A presentation of various tips on creative thinking and approaches to enhance one's creative atmosphere and attitude. It's silly, serious, fun and, most importantly, doable.

1. Kick-Starting Creativity -
Without Screwing Up the Idea!
A Special Presentation to
AAF-Rio Grande Valley
January 12, 2016
by
Joe Fournet
copyright 2016 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved
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2. 30,000 Foot View
Exercise Time
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3. A 12-Step Program (sort of)
A suggested 12-or-so-step program* to help
enhance, modify, make-better or derail your
creativity make-up for 2016.
*A.K.A. The Creativity Tip-of-the-Month Club
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4. Creativity Tip #1
Library Selections
Read something like one of these
Ideaspotting - Sam Harrison
Little Blue Book of Advertising - Lance/Woll
How the Paper Fish Learned to Swim - Flaum
Anything by Edward De Bono
The Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy - Tom Monahan
Hegarty on Advertising - John Hegarty
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5. Card Carrying Creative
Don’t leave home without it
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6. Warning! Warning!
You are now entering
The
Creativity Zone™

7. The enemy of creativity . . . is fear.
We’re all born creative; it takes a little while to
become afraid.
A surprising insight: an enemy of fear is
creativity. Acting in a creative way generates
action, and action persuades the fear to lighten up.
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The Enemy of Creativity

8. What is creativity?
Creativity is the spark - that
ignites what you say and how you
say it . . . Or . . . what you do and
how you do it.
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9. Creativity . . .
The ability to see, feel, touch, think and imagine what one has not
seen, felt, touched, thought or imagined before.
The sudden cessation of stupidity.
“Intelligence having fun.”
A state of mind - when the mind has fun, creativity is boundless
Creativity occurs more easily when people perceive
there are no limits.
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10. Be like Harley
“Creativity as a weapon of business is under-leveraged
not for lack of ideas, but for lack of courage to use them
or refusal to give up on them. The phrase, ‘We don’t 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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11. Dilbert’s Take on Creativity
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12. Creativity Tip #2
Kick Starting Creativity
Ye Olde Creativity Survival Kit:
Makes you feel creative, think creatively
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13. Creativity Tips #3 & 4
Warp Speed Thinking
✦ Answering simple question to solve a problem
✦ Generating ideas at breakneck speed
✦ Capture one idea per Post-it Note (single word or two
or phrase)
Strive for 50 ideas in 5 minutes
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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14. Uncle Albert says . . .
Einstein Quote
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15. Creativity Tip #5
Drill Down Technique #1
Trying to hit THE idea from a standard approach
After eliminating duplicates . . .
Select “best” half from your Post-its
(another quick drill — only 2-3 minutes)
Select half of those each time until you’re down to 1.
Is it the best one? Supposedly. But wait . . .
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16. Creativity Tip #6
Drill Down Technique #2
Trying to hit THE idea from a different perspective
Select 5 best ideas from Post-its (2-3 minutes)
Is the last idea the best?
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17. Creativity Tips #7-10
7.) Jekyl & Hyde Approach - funny or serious
8.) Ask a Better Question or Provoke Conversation
9.) Visit your Inner Sanctum or Safe Haven
10.) What’s Happening in Your World (Oreo)
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18. The World of Oreo
Pay attention to the world around you
Oreo’s 100 Year Celebration
Mars Rover, Gay Pride, Eye Patch
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19. Creativity Tip #11
Idea Wall - anywhere your Post-it Note ideas can gather
together in one place
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20. Creativity Tip #12
Idea Tub - physical place, thing or electronic file where
all ideas ever submitted are collected and organized in a
manner that’s easily accessible
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21. Creativity Tip #13 . . .
Don’t manage creativity; manage for creativity
Be open and receptive to exploring new ideas
Failure is an option. Can’t have success unless
you’re prepared to fail
Consider Pixar’s “Suckless Mentality”
What toys do you have?
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22. Have a “Mr. Dithers” at Work?
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23. It’s time now for . . .
O d d b a l l
Observa t ions
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24. Oddball Observation #1
Do not bring a DEAD CAT without a shovel!
Never present a problem without bringing the shovel:
At least two possible solutions.
Share your creative thinking while learning what’s
important to management.
Remember, you may not know all there is to know.
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25. Oddball Observation #2
“Creative people are 50% ego and 50%
insecurity. They need to be constantly told
they’re good and they’re loved.”
--Lee Clow,
Worldwide Creative Director,
TBWA Media Arts Lab
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26. Oddball Observation #3
The key to accomplishing anything great
is being too stupid to realize
it can’t be done.
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27. Remember . . .
Don’t 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.
Care only about two things: Idea must work and be relevant.
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. Take the time to think and
capture creative thoughts.
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28. Steve & Moses
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29. Remember . . .
Don’t ever underestimate the power of your mind
or imagination.
Don’t be afraid to ask . . .
“Why, why not, or what if?”
Never fall in love with your idea. . .
There’s always a better one around the corner.
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30. Some Things to Think About . . .
Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are
enough of them
You may not even need yet another new idea; better to figure out
what to do with the ones you’ve got
Bigger ideas leapfrog mediocre ones;
get a bigger crayon
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31. And . . .
“We don’t get creative once everything is okay; we are creative because
everything is not okay - yet.” - - Seth Godin
“Innovation in one field can spark brilliant ideas in another.”
- - Creativity Editor Ann-Christine Diaz
“Whatever the case, a creative approach to problem solving will serve you well.”
- - Advertising Age Editor Ken Wheaton
Now, it’s your time.
Be like a Renegade!
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32. Renegades*
Long live the pioneers
Rebels and mutineers
Go forth and have no fear
Come close and lend an ear
So, all hail the underdogs
All hail the new kids
All hail the outlaws
Spielbergs and Kubrics
It’s our time to make a move
It’s our time to make amends
It’s our time to break the rules
Let’s begin . . .
AAF Rio Grande Valley
It’s your year to bring forth ideas
It’s your year to innovate
It’s your year to create
It’s your year, but don’t wait
Let’s begin . . .
*Lyrics by the X-Ambassadors
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33. Thank You, AAF-Rio Grande Valley!
Joe Fournet
Ideas & MORE
www.ideasnmore.net j4net.prosite.com
ideasnmoreblog.com j4net@ideasnmore.net
#ideabeagle
713-459-1856
Copyright 2016 Ideas & MORE, all rights reserved
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