| JS Graphics, Inc. - Strategic Design for Smart Business
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Creative License...
Take All You Want!
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WHADAYA KNOW...?
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- "It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all."
- "Imagination is the beginning of creation."
- "If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."
- There are many notable quotes about creativity and problem-solving that inspire and motivate. The first person to email me with the author of the last quote above will receive public accolades in my next newsletter and a token of appreciation designed just for them!
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- It seems everyone was stumped by last month's question to identify the high-tech company associated with early logo shown. The logo belonged to network giant Nortel.
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Hi,
A lot of folks take it for granted that people in creative professions have a "special gift" for effortlessly coming up with creative solutions. No doubt a certain amount of natural talent is needed for fields like designing, writing, painting, singing, etc., but creativity and inspiration are skills that can be learned.
The fact is, everybody has talent for creativity that can be nurtured and trained. The key to creativity is simple, really: pay more attention to your surroundings, your experiences and your process. However simple it sounds, though, learning how to really pay attention requires energy and action. The following three distinct and definable steps to creativity and inspiration are courtesy of Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield, authors of Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain. |
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Step 1: IVE vs. TION
 Sometimes we are so determined to be creatIVE that we ignore the process of creaTION. TION requires action! Instead of staring blankly at an empty computer screen or piece of paper, let those ideas being formed and rejected in your brain OUT, no matter how absurd they may seem! Putting them on paper frees up your brain to come up with more new ideas. And some of those seemingly crazy ideas can be the forerunners to more creative solutions.
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Step 2: What If??
 Finding the right answers means asking the right questions. Qualifying questions like "What do you think of..." or "How about..." passively ask for approval and lead to ordinary answers. Instead, try asking (my very favorite question) "What if...?" It is an unqualified question of wonder that opens your mind to think about the extraordinary and the unusual-where creative ideas are often found!
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Step 3: Get Psyched
 If you were planning to run a marathon, you'd train for it, right? Creativity is no different. You can train and stretch your creative muscles same as your physical ones. Engage regularly in exercises specifically designed to get you thinking in alternative ways, showing you opportunities to alter your perspective slightly to find unexpected results.
Try the following creative exercise taken from Caffeine for the Creative Mind.
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Pants: The Shirt for Your legs
 Advertising is all about memorable brand communication. And there's usually limited time or space to convey the primary selling proposition for a product. Headlines are a perfect example. What can be said in a short amount of time that is both memorable and in line with the brand message? Your challenge: to create three headlines each for three products that are used every day by nearly everyone: air, water and pants.
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Have fun, be silly, but most of all, get excited about the chance to be creative!
I would love to see what you come up with-email me your headlines and I'll feature some in my next newsletter. And if you are interested in more creative training exercises, contact me and I'll send you free Creative Brainstorming exercise cards!
Happy Spring,
Jody
Jody Shyllberg
JS Graphics, Inc.
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