How to Have BRILLIANT Ideas!

Creative thinking
I was indulging in a little Twitter banter this morning (@JaneCWoods, since you ask). Someone put a light hearted tweet out about not wanting to put the heat on as she was mean with her money. Jumper or switch on?

Accustomed as I am to seeking the positives in everything (!) I replied that she wasn’t mean but being an eco warrior! In slippers…

Be Positive
There then followed about 20 minutes of a daft exchange of ideas. Another follower chipped in and we decided ironing was definitely a no no, creases were the symbol of eco warriors, and we could make a fortune and have an alternative source of energy by bottling hot flush! Thousands of middle aged women plugging into the national grid and saving the world! I think we’re onto something….

Can you see it?

Well, maybe not, but there is a serious point here. When faced with a dilemma, a problem we can’t see a solution to, the ‘sitting down and working it out systematically‘ approach can work, but if you really want to tap into your creative unconscious go mad!

A burst of silliness can work wonders in helping you seek solutions. It’s hard to have silly thoughts on your own so go grab a mate and have some serious fun! Tap into that inner child and if anyone looks askance tell them you’re busy being a creative problem solver! Good luck!

And if you’d like another tip on creativity, take a look at Boost Your Creativity in 3 Minutes.

P.S. If you’re looking for a burst of inspiration and would like to join some like minded women for a day, take a peek at RenewYou. I have just 3 places left!

Photo Credit: Lejla

Take a Break and Get Creative

I’ve been nurturing the idea for an ebook for a while – I’ve even roughed out the chapters. But somehow I’ve just never got round to it actually putting it together in a coherent form. It began to feel like a chore I had to do, rather than the pleasure it started out as.

So, following in the footsteps of the great and the good and on advice from my accountant (I have a wonderful accountant), I decided to take a break somewhere and do nothing but write!

Which is why I have ended up on the beautiful Isle of Arran. The picture opposite is a near as I can find to the view I have from my window now as I write this. It is glorious and it is working its magic. I am two chapters into the book (once we’d sorted out a few technical issues), and woke this morning raring to get on with it.

I know it’s not always possible for all sorts of reasons to get away, or to get a proper break from day to day living, but a change really can be as good as a rest. As the long holiday week end approaches I urge you to do something different if you can. Maybe change routines, visit a local beauty spot, nourish your inner soul. Walk an alternative route to buy your paper, visit a museum, get some fresh air. Anything that will hopefully put something back into your personal bank and see you through the months ahead.

Have a great Spring Break!

Photo credit: Ancestry.com

Colour Your Workplace & Be More Positive!

I have always wondered why so many office spaces tend to major on grey for their equipment?

And why people who like colour and objects of fun in their work space are often regarded as lightweight and frivolous? And if, because these tend to be women, the dismissal is because of that, as men originally called the shots on workplace design and still do. The world of work, in the main, has been designed primarily by men, on all levels. And we women may thrive better in a different environment.

Right Brain/Left Brain

We know that an injection of colour into our lives can aid our creativity and problem solving capacities  Just by doing a so called ‘left brain’* activity with coloured pencils, i.e. making a list of tasks, we are making better use of our problem solving capacity (think mind-mapping). And what business doesn’t want to get the best out of their staff? To give them the best environment to shine? To make best use of all their talents?

Your Space

When I became self employed and had the opportunity to design my own space I tried to put into practice everything I know about giving myself the best chance to develop to the full and to enjoy my environment. I wanted to get as far away from the sterile office atmosphere as I could. I think I’ve succeeded.

I have beautiful, locally designed silk curtains, which fill me with joy each time I look at them. I have a limited edition print by Beryl Cook on my wall, the first one released after she died, which inspires me because Beryl came to be the most famous artist in Britain after she was 60!

I also have a gorgeous desk lamp which works very well but is not merely utilitarian in design, and I have throws on my sofa which are a delight to touch, (my cats love them so I have company a lot of the time too) and I often light scented candles and play music to stimulate all my senses. In short, my workplace is designed to give me optimum creativity.

If you could have a free hand in redesigning your work space, what would YOU do? Do share your thoughts!

*The reality is, of course, that we can’t just use half our brain. Both sides work together all the time.

Are You a Blue Thinker? Or Green…Or Red?

If you find yourself in a group faced with a task of creating something new this might help!

Blue, Red, & Green Thinking

I am grateful for this idea to Nigel May Barlow, author of Re-Think-How to Think Differently.

He talks about three stages of creative thinking:

Blue - Blue is for IDEAS- with the sky being the limit! Blue type questions are Well, why not? and What if we…?

Red - Red is for STOP, like traffic lights. It’s the selection, evaluation, fine tuning and prioritising stage, choosing your best ideas.

Green – Green is for GO, deciding who is going to do what, by when, planning in the milestones.

In any group of people you are likely to find a scattering of all these types. Some will be more comfortable with a particular colour than others. if you get too many in one category you may miss out some of the valuable stages.

For example, a room of Blues may generate some fabulous ideas but never actually get around to putting them into action! Whereas Reds will never allow enough discussion of ideas as they push to get something agreed. And the Greens will be busy planning who is doing what before Blues have finished being creative!

What colour are you? How does it show itself in you?

Drawing on Your Thoughts

Next time you find yourself with a bit of a poser, a problem that seems intractable, or a dilemma you just need to think through, try this exercise.

Take a sheet of A4 paper, turn it landscape and, without thinking too much about it, draw/doodle/sketch the issue. Anything goes as long as you don’t start writing words.

Try and do this instinctively without worrying about your artistic skills. Stop after 15 minutes at most, put the drawing in your desk drawer and forget about for a while. Your subconscious will be working away on it in the background and when you look at it again after a few hours there’s a good chance that a solution or helpful thought will have presented itself!

Are You Open to The New?

Highly successful people rarely focus all their energies on one single thing; great scientists and artists tend to have broad interests and are open to new experiences. And new experiences give you new sources of knowledge which inspires everything you do.

New experiences give your life more depth and colour and will help inspire your creativity.

So if you’ve become a bit stuck in a rut, what new experiences can you broaden your mind with this week? Go on, try something new. The results may surprise you!