Kick-Starting Creativity Without Screwing Up the Idea!

A Special Presentation to AAF-Northeast Arkansas August 23, 2012 by Joe Fournet

copyright 2012 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved

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Handouts & Take Aways

Helpful Stuff - - websites & books Top Tips 39 Around-the-Web Ways to Kick-Start Highlights, SlideShare, Podcast Questions throughout
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The iCloud: Its not what you think

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Some Creativity Stuff

What is creativity Power of ideas Capturing creativity
Presenting the iKit Warp Speed Thinking Drill Down Techniques

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Smore Stuff
What to do with those ideas you generate?
Idea Wall Idea Tub

What makes for a creative environment?

SuckLess mentality Dead cat

Things to ponder & Wrap up

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Warning!
You are now entering

The Creativity Zone

Creativity
C r ea tivity s e ems al l about th ought and concepts . So, what is it really?

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What is creativity?
Cr eat i v i t y i s t h e s p a r k - th e s p ar k that ignites what you say and how y ou s a y i t . Or . . . what you do and how you do it.

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What does creativity mean to you?

OK, who wants to be rst?

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Creativity . . .
should be synonymous with a popular 4-letter word that begins with F...U...
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Creativity . . . Relax!
Were talking

FUN!
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Creativity Insights

Creativity is a state of mind When the mind has fun, creativity is boundless Creativity occurs when people perceive there are no limits.

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More Creativity Insights

Creativity can be dened as the ability to see, feel, touch, think and imagine what one has not seen, felt, touched, thought or imagined before. Creativity the sudden cessation of stupidity. My favorite denition: Intelligence having fun.

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A Fickle Mistress

Creative is a ckle mistress; she will not be rushed or forced, she will not answer simply because your or I call; It isnt always the clients fault that the work sucketh.
-- D. Walker, Brown & Browner

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Be like Harley
Creativity as a weapon of business is underleveraged not for lack of ideas, but for lack of courage to use them or refusal to give up on them. The phrase, We dont have time for creativity, is not something you would ever hear in the most successful businesses.
-- Mark-hans Richer, SVP/CMO Harley-Davidson

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Youre creative if . . .
You have the ability to challenge your own imagination and stimulate thoughts to lead you to a new level of solution. Were all creative because . . . Each one of us represents a different perspective, a different creative slant. However . . .
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Adobes State of Create

Global benchmark study on attitudes and beliefs about creativity Surveyed 5,000 adults in ve countries US, UK, Germany, France, Japan Less than half described themselves as creative Only 1 in 4 believe they are living up to their creative potential Yet, 76% of Americans feel that being creative is valuable

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Workplace Creativity Gap

Dened by the increasing pressure to be productive rather than creative at work Average employee spends 25% of workday creating Many did not recognize they were creating in nonconventional positions Universal concern: Educational systems stiing creativity US takes creativity for granted

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Any Questions?

Well?

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Ideas

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Power of Ideas

Simplest idea, creatively and smartly executed, can differentiate the forgettable from the memorable. Ideas + Creativity = Logic + Magic. Best results = ideas are media and discipline neutral.

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Dont Let Execution Bury Idea

Even when strategy is clear, message can still be diluted if the creative is too cute, too complex or just plain dumb. 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.

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Technology in the Clouds

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Earthly Insights
Agencies and Clients should only care about two things: How to make the idea work and be relevant. Be creative business thinkers as well as storytellers in relating to audiences. 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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Check Your Ego!

Creative people are 50% ego and 50% insecurity. They need to be constantly told theyre good and theyre loved.
--Lee Clow, Worldwide Creative Director, TBWA Chiat-Day

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Soooooooooooooooooo,

Never fall in love with your idea! Theres always a better one around the corner.

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Creativitys Cardinal Rules

Dont ever underestimate the power of your mind or imagination. In order to innovate or create, move beyond the conventional.
To hell with the status quo (attitude) Reality check will come, trust me

Dont be afraid to ask . . .

Why, why not, or what if?
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Questions??

???????????????????????

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Capturing Creativity

How do you do that?

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Presenting the iKit

Ye Olde Creativity Survival Kit: Makes you feel creative, think creatively Warp Speed Thinking Drill Down Idea Tub
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Warp Speed Thinking

Generating ideas at breakneck speed by capturing one idea (single word or two or phrase) per Post-it Note in answering simple question to solve a problem.

No time to analyze or judge or be fearful! Strive for 50 ideas in 5 minutes

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Drill Down Technique #1

Trying to hit THE idea from a standard approach After eliminating duplicates . . . Select best half from your Post-its (you only have 2-3 minutes) Select half of those until youre down to 5. Select 2, then 1. Is it the best one? Supposedly. But wait . . .
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Drill Down #2
Trying to hit THE idea from a different perspective Select 5 best ideas from Post-its (2-3 minutes)

Surprise!

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More Drill Down #2

After you have selected and discarded all Post-its until youre down to one, consider this . . . Is it the best one? Its denitely one you would not have paid any attention to were it not for this exercise. It may be the hidden gem. Consider doing BOTH techniques with different groups

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Idea Wall & Idea Tub

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

Idea Tub - physical place, thing or electronic le where all

ideas ever submitted are collected and organized in a manner thats easily accessible

Remember: Bad ideas are forgotten; good ones need storage

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Creative Environment
Dont manage creativity; manage FOR creativity Environment must be open and receptive to exploring new ideas
Acknowledge them as achievement & worthy ambition

Be prepared to take risks What toys do you have?

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Youre going to screw up!

So it comes with being daring that youre going to screw up. But Id rather apologize than to be so timid as to not try and do anything smart or brave.
-- Lee Clow Worldwide Creative Director TBWA/ChiatDay

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Failure is an option

You cant have success unless youre prepared to have failure As soon as you say failure is not an option, youve just said innovation is not an option. Have the courage and guts to accept failure. Build it into your culture as part of the process; dont ridicule it, embrace it. Adopt Pixar Studios SuckLess mentality.

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What To Do With A Dead Cat

Do not bring a DEAD CAT without a shovel!
Never present a problem without bringing the shovel: At least two possible solutions. You save time if one of these is adopted, and you get to share your creative thinking while learning whats important to management. Remember, you may not know all there is to know.

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Its time now for . . .

Oddball Observations

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Oddball Observation #1
When it comes to applying yourself and being focused: Its okay to be orderly in your normal life, but be violent and original in your work.

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Oddball Observation #2

The key to accomplishing anything great is being too stupid to realize it cant be done.

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Oddball Observation #3
There will be mistakes made. According to Scott Adams, The Dilbert Principle: Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Copyright 2012 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved

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Thank You, AAF-NE Arkansas!!

Please send your donations to:

Joe Fournet Ideas & MORE www.ideasnmore.net j4net@ideasnmore.net Twitter: @ideabeagle 281-980-1802
Copyright 2012 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved

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