Finally Not 10

I’ve spent some time reading, well skimming, Guy Kawasaki writing. He has this really nice, familiar, reliable and stable pattern – lists of 10 which is just too much for me. Finally I ran into something he wrote and finally it is a list of only 4 items – a capacity I can digest – and it’s about creativity, which I do care about deeply – so finally I can relate 🙂

The short version (the full post here):

1. Give yourself permission to think up many ideas.
2. Keep chewing on the problem.
3. Build on ideas that came before.
4. Put yourself in environment that will use different parts of your brain.

I have run into quite a few lists – like this one – and they are great academic ideas – they seem to provide very little practical tools on how to do this – without which they are waving in the air  like bate – but never really applied. So here is a sequel of ideas on how to put these into action:

1. Play – enjoy yourself, surround yourself with games and laughter. Creativity is shy – if you try to coax it into the light it will hide in the corner, if you leave it be it will suddenly appear at your side when you least expect. It will play with you.
2. Graze – like cows do – they are not trying to achieve or prove anything, they are not doing something important, they simply do what they do. You may feel lost when you are grazing – this is a great place to be – don’t try to fix it, solve it or make it better. Keep grazing.
3. Get Comfortable – don’t challenge yourself right off the start – place yourself in a familiar setting, do things you can do with ease – let your mind, body & soul experience that “it can”.
4. Rest – actively sacrifice  doing something you think is important and instead rest – do whatever it is that enables you to relax. It’s not something you should do when you “find the time” (after years of hard work when your body breaks down in illness) – do it now.

I will venture a fifth idea – that applies to all four: use your body, be physical. Creativity lives & flows throughout your body – move your body and creativity will rise to the call.