creativity Archives | VoiceAmerica Press Blog

Review: Color Quest AR * Fantastic! The Ultimate Creativity App Combining Digital Drawing, Coloring And Augmented Reality Features

Posted by

Kids First on December 2, 2022

Opportunities in the BCM Industry to be Stay Relevant!

Posted by

rstapholz on November 26, 2021

Business

Opportunities in the BCM Industry to be Stay Relevant!

Join me Feb 3/21 at 1pm EST!

What opportunities are there in the Resilience / Business Continuity Management (BCM) industry that enable professionals to be – and stay – relevant? The answer that that question and many more, are discussed as I talk with the CEO of Crisis Ally, Alexandra Hoffman.

In this episode, Alexandra talks about:

a) continuous learning

b) the willingness to accept and be part of change

c) the role of Diversity and Inclusion

d) soft (Human) skills

e) linking activity to the organization’s purpose (and the overall culture),

f) the differences between resilience and sustainability…or the lack thereof, and so much more.

Alexandra’s passion for the Resilience, Business Continuity Management, and Security industry’s is easily apparent, as she shares many great insights into how industry professionals can shine before, during, and after, an adverse event. Don’t miss it!

Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity & Inclusion Right

Posted by

rstapholz on November 26, 2021

Business

Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity & Inclusion Right

Join me Feb 10/22 at 1pm EST!

Diversity & Inclusion is good for you, for your community, and good for you organization. It’s the smart thing to do. Ignoring D&I can create many issues and challenges for organizational leaders. Join me as I talk with speaker, author, and award winning Diversity & Inclusion expert, Michael Bach, about his book “Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right”. Michael and I talk about:

a) Define some key terms associated with D&I, including a term you may not be familiar with – Intersectionality,

b) Is ‘reverse discrimination’ a real thing?.

c) The Social Justice and Creativity & Innovation D&I Models,

d) The development of the D&I Business Case, and all that it entails,

e) Measuring D&I Success, and

f) What gets in the way of D&I. It’s a very interesting talk with Michael, who really shines a different light on the D&I topic, and clears up some common misconceptions about it. He even clears a couple of for me. If you want your organization to be better at its D&I initiative, and understand why it may not be working the way you’d hoped, listen to what Michael has to share. Enjoy!

Spotting Opportunities for Creativity and Innovation

Posted by

rstapholz on May 26, 2021

Business

Spotting Opportunities for Creativity and Innovation

This week’s article is provided by Jeff DeGraff, author of The Creative Mindset: Mastering the Six Skills that Power Innovation. This is an edited excerpt from his book and a companion to his interview on Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future titled The Creative Mindset: Mastering Skills that Empower Innovation that aired on Tuesday, June 1st.

Regrettably, swaggering catchphrases like “go big or go home” are commonly associated with creative thinking. Accordingly, most of these braggarts end up doing the latter. The next big thing most likely will be small. Instead of trying to develop the next breakthrough technology, you might find an unfilled niche that a current technology could fill if it were used differently. Maybe a solution could be creative simply by applying it in a new way.

For example, super glue was developed for industrial, and household uses, but is now commonly used to close wounds. Alternatively, an old problem may be solved with a new approach. Consider how the repair of highway embankments was greatly expedited by adding cement to industrial canvas. Drape the cement-infused fabric like a carpet and just add water. Voilà, instant infrastructure. The solution doesn’t have to be revolutionary for the effect to be. Better, cheaper, and faster might also work.

When you’re searching for an opportunity for creative thinking, here are three things to look for:

Find Unmet Needs and Fill Them
- Examine where clients and consumers are dissatisfied with a solution. For example, the poor patient satisfaction score of a medical practice might suggest an opportunity to connect physicians with a ridesharing service. Think of it as a return to house calls. Perhaps you notice that there are no decent restaurants in a number of rural areas near your house. There aren’t enough people in any one location to make a restaurant viable. You might repurpose an old delivery van as a gourmet food truck like the ones that line the streets of New York and Los Angeles. Each week you could bring a different cuisine. The key insight here is to uncover a shortcoming or void and to fill it.
Find Inefficiencies and Fix Them
- Observing when and where services are untimely is a great way to locate a high-potential opportunity. Parking in any big city is a prime example. Municipalities generate an enormous amount of their revenue by writing parking tickets. Even though the technology exists to digitally connect the driver with the parking space, few cities adopt the solution because it is expensive and cuts into their profits. But, in reality, one does not need substantial financial support from the cities to produce such a product. By examining the traffic pattern data available to the public, based on probabilities, a software developer can develop an app that would serve the same purpose at a fraction of the cost and directly market it to drivers. The challenge isn’t to improve the technology. Instead, it’s to make parking more efficient. This type of challenge can be met without a massive amount of money. It just takes looking at it with a creative mindset.
Find Complexity and Get Rid of It
- Identify systems that are unnecessarily complicated or that rely too heavily on bureaucratic procedures, and make them simpler. Suppose you are a college freshman at a large institution. You are directed to a website to select your first courses. There is a counselor you can see, but only for a few minutes, and you will have to wait almost until the deadline to register for courses. The complexity of the situation is anxiety-producing and counterproductive to get you set up for success at the start of your education.

Suppose that an enterprising librarian created a call-in service, something akin to what software companies do. The service representatives would have segmented different groups of students based on several variables such as interest, aptitude, and so on. They would have collaborated with the counselors beforehand and created several effective pathways for those student segments. They might be fluent in the registration system of a few universities. Students can use the call-in service to get help and advice on how to select courses based on their interests and walk through the process with the service representatives. The challenge of complexity might be better solved by working against technology trends.

This example is about not creating a new, more advanced technology but reverting to the old-fashion way of talking on the phone to someone who can answer all your questions and walk you through the technology to register for your classes. Sometimes, advanced technology doesn’t help as much as a simpler human solution.

Clarifying Your Challenge Pay Attention.

Look up, down, and all around yourself. Look for the things that other people don’t see. Chances are that if you see an obvious occasion to innovate, other people see it, too. So look for subtle patterns, small holes, tiny inconsistencies, minor inefficiencies. The opportunity to innovate may be inside something you see every day, but you’ll never see it if you don’t look closely enough.

You want to enter any innovation challenge with your eyes wide open. Before you embark on any new project, especially one that will consume your time, effort, and other resources, you need to be sure that you are solving the right problem and that you really want to do it. Otherwise, you will start many projects but never finish them.

Do not forget to learn from others. Technical descriptions can take you only so far. Meaningful conversations are what will shed the most light on your goals and situation. Listen to stories. Ask open-ended questions. If someone takes one point of view or tone, gently explore the opposite one and see how the person reacts. Pay attention to that person’s body language and energy. Follow-up questions are the key to learning what you really need to know. Good creators are, first and foremost, good listeners.

To become a more innovative leader, you can begin by taking our free leadership assessments and then enrolling in our online leadership development program.

Check out the companion interview and past episodes of Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future, via iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRADIO, and NPR One. Stay up-to-date on new shows airing by following the Innovative Leadership Institute LinkedIn.

About the Author

Jeff DeGraff is both an advisor to Fortune 500 companies and a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. His simultaneously creative and pragmatic approach to making innovation happen has led clients and colleagues to dub him the “Dean of Innovation.” He has written several books, including Leading Innovation, Innovation You, and The Innovation Code. His most recent book The Creative Mindset brings 6 creativity skills to everyone.

Creativity

Posted by

presspass on August 8, 2019

Empowerment

Creativity

Ariel and Shya Kane

Human beings by nature are creative. We have however, recorded everything that has happened in our past and linked it to our creative process, leading us to erroneously form the point of view that the creative process itself is a function of our struggling, our painful past or our “neurosis.” And if we were to lose that neurosis, our mind thinks that our artistic abilities would be lost as well.

A woman once attended one of our seminars and balked at the idea of letting go of her emotional pain. The sudden loss of her husband had been a major turning point in her life. The time following his death was extremely painful, sad and yet creative, too. Thrust by unfortunate circumstance into a completely different life, the new widow found herself surprisingly capable, increasingly directed and vitally alive. A year later, she was still nurturing the pain and sadness as well as her new found sense of herself. She was afraid, she explained, that if she let go of the pain, anger and sadness she would lose what she had gained in the past year. The shocking loss and ensuing pain had acted as a catalytic agent which sparked her creativity. Her mind then stored all aspects of this time period, and compressed them into a single strategy for success. As we coached her to look, she discovered she was now ready and willing to have the creativity without the pain.

With awareness, you can melt the aspects of your way of being that do not truly produce the results you want, in effect distilling the creative process. No longer does the word “struggling” have to be linked to artist. No longer do pain and neurosis have to be the companion to creativity.

Our creativity is inhibited by past decisions that we have made about our own ability to create. Let’s say, for instance, while growing up, you were not a very good writer of book reports in school. Perhaps one day you got a report back and written on it was a bright red “D” with the words, “Below Average!” The mind records the physical sensations that accompany the grade and also a statement that goes something like, “I am not very good at writing. I am Below Average!”. This statement is available to play back every time you write a new document. The statement may have been true when you were in grammar school, but it may not be true for the adult person that you have become. The problem is that every time you sit down to create something, that recording of, “I am not very good at writing. I am Below Average”, can jump forward between you and the blank page.

Another thing that hinders the creative process is our own internal self-governor or critic. Looking over something you have written, for instance and evaluating it for merit, syntax, grammar, spelling, etc. is obviously a useful thing to do, but timing is everything. Many people apply the process of judging and evaluating their work as they go. This blocks the flow, stops continuity and does not allow for ideas to complete themselves because the sentence, paragraph or idea is being amended even as it is coming into being.

Webster’s dictionary defines “create” as: to cause to come into existence; bring into being; make; originate. Whether you are an artist, working with your hands, applying paint to canvas, writing music or standing on a stage and bringing a character to life it is important to include one detail. The creative process is like the gestation period for a child which one hopes will be born in good health. A little bit of poison can go a long way towards altering the health of the child. Our self-judgments act like poison. If you want to expand your ability to be creative, practice the art of being kind to yourself. Contrary to what some believe, being self critical and hard on yourself does not lead to better quality work. If you are not vigorously chastising mistakes you will not suddenly become complacent and let your work slide. Rather you may find yourself encouraged to take bigger risks and watch as what seems to be a mistake to the judgmental mind turns into something shiny and new that was never even conceived of before.

When one truly creates, one stands in the moment and interacts directly with his or her environment. Not through the filter of thought. Not through one’s personal history. It is a direct expression of the being.

Since 1987, internationally acclaimed authors, seminar leaders, podcast/radio show hosts and business consultants Ariel and Shya Kane have acted as guides, leading people through the swamp of the mind into the clarity and brilliance of the moment. Find out more about the Kanes, their seminars in NYC, Germany and Costa Rica, the Say YES to Your Life! Meetups their work has inspired, their Being Here podcast or join their email newsletter. Also get information about their award-winning books. Their newest book, Being Here…Too, is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and everywhere books are sold.

Creativity from the Inside Out

Posted by

Editor on February 28, 2018

Empowerment

Creativity from the Inside Out

My blog helps people better their lives by releasing their fears and blossoming into who they are meant to be. Regular features include my tip of the week, my Silver Lining story and a response from Marian Stephens, who is using the information in my radio show, Uplift Your Life: Nourishment of the Spirit, to change her life. Her first email to me impressed me so much that I invited her to be a regular part of my blog. I hope we inspire you to change your life. All my previous blogs are on my website, paulajoyce.com and the first post with Marian’ Story went up last week. Be sure to check it out and follow Marian’s progress.

Dr. Paula’s Tip for the Week

This week my radio show guest, Cathy Wild, and I explore the many different ways creativity facilitates personal growth. My tip for the week is a sure-fire way to jumpstart a new and exciting phase of connecting with your higher self.

Your tip for the week from my e-book, 33 Tips for Self-Empowerment. I wrote this book because when you are self-empowered, you are connected to your limitless higher self, your soul, your intuition, your gut feelings, your guidance. Our limitless higher self is the wiser part of ourselves, the part that knows the Truth of who we are. Our logical mind is so loud, however, that it often drowns out the whisper that is trying to guide us on our authentic path. As you learn to listen to the still small voice within, you will begin to feel at peace. Because your limitless higher self has direct access to the Divine, it is through this connection that miracles occur, like unexpected healing, healthy relationships, peace and wealth. This connection gives you an inner foundation of love, which eliminates fear. It is through this love that you can heal the planet and yourself and make the shift into the 4th dimension. Our higher self helps us find safety and even save our own life and others’ lives. We must train ourselves to trust our higher self and never go against it. Don’t talk yourself out of something that feels right to you or let what others say or think influence what you do. Please use these tips. My Tip for this week is in honor of our topic today: Discover Your Creativity: You can reconnect with your Higher Self by discovering what form of creativity gives you joy. Explore writing, dance, music and art. Create just for your own pleasure, self-expression and self-discovery. If you are concerned about people criticizing you, keep your creative explorations to yourself. Our creative expression doesn’t have to be public. It can be just for ourselves, a way of discovering more about what we think and feel, a way of letting go of hidden pain and fears and a way of unleashing buried parts of ourselves. The act of unbridled, free creation is an act of courage. We may be putting ourselves out there in a way that goes beyond the limits of what we’ve been taught is acceptable, yet it may be the very thing we need to do to become fully ourselves. When exploring your creativity, you are exploring your true self and it’s OK to be protective. In fact, you may need to be protective initially to feel safe. In time, you want to be able to feel safe being who you are anywhere, but it doesn’t happen all at once or you can scare yourself back into hiding. Be patient with yourself and have compassion for the parts of you that are still reluctant or fearful. That self-compassion will ultimately help all of who you are feel safe being seen.

Dr. Paula’s Silver Lining Story

2018 is set to be the year of hidden truths coming to light. Some of it is already emerging regarding abuse of women. Utilizing the creative process will guarantee women’s voices will be heard loud and clear as is illustrated in my silver lining moment.

At the 60th annual Grammy awards on Sunday, the president of the recording Academy, Neil Portnow, said in a backstage comment: “women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry and the executive level” need to “step up.” The silver lining is that his prejudicial statement has brought out the truth about the difficulty women have in getting equal treatment in the music industry. The numbers say it all: only 22.4% of the artists are women, only 12.3% of songwriters are women and only 2% of producers are women, only one woman received an award during the televised portion of the Grammys and only 16.8% of musicians played on popular radio are women. Katy Perry said, “I’m proud of all the women making incredible art in the face of continual resistance.” For Portnow to attack women’s creativity was outrageous. When there is institutionalized discrimination, we all have an obligation to call it out and work for change. The paradox was the big moment Kesha had performing her song Praying, which was about her experience of sexual and emotional abuse by her music producer. It was a triumphant moment, and hopefully ushering in a new era for the music industry. Women are leading the charge for change, and I hope they use their anger to add more fuel to their already substantial creative juices and show the world what we are all capable of when we are allowed to shine.

Marian Stephens’ Story

I am a mother of four boys ages 2 to 17 and a stepmom to a twelve-year-old boy. In the last three months, I’ve gotten married, blended a family, moved into a new apartment, been trying to find a rhythm, worked on finding my motherly voice in this family of men, began discovering and pursuing creative outlets with my husband, and attempted to figure life out again at age forty-two. Not that I had it figured out at thirty-two or even twenty-two, but I do know I could answer the questions posed in today’s episode with a lot less effort when I was younger. Taking care of a family and often putting their needs first makes knowing who I am, what I want, and that those things matter not always feel particularly important. I think in order to live my truth, I need to ask these questions first.

Five years ago I had the realization that I was barely living my life, much less living it authentically, and everything changed. I discovered after listening to this episode that I have been in the process of finding my creativity for the past five years. Listeners were asked how they would like to express themselves creatively and my answer is easy – writing! After listening, I realize that writing is part of my purpose, not just a fun activity. Now I need to set aside wondering if I have talent or a great work inside of me and let the joy of expressing my heart and mind with a keyboard be my vehicle for personal growth that overshadows my fear of sounding silly.

I think viewing building and living a life that I love as my most important creation can make the process so much more enjoyable. Knowing its importance might give me the courage to make hard choices and stay on the path I am choosing when it feels overwhelming.

This week I began a new job and found myself overwhelmed with the new responsibility of being organized, prioritizing, and setting boundaries with my children necessary to correctly complete the tasks I was given. I have been half-heartedly homeschooling my eight-year-old son and it felt newly impossible this week. I have contemplated putting him into school since I moved because homeschooling is putting a strain on my relationship with everyone in my house. It became clear this week that I am not able to be fully invested in homeschooling, writing, or being successful at the unique work opportunity in front of me. The questions that Dr. Paula and Cathy gave listeners to ask themselves when creating suddenly made the right choice for me crystal clear. This new position allows me to work from home, work with inspirational people, and write. If I continue to fear allowing my son to experience public school, I am going to jeopardize something that puts me squarely on the path to creating a fulfilling life for my family. So, my son begins school next week!

For more shows on creativity, please listen to:

A Journey Into the Vast and Beautiful World of Creativity featuring Yelizaveta Nersesova

Making the Conversation Real: Looking through the eyes of Courage, Beauty and Wisdom featuring David Whyte

Adult Coloring Books for Fun, Relaxation and Healing featuring David Bookbinder

FREE CHAPTER, THE ULTIMATE CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS, FROM MY BEST-SELLING BOOK, “NOTHING BUT NET”

To learn more about my unique process that removes hidden blockages, unleashes your creativity and helps you solve your most challenging problems, click here to sign up for my newsletter and receive the chapter as my gift: http://paulajoyce.com/wpsite/newsletter-sign-up/

Curiosity By Ariel & Shya Kane

Posted by

Editor on September 20, 2016

7th Wave

âI have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.â â Albert Einstein

If you wish to live in the moment, then being curious is a great place to start. Join Ariel and Shya in Being Here, as they explore this moment with passion and a willingness to discover what is possible, right now. Callers welcome at Tel# 1-866-472-5795!

Listen Live this Wednesday, September 21st at 9am PST / 12pm EST on the VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Channel.
Link

After this Wednesday, you can stream or download this episode and over 400 episodes on a wide variety of topics from our archives here.
Link

You can also subscribe to BEING HERE on iTunes!
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Are We Having Fun Yet? – Part II by Ariel & Shya Kane

Posted by

Editor on July 18, 2016

7th Wave

July 20: Are We Having Fun Yet? â Part II

âPlay is the highest form of researchâ – Albert Einstein

When you are seriously trying to get somewhere you stop having fun. In this delightful episode of Being Here discover how fun is not a diversion from succeeding, but rather a pathway to fully living. Callers welcome at Tel# 1-866-472-5795!

Listen Live this Wednesday, July 20th at 9am PST / 12pm EST on the VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Channel.

After this Wednesday, you can stream or download this episode and over 400 episodes on a wide variety of topics from our archives here.

You can also subscribe to BEING HERE on iTunes!

Are You a Know It All? by Ariel & Shya Kane

Posted by

Editor on June 27, 2016

7th Wave

June 29, 2016: Are You a Know It All?

People are limited by what they already know. Want to discover something new? Ready to access your creativity and intuition? Join Ariel & Shya Kane and step into Being Here where life is new and fresh and alive.

Listen Live this Wednesday, June 29th at 9am PST / 12pm EST on the VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Channel.

After this Wednesday, you can stream or download this episode and over 400 episodes on a wide variety of topics from our archives here.

You can also subscribe to BEING HERE on iTunes!

How to Run a Profitable Business as a Creative Entrepreneur by Hemda Mizrahi

Posted by

Editor on February 16, 2016

Business

Business Coach Rob Fortier joined me on âTurn the Pageâ to describe what it takes for creative entrepreneurs to run a profitable business.

After his guest appearance on my show, Rob offered three additional strategies and related tactics for owners of new or growth ventures.

MAKE BOLD CHOICES.
During the interview, we discussed that success starts with adopting a business-owner mindset. Part of that, as an entrepreneur, is asking yourself and considering: What am I willing to do or give up in order to get what I want and reach my goals?

Are you willing to be brave and step out of your comfort zone? Are you willing to think bigger than you ever have before? Are you willing to take risks even though you might fail?

Action steps to make bold choices:

* Make a list of five bold, positive choices youâre willing to make for your business.
* Identify which one of the five will have the most significant impact on your business.
* List five moves you will make to take action on that bold choice.
* Decide what you can stop doing or give up to create more opportunity for your business.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
During the show, we discussed how important it is to define your target market. Who are the purchasers and consumers of your products or services? Â Who do you want to be serving? Many creative entrepreneurs are tempted to say âeveryone!â No matter what you do or how good you are, your work is not for everyone. The person who buys a $20 poster at the local discount store might not be the same person whoâs willing to spend $1,000 for an original painting.

The last thing you want to do is waste your valuable time and money marketing to the wrong people. The more specific you can be, the better.

Questions to ask yourself when determining your target market:

* To whom do my products or services appeal?
* How old are my customers?
* What do my customers do for a living?
* Where do my customers shop?
* Where do my customers or clients hang out (online or in person)?
* How much are they willing to spend on products or services like mine?
* How often do they purchase my product or service?
* What is their yearly income?

ENERGIZE YOUR MONEY.
During the interview, we talked about drawing a map that guides your business toward financial stability. This process involves learning to do what I call âEnergizing Your Money.â Â As an entrepreneur or business owner, itâs vital to look at your attitude about money and what youâre saying about it. Many people have a love/hate relationship with money: they love it when you have it and hate it when they donât! Â Do you often say that you are poor and that you canât afford this or that?

Strategies for Energizing Your Money:

* Replace âI canât afford it!â with âThatâs not something Iâm choosing to invest my money in right now.â How does that change things for you?

* Take a look at what youâre spending your money on. Decide right now that you will stop perpetuating the scarcity mentality. Start living from a place of abundance and sending that positive message out into the world. Developing a positive attitude around money will affect the choices you make.

* Choose to INVEST in YOU and your success as a creative entrepreneur by honing in on what you need to run your business rather than just SPENDING money.

* Money is meant to flow in and out, back and forth. Â Donât clutch onto it for dear life. Â When you spend it, wish it well and send it on its way. When you earn it, welcome it and give thanks.

* Donât be intimidated by money. Ask for money youâre owed for work you completed.

Rob advises, âtaking any action in your business is better than taking no action at all. Donât wait for amazing opportunities to come to you. Go out and create them. If you want to create for your own enjoyment, youâve got a hobby. If you want to create so that you can serve the needs of others, thatâs a business!â

He suggests the following resources for further guidance: âThe War of Artâ by Steven Pressfield, and âSelling For Fun and Profit: Take the “Icky” and “Scary” Out of Sales,â by Hugh Little.

Ready to go even further to ensure your success as a creative entrepreneur? Read Robâs free workbook, available at www.RobFortier.com, and purchase a recording of his talk at a business telesummit: http://www.unstoppableprofitsrockstarcreatives.com

Listen to my conversation with Rob.

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