Category Archives: Ideas

My Top 3 Creative Re-Reads of 2013

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By Rebecca Cochran

Blue pencil and red lineLike you, I did a lot of reading this year. Contrary to what I might have predicted, the internet has played a major role in keeping my bookshelf full of interesting books – physical books I actually read – and re-read. For me, one of the marks of a good book is that I want to re-read it, sometimes again and again. It was tough to whittle down the list, but here are my top 3 creative re-reads of 2013.

Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley

Just published in October, Creative Confidence sets out to “unleash the creative potential within us all.” This highly personal book does just that. The chapter entitled “Spark” particularly resonates with me. The Kelley brothers write about the importance of building a creative support network, since many of the best ideas are a result of collaborating with others. They also advocate cultivating creative serendipity, i.e., getting out into the world to gain empathy with our customers. In the chapter entitled “Leap,” the Kelleys describe the all-important phase of moving from planning to action. They include “action catalysts” and other useful tools, encouraging us to conduct small experiments to let an idea evolve. Some of the craziest ideas can lead to a valuable solution. This book is for all of us. I am reading it again already.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be. by Paul Arden

I read this book at least once a year. Originally published in 2003, it has been reprinted many times since. The book is about making the most of yourself and making the impossible possible. A former ad man, Arden uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice. The book is chock full of memorable quotes. One of my favorites is “You don’t have to be creative to be creative.”

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

A new friend handed me the 50th anniversary edition of this well-known children’s book last month. Originally published in 1955, I cannot fathom how many times I read and re-read this book as a kid. This classic is worth re-reading as adults, too. In his minimalist way, Harold has reminded me to stay curious. I plan to keep his little book handy and re-read it whenever I need a creative boost.

What are you re-reading?

Walking, Fast and Slow

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Walkby Rebecca Cochran

What is it about walking? It’s a topic that shows up in the news often. I wrote about the benefits of walking in this space not long ago. In my post, I refer to walking as “nature’s cure-all.” A daily walk allows me to solve problems and experience creative breakthroughs.

Walking is also a popular research topic.

According to a new study by a group of Dutch researchers from Leiden University, “physical activity increases our ability to think flexibly.” Their research found that those who engage in regular exercise are more likely to excel in creative thinking, both convergent and divergent, than those who don’t. Check out the study results here.

Coincidently, last week, I caught a post on The New York Times’ “Well” blog entitled “Why a Brisk Walk is Better.” The author, Gretchen Reynolds, refers to another new study revealing that although walking fast or slow is certainly good exercise, walking at a brisk pace is better. In other words, intensity matters. Read her post here.

In his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Daniel Kahneman, recounts a study conducted in a German university. The study found that students who were asked to walk around a room at a pace much slower than their normal pace, caused those students to quickly relate to words and concepts having to do with old age.

Walking is natural and effortless (for most of us). Years ago, I made it a part of my daily routine. I’m convinced that good things come to those who walk – fast or slow.

I’d like to hear from you. How do you use walking to enhance your life?

Make It A Game

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Song Sparrow in song

by Rebecca Cochran

I heard an interesting piece on NPR this morning entitled, “For a Few Musicians, Beating Songwriter’s Block Is A Game.” The story recounted how singer/songwriter, Bob Schneider manages to write one new song each week. He and a friend came up with the idea as a way to beat procrastination. Their idea has grown into a songwriting motivation strategy they call “The Song Game.” You can read and listen to the NPR story here.

We can probably all benefit by turning an otherwise daunting task into a game. Involving other “players” in our game can create a sense of accountability. I recall doing this recently. I had become embarrassed that I had neglected my blog for a few months. (I’ll bet you know the feeling.)

On a lark, I contacted a colleague who was also a bit delinquent in posting to his blog. As he lives overseas, I used Twitter to contact him. I tweeted that I was in the process of writing a blog post on Design Thinking and asked him if he had any new ideas to share on the topic. He immediately responded saying that he was attempting to write a new post on the same subject.

Twitter is a wonderful mechanism. It bonds people with similar interests closely together. Being a virtual tool, it also provides a smidgen of distance, allowing for a bit of risk-taking.

So, I jumped in and publicly tweeted to him something akin to “I vow to share my next post with you by this time tomorrow. Would you like to make the same promise?” He immediately took me up on the challenge and we both had fresh new blog posts up for the world to see within 24 hours.

That little exercise was fun for both of us. Usually, a simple little challenge with a like-minded friend is all I need to get back on track.

What works for you? How do you get back on your blogging, songwriting, exercise or creative track?