Kick-Starting Creativity - Without Screwing Up the Idea!

A Special Presentation toAAF-Rio Grande Valley

January 12, 2016by

Joe Fournetcopyright 2016 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved

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30,000 Foot View

Exercise Time

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A 12-Step Program (sort of)

A suggested 12-or-so-step program* to help enhance, modify, make-better or derail your creativity make-up for 2016.

*A.K.A. The Creativity Tip-of-the-Month Club

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Creativity Tip #1

Library SelectionsRead something like one of these

Ideaspotting - Sam Harrison

Little Blue Book of Advertising - Lance/Woll

How the Paper Fish Learned to Swim - Flaum

Anything by Edward De Bono

The Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy - Tom Monahan

Hegarty on Advertising - John Hegarty4

Card Carrying Creative

Don’t leave home without it

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Warning! Warning!

You are now entering

The

Creativity Zone™

The enemy of creat ivi ty . . . i s fear.

We’re a l l born creat ive; i t takes a l i t t le while to become afraid.

A surpr is ing insight : an enemy of fear is creat ivi ty. Act ing in a creat ive way generates

act ion, and act ion persuades the fear to l ighten up.

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The Enemy of Creativity

What is creativity?

Creat ivi ty is the spark - that igni tes what you say and how you say i t . . . Or . . . what you do and how you do i t .

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Creativity . . .

The ability to see, feel, touch, think and imagine what one has not seen, felt, touched, thought or imagined before.

The sudden cessation of stupidity.

“Intelligence having fun.”

A state of mind - when the mind has fun, creativity is boundless

Creativity occurs more easily when people perceive there are no limits.

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Be like Harley

“Creativity as a weapon of business is under-leveraged not for lack of ideas, but for lack of courage to use them or refusal to give up on them. The phrase, ‘We don’t have time for creativity,’ is not something you would ever hear

in the most successful businesses.”

-- Mark-hans Richer, SVP/CMOHarley-Davidson

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Dilbert’s Take on Creativity

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Creativity Tip #2

Kick Starting Creativity

Ye Olde Creativity Survival Kit:Makes you feel creative, think creatively

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Creativity Tips #3 & 4

Warp Speed Thinking✦ Answering simple question to solve a problem

✦ Generating ideas at breakneck speed

✦ Capture one idea per Post-it Note (single word or two or phrase)

Strive for 50 ideas in 5 minutes

Ideas must be clear with basic value explained in 20 seconds; borrow an 8-year old--if she gets it, u r ok.

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Uncle Albert says . . .

Einstein Quote

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Creativity Tip #5

Drill Down Technique #1Trying to hit THE idea from a standard approach

After eliminating duplicates . . .

Select “best” half from your Post-its

(another quick drill — only 2-3 minutes)

Select half of those each time until you’re down to 1.

Is it the best one? Supposedly. But wait . . .

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Creativity Tip #6

Drill Down Technique #2

Trying to hit THE idea from a different perspective

Select 5 best ideas from Post-its (2-3 minutes)

Is the last idea the best?

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Creativity Tips #7-10

7.) Jekyl & Hyde Approach - funny or serious

8.) Ask a Better Question or Provoke Conversation

9.) Visit your Inner Sanctum or Safe Haven

10.) What’s Happening in Your World (Oreo)

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The World of Oreo

Pay attention to the world around you

Oreo’s 100 Year Celebration

Mars Rover, Gay Pride, Eye Patch

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Creativity Tip #11

Idea Wall - anywhere your Post-it Note ideas can gather together in one place

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Creativity Tip #12

Idea Tub - physical place, thing or electronic file where all ideas ever submitted are collected and organized in a

manner that’s easily accessible

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Creativity Tip #13 . . .

Don’t manage creativity; manage for creativityBe open and receptive to exploring new ideas

Failure is an option. Can’t have success unless you’re prepared to fail

Consider Pixar’s “Suckless Mentality”

What toys do you have?

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Have a “Mr. Dithers” at Work?

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It’s time now for . . .

O d d b a l l O b s e r v a t i o n s

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Oddball Observation #1

Do not bring a DEAD CAT without a shovel!

Never present a problem without bringing the shovel: At least two possible solutions.

Share your creative thinking while learning what’s important to management.

Remember, you may not know all there is to know.

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Oddball Observation #2

“Creative people are 50% ego and 50% insecurity. They need to be constantly told they’re good and they’re loved.”

--Lee Clow,Worldwide Creative Director,

TBWA Media Arts Lab

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Oddball Observation #3

The key to accomplishing anything great is being too stupid to realize

it can’t be done.

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Remember . . .

Don’t Let Execution Bury IdeaEven when strategy is clear, message can still be diluted if the creative is too cute, too complex or just plain dumb.

Care only about two things: Idea must work and be relevant.

The computer and software are just tools to enhance the idea, not to compete with, replace, or screw it up.

Technology notwithstanding, be able to jot down your thoughts on paper or the infamous cocktail napkin. Take the time to think and capture creative thoughts.

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Steve & Moses

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Remember . . .

Don’t ever underestimate the power of your mind or imagination.

Don’t be afraid to ask . . . “Why, why not, or what if?”

Never fall in love with your idea. . . There’s always a better one around the corner.

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Some Things to Think About . . .

Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them

You may not even need yet another new idea; better to figure out what to do with the ones you’ve got

Bigger ideas leapfrog mediocre ones; get a bigger crayon

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And . . .

“We don’t get creative once everything is okay; we are creative because everything is not okay - yet.” - - Seth Godin

“Innovation in one field can spark brilliant ideas in another.”- - Creativity Editor Ann-Christine Diaz

“Whatever the case, a creative approach to problem solving will serve you well.”- - Advertising Age Editor Ken Wheaton

Now, it’s your time.Be like a Renegade!

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Renegades*

Long live the pioneers Rebels and mutineersGo forth and have no fearCome close and lend an ear

So, all hail the underdogsAll hail the new kidsAll hail the outlawsSpielbergs and Kubrics

It’s our time to make a moveIt’s our time to make amendsIt’s our time to break the rulesLet’s begin . . .

AAF Rio Grande Valley

It’s your year to bring forth ideasIt’s your year to innovate

It’s your year to createIt’s your year, but don’t wait

Let’s begin . . .

*Lyrics by the X-Ambassadors

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Thank You, AAF-Rio Grande Valley!

Joe Fournet Ideas & MORE

www.ideasnmore.net j4net.prosite.com

ideasnmoreblog.com j4net@ideasnmore.net

#ideabeagle 713-459-1856

Copyright 2016 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved

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