Thank You!

Thanks so much to everyone who has downloaded the Get Your Creative Groove on eBook in the last few weeks. It means more to me than I can really express to see people from literally all over the world downloading it. You guys are amazing, and I feel so grateful for you.

Can I ask just one favor, though? If you downloaded the eBook, I would love to hear from you! Would you mind sending me your feedback? I’m preparing an “in print” version, and I would love to hear your thoughts on the digital version. The hardcopy will include some incredible illustrations that I wasn’t sure suited the digital version, but what do you think? Would graphics improve the readability? READ MORE

Free Download: Get Your Creative Groove On eBook

I have great news to share with you this morning: The Get Your Creative Groove On eBook is finished and available for download!
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Get Your Creative Groove On Series Finale!

Wow, I can hardly believe we’re here – the end of the the Get Your Creative Groove On series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. And while it feels fantastic to finish this series, I promise to have more creative research posts coming your way each week. GYCGO might be over, but creativity is a never-ending journey.

(Be sure to read to the very end of this post for news about the eBook release!)

Week 30: Be Creative Everyday
There are times I feel burnt out with what I’m working on, and I am tempted to step away from it for a while. However, I’ve found that can be counter-productive. You see, when I’m fried, often the real root of the problem is that I’m just tired. We all lead busy, hectic lives, and when I’m exhausted from a long day at work, sometimes I just don’t feel like being creative. Then, I often push the task away and continue to push it away even after I feel rested and refreshed. READ MORE

Get Your Creative Groove On, Week 29: Step It Up

Get Your Creative Groove On is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we talked about how figurative blinders can help us focus creativity but can also create tunnel vision that prevents us from seeing important opportunities. This week we’ll take it a step further and look at how to prepare for opportunities and step our game when it matters most.

Week 29: Step It Up

Lately I’ve been really asking myself tough questions about where I’m at, where I’m going, what is my ultimate goal, and if I’m doing what I need to do to get where I want to go. More than just revamping my five year plan, I’ve been thinking about quality of life and personal achievement goals.

Even though it is often classified as a business commodity, creativity is in fact an incredibly personal thing. Staying sharp creatively means making creativity a priority and being willing to take it to the next level. Perpetual “sharpening” is the best way I have found to maintain my creative edge.

Like many others I’m in a place where it is more important than ever that I keep my skill set sharp, and my creative portfolio even sharper. Here are a few ways I have found to step up my game.

• Be creative everyday. Sometimes it’s important to take a break, but I always try to keep a creative iron in the fire. More on this next week!
• If you’re approaching your creative task at a hobby level, consider how you can step it up to an intermediate or professional level.
• Get around people who are better than you. Identify who is leading in your field, and then find a way to get to know them or learn from them. Their level of professionalism will push you to grow and become even better.
• Listen to feedback from people who are close to you. Where do you shine? Listen openly and consider giving more attention to the strengths others observe in you.

It’s hard to believe, but next week we’ll actually be wrapping up this series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far and that it has helped you stay inspired. Stay tuned for the final post next Tuesday and more details about the eBook!

Get Your Creative Groove On, Week 28: Take the Blinders Off

Get Your Creative Groove On is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we talked about perspective, and we’ll follow that course a bit more this week as we tackle the issue of tunnel vision as it pertains to creativity and work.

Week 28: Take the Blinders Off

Have you ever noticed the horses that pull carriages around Central Park and other tourist locations? Their drivers have added blinders to their usual tack to help the horses cope with the environment:

Many racehorse trainers believe this keeps the horse focused on what is in front of him, encouraging him to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, such as crowds. Additionally, [blinders] are commonly seen on driving horses, to keep them from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets. (Wikipedia)

As a creative, blinders serve an important purpose:

• They keep one focused on the task and direction at hand.
• They prevent distraction.

In my workday blinders take the form of headphones and a dedicated work space. I also put on “blinders” when I turn of TweetDeck, shut down my email, put away my favorite trade magazines, and refuse to look at any of my friends’ blogs.

The Trap of Tunnel Vision

But blinders can have a negative effect, as well. Sometimes they can result in an unconscious tunnel vision, where all you see is the task at hand, and you’re unaware of the (important) disturbances in the environment around you.

In the last few weeks, I’ve found myself in this exact position, completely unaware of what was going on around me. I had tunnel vision. Every day I sat down at my desk, answered email – lots of email, and tackled the day’s work. I was well aware of the recession but had allowed myself to be reassured by the day-to-day busyness and news media assurances that the worst was over. As a result, I was unprepared for the recession’s trickle down effect and am now working hard to get up to speed.

The marketplace is changing, and if, like me, you’ve had your head ducked in the sand of salaried “blindness,” it’s time to take the blinders off and have a look around. Customers have changed their expectations, and so have employers.

I’m working through this transition myself, and here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• If you think you’re safe, you’re not. Whether it’s the recession, or market shifts, or changing trends, no niche is really bulletproof. Stability is an illusion.
• Never stick your head in the sand. Always stay on your toes.
• Keep a watchful eye on the market. If you find yourself in need of making a change, a knowledge of market trends can be a huge asset in guiding your decision-making process.

If you’re ready to take the blinders off in your own work life, here is how you can get started:

• Take a realistic assessment. If you’re a freelancer, use a financial software program to track this year’s progress compared to last year’s. If you’re an employee, being willing to ask your employer the hard questions.
• Notice market peaks and lows.
• Check on your clients. How is business going for them? What trends are they seeing? Ultimately, your success depends on their success.
• Stay up to speed. Watch the market, read business blogs, and read your friends and fellow creatives’ blogs. What challenges are people seeing? Where are they finding success?

The cover of a news media magazine I saw recently said something like, “The recession is over! … Good luck surviving in the recovery.” It was a very pessimistic statement, but it held a little truth, as well. So, let’s spin it this way:

How do you plan to thrive in the new economy?

Get Your Creative Groove On, Week 27: It’s All in How You Frame It

In the last edition of Get Your Creative Groove On, we reviewed some recent research that shows a positive connection between laughter and creativity. This week we’ll move in a different direction and discuss how changing the frame can enhance creativity.

Week 27: It’s All in How You Frame It

As we all know, perspective is everything. When faced with a new challenge or creative problem, framing the problem from a different perspective can shed light on new or previously obscured solutions.

Changing the frame changes how you see the subject, as well as how others see it.

According to Bruce Nussbaum, “One cardinal rule of innovation is don’t always accept the problem handed you but reframe it to maximize the changes you can make in the space.”

We tend to see things in a certain box, or from a certain fixed perspective. Changing the frame enhances the content from a different perspective and helps us see things differently.

I helped two friends move their free-service-based blogs to more professional, self-hosted accounts this week. Their motives for the change reflect a set of core values that mirror the perception principle.

1. A self-hosted blog on a purchased domain presents a professional image.
2. The focus is on the person and his or her blog, and not the service provider.
3. The new framework presents more options for customization, giving my friends more control over how content is presented – further enhancing the frame.

Consider the art of “framing the question.” Lawyers and debaters work hard to frame questions in such a way that they not only draw the desired response but also tap into a certain set of emotions – either on the part of the person questioned or the listening audience.

Framing a problem differently affects how you approach it from a problem-solving perspective and also influences your emotional response. Framing a job change or layoff as an opportunity for growth produces positive rather than negative momentum.

How can you re-frame your subject? While there are many tutorials geared toward debaters and teachers, I hope these suggestions will help you in a more abstract way.

• Take it out of context… and into another context.
• Throw up a different color palette.
• Change the lighting.
• Consider a broad range of outcomes, including best and worst case scenarios.

What techniques do you use to frame the creative challenges you face each day?