unfolding your brain - adobemax 2013
Post on 19-Sep-2014
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Discover why at times we feel on fire with creativity — and at other times we don’t. We'll explore the neuroscience of creativity, productivity techniques, and emerging practices that spur innovation and help our brains work best. Beware: This session challenges the standard norms for concentration, focus, and productivity and may change how you work — for the better. Presented at AdobeMax 2013.TRANSCRIPT
UnFolding Your Brain
Denise R. Jacobs AdobeMax Los Angeles, CA 6 May 2013
Catapult Your Creative Productivity!
For the Twitters I am: @denisejacobs This fine event: @adobemax #adobemax I’m talking about ways to: #unfoldyourbrain
Photos: Denise Jacobs and Stefan Nietzsche
Some little-known facts about me:
I’ve always loved to create, but…
But I was still afraid: am I truly creative?
Photo: Denise Jacobs
After writing this…
I had an epiphany
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055814772/
In terms of
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/
We all hold the power
http://www.flickr.com/photos/assbach/267598910/
My work: to facilitate access & process
Used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629076165/
Intro Is this all there is?
Office-bound
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewf/393637161/
Managers
Bureaucracy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749431435/
Adds up to
http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/__62375#img9
Oppressed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johannahobbs/2412291551/
“Houston, we have a problem…”
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S70-34902.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plindberg/33867829/
Most important tool for creativity?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APSM_V14_D495_Side_view_of_the_brain_and_spinal_cord.jpg
This one!
Your brain’s status?
Because you feel like this?
And/or like this?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmcamposjr/3630714365/
Our brains could be like this instead
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1eRPzp-nsRo/Tev0hqraxtI/AAAAAAAASDY/xs8YEgb4op4/s1600/beetle.jpg
When creativity is flowing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgeithner/5290115839/
We are alchemists
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Faust_image_19thcentury.jpg
And while it feels like magic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/2761300969/
“Creativity is magical, but is not magic.”
- Dr. Charles Limb, “Your Brain on Improvisation” TED talk
Remember, however
“Creativity is newness produced.”
- Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds
If we understand the mechanisms
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/304687602/
Something consistent; can be counted upon
Photo: Denise Jacobs
To share concepts, ideas, and tips for practices that help to better leverage your brain to catapult your creative productivity so that you can work better and create more!
My objective:
To be able to reach this!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/
Our Goals
1 Emancipate 2 Adjust 3 Practice 4 Generate 5 Innovate 6 Produce
1 emancipate
Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/539896911/
Busyness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wester/504925076/
Multitasking
It’s bad, mkay?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/3041235238/
Zeigarnik Effect
http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect
Communication addiction
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersdenken/2082816707/
Intermittent reinforcement
The monsters in your head
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/
“If your demons are such that they fill the room the instant you contemplate creating, your studio will be too dangerous a place to enter.”
- Eric Maisel, Fearless Creating
“False Evidence Appearing Real”
or, alternatively,
“F*ck Everything And Run!”
F.E.A.R. =
“The goal is to manage anxiety so that our energies are used for the productive and satisfying art of creating, rather than the destructive and debilitating art of self-torture.”
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution
Fear of failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
- Dr. Edwin Land, The Instant
Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experience
Inner Critic
Photo: Denise Jacobs
Impostor Syndrome
Impostor Syndrome Paradox
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/
Comparisons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3315558702/
Procrastination
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
Perfectionism
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/
Isolation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktylerconk/2324862289/
2 Adjust
Train your brain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/3211540197/
Left v. Right brain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/4639590640/
Left hemisphere
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smittenkittenoriginals/4451172538/
Right hemisphere
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885580/
“The parts of your brain that are responsible for self-monitoring are literally turned off during creative endeavors….Creative people have mastered the art of turning off [the inhibitive] part of their brains to let their ideas flow more smoothly, unleashing their imagination.”
- Tina Seelig, InGenius
Lower cognitive filters
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiba/483626169/
What are our brains constantly producing?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44568283@N02/4097561067/
Know your Brainwaves
Alpha: the gateway to creativity
Be mindful
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldave/3065425105/
Engage in mindless activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabi/2499381396/
Showers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3761878381/
Daydream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/
Get physical
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/
“When your brain is supposedly doing nothing, it’s really doing a tremendous amount.”
– Marcus Raichle, Neurologist
Unplug and take“Lo-fi” time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/2682666460/
Leverage biophilia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verifex/3782787057/
Thoughts on fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIt20emgLY
“Fear is not real. It is a product of the thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”
- character of Cypher Raige
(played by Will Smith), After Earth
Become a Fear Alchemist
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Wright_of_Derby_The_Alchemist.jpg
Negative Stress > Eustress
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avantgame/2323853965/
Reframe #FAIL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717326642/
Take ourselves less seriously
Laughter heals fears (& activates R-brain)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanchongzi/3545537282/
3 Practice
Exercise discipline
http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/5300957205/
Focus on meaningful tasks
http://www.43folders.com/2008/09/01/what-are-you-doing
Show up everyday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliseporter/2315794956/
Clean-up habit fields
http://www.flickr.com/photos/risager/3452272176/
Habit what?
http://alistapart.com/article/habit-fields
Manage time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolocampioni/2168286027/
Say NO to Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideon/6582069/
Single-task
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/
RescueTime.com
GetConcentrating.com
Pomodoro Technique
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/4975166968/
Airplane mode
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieterouwerkerk/699475144/
Delegate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/3645313261/
Work standing up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rknight/2645099486/
Why? Because
http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/
4 Generate
Start the flow of ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/international-festival/3018718331/
Look for problems to solve (or create them)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4441693270/
Art students were given 27 eclectic objects and were instructed to select a few and arrange a still life and draw it. Some examined relatively few objects, outlined their idea swiftly, and moved quickly to draw their still life. Others took their time: handled more objects, turned them this way and that, rearranged them several times, and needed much longer to complete the drawing.
It appeared as if the first group was trying to solve a problem: How can I produce a good drawing? Whereas the second was trying to find a problem: What good drawing can I produce?
The problem-finders’ drawings had been ranked much higher in creativity than the problem-solvers’. Ten years later, the problem-finders had all gone on to be professional artists, while the problem-solvers had left the art world.
Another decade later, the problem-finders were “significantly more successful — by the standards of the artistic community — than their peers.”
A study on problem-finding and creativity
Create a inspiring macro environment
Inspiring micro-environments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/info_grrl/6162309101/
Change environments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3475417696/
Start generating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathb/3933087930/
Capture ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosengrant/3637839874/
Write them down
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinator/2826079915/
Sketch them out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eoze04/4890376021/
Talk them out (& record it)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/3641402489/
Embrace disruption
Photo: Denise Jacobs
Gather and curate your ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmanviz/3181410714/
Evernote Pinterest.com Delicious.com Flickr.com Trello.com Zootool.com Gimmebar.com
Dropr.com Diigo Tumblr Imgspark.com Scrnshots.com Vi.sualize.us Emberapp.com
Tools to do so
5 Innovate
Do it with others
http://www.flickr.com/photos/u-suke/5668302030/
Immerse yourself in diverse environments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirinwiniger/3680885289/
Avoid sameness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dahlstroms/3774973833/
Incubate to generate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrymaya/480057790/
The source of great ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/
Brainstorming
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andymangold/4455910733/
Bring brilliance together
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4436484250/
Invite others to wonder with you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakecaptive/47065720/
Share ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/3861295403/
Share mistakes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilt/26322670/
Co-work to collaborate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeemick/5106610355/
Engage in parallel play
Photo: Denise Jacobs
Improvisation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roel1943/5740295789/
Plus it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66568868@N00/6032481145/
Proper tools to capture ideas
Photo courtesy of Post-it Brand & 3M
6
Produce
Tinker
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenturamon/83083170/
Prototype
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindmob/292609444/
Iterate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deliciousblur/4165405018/
• observe • suggest • tinker • review • apply feedback • reiterate
The d.school production process
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfear/289257055/
The stage is set for Flow
Flow?
• Concept in mind: knowing what you want to achieve and what it looks like
• Necessary materials on hand • Cleared space • Time carved out and distractions
eliminated • Practice in place
All of the previous steps lead you here:
Epilogue Liberation
Previously
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2084287794/
Moving forward
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/3317141795/
(Re)Gain Creative Confidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055807492/
“…the confidence that, when given a difficult problem, we have a methodology that enables us to come up with a solution that nobody has before.”
- David Kelley of Ideo
…which is
Joyfulness in work
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvm_71/5011353192/
Ideas are on and poppin’!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4957946157/
Cavalier creativity
AleitaAndre.com
Change Thinking > Change Habits > Change Results
http://starchild07.deviantart.com/art/Brainwaves-44238823
Value yourself, ideas, and process
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocait/2847866615/
Creativity will take off!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Space_Shuttle_Endeavour_launches_on_STS-99.jpg
The End…?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/232100469/
delicious.com/denisejacobs/unfoldyourbrain
delicious.com/denisejacobs/creativityhabit
delicious.com/denisejacobs/brainoncreativity
Always being updated as I find new relevant articles!
Resources!
My articles for further reading netmagazine.com/features/ four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity alistapart.com/articles/ reigniting-your-creative-spark/ alistapart.com/articles/ banishing-your-inner-critic/
My books!
The CSS Detective Guide CSSDetectiveGuide.com
InterAct With Web Standards
InterActWithWebStandards.com
My chapter: “Learning with the
Web”
Smashing Books #3 & #3 1/3 SmashingBook.com
My chapter: “The Missing Element of Redesign: Story”
Cover art thanks to Americo Morales
AmericoMorales.com
DeniseJacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs
Your Creativity Evangelist Extraordinaire
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/
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And finally
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27620885@N02/2609974180/i