When: Wednesday, December 7th
Time: 8:30 am to 12:30
Where: The Standard, downtown Portland
Cost: $250

REGISTER HERE

Does Innovation Matter?
The IBM CEO Study last year highlighted the need for creative leaders who can innovate.  As Fast Company noted:

About 60% of CEOs polled cited creativity as the most important leadership quality, compared with 52% for integrity and 35% for global thinking. Creative leaders are also more prepared to break with the status quo of industry, enterprise and revenue models, and they are 81% more likely to rate innovation as a “crucial capability.

In short, innovation is your source for differentiation.

Why Design Thinker?

Design Thinking is a computer-based simulation based on the IDEO methodology.  The problem solving approach works for systems, products, experiences and any other challenge that requires a creative approach.  In three and half hours you will apply design thinking to a case study and practice new innovation skills.  When clients are looking for innovation development I recommend Design Thinker as a good solution.  Why?
1) The computer simulation is fast-paced, challenging and competitive.  Participant engagement is extremely high.

2) The content goes far beyond traditional problem solving.  It begins with a people-centered approach that challenges assumptions and gives practice in forming deep insights that lead to breakthrough ideas.
3) As solutions are developed we practice designing experiments to refine ideas.  We learn to fail fast and fail early to strengthen the ultimate solutions.

People LOVE this program and I know you will too.  You can learn more here or just drop me a note.  I hope to see you!

Give yourself 30 minutes to take an excursion while completely tuned to your senses.

To begin:

Formulate a question you want answered and then close your eyes.  Allow yourself 60 seconds of total relaxation and let the answer rise up.  Write down whatever comes–a feeling, an image, or a simple phrase.

Now, Take a walk.  Walking is a wonderful way to become centered, focused and calm.  Stop periodically to tune into your senses.  Here are your prompts:

Look. When a scene becomes too familiar you may stop seeing your surroundings.  Find another way to look.  Choose a view and let your eyes go soft.  Search for directional lines.  Seek out a certain color.  Observe how the light strikes a surface.  Look only at the shadows or negative space.

Smell. Your sense of smell has close connections with the parts of the brain that process emotion and make associations.  For that reason is is the most evocative of the senses–a mainline to memories.  Seek out the scents that have associated memories for you: the smell of cinnamon,  Mom’s perfume, play-doh.  Or breathe deeply and identify the scents of your current surroundings.

Listen. We tune out sounds to keep our sanity.  Yet, wherever you are, you are surrounded by sound.  What do you hear?

Touch.  Feel the nub of your sweater and the roughness of the concrete.  Sweep your hand over a smooth table.  Pet a dog or a cat and relish the soft, warm fur.  Close your eyes and attune to your sense of touch.

When you have completed your Sensory Stroll you might want to go back to your original question.  Now that you have had a chance to relax and allowed your brain to feast on new stimui you might have some new insights.

Or, you could just take a nap.

By that I mean, do you spend enough time savoring the goodness in your life?  Are you aware as you experience the pleasures of your life?

I know I don’t spend enough time savoring.  And therefore I am embarking on a small challenge:  I am taking a Daily Savoring Vacation.

The authors of Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience suggest an exercise of taking a Daily Vacation Exercise.

Once a day for a week treat yourself to something pleasurable.  Pay attention to the experience.  Notice.

Here are the guidelines for the Daily Vacation Exercise.  Download it and join me!

Here’s a video from our friends at Fast Company:

Ahhh, such good advice.  From now on I am going to focus on one th—–whoa!  What’s that?  How cool!

My last newsletter focused on Nick Bantock,a author of Griffin & Sabine and many other gorgeous books.  You can read more of his story here.  He is a Creative Producer with a truly solid background and I was intrigued with his routines.  Several things stuck out for me:

1) At the end of each day he leaves something simple undone.  The next morning when he entered his studio it is obvious and simple to get started.

2) He experimented with his physical space, finally arriving at a circular pattern of working.  He literally walks around his piece, getting different perspectives.  Since he started that pattern he has not gotten blocked.

3) Finally, he is organized and disciplined.  Easy to say, harder to do…or maybe I am projecting….

Nick strives to make his art, his life seamless.  That notion reminded Kath F. of this video (thanks Kath!):

Life as Art. Art as Life. Lovely.

SoulCollage(TM) is a consistently effective tool for tapping your intuition and letting go of your logical, linear mind for a time.  Images are a mainline to the psyche.  Here are a few examples from my SoulCollage(tm) deck:

The cards are so versatile and provide a wonderful window to your creative self.

Thanks again to my beautiful Winter Spa participants.  If you’d like to join the Spring Creativity Spa watch this space for dates.

Ta Ta 2009

Last night we said adieu to the passing year with a yummy meal at Ned Ludd and dancing with the Fun Gals.  That’s right, 80′s dancing at the Wonder Ballroom.  Oh, I did love the 80′s (thanks for the disco beret K!).  We walked home under a lush, full moon (a blue moon–very auspicious) and I was happy.

If you haven’t appreciated the past year I encourage you to take a couple of minutes.  Good work to do.

Begin as You Mean to Go

By now you may have a good idea of what you most would like to see come true in 2010.  I recommend beginning this first day with a literal or symbolic step toward each  goal.  For instance:

• if you want to watch less TV–watch less TV
• if you want to spend more time with friends and family, go spend some time with some dear
• if you want world peace, say a prayer and make a contribution
• if you want to be healthier take a short walk
• if you want to be more organized, clean a drawer or recycle some files
• if you want to draw more make a tiny drawing or order some yummy art supplies

Explore how you can fit a tiny step of each of your top ten into this day.  It is a powerful gesture.

And now, I’m off to make some Hoppin’ John for good luck.

Yuletide Traditions

Obviously, the Yuletide jolliness is enjoyable.  Over the years I have learned to pace myself.  The pacing began in my twenties when my poor husband begged me not to make all the gifts.  Because I became a CRAZY Woman, embroidering and assembling until we left for Grandma’s house.  Now I am more circumspect.  What gets done gets done.  If packages are late arriving to my family in Europe they will not die.  They’ll have something to open during the post-holiday letdown!

Winter Stillness

This time of year is about patience.  When I was a girl we lit an Advent wreath nightly and anticipated the birth of Baby Jesus.  Today I still light Advent candles (so nostalgic) and I await the Return of the Light.  December 21st, when the days begin to lengthen I am happy-wappy because I won’t feel like hibernating.  Meanwhile, the cold, dark evenings slow me down.

Creative Planning

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.  -Anais Nin

Above all, my excitement builds all month as I initiate my annual strategic planning.  I know strategic planning can be a BIG DRAG.  It can also be really thought-provoking.   I enjoy facilitating strategic planning offsites because they ARE difficult.  But personal strategic planning is FUN.

Every year I make a personal plan and it’s amazing to me how many of my goals come through.   Despite the fact that I am not a methodical person I get a lot done.  So it’s always important to seed the brain and guide it in the desired direction.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be describing my process.   I invite you to come along….

I began my corporate career as an Employee Health Coordinator.  It was the 80s and their was a lot of support for wellness and fitness programs.  As it turned out most of my clients were those who were already well and fit but in receptive spots we had fun implementing new programs. 

(photo source)

One memorable program had an entire department committed to taking little stretch breaks three times a day.  Once in the morning and  twice in the afternoon they would all stand up and do some reaches and stretches together.  They laughed and, goofy as it was, they enjoyed the break from their terminals.

Just last week I spent a few days in Marrakech.  What a stimulating city!   There was so much to take in and the very scent of the air was spicy.  Most notable to me were the calls to prayer.  Several times a shopkeeper or guide excused himself and said he’d return in 5 minutes.  He would then slip off to the nearby mosque or join others in a central area to focus and pray.  Lovely.

Whether you work from home or in a cube it is easy to stay tethered to your work.  And I’m all for focus and concentration.  But there is a diminishing return.

So, this week I am practicing DISENGAGEMENT.

Every two hours or less I am stepping away from the computer and doing some office stretches.  Or lying on the grass and contemplating the clouds.  Or petting my dog.  Anything that resets my brain and gives me perspective.  Because I can return to my tasks with oxygen in my brain and a little less cortisol in my system.

Employee Disengagement?  I’m all for it.