You are here: Home / Archives for Create

Creativity

January 4, 2010 By davidebowman 4 Comments

One of the things I resolve to do in 2010 is to devote substantial amounts of intentional effort towards the development of my creativity. I view creativity as a personal strength, and I think it makes sense to spend considerable time enhancing this asset.  Inspired by my friend Artie Isaac, I am going to engage in a rigorous program to supercharge my creativity.

One way I am going to achieve this goal is read books related to the topic of Creativity.  I know I will make modifications, but thus far my list is as follows:

  • The Back Of The Napkin – Dan Roam
  • Drive – Dan Pink
  • Why Not? – Barry Nalebuff & Ian Ayres
  • Mindfulness – Ellen Langer
  • Happiness – Thich Nhat Han
  • All Marketers Are Liars – Seth Godin
  • Black Bodies & Quantum Cats – Jennifer Ouellette
  • Presentation Zen – Garr Reynolds
  • Thinkertoys – Michael Michalko
  • Mastery – George Leonard
  • The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
  • Orbiting the Giant Hairball – Gordon Mackenzie
  • Musicophilia – Oliver Sacks
  • The Artist’s Way at Work – Mark Bryan, Julia Cameron, & Catherine Allen
  • Rules For Revolutionaries – Guy Kawasaki
  • Free Prize Inside – Seth Godin
  • Purple Cow – Seth Godin
  • The Dip – Seth Godin
  • The 80/20 Principle – Richard Koch
  • Ignore Everybody – Hugh MacLeod
  • Lateral Thinking – Edward DeBono
  • Flow – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  • Finding Flow – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  • Creativity – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  • Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite – Paul Arden
  • The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp
  • Simplicity – John Maeda
  • The Whole Brain Business Book – Ned Herrmann
  • A Whole New Mind – Dan Pink
  • Improv Wisdom -  Patricia Ryan Madison
  • Emotional Design – Donald A. Norman
  • The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
  • Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
  • Blue Ocean Strategy -  W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
  • Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
  • Don’t Think of an Elephant – George Lakoff
  • The Now Habit – Neil Fiore
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
  • Getting Things Done – David Allen
  • Influence – Robert Cialdini

The list is designed to explore multiple dimensions of creativity.  This includes topics such as design thinking, leadership, time management, business strategy, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and motivation – all of which are essential parts of living a creative life.  I am sure other titles will be added as the year rolls on (The new Seth Godin and Garr Reynolds books will definitely be on the list).  I am open to your suggestions too.

I am also going to continue to enhance my Creativity by writing about some of the things I learn from each of these books. This represents a way to improve my writing skills as well as to internalize the concepts conveyed in each book.  Additionally, many of these books contain programs, exercises, and activities designed to enhance creativity, which means that I am going to be spending a considerable amount of time being creative too.  Examples include performing an exercise from the book Creativity Workout by Edward De Bono every day, and writing 3 pages of text by hand each and every morning as prescribed in the book The Artist’s Way at Work.

Ideally all of this results in new adventures, challenges, and accomplishments for me, as I not only develop my creativity, but use it to change my world.

Filed Under FEATURED, LIFE Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

odd man out

November 6, 2009 By davidebowman 4 Comments

spadeLooking for a fun exercise to get your creative juices flowing.  Try Edward De Bono’s odd man out exercise.  It is simple, fun, and as my friend Artie Isaac would say, it is a great way to “exercise your creative pet.”

Start by going to a random word generator site like this one.  Take the first 4 words you get (no trading) and list them.  Then think about which one does not make sense with the other 3 and why.  Make sure to stick to conceptual differences, and refrain from things like these 3 have the same number of letters, or end in s.  Think a little.  Be creative.  Then write down your creative reasoning.  Spend 60 seconds or so articulating the difference between the one item and the others, as well as the similarities of the 3 that you grouped together.

If you like, use the same 4 words, and try to pull out a different one.  The second time through might be more challenging, but you can do it.

This exercise and 61 others like it are listed in Edward De Bono’s book, Creativity Workout.  I am finishing out 2009 by doing one of these exercises every morning, so that by 2010 my creativity is healthy, strong, and ready to move mountains – or maybe just draw a picture or write a song about them.

In my first attempt at this I got the words spade, thermometer, frock, and knife.  My first assessment was that frock was the odd man out based on the idea that the other 3 are human tools that use metal to accomplish a task – taking temperature, digging, & cutting.

The second time around I decided that thermometer was the odd man out.  Knives, spades, and frocks can all be found on playing cards, but to the best of my knowledge there are no thermometers pictured on any of the 52 cards in the deck.

If you try it, tell me what 4 words you got, which was odd man out, and why in the comments.

Filed Under FEATURED, FUN Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s the big idea?

March 20, 2009 By davidebowman Leave a Comment

bigideabreakfast1Recently some members of the Dayton Marketing Community met up for the 1st (of what will hopefully be many) Big Idea Breakfast – something I thought up a few days prior while writing my morning pages.   The concept for the event was as follows:

This meeting is part networking part innovation part caffeination part collaboration and all fun. Have a great idea? Share it with the world. Find people to help you bring this idea to life.

The meeting will start with open networking and socializing until everyone wakes up and gets fully caffeinated. (let’s say 20 to 30 minutes.) Following that each person will be given one minute to articulate a “big idea.” That will leave us with a little time to talk about some of our favorite ideas and perhaps bring some to life… that part will be up to you.

The ideas could range from ways to advance your career, to ways to improve the community, to saving energy, saving money, saving time, new tips, new business ideas, whatever you want.

The big idea behind the big idea breakfast is that we all have a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas. By sharing them with others we are forced to more thoroughly examine these thoughts. By others hearing them, they may have a shared interest in bringing them to life. Because everyone is sharing, it may be that some ideas actually support others. This could represent the seed for innovation and growth – the ideas that create our collective future.

Well, the event was a lot of fun.  Not only were some great ideas shared by presenters, but then they were made even better through the vibrant discussion that followed.  I used my flip cam to film the presentations, and then chopped it up on my Mac and put it on the web.  You can view them here.

My idea was something called “The Marketers’ Farm.”

The name is a take off on the Farmers’ Market.  The idea is more like a farm system in baseball, but for young marketing professionals in the area.  This would be accomplished by assembling cross functional teams from area universities and pairing them with local non-profits and business mentors.  They would then engage in a competition with the winning team receiving public recognition at the end.  The students would gain connections and experience, the non-profits would get much needed help, and businesses would get the chance to see young talent in action – with the option to hire that talent down the road.  This would be a very effective way to keep college graduates and other young professionals in the area, a necessity for the long term viability of the region.

Other ideas included – Bridging Art and Commerce, Localize, Mentor Connect, Social Branding, Twitter for Market Research, You Box, Coopetition Advertising, Start-Up Funding,  Corporate Image Consulting, Positively Dayton, Central Community Calendar, Home Services and Cross Selling Cold Calls

The response from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive.  Thanks to all who participated.  I hope to get the next one on the schedule soon.

Filed Under FEATURED, MARKETING Tagged With , , , , , , , , ,

Create Something Everyday

February 4, 2009 By davidebowman 4 Comments

createsomethingOne of the best things about writing a blog is that it connects you to new people and new ideas, both of which can have a profound effect on your life.  Let me share an example of this with you.  Through writing this blog, I had the opportunity to meet and do a Podcast with creative genius Artie Isaac.  Through that process, I made a new friend, picked up countless great ideas, and got a renewed interest in exploring and developing my own Creativity.

One of the tips Artie shared with me was something called Morning Pages.  This is a concept put forth in the book The Artist’s Way at Work – part of the required reading for Artie’s MBA course on creativity at Ohio State.   It is very powerful, very easy, and now a very important part of my day.   I share it with you, in hopes that it might help you too.

The concept is simple.  Start every day by sitting down and writing 3 notebook pages full of words, longhand.  The paper is 8.5 x 11.  You use a pen or pencil, and just write.  Get your mind working, creating, and moving as very first act of your day.  These pages are yours and yours alone.  Personally, I rip mine up as soon as I finish them.  This exercise is solely about creating.   It takes between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the day, and at the end of the process you have created something.  Your mind is more clear.  Your thoughts are more focused.  Your brain has completed a rigorous morning workout, and is now primed for a day of activity.

You can use morning pages to think through challenges, outline concepts, face your inner fears, and talk through your goals and priorities for the day and beyond.  Sometimes my 3 pages look like nothing more than a very long-winded to do list.  Sometimes, they appear like multiple people debating, as I jot down different perspectives on concepts and ideas in an attempt to think them through more thoroughly.    Certain days my 3 pages are filled with big ideas or angry rants, remorseful wishes or random concepts or just what I need to do to be a better dad today.  No matter the content, I start every day by creating something.  It is the first step I take each morning, and guides all those that follow throughout the course of the day.

As a result of this, I have found myself developing more new ideas, embarking on new challenges, and approaching each day with a new confidence that my creativity can change things small and large in this world.  It is empowering.

My deep thanks to Artie Isaac for introducing me to this concept.

The Artist’s Way at Work: The Official Site

Filed Under FEATURED, LIFE Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Voices – Episode 8: Artie Isaac

September 12, 2008 By davidebowman 2 Comments

Voices Artie Isaac PodcastIn this episode of Voices, I speak with Artie Isaac – marketing strategist, founder of Young Isaac, and professor at The Ohio State University and Columbus College of Art and Design.  Among other things, Mr. Isaac teaches MBA students at The Ohio State University how to be more creative.

According to Artie Isaac, creativity is about living a better life, having a more fulfilling job, connecting more deeply with friends and family, achieving flow, being more mindful, and embracing the present moment.  Isaac claims that all of us have the ability to be more creative by making an effort to enhance our creative potential – much like exercise can improve your physical health.  It is work, but there are clear, positive results.

Some of the thoughts Artie Isaac shares in the podcast are his reasons for blogging, how he named his site, what inspires him, how he utilizes technology to increase day to day productivity, the 3 types of days and how to approach them, why he lives in Ohio, and what people can do to be more creative.

Thanks to Artie for being kind enough to take the time to participate in the podcast, for being open enough to share his wisdom, and for being brilliant enough to inspire others to achieve greatness.  It was a pleasure to meet him.

Listen and enjoy!

 
icon for podpress  Voices Episode 8 - Artie Isaac [47:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Net Cotton Content / On Life and Marketing, Creativity and Ethics

Filed Under FEATURED, PODCAST Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Physics of Marketing – Newton’s Theory of Color

September 5, 2008 By davidebowman 1 Comment

It never occurred to me that someone invented the color wheel, but in fact Isaac Newton did just that and more with his Theory of Color.  Newton used prisms to show that white light was actually made by a combination of the “ROY G BIV” colors of the rainbow.  At that time there were varying theories regarding color and light, and Newton’s assertion, which seems like common knowledge today, was quite controversial at the time he introduced it.

Newton explained that objects appear to be a certain color because of how they reflect light, rather than color being an inherent property of an object – A red apple reflects red light which is seen by the eye.  Newton went on to place the colors on a wheel, where he could then illustrate the concept that by combining primary colors in various proportions, all other colors could be created.  This led to the idea of complementary colors such as blue and orange which when used together provided maximum contrast.

Newton’s theory of color has been studied and refined over time and is often directly applied in marketing though the design process.  Visit a graphic design studio and color wheels abound with countless shades and tones, which when combined correctly, offer dramatic visual appeal.  Who knew that graphic design had roots in physics?

So the big question becomes how to extend Newton’s theory into some broader analogy about Marketing.

Here goes…

Okay, so suppose the market is equal to white light. Each company has an ability to use the components of that light to reflect a given appearance.   Just as light can be broken down into colors, Marketing can be broken down into categories.  This traditionally has been represented as the 4 P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) – although many other models exist.  For today, I will go with the trusted 4 P’s.

Marketing seeks out new ways to combine colors to create something of beauty and value for the consumer.  Some might like blue and orange (everyday low prices, no frills), others red and green (design and style).

Companies are tasked with choosing the right mix of the colors they have to tell a unique story to the consumer.  If this story resonates, i.e. the consumer perceives the colors to be different and chooses them, the company has a chance to succeed. This is the idea of the Marketing Mix.  What products to sell?  How much to sell products for?  How much attention to focus on service?  How much to spend on advertising?  Whether to open a store online in a shopping mall?  There are some combinations that work well, and some that result in ugly gray brown.

In totality all of these brands, all of the commercials, promotions, channels of distribution, and available products combine to make the consumer marketplace – white light.  Perception is the prism by which the market is broken down into segments, and in the end consumer gets to choose their own favorite colors.

What do you think?  How can you apply Newton’s Theory of Color to Marketing?  Please share your theories and thougths by leaving a comment.

Filed Under FEATURED, MARKETING Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,