Tag: creativity

Work with opposites (creativity exercise)

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Write, create, innovate: exercises

frost

 

Many of us get trapped in ordinary, routine thinking which makes it hard to get into a mood of generating fresh and innovative ideas. We routinely get up every morning, brush our teeth, drink coffee, go to work – mostly every day at a same time, using the same route…And to tell you the truth, it can be a creativity killer. What we need is to mix up things a little bit, challenge our habits, language and way of thinking.

We are also aware that we do live in the world comprised of opposites. In Chinese philosophy and especially in Taoism, Universe is seen through the lens of yin and yang energy, male and female, strong and weak, dark and bright, cold and warm. Perceiving reality from the opposite side can give us clue in which direction we need to move forward in order to sort things out.

So for this exercise, as a warm up I propose you pick some ordinary words, something you frequently use in your language and list the opposite meaning of that word; first that comes to your mind.

For example: sky – bottom, ground

                          water – dry, yellow, sand

                           coffee – tea, sweet, cold

                           work – vacation, free time, relaxation

Do this for a limited time, maybe five to ten minutes. The idea of this warming exercises is to somehow ‘flush out’ that ordinary thinking, and give room for more ideas to come and encourage creative problem solving.

As a next step you can pick your real problem/project you are working on and apply similar technique. If you repeatedly struggle with something, “turn over” your thinking: instead of trying to develop your best solution, think of the worst thing could happen. How can your project fail? What is the worst scenario? Write every detail of that, using some key words related to your project and answering questions when, how, who, why, how much ext. To make it more fun, write a poem about it.

From that vantage point it might be more clearer what you could do in order for your project to succeed. By being able to imagine what we would like to avoid, it may opens a clear path in our mind of right things we need to do: who to contact, when to do something, how to prioritize our time.

Knowing what you don’t want to, is a first step to achieving what you do want.

I am not ambitious at all:
I am not a poet, I know
(Though I do love to see a mere scrawl
To order and symmetry grow).
My muse is uncertain and slow,
I am not expert with my tools,
I lack the poetic argot:
But I hope I have kept to the rules.
When your brain is undoubtedly small,
‘Tis hard, sir, to write in a row,
Some five or six rhymes to Nepaul,
And more than a dozen to Joe:
The metre is easier though,
Three rhymes are sufficient for ‘ghouls,’
My lines are deficient in go,
But I hope I have kept to the rules.Dear Sir, though my language is low,
Let me dip in Pierian pools:
My verses are only so so,
But I hope I have kept to the rules.

J. K. Stephen

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Are you an introvert? Poetry can help you access your inner treasures

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Business in Rhyme, Read, write, lead!, Write, create, innovate!

hawking

I presume I’ve always been an introvert. And when I was younger I looked at that as a drawback, a negative side. For many years I’ve silently longed to be one of those cool kids that easily steal affection, that with just small gesture or smile so quickly make new friends and become leaders of ‘ the pack’.

I was kind of opposite of all that: only having few friends at the time, never liked to talk about myself – instead I’ve become an ideal ‘shoulder for crying’. As a highly individualistic, books were my favorite company and I never had a problem to spend time alone, with myself. Also, as an introvert I’m somehow on the constant quest for deeper meanings, understandings and knowing. As a motivation, that can be a great advantage in any research profession for example, but somewhere along the way in the recent years, I’ve noticed my introvert side has even grown. That is something I didn’t expect to happen in my late thirties, but it did. And here is where poetry helped me a lot: to express my feelings, thoughts and experiences which I’m not comfortable to share in classical mundane communication.

Poetry can be that articulate tool that gives the voice to those hidden parts of us: sensitive, beautiful, vulnerable, brave, but weak, dark and frightening in the same time. Connection to poetry is always personal and deep that goes to the farthest roots of our being and helps us recognize, accept and communicate who we are: who we truly are. To anyone who is struggling with finding direction in life, self doubt and self acceptance, poetry can help reveal those hidden treasures, strengths that moves us forward; helps us discover our place in the world. In your writing and reading poetry you can find intimacy you might be lacking in an extroverted and often shallow world we are living in.

Having poetry in my life have certainly helped me to better communicate my needs and feelings and generally to cope with pressures of the fast paced world. If you do recognize yourself to be an introvert, introducing more poetry into your life can bring that sensation of nourished soul, that we are taking care of us; that we can find home where ever we are.

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
for the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
the place where the sidewalk ends. 

Shel Silverstein

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Awakening your creativity (exercise)

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Write, create, innovate: exercises

marthagraham

Many of the exercises presented here on the blog were focused mainly on premise that we already have creative ideas going on,  and we just need a little nudge to keep us forward and invoke some new ideas. Now, I do get often asked, what about when we don’t feel that we are creative beings, when we need courage and motivation to first discover creative side of us? Well, today I have two little exercise to propose for those grey and uncreative days, when you don’t simple know where to start. I suggest: start simply, from the most basic things:

What makes you smile?

What makes you angry?

What are you curious about?

Who would you like to be?

Write a poem answering these questions – treat them like a little poetry prompts, with that difference that you don’t have to share them with anyone, they are only for your eyes, for your own journey to awakening creativity. You can actually start your own creativity journal where you can daily reflect on your ideas, feelings, experiences, circumstances; how any of these factors influence your creative power you certainly have residing within you. It just needs to be properly initiated and directed.

For the next exercise I want you to think of certain words like:

creativity

passion

purpose

inner voice

stillness

and try to picture in your mind, metaphorically, what kind of living being each word could be? What kind of associations does it bring? Is it an animal, plant, flower, tree, insect, child, another person, describe everything in detail, write a poem about it. It will help you reconnect with your creative force to more vividly sense what it means for you to be alive, creative – where to search for your passions and purpose.

Besides brainstorming exercises I will continue also to post these little nudges for you to instill this creative conversation with yourself that will help you achieve your goals in any creative arena of your life.

Build on resolve, and not upon regret,
The structure of thy future. Do not grope
Among the shadows of old sins, but let
Thine own soul’s light shine on the path of hope
And dissipate the darkness. Waste no tears
Upon the blotted record of lost years,
But turn the leaf, and smile, oh! smile, to see
The fair white pages that remain for thee.

Prate not of thy repentance. But believe
The spark divine dwells in thee: let it grow.
That which the unpreaching spirit can achieve,
The grand and all creative forces know;
They will assist and strengthen as the light
Lifts up the acorn to the oak-tree’s height.
Thou hast but to resolve, and lo! God’s whole
Great universe shall fortify thy soul.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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How acquiring entrepreneurial mindset can make you more creative at work

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Business in Rhyme, Write, create, innovate!

dylan sherlock

Being entrepreneur is not easy. It might sound attractive, provocative – especially in the rising startup culture, but the risks, sacrifices, stress and uncertainties that entrepreneurs deal with every day leaves you with a kinda bitter-sweet taste in your mouth. Yet entrepreneurship and the experiences that entrepreneurs can offer is a learning path that we can encounter in many facets of our life. Even at your work place, where you have a boss, a coworkers, where you are dependable, have limited resources, deadlines and procedures you must follow – even then you can apply some of the  entrepreneurial principles, enrich your creativity  and become better employee: you can become an intrapreneur.

I’ve met many people who think they can work for themselves and finally be in control of their career. But sometimes they discover that entrepreneurship is the furthest thing from control in their life, because the realities of being an entrepreneur—the time investment, stress, and unexpected sacrifices—suddenly feels like an insurmountable task and not that much desired lifestyle. Then they become dissatisfied all over again, tired and experiencing crisis that is hard to overcome: instead of solving problems, new just start to generate.

Intrapreneurship borrows principles from entrepreneurship. In intrepreneurship you are developing whole new business and  products, while as an intrapreneur you are, within your organization, working on new programs, products, services mostly in a new, creative and innovative form. Working within limitations can actually boost your creativity while developing greater job satisfaction – having your own meaningful impact within your working environment.

An intrapreneurial approach to work can be for someone who wants to make a difference, use his talents, but within rather safe and predictable conditions without making too much risks and career changes.

So what can you actually do?

Be the one who delivers new ideas and solutions.

Get more educated and acquainted with the topic of the project you are working on; offer new ideas and guidance while discussing with your colleagues and co-workers; work on you presentation skills and search for new ways to employ your talents at work; become a source of knowledge and creativity; always have in mind that ‘bigger picture’ that goes beyond organizational policy and bureaucracy.

But be aware of one thing: find a right timing for showing your talents and learn to make suggestions diplomatically. You don’t want your co-workers to see you as a ‘threat’, someone who imposes himself all the time and who knows ‘everything’. If you do go overboard, you might end-up with too much work and with no support.

It does take courage and intuitive knowledge when is the right time to share your passion, talent and inventiveness, yet it’s a learning path, just like entrepreneurship is. It can help you overcome a stagnant feeling you might be holding towards your job and the growing you will experience is going to lead you to even better work and project opportunities.

I saw a Ruler take his stand
And trample on a mighty land;
The People crouched before his beck,
His iron heel was on their neck,
His name shone bright through blood and pain,
His sword flashed back their praise again.

I saw another Ruler rise–
His words were noble, good, and wise;
With the calm sceptre of his pen
He ruled the minds and thoughts of men;
Some scoffed, some praised–while many heard,
Only a few obeyed his word.

Another Ruler then I saw–
Love and sweet Pity were his law:
The greatest and the least had part
(Yet most the unhappy) in his heart–
The People, in a mighty band,
Rose up, and drove him from the land!

This is the poem by Adelaide Anne Procter: “The three rulers”. What I like about this poem is that in its own, intriguing way is telling the importance of innovative thinking, having our own voice that needs to be heard and understood. While reading the poem, we might think that only the sword matters, yet for collective success-it takes another two: noble, wise, love and sweet pity. Besides strength we need wisdom and empathy to make a our ‘business whole’: where we take into account our leaders, workers and customers.

While working on emphasizing and balancing these three qualities in our work we are bringing that needed change: a step towards betterment of our working lives that positively impacts others as well.

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Want to improve your writing? Practice receptivity and allowing

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Write, create, innovate: exercises, Writer's creative bites

holzer

Being receptive and allowing creative flow are somehow two basic modalities that we have to work with in order to engage in creative process. Today’s post is intentionally dedicated to this topic since if we manage to divert these two modalities  to “work for us” – it’s a sure way to combat any type of creative blockage. It might be more suitable for writers beginners, but I think that we all need from time to time to remind ourselves of some basic approaches.

What does it mean being receptive? You probably have noticed that in my writing I often use term ‘tune in with your inner self, inner being’. And that what it exactly means being receptive. You can consciously prepare yourself for receptivity by having faith and trust in that moment, that very second that your mind already knows everything that it needs to know to be fully creative, open and expressive. To sink in to your deep creative core you can practice meditative, rhythmic breathing that is connecting your awareness to what is flowing to you in each moment. Engage your senses, don’t shut down that feelings, let them freely find their space and meaning in your blank page – in that very moment. In order to keep that initial spark, in the quietness of your mind you can ask yourself: what is it that I need/want to say? What did I want to write about?

Ideas will come and start to accumulate and your task is only to write, without hesitation or any type of editing on the go. Something that was bugging you about your creative project, piece your were working on months ago might resolve and just what you needed can appear. Never waste your writing because that just might be the missing puzzle in your future work.

The second part of the process is something I call allowing. Allow yourself, give permission to yourself to write, create – no matter how many disapprovals, rejections, judgments you might received in the past. That negative voice in the back of our mind can block us from engaging in creative work and that’t the last thing you want to do.

You create and write for your own sake, for your own being to feel alive, attuned with creative force around us. You are in charge of your motivation, actions and willingness. And next time, when negative voice speak from nowhere all of a sudden, write everything the opposite.

That negative voice can say something like:

“Nobody is interested in anything I have to say.”

And you can write your affirmation:

‘I’m interested in what I have to say. I want to say. I need to say. I write because I want to say!’

‘There is no money in writing. It’s a wasted time.’

and your affirmation:

‘If I write more I will get better in this craft; being better means more opportunities to be published; being published opens possibilities to get a new source of income.’

or

‘I write because I love to write. I don’t need money from writing.’

This is one way to respond to that negative self-talk. Allow yourself just to be creative and you’ll be amazed how your writing improves.

Poetry to us is given
As stars beautify the heaven,
Or, as the sunbeams when they gleam,
Sparkling so bright upon the stream ;
And the poetry of motion
Is ship sailing o’er the ocean
Or, when the bird doth graceful fly,
Seeming to float upon the sky;
For poetry is the pure cream
And essence of the common theme.

Poetic thoughts the mind doth fill,
When on broad plain to view a hill ;
On barren heath how it doth cheer
To see in distance herd of deer.
And poetry breathes in each flower
Nourished by the gentle shower,
In song of birds upon the trees
And humming of busy bees.
‘Tis solace for the ills of life,
A soothing of the jars and strife;
For poets feel it a duty
To sing of both worth and beauty.

James McIntyre

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