The Deliberate Creative

Space matters. In this episode, Architect Donald Rattner shares the research on how to design your space to enhance your creativity. Donald shares several simple changes you can make. Then, he examines Amy's office and provides advice on how she can make her space more conducive to creativity. Then, Amy implements those changes and reveals the new office layout. What You'll Learn The three A's of designing a creative space How our brain's perception of our space impacts our creativity What prospect refuge theory is and how to use it to your advantage Learn about the new "resimercial" design craze for workplaces About Donald Rattner Donald M. Rattner is the author of “My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation” and principal of Donald M. Rattner, Architect. As a consultant he draws on scientific research to help individuals and organizations maximize occupant creativity in workplace, residential, wellness, hospitality and retail environments. Educator and author as well as practitioner, Rattner's publications include “The Creativity Catalog,” “Parallel of the Classical Orders of Architecture,” entries in professional reference books, and numerous contributions to print and online channels. He has taught at the University of Illinois, New York Academy of Art, New York University, Parsons School of Design, and online. Workshop and lecture venues include NeoCon, Metrocon, Creative Problem Solving Institute, Creative Mornings, and many others. His work has been featured on CNN and in such publications as The New York Times, Work Design Magazine, Builder, L-Magazine, and Better Humans. He holds a Bachelor's degree in art history from Columbia and a Masters of Architecture from Princeton University.   Weekly Challenge Assess your space. Keep a log of when/where  you are doing your best work and when/where are you doing your least successful work. Then, what changes might you make to help you be more creative? Resources Donald Rattner's Website Donald Rattner's Book: Your Creative Space Focus At Will Coffitivity

Deliberate creativity encourages gaining clarity about the problem at the beginning of the innovation process. However, that's not how we always work. It's common to create something new while maintaining ambiguity around the purpose of the solution. Dr. Johnathan Cromwell found this in his research while studying a start-up company that was creating a social robot. After observing hundreds of hours of team meetings he noticed a process he calls emergent innovation. In this episode, he explains his research and helps us understand how emergent innovation works. What You'll Learn The difference between emergent innovation and deliberate innovation Elements of emergent innovation How to get comfortable with ambiguity [powerpress] About Dr. Johnathan Cromwell Johnathan Cromwell is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Strategy at the University of San Francisco. His research focuses on creativity and innovation in organizations, particularly how people collaborate with each other as they tackle vague, open-ended, and ambiguous problems. Through this research, he aims to develop a new theoretical framework called "dynamic problem solving" that explains why, when, and how people change the way they approach problems as they deal with various constraints during the innovation process. This work has been recognized by the Academy of Management with the 2018 OB Division Best Paper Award. He earned an S.B. in Chemical-Biological Engineering from MIT and a Doctorate in Management from Harvard Business School. Weekly Challenge John challenges us to try improv cooking as a way to explore emergent innovation. Use the ingredients in your kitchen and come up with a dish. Use those ingredients to shape your dish and see what emerges.

A polymath is a modern-day Renaissance person. They have expertise in a range of fields and their diverse experiences help them be more creative. Dr. Angela Cotellessa was the first person to do a dissertation on modern-day polymaths. In this episode, she shares with us what she learned about polymaths and how it relates to being more creative. What You'll Learn What is polymathy and why does it matter? What are the themes of modern-day polymaths What we can learn from polymaths to help us be more creative. About Dr. Angela Cotellessa Dr. Angela Cotellessa is dedicated to helping individuals reach towards their fullest potential. Her doctorate from George Washington University is in Human & Organizational Learning.  The focus of her doctoral research and dissertation was on modern day polymaths: people with broad, varied expertise in both the arts and sciences. Since 2007, Angela has worked for the American federal government. From 2007 to 2013, she was a non-political, civil servant at the Executive Office of the President.  Since 2013, she has worked at the Center for Leadership Development, helping make the federal government more effective, one leader at a time. Angela lives near Washington, DC with her husband, Joe, and her daughter, Lily.  For fun, Angela enjoys traveling internationally, music, and learning. Weekly Challenge Angela gives us two challenges this week. Try something new. It doesn't even have to be outside of your comfort zone. Just something new. Reflect on it. What did you learn? Think about an issue or challenge you have. Is there another area of your life that you could apply to solving this problem?

Wow! It's episode 100! In this episode, Amy Climer interviews four long-time listeners who share what they learned from The Deliberate Creative Podcast. They talk about their own insights and changes they made in their lives based on listening to the show. Prepare to be inspired!  What You'll Learn How four listeners have applied the learnings from the podcast to their work and life Insights into Amy's recent creative block News about the future of The Deliberate Creative Podcast Resources Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: 003, 004, 005, 006, 007 Episode 8: FourSight Thinking Profile with Blair Miller Episode 20: How Your Mindset Explains Everything Episode 21: Identify Your Creative Blocks Episode 26: Is the Imposter Syndrome Decreasing Your Creativity? Episode 64: Five Steps for Presenting Ideas with Jack Hannibal Episode 70: How to Ask Questions with Chad Littlefield Episode 91: The Skills You Need To Be a Design Thinker with Dr. Dani Chesson Book: The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield

Human-centered Design requires learning people's real needs. It means moving past assumptions and engaging with people to better understand their experiences. Some of the most powerful tools in the Human-centered Design process are ethnographic interviews and other types of ethnographic research. This episode explains what these tools are and how to use them to help you gain a deeper understanding of their real needs. The results will be increased creativity and innovation. What You'll Learn What ethnographic research means in the context of design and creativity 4 types of ethnographic tools that are helpful for solving problems creatively Tips and advice for conducting ethnographic research such as interviews, walk-a-mile, contextual inquiry, and observation. Resources IDEO.org Suri, J.F. & Howard, S.G. (2006).Going Deeper, Seeing Further: Enhancing Ethnographic Interpretations to Reveal More Meaningful Opportunities for Design. Journal of Advertising Research. IDEO's Design Kit Course Weekly Challenge Practice doing at least one ethnographic interview this week.

Human-centered Design is about looking at people's real problems and creating solutions that meet their needs. In this episode, learn the definition and basic steps of human-centered design and how it can help you solve problems more creatively. What You'll Learn The definition of human-centered design Why human-centered design matters and how you can use it in your work/life The six-step human-centered design process [powerpress] Resources The Lab, Office of Personnel Management Fundamentals of Human-centered Design for federal employees Creative Problem Solving Institute IDEO.org and IDEO.com Weekly Challenge Think about a problem you are trying to solve. Who are the stakeholders involved? Who do you need to talk with to gain a deeper understanding of the actual problem. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Thanks! Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Intrapreneurs are problem solvers who are being recognized as the driving force behind innovation in organizations. Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw is leading the charge in this new way of working. In this episode, she shares how to be an intrapreneur and how to create a culture that fosters creativity and intrapreneurialism. What You'll Learn What intrapreneurs do and why it matters Three practices to foster intrapreneurialism Barriers that prevent intrapreneurialism An example of a large organization who implemented intrapreneurialism and reclaimed over $1 million in lack of productivity. About Irena Yashin-Shaw, Ph.D. CSP Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw, is a liberator of underutilized talent within organizations. She is an innovation and creativity expert, thought leader and practitioner dedicated to creating intrapreneurs – people who think and act like entrepreneurs while working inside organizations. She works with leaders in both the public and private sector who want a critical mass of high-performing, dedicated, energized employees who will help create a future-ready organization. With a PhD in creative problem-solving and a Masters in Adult Education, Dr. Irena is a rare combination of deep academic knowledge, real-world entrepreneurial experience and entertaining speakership who has been working in the fields of innovation and creativity since before they became the new workplace imperatives. In addition to her work as a corporate educator, advisor and mentor, she is an international conference speaker who has taken ‘edutainment' to an art form. As a Certified Speaking Professional she loves to challenge smart, savvy and sophisticated people who want insight rather than information and an experience rather than a presentation. Irena lives in Brisbane, Australia, but considers herself a global citizen, with a commitment to being part of the solution for the big challenges that define our age.

Charles Day is an accidental consultant. After building a successful, creative film editing company others started asking for his input on developing their company to be more creative. In this episode, he shares his insights and what he's learned about organizational creativity. What You'll Learn common practices of the most creative businesses Three elements leaders need to do a lead a creative organization Four weapons every leader needs - and they don't cost anything [powerpress] About Charles Day In addition to running The Lookinglass, Charles is a Principal of the Boswell Group which provides psychodynamic management consulting to CEOs, corporate directors, and senior leaders. He is also an Adjunct Professor at New York's Columbia University, where he has taught the art and science of building companies that unlock 'Profitable Creativity', and he coaches at The Harvard Business School in their Executive Education Program. Charles writes frequently for Fast Company and speaks regularly on Creative Leadership. Resources Climer Consulting Resources Page Episode #100 - Want to be a guest? Charles Day's website Episode #69 with Greg Climer Fast Company article: How To Achieve Profitable Creativity, The Secret Fuel Of Exceptional Companies by Charles Day Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge See if you can identify everyday creativity within yourself and others. Acknowledge the creativity and focus on giving creative feedback. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Conversations are the heart of what we do. The type of conversations we have impact all aspects of our business and personal life. Creative organizations have conversations that lead to creativity. In this episode, Dr. Cheri Torres shares how to engage in conversations that matter and how to help your organization be more creative. It is surprisingly simple and you can start implementing change immediately. What You'll Learn Four types of conversations and which ones to avoid The two simple Appreciative Inquiry practices The impact of conversations that matter and how one hospital went from low patient satisfaction scores to amazing within one quarter [powerpress] About Cheri Torres, Ph.D. Working with Cheri, people learn to use everyday conversation to dramatically improve outcomes for their organization and relationships. Leaders and team members develop their capacity to use Appreciative Inquiry to foster productive and meaningful engagement, even when facing complex problems. The success her clients experience is not magic. Her approach is grounded in the most current research in positive psychology and neurophysiology. Leaders working with her learn to create the kind of relational dynamics that ignite the full potential of their teams and organization, resulting in high performance, innovation, and goal achievement. Culture change and strategic planning become opportunities for engaging all stakeholders in conversations that create change from the inside out. She has worked across all sectors: corporate, government, education, and social profit/NGOs, supporting their capacity for learning and innovation, shared leadership, teamwork and collective impact. She has trained thousands of trainers and teachers in the use and practice of Experiential Learning, Appreciative Inquiry, and other strength-based processes. In addition to North America, she has worked in India, Mexico, Canada, South America, and Europe. Cheri holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Collaborative Learning from the University of Tennessee. She also holds an MBA, a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology, Level 2 certification in Cultural Transformation Tools/Barrett Values Centre, and Level II certification in Spiral Dynamics Integral. She has authored numerous books and articles. Her most recent book, Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement, was published by Berrett Koehler in May 2018.. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, Michael; their two dogs, Logan and Annabelle; and two cats, Ziggy and Lucy. Resources Book: Conversations Worth Having Cheri's website Karl Rohnke Creativity Award Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge Pay attention to the conversations you have this week. When you find yourself in a negative conversation, ask a generative question. See what happens and how it flips the conversation into something with a more positive, hopeful, and productive spin.   Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Understanding the four levels of creativity can help you assess yourself and your colleagues. In this episode, Daniel Cape explains the four levels and talks about experiential education and creativity. What You'll Learn The four levels of creativity and examples of each The level we judge ourselves on and how that can inhibit our creativity About Daniel Cape Daniel Cape is a doctoral student at Saybrook University earning his degree in psychology with a focus on creativity studies. He has over 15 years of experience in the field of experiential education. Daniel's previous work included U.S. and international camp experiences, a project-based learning school, young-adult transition programs, and serving in the Army National Guard as a combat engineer officer. He started the non-profit EPIC Smiles where he teaches caricatures to children around the world.  He is author of the book From Experience to Creativity: The experiential educator's incomplete guide to creativity and created EPIC Cards which teach and promote creativity. Resources Daniel Cape's website Daniel's book: From Experience to Creativity Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge See if you can identify everyday creativity within yourself and others. Acknowledge the creativity and focus on giving creative feedback. 

It's nearly impossible learn skills without failing some of the time. In this episode Dr. Amy Climer examines the connection between learning and failing. She shares some stories from her own life and how she was able to use failure, mistakes, and mess-ups to further her learning and her creativity. What You'll Learn How failure is inevitable in the learning and creative process The importance of transferable skills [powerpress] Resources How to Create a Podcast Review Amy's email: amy@climerconsulting.com Weekly Challenge What is one thing you're working on improving? What is one thing you can do to progress toward developing that skill? Next, reflect on how that went. How do you react when you succeed, when you fail, when things don't go quite as planned? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

This episode is about the financial impact of creativity to an organization. What is the ROI in creativity and innovation? Does it matter if employees are creative? Is it worth investing in training to help people be more creative? Learn the five levels of employee creativity, the financial impact they have on the organization, and why creativity training is worth the investment. What You'll Learn Five levels of employee creativity and the financial impact they have Why creativity training is well worth the investment Examples of companies who saw huge returns after creativity training. [powerpress] The Deliberate Creative™ Training is designed to provide the creativity skills employees need to move to a higher level of creativity. An in-depth training can move employees up a level and over time they can become amazing assets to the organization's innovative approach resulting in thousands of dollars of increased revenue or decreased expenditures. [Tweet "“Creativity is both a skill and a process.” - @AmyClimer"] Resources Episode 78 with Roger Firestien Epstein, R., Schmidt, S., & Warfel, R. (2008). Measuring and Training Creativity Competencies: Validation of a New Test. Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 7-12. The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Dr. Dani Chesson is a thought leader in design thinking. Through her research she identified six core capabilities that design thinkers possess. In this episode, she walks us through those six core capabilities and helps us understand how to be better at coming up with creative solutions to problems. What You'll Learn The six core capabilities of design thinkers Why visual expression helps creative problem solving The importance of separating out the ideation and evaluation of ideas How one company saved millions on a benefit program by using design thinking. [powerpress] [Tweet ""Failure isn't a bad thing. Failure is about learning. Design thinkers have gotten comfortable with taking risks and learning from them. " - @DaniChesson on The Deliberate Creative Podcast"] About Dr. Dani Chesson Designer turned change manager, turned strategy consultant, Dr. Dani Chesson is the creator of Chesson's Design Thinker Profile, an assessment that measures design thinking capabilities in individuals and teams. As a Design Thinker Coach, Dani helps her clients discover untapped opportunities and put them into action so they can reach their full potential. Design thinking has been the center of Dani's career and research interest. Throughout her career, Dani has leveraged her training as a graphic designer to help organizations create new products and services, adopt emerging technologies, and successfully implement large-scale change. A former Vice President at Bank of America, Dani has over a decade of experience leading global teams through large-scale innovation and change projects. She has also held leadership and consulting roles at Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting, Sherpa, LLC, and HSBC. Dani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication with a focus in graphic design. She holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Organization Development from Queens University of Charlotte where her research focused on how designers approach problem solving. Dani earned a PhD in Leadership and Organizational Change from Antioch University where her research involved developing an assessment for measuring the capabilities of Design Thinkers. You can learn more about Dani's work at www.designthinkerprofile.com and, she can be contacted via email at dani@chessonconsulting.com   Resources Dani Chesson's website: designthinkerprofile.com Dr. Tina Seelig's Failure Resume Assignment What I Learned from a Big Failure (inspired by Amy's interview with Dani) The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge Share with one person one failure event in your life and what you learned from it. Then, journal about it. You can listen to Amy's episode about a big failure she experience a few years ago. What's yours? Post your failures below. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Inspired by guests Jeff Leisawitz (episode 89) and Dr. Dani Chesson (episode 91), Dr. Amy Climer shares the story of a big failure she experienced in 2006-2007. Most importantly, she talks about what she learned, what she would do differently, and how you can mitigate your risk on a project that might fail. What You'll Learn The story of Amy's failed art practice What Amy learned from being a professional artist Advice for starting a project that might fail [powerpress] Resources See Amy's art at: amyclimer.com The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Jeff Leisawitz is a musician, artist, and writer whose mission to to help everyone be more creative. His focus is on teaching the power of using creativity as a tool to be seen, expressed, and healed. What You'll Learn How he accidentally wrote a book The impact of creativity on the world Jeff's advice on getting more creative About Jeff Leisawitz Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission—to inspire writers, artists, musicians and everyone else to amp up their creativity, heal their hearts, and shine in the world.   Jeff is an award-winning musician/producer, a critically acclaimed author and internationally distributed filmmaker who has devoted his life to the art of creativity.   As the guy behind Electron Love Theory, Jeff fused interviews with Seattle's WTO demonstrators into electronic music, garnering more than a quarter million downloads worldwide. Jeff has released five studio albums and has landed more than 5,000 music placements in film, TV and multimedia— including clients like HBO, MTV, Discovery, Microsoft, NBC and many others.   As the founding writer for Seattle's taste-making alternative rock station 107.7 The End, he chronicled the alternative grunge scene in the 90s.   After training as a Life Coach and practicing NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Re-Patterning) Jeff landed a gig as an adjunct faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University— teaching college students to rock. Seriously.   When creative businesses and organizations like King County Library System, Brown Paper Tickets, Tacoma School of the Arts, Northwest Film Forum, Gage Academy, The Writers Store and others need an Awesome Infusion, Jeff leads workshops and events to fire up the creative spirit and empower people to tap into their true potential.   Not F*ing Around— The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground is Jeff's first book. Resources Jeff Leisawitz's website Book: Not F*ing Around: The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground Camp Log-n-Twig (now closed) The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge Create a new habit! What would serve you well - writing 10 minutes a day, a drawing a day, a poem a day, look for more beauty in the world? Make that small change and reap the tremendous benefits. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Dr. Teresa Lawrence has found a unique niche teaching project managers how to be more creative and effective by using tools and techniques from Creative Problem Solving. In this episode, she explores how project managers can use divergent and convergent thinking and better use the specific tools they select. What You'll Learn The definition of a project How to know where to start in a project The importance of using divergent and convergent thinking in project management How to use the activity Card Sort [powerpress] About Dr. Teresa Lawrence Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, CSM, provides training, facilitation and coaching in creativity and the application of creative problem solving in all methodologies of Project Management across all industries. In addition to consulting as a project manager and trainer, she provides professional services in the management of strategic initiatives and change. Over 10,000 Project Managers have earned PDUs from Teresa's workshops, presentations and webinars. Teresa is an alum of the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) and serves as the VP for Certification Training in the Buffalo PMI chapter. She is the past recipient of Buffalo Business First “Women of Influence” and the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education “Distinguished Alumni” awards. Teresa is a previous superintendent of schools and the current president of International Deliverables, LLC. You can contact Teresa at teresa@internationaldeliverables.com or find her on projectmanagement.com. Resources Teresa's website: internationaldeliverables.com Project Management Institute - projectmanagement.com PM Network PMXPO Project Management in Practice The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge Think about a project or task you are currently facing. There are many elements that need to get done. Do the technique Card Sort that Teresa mentioned. If you could only do one of the tasks, which one will get you the furthest along right now. Use this to prioritize the top three thing that would have the greatest impact. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Jane Dunnewold shares what she has learned about creativity in her decades as an artist and creativity teacher. She talks about how she stays creative in her own life and how she fosters it in her students. Her insights are applicable to artists and non-artists alike. What You'll Learn Who is "the committee" and why you need to be aware of them. The one piece of advice that all artists on this podcast have shared. How the power of a simple conversation could change someone's happiness at work [powerpress] About Jane Dunnewold Jane Dunnewold teaches and lectures internationally about art and creativity. She has mounted numerous one-person exhibitions, including Inspired by the Masters (Visions Quilt Museum 2016). Her work won Best of Show in the exhibition Timeless Meditations (Tubac Art Center/2013). She is a recipient of the Quilt Japan Prize, and Gold Prize at the Taegue (Korea) International Textile Exhibition. Dunnewold has authored numerous books, including the classic Complex Cloth (1996). Interweave Press published Art Cloth: A Guide to Surface Design on Fabric (2010.) In 2016, North Light Books published Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Stories to inspire Artistic Genius. She is the former President of the Surface Design Association. Resources Jane Dunnewold's website Jane's Creative Strength Training online course Episode 83 with artist Hollis Chatelain Episode 69 with artist Greg Climer We! Connect Cards by Chad Littlefield The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge Jane offers two challenges for the week. 1) Each day, take a photo of something close up. Spend a minute or so paying attention to those small details. What do you notice after doing this for a week? 2) Think of something that you would like to know about other people, something you are curious about. Ask those questions when you are meeting new people or talking with someone you don't know well. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Steve Garguilo is an expert at taking action. In this episode he explains his blueprint for how to take action on ideas, big or small. You will learn what gets in the way and blocks us from taking action as well as strategies to help you and your team take action and make progress. What You'll Learn How to take action on your ideas Learn how to adapt a bias towards action How the difference between productive and unproductive procrastination About Steve Garguilo Steve Garguilo works with people from all walks of life from all over the world to help them make their ideas happen. He led the revolution to transform the culture of the 5th largest company in the world by instigating and shaping a grassroots movement at Johnson & Johnson that engaged 23,000 employees and led to countless stories of product and people development. Steve's groundbreaking programs are known for being incredibly engaging and highly immersive and interactive. Net Promoter Scores for his programming range from +86 to +100. Garguilo has also worked on social ventures globally, including in Kenya and India. In 2014, he completed The Mongol Rally, a 10,000-mile adventure from London to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, fundraising for the African Prisons Project. He has lived all over the world and has spoken at TED and TEDx events across the globe in the United States, Switzerland, Brazil, Scotland, Tunisia, and Lithuania. A global citizen, he has visited each of the 48 contiguous United States and is a member of the “century club” having visited over 100 countries. Resources Book: Surge by Steve Garguilo and Sergiy Skoryk Steve on Twitter Steve's websites: stevegarguilo.com and actionsurge.com giantflamingo.com Episode 84: Using Goal Setting to Increase Creativity The Deliberate Creative on C-suite Radio Upcoming free webinars Leave a review on iTunes Weekly Challenge What is one big idea that you want to take action on? Then, ask yourself what is one thing you can do to make progress on this right now. It is overly simple, but it's important. Give it the importance it deserves. Take that first step and get started this week.

Are you looking for some good books about creativity to read for 2018? If so, here are the top 5 books I recommend the most. They will help you be more creative in your personal and professional life, as well as to help you lead your team and organization to innovate more. Happy reading!  What You'll Learn Amy's top recommended creativity books A short review of each book [powerpress] Resources Book: The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield Book: From Experience to Creativity by Daniel Cape with contributions by Dr. Amy Climer Book: Collective Genius by Linda Hill, et al. Book: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Podcast: Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert Weekly Challenge Pick one of these 5 books and start reading! Then, let me know what you think.  

If you want to be creative, you have to be deliberate. Setting goals is an important part of being more creative. Many people claim they want to be creative, but don't actually do anything about it. In this episode, learn Dr. Amy Climer's process for how she sets and achieves her goals. Learn what didn't work for her and how she fixed that problem. What You'll Learn The importance of writing down your goals Barriers Amy faced in previous years and how she overcame them A process for making your goals more visual so you can remember and achieve them Resources The yearly, quarterly, and weekly goal setting posters Amy uses Episode 8: FourSight Thinking Profile with Blair Miller Bullet Journaling Weekly Challenge Download the goal setting posters. Spend some time writing down 3-5 yearly goals. Then, write down 3 goals for this quarter and for this week to help you meet those goals. What is one step you can take today to get started on those goals? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Hollis Chatelain is a textile artist and humanitarian. She also teaches creativity. In this episode, she shares exercises and techniques she teaches her students to help them tap into the creativity that is already within. What You'll Learn New exercises to help you get new ideas Why and how to embrace boredom Why journaling might not be the best way to foster your creativity [powerpress] About Hollis Chatelain Hollis Chatelain has inspired people around the globe with her award-winning scenes of multicultural life. She first went to Africa with the PeaceCorps in 1980. Influenced by the 12 years she lived in West Africa working with humanitarian organizations, her work has always reflected her dedication to social and environmental issues. Hollis has worked as a professional artist for over 40 years creating textile paintings that convey the untold stories of women, children and the environment. Resources Hollis Chatelain's website Hollis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Weekly Challenge Go sit in a place where you feel relaxed. Just sit and daydream. Be in the moment. What do you see, hear, smell? Tap into your senses and what's going on around you. It's not emptying your brain as in meditation, it's about noticing and being bored. Do this for 15 minutes. Can you do it for 7 days? What did you notice? Do you start looking forward to it? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Toxic employees cause significant harm to organizations and decrease creativity. Dr. Mitch Kusy is an expert in everyday civility and has studied toxic personalities in organizations for years. In this episode, he explains how toxic employees hurt organizations financially and otherwise. He discusses why managers don't deal with them and why they need to. He offers advice and strategies for dealing with people with toxic personalities. What You'll Learn The financial impact of toxic employees and why you shouldn't ignore them Strategies for dealing with toxic employees to improve your organization and increase creativity [powerpress] About Mitch Kusy Dr. Mitchell Kusy, a 2005 Fulbright Scholar in Organization Development, is a full professor in the Graduate School of Leadership & Change at Antioch University. A registered organization development consultant, Mitch has consulted with hundreds of organizations nationally and internationally; he has been a keynote speaker around the globe. Mitch has helped create organizational communities of respectful engagement, facilitated large-scale systems to successful change, and engaged teams through assessment and team-designed actions—all with a focus on improving organizational culture and long-term return on investment. He previously headed organization development for HealthPartners and the leadership development area for American Express Financial Advisors. Before his leadership in national and international organizations, Mitch was a full professor at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, where he co-designed the doctoral program in organization development. Previous to Why I Don't Work Here Anymore, Mitch co-authored five business books. In 1998, he received the Minnesota Organization Development Practitioner of the Year Award. He resides in Minneapolis, MN and Palm Springs, CA and may be contacted at mitchellkusy@gmail.com. Resources Mitch Kusy's Website (email Mitch for a free copy of the Kusy Toxic Cost Worksheet) Mitch's new book: Why I don't Work Here Anymore: A Leader's Guide to Offset the Financial and Emotional Costs of Toxic Employees Book: Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power by Mitch Kusy and Elizabeth Holloway Weekly Challenge Apply one of the strategies that Mitch outlined in the podcast episode! He offered these three strategies specifically: Conduct the Cost-Benefit Analysis of the situation - Is this going to backfire? Has feedback failed previously? What is my intention giving feedback? Look at your own performance management system - Are the values spelled out? If you decide to give feedback, look at the nuances in how you can approach it as described by Mitch. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Jessica Pettitt is a diversity and social justice educator. She talks about her new book Good Enough Now and how teams can learn to collaborate at a deeper level, embrace diversity, and get real with each other. What You'll Learn How to be Good Enough Now The three common response patterns and how to identify yours How your response patterns can help you collaborate at a deeper level [powerpress] About Jessica Pettitt Jessica Pettitt, M.Ed., CSP, pulls together her stand up comedy years with 15+ years of diversity trainings in a wide range of organizations to serve groups to move from abstract fears to actionable habits that lead teams to want to work together. With a sense of belonging and understanding, colleagues take more risks with their ideation, conserve precious resources through collaboration, and maintain real connections with clients over time. Resources Jessica Pettitt's website Book: Good Enough Now Freebies and handouts from Good Enough Now Weekly Challenge Take some time and create a list of your crucible moments in your life. Identify how your third rail showed up in each of them. What do you notice? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

At different points in the creative process we might come upon some anxiety related to creativity. In this episode, Amy Climer talks about three common factors which cause anxiety related to creativity and three tips so that you can move through the anxiety and start implementing your creative ideas. What You'll Learn Three common factors which cause anxiety related to creativity Three tips to help manage and ease anxiety related to creativity Weekly Challenge Reflect on the ways in which you might be feeding your own anxiety related to creativity and give one of these tips a try. The world needs you and your creative ideas! Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days.  Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

In this episode we're flipping the script. Guest Will Wise is an expert at using questions to create connections. Today, he will be interviewing Amy Climer and demonstrating how to ask powerful questions. You'll learn how to ask better questions through an exciting live Q&A session. What You'll Learn How to ask more powerful questions and create deeper connections with others How to build trust in your team One simple thing your team can do to be more creative today. The vision that drives Amy's focus on creativity - you are a part of it! About Will Wise Will Wise has over two decades of experience custom building leadership programs for corporate and nonprofit groups. He has earned a reputation as one who can transform groups and people into their best selves. Tens of thousands of people have been empowered with positive communication skills after spending some time with Will and We!™ Most recently, Will has also added author to his list of accomplishments with the release of his new book, Asking Powerful Questions. Will lives in State College, PA with his amazing wife, Heather, and their three children. Resources Will Wise's website Will's new book, Ask Powerful Questions Link to free ebook (through Oct 21, 2017) and other free resources (after Oct 21) Episode with Chad Littlefield about How to Ask Questions  The Artist's Way Episodes 03 through 08: The Creative Problem Solving process Weekly Challenge Be aware of what you are curious about and ask questions about it. Ask questions beginning with a "how" or a  "what", not a "why." Take the risk and then listen to see what shows up. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Dr. Roger Firestien is a master facilitator of the Creative Problem Solving process. He has been using it, studying it, researching it, and teaching it for 40 years. In this episode he shares his thoughts on facilitating a well-crafted Creative Problem Solving session. He talks about how to get the best results for the clients, how to be an amazing facilitator, and some tips he has learned over the last four decades. What You'll Learn How one company saved $50,000/week after using Creative Problem Solving The tools Roger Firestien uses more than any others Three levels to strive for in your own facilitation practice How to design the physical space to achieve maximum results About Roger Firestien Dr. Roger Firestien has taught more people to lead the creative process than anyone else in the world. By applying Roger's work in creativity: Clorox solved a 77-year-old problem in 15 minutes; General Motors came up with a $1.50 solution that saved the company $50,000 a week; Mead Paper developed a world-class line of products and saved $500,000 a year; The Los Angeles Times set their vision for the future; Buffalo, New York received One Billion dollars for economic development. Called “The Gold Standard” of creativity training by his clients, he has presented programs in creativity to over 600 organizations nationally and internationally ranging from major fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, associations and churches.   Dr. Firestien is Associate Professor and the Senior Faculty member at the world renowned International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State.  He is the author and co-author of five books. Roger's expert views on creativity have been reported in Fast Company and The New York Times. When Roger is not traveling, he lives in Buffalo, New York, and regularly works cattle on the SK Hereford Ranch near Medina, New York Resources Roger Firestien's website - here you will find the resources he mentioned, as well as the GM Story and other helpful examples. Climer Cards Weekly Challenge Take a look at how you show up as a facilitator. Remind yourself of your purpose to serve others. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days.

In this episode, Amy describes the five dysfunctions of a team as outlined in the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and provides ways that leaders might address each of these dysfunctions. What You'll Learn The five common dysfunctions of a team What you might do as a team leader to overcome these dysfunctions  Resources The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone The Deliberate Creative Podcast Episode 8: FourSight with Blair Miller Weekly Challenge Download the cheat sheet for this episode below and rate your team on each of these levels. If your team is not at a 4 or 5, create a plan to address the dysfunction within your team. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

In this episode, Michael Diettrich-Chastain explores the connection between making change and creativity. He explains seven elements needed to implement change in your life and how to use that to be more creative.  What You'll Learn The connection between change and creativity The CHANGES model and how you can use it to be more creative in your life How self-care can impact the bottom line About Michael Diettrich-Chastain Michael Diettrich-Chastain is the founder of an independent Organizational Consulting and Coaching firm – Arc Integrated. Michael has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish as well as a Master's Degree in Counseling.  Michael is a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina.  In addition to his background and experience in psychology, Michael is also a Certified Communication Coach as well as a trained facilitator in the Advanced Insights Profile, Actualized Leadership Profile and Group Culture Profile. As a leadership coach, Michael has helped organizational leaders and teams become more effective in recognizing how to inspire, engage, resolve conflict and communicate with others.   Through coaching, Michael helps individuals recognize and develop strengths in order to become more effective in their careers and personal lives. Michael has facilitated trainings on leadership, team building, communication, emotional intelligence, employee engagement, self-care and other topics.  Michael has facilitated trainings nationally across the US.  As a recipient of the Group Study Exchange Scholarship, through Rotary International, he has traveled internationally delivering trainings and education about his fields of work. Michael has studied eastern martial arts for more than a decade. While this study is a passion for him personally, he often incorporates philosophies from his experience into his work with individuals and organizations.  He has facilitated trainings on leadership, stress reduction, communication and conflict resolution while infusing concepts from his martial arts study and background. Resources Michael's Website Free chapter of Michael's new book Article: Research reveals self-care improves healing experience Article: Seeing it both ways: Openness to experience and binocular rivalry suppression Weekly Challenge A daily practice is a key component of being more creative and effective in life. Michael challenges listeners to start doing something each morning that focuses on yourself. It could be mediating, walking, exercising, writing, etc. Developing ourselves helps us show up more present with our teams and in the work we do.

Darcy Luoma shares her philosophy about being Thoughtfully Fit. Just like one would intentionally train to run a marathon, we need to train to be more mentally and emotionally fit. Darcy shares the six components you need to improve many areas of your life - whether it's being more creative with a team or improving your relationship with your spouse. She gives actionable insights and shares stories of her own personal shifts. What You'll Learn The six components of being Thoughtfully Fit Hear stories about how to be more intentional about how you show up in life Resources Darcy Luoma's website Episode 52 with Darcy Luoma: How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity Ask a Manager blog Weekly Challenge Strengthen your core. When you find yourself in a difficult situation pause, think, and act. Listen to the episode to learn more. Share your experiences in the comments below. We'd love to hear from  you!

Creativity is about the survival of ideas, pushing and pulling them out of us, giving them shape, and nurturing them into the world. It rarely happens alone. More often teams and groups are critical to creative ideas reaching adulthood. Yet, teams are complex. They can be the greatest champions for an idea or instantly kill it. In this episode, Amy Climer talks about the 3 elements of collaborative creativity that teams need to help ideas survive and thrive. What You'll Learn The three elements of collaboratively creative teams. What happens when ideas are shot down too early Resources Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008 Episode 52 with Darcy Luoma: How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Weekly Challenge Think about a team you are a member of. How do they rank in the three elements of collaborative creativity? Where are the weaknesses and strengths? What does the team need to learn in order to be more creative together?

This episode explores the similarities and roots of three common creative processes: Design Thinking, Human Centered Design, and Creative Problem Solving. What You'll Learn The history of creative process The similarities between three popular creative design processes Why understanding these is valuable to your work as a team leader, manager, or creative team member. Resources Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008 Episode 37 with Keith Sawyer Book: Explaining Creativity by Keith Sawyer

In this episode, things are flipped. Podcast host Amy Climer is interviewed by Meg Bolger and Sam Killermann from Facilitating XYZ. Amy talks about how she learned to facilitate and explores facilitating creativity in teams. This is a replay from an episode on Facilitating XYZ, first aired on May 16, 2017. What You'll Learn The difference between a presentation, a training, and a facilitation How to get more ideas and engagement from workshop participants How to address "idea fatigue" and the value of getting bored The Creative Problem Solving process and how it works with teams Resources Facilitating XYZ Climer Cards The Creative Problem Solving Institute Amy's Top 6 Creativity Books Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action Book: Experience and Education by John Dewey Book: The Processing Pinnacle by Steven Simpson Matt Church Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni Book: Open To Outcome: A Practical Guide For Facilitating & Teaching Experiential Reflection Book: The Artist's Way – Julia Cameron The complete video with closed-caption and show index is available on YouTube

Implementing creative ideas can be a big challenge for teams. In this episode Project Manager Professional Brian Davidson explains how to use project management tools with teams to make any project a success. He provides simple, clear processes useful for non-project managers to lead their teams through to execution. He examines typical challenges team face with collaborative, creative projects and what to do about them. What You'll Learn The step-by-step process of how to create a project management map, a work A simple way to get your team to collectively create a project plan and timeline Common pitfalls teams make when trying to implement innovative projects and what to do about it About Brian Davidson Brian Davidson is a Project Management Professional and Certified Scrum Master with 13 years experience leading 32 projects in United States, Middle East, China, and Asia-Pacific region. He is passionate about leading teams to achieve project success. Brian is particularly interested in combining both innovation skills with execution skills to help people and teams achieve their innovation goals. He is also a project management coach and readily shares his experience and expertise with those interested in learning about project management. Contact him at  info@mypmdevelopment.com. Resources Brian's website: www.mypmdevelopment.com with sample project templates and tools www.smartsheet.com for an online, collaborative project plan template. One Page Project Manager (www.oppmi.com) for a 12-step, one-page, project plan template and related books. HBR Article: Innovator's DNA by Dyer, Gregerson, and Christensen The Weekly Challenge Work through the project charter exercise Brain explained and share it with others. How did it go? What did you learn? Share your experiences and questions in the comments below! Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy! Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Chad Littlefield has studied questions. He knows how to ask excellent questions that lead to open, intriguing, creative conversations. He explains how to ask useful questions that help people be more creative. Learn tips on how to craft the best questions, build team trust, and increase creativity. What You'll Learn The essential elements of well-crafted questions The reason "why" questions close off creativity How to use questions to drive creativity About Chad Littlefield Chad Littlefield, M.Ed., is the co-founder and CEO of We!™. He has spoken at TEDx and is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections. As a speaker and professional facilitator, Chad designs fun, challenging, and engaging experiences and tools that break down communication barriers, and increase connection and engagement. He has worked as an instructor at Penn State University and led the design team who created We! Connect Cards™ which are now being used to create conversations that matter within companies and campuses in over 50 countries around the world. Chad has the privilege of consulting, coaching, and facilitating within organizations like JetBlue, Starbucks, Penn State, Cigna, Typeform, United Way, Goodwill, TEDx and dozens more.  Resources Chad Littlefield's website We! Connect Cards We!™ Newsletter Movie: Patch Adams with Robin Williams Patch Adam's Gesundheit! Institute Amy Climer's Dissertation Episode 60: "Might" it a Mighty Word The Weekly Challenge In the next week, talk with three strangers. They could be people in your daily interactions, like a cashier, and ask them an open-ended question that starts with "what" or "how." The questions need to come from a place of genuine curiosity. In the comments below share what questions you asked and what happened. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy!

In this episode, I interview artist Greg Climer. Yes, he's my brother, but he's also an amazing artist and a professor at the Parson School of Design in New York. He talks about his artistic practice, where he gets his ideas, and offers advice for how to get more creative. What You'll Learn Three tips from artist Greg Climer to help you be more creative How Greg comes up with new ideas and how you can do the same About Greg Climer Greg Climer is an artist whose work, though primarily textiles, bridges media and explores ephemeral experiences, film, sculpture and technology. His exploration of craft forms inverts methods and explores making through a queer lens. He was a 2016 Artist-In-Residence at the Museum of Art and Design, where he created the animated quilts. His work has shown in the Mint Museum of Craft and Design (North Carolina), Kustera Projects (Brooklyn), Fred Frelinghuysen Presents (Brooklyn), and other galleries throughout the United States. He is an Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and the Associate Director of First Year at Parson School for Design in New York City. Resources Greg Climer's website Greg Climer on Instagram Greg Climer in Fast Company magazine Parson's School of Design The tool Greg and Amy both use for daily writing - 750words.com Podcast Bored and Brilliant Episode 35: The Leadership Style Continuum Episode 40: How Positivity Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tina Hallis Episode 44: How Diversity in Teams Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tanya Williams The Weekly Challenge Take Greg's advice this week and find 4-5 magazines you wouldn't normally read and dive into all of them at once. What ideas come up? Share your thoughts and experience in the comments!  Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy!

Purna yoga focuses on the philosophy that life is yoga. In this episode, Letitia Walker shares what she has learned from her decades of practicing yoga and her life as a philosophy professor. She talks about the connection between the spark (creativity), the mind, and the body. If you are blocked it may be because one of these is out of balance. She explains how to tell what's off and how to rebalance yourself so you can be more creative.  What You'll Learn Three elements within you that need to work together to get those creative moments Three simple questions you can ask yourself everyday to help you be more creative What to do when one of more elements is out of balance About Letitia Walker Letitia Walker is a certified Purna Yoga Instructor at the 500 Hour level, currently pursuing her 2,000 Hour certification at Purna Yoga College. She has been practicing since 1998, teaching since 2004, and has studied with noted teachers: Aadil Palkhivala, Savitri, Michael Stone, Elise Browning Miller, and Matthew Sanford. Purna means complete. As a Purna Yoga instructor, Letitia's classes and workshops address the entire you – body, mind, emotions and spirit – by drawing on four pillars of knowledge: Asana & Pranayama rooted in the alignment-oriented practice of BKS Iyengar as refined by Purna Yoga co-founder, Aadil Palkhivala Nutrition & Lifestyle Choices that meld the best of Ayurveda, Chinese, and Western medicine dynamic and transformational Heartfull Meditation techniques created by co-founder Savitri Applied Philosophy, which takes the breadth & wisdom of the ancient yogic texts and applies them practically to modern living Off the mat, Letitia, along with her husband, is the author of Sock Monkey Dreams: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter (Viking Studio, 2006) and also designs her own line of graphic tees (Look Good Tees). She loves cooking, gardening, and spending time with friends and family, most notably her husband, Whitney, writer and master DJ extraordinaire, and Didi and Dolly, the cutest rescue shih tzus on the planet. Resources Letitia Walker's website: liveyoganow.com Letitia's CreativeMornings talk with the carpal tunnel series and Mental Centering technique Purna Yoga College The Weekly Challenge Take some time each day to think about the three questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Beyond that, work on the pause. Pause before you react. Take a deep breath before you respond. This allows time for the spark to emerge and for creativity to flourish.

In 1914, 28 men embarked on a dangerous expedition to the South Pole. Led by experienced Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, the men faced more peril that they could have ever imagined. In the middle of Antarctica their ship sunk. No one on the planet knew their situation. Shackleton was determined to get all the men home alive. Defying all odds, he succeeded. His unconventional leadership approach saved the men and even 100 years later there is much we can learn from Shackleton. This episode shares Shackleton's story and the leadership principles relevant to leading any team. What You'll Learn Hear the story of Shackleton's incredible journey to the South Pole Learn Shackleton's leadership principles and why they are relevant today   Resources Book: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing Book: Leading at the Edge by Dennis Perkins Book: Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from a Great Explorer by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell Blog Post: Five Elements of Shackleton's Leadership The Weekly Challenge Select one of the leadership principles. What can you do to make progress towards it? Take one step. Share comments in the shownotes at climerconsulting.com/067. I'd love to hear what you did and how it went.   Note: You can find images and the free summary sheet at climerconsulting.com/067.   

Learn how to use space as a tool to enhance creativity within your team and your organization. Mike Marcus is the Assistant Director of Creative Placemaking & Property Development at The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. In this episode, he teaches us about creative placemaking, explaining what it is and how it can help your team develop and implement creative ideas. He shares three components of creative placemaking and how you can being using with your team. What You'll Learn What creative placemaking is and how it might impact you and your team Three tips for implementing creative placemaking and making your organization more creative About Mike Marcus Mike Marcus serves as Assistant Director of Creative Placemaking & Property Development at The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. He is responsible for leading the organization's property development initiative, The Hive AVL – a creative campus for making, learning and enterprise, and its related programmatic element, the Center for Creative Entrepreneurship. The project includes multiple University partners and economic development organizations. Mike is passionate about cultivating vibrant communities and robust creative economies. He is particularly interested in the intersection of urban planning and economic development through the lens of the arts, local manufacturing, design and the maker movement. Mike is part of the core organizing committee for CreativeMornings Asheville and sits on the board of the Asheville Design Center. He holds a graduate certificate in Creative Placemaking from The Ohio State University, Columbus and a Bachelor's Degree in City & Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California. Resources Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design Email Mike - mmarcus@craftcreativitydesign.org Mike Marcus on LinkedIn CreativeMornings Book: Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration Book: Spaces for Innovation: The Design and Science of Inspiring Environments The Weekly Challenge Ask three people this question: When a creative idea strikes for them, what is their optimal environment to further develop the idea? This can help you create new thinking about space and hopefully lead to positive changes.  

Immunity to Change is a powerful tool to help us figure out what is preventing us from making the change we want in our lives, whether it is being more creative, exercising more, or finishing a project. Something is creating the "immunity" that is stopping the change. In this episode, Immunity to Change facilitators Amy Climer and Jen Wilson explain how Immunity to Change works and how to use it. You will walk through creating your own map to lead you to understanding yourself and hear an example of how to use the process. The process helps individuals, teams, and organizations make the changes they want to make. What You'll Learn How to use the Immunity to Change process to facilitate change in your own life. Big assumptions you might be making and how to test them How to use the Immunity to Change map to uncover what has been preventing you from changing. About Jen Wilson Jennifer Wilson is a consultant, facilitator and coach. She founded her company, New Leaf Coaching and Consulting LLC, in 2006 with a mission to help people in progressive, mission-driven organizations work well together so they can do amazing work in the world. She has consulted across the U.S. and beyond in diverse settings, from wilderness backcountry to NYC boardrooms, with organizations such as Sierra Club, NRDC, Open Society Foundation, REI, Esperanza Unida, and Wisconsin Public Radio. Jennifer co-founded two urban high schools dedicated to serving marginalized youth. Jennifer is skilled at deeply listening and synthesizing what she hears into workable ideas that reflect the input of all constituents. Her facilitation style surfaces innovative ideas that challenge current conditions to re-energize organizational culture and the way teams function. Jennifer allows people the space to boldly innovate and stretch, creating opportunities for real change to happen. She helps leaders sustain their resiliency by bringing emotional intelligence and mindfulness practice into the work.   Jennifer's has an MA in Counseling and Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis and is trained in coaching, transformational consulting, experiential learning, and outdoor education. She studied Immunity to Change with Dr. Keegan and Dr. Lahey at Harvard University. Outside of work, you can find her wandering around mountains and wilderness with her favorite trail partner (her husband), paddling local waterways, or lost in a really good book. The Weekly Challenge Download the free Immunity to Change Map here. Then, listen to the episode for directions, pausing where needed to complete the map/worksheet. Then, test out one of your Big Assumptions this week. Share your results and impressions in the comments below. Resources Jen Wilson's website Book: Immunity to Change by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey   Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy! 

How we present our ideas affects the audience's reactions. When presented poorly creative ideas get shot down or ignored. In this episode, you'll learn a five-step process that will lead to effective presentations. The steps apply to simple, informal presentations or high-stakes keynotes. Whatever the context, former actor Jack Hannibal shares how to design and deliver presentations so you can get the results you want. What You'll Learn How you can design your presentations to get positive responses from your audience The five step model to present your creative ideas The three most common hurdles in delivering presentations About Jack Hannibal A professional actor since childhood and teacher of acting for over 20 years, Jack knows firsthand what it takes to command a room with authenticity and presence. He is also good at showing others how to do the same. Jack is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City where he studied acting under Sanford Meisner. He has performed on and off-Broadway and has appeared in numerous TV programs and commercials. In Los Angeles, he taught acting privately and at UCLA Extension. Jack holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. He lives with his wife in Asheville, NC, where he maintains a private psychotherapy practice and is on the teaching staff at Asheville Insight Meditation. Jack's extensive experience as a performer, teacher of acting, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher, makes him a presentation coach second to none. His clients include: Children's Hospital Foundation, Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Sports West, Fox Big Ten, MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Sony Electronics, Panasonic Avionics, Parsons Engineering, GemStar TVGuide, Quest Diagnostics, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, and The Martin Agency. Resources Presentation and Presence Website Jack Hannibal's website The Weekly Challenge Jack offers two challenges for the week. The first is to get out and speak as much as possible. The more presentations you do the more comfortable you will be. Look for opportunities through Toastmasters or your local library, take an Improv or acting class, or share a story at an open mic event. The second challenge is to pay attention to the way the people in your life tell stories.  Notice what works and what doesn't. See if you can start to notice their underlying structure.  Ask yourself, who was the protagonist in that story?  What were they after?  What obstacles did they overcome? What was the point of the story?  In addition, pay attention to the way the storyteller spoke.  How did they use their hands and body to enhance or diminish your experience of the story? Look for how the speaker married expositional information (data) with dramatic narrative.  Were you able to “see” the situation they told you about or not?  Feel free to share your insights in the comment section below. We'd love to hear from you!  

Managing up, also called leading up, or followership, is a critical skill at any level of an organization. In this episode, educational consultant Julie Koenke talks about the nuanced skill of managing up. She explains how it can help you better work with your supervisor and help your organization get the results you are aiming for. What You'll Learn The definition of managing up What managing up looks like with your supervisor Why being a "good soldier" isn't what your boss is looking for How managing up helps all levels of the organization succeed About Julie Koenke Julie Koenke is the Director of the Great Lakes College and Career Pathway Partnership. Prior to this role, Julie worked as the Director of Secondary Programs and Pathways Partnerships for the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in Wisconsin. She led MMSD's efforts to implement personalized pathways with a Linked Learning approach across 16 middle and high schools. Julie has 17 years of experience developing public/private partnerships. She has developed numerous partnerships between public schools, non-profits, higher education institutions, businesses, foundations, and industry in order to bolster student achievement and success. During her 17 years of service in MMSD, she developed partnerships that increased participation in after school programs, increased high school graduation rates, college enrollment rates, access to and achievement in advanced and rigorous coursework for students of color. Julie has over 20 years of experience as a youth worker, community educator, professional developer, and district administrator working towards systems level change in the City of Madison, WI. She brings an expertise in developing effective collaborative teams, change management, and a passion for creating equitable schools and communities. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Resources Harvard Business Review article about Managing Up The Weekly Challenge Your challenge this week is to set up a meeting with your supervisor and ask two questions: 1) What can I do differently? 2) How can I best support you? Your supervisor might be surprised by your questions. Their response will help you do a better job of managing up and meeting the organizational goals. Let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below.   Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

There is no script for life and there is no exact script that will help you be more creative. In this episode, Amy interviews Chris Esparza about the power of Improv and how to work without a script. The skills and principles of Improv, borrowed from the world of theater, can help you deal with the ambiguity of leading creative teams. What You'll Learn What Improv is and how it can help your teams be more creative The three principles of Improv and how to use them with your team The importance of preparation versus planning How Chris was able to take five weeks off from his full-time job to dive deep into Improv in Chicago About Chris Esparza Chris is a listener-in-progress, leadership learner-educator, applied improvisor, and accidental runner. He currently serves as the Associate Director at the University of Oregon's Holden Center for Leadership & Community Engagement. He shares both administrative and programmatic responsibilities across the center, including coordination of the LeaderShape Institute, Catalyst, and our Strengths-Based Leadership programming. Recently, he has been active in infusing principals of improvisation into the center's curricular objectives, facilitating workshops and trainings across campus on adaptability, ambiguity, change, creativity, group development, and power and status. Chris grounds his work in experience with leadership development, group facilitation, diversity and inclusion, and applied psychology. Chris attended Stanford University for his bachelor's degree (Psychology) and UC Santa Barbara for his master's and doctoral work (Counseling Psychology). Outside of work you might find Chris running on the riverside paths in Eugene, OR, eating lots of Mexican food, or participating in the world's largest treasure hunt (geocaching). Resources IO Improv Theatre Book: Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madsen Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Book: Everything's An Offer by Robert Poynton Book: Training to Imagine by Kat Koppett Applied Improvisation Network International Leadership Association University of Oregon Holden Center Chris Esparza on Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn   The Weekly Challenge Your weekly challenge is to apply the rules of improv in your work and life: Let go. Notice more. Use everything. Apply an improvisor's mindset and see what emerges. Share your experiences in the comments below.

Are you overwhelmed with too many ideas? Do you have too many ideas and need to figure out which are the best? In this episode, learn how to select the best ideas. How to use criteria to manage and rate your ideas. Then, learn to test the top ones before doing a full-blown implementation. Try the weekly challenge and let us know how it goes!  What You'll Learn How to select the best ideas to implement The most common criteria used for selecting ideas How to prototype and test the top ideas The Weekly Challenge Apply what you learned this week. Use the criteria matrix idea to rate your ideas. Select the top ones and test them. Use the prototyping approach to test several ideas. Which ones rise to the top? Share your comment and questions below.   

Learn how the simple five-letter word "might" can help you be more creative. Might is a mighty word! When you change the format of your questions it leads to impressive results. This episode explains how to make a small shift and generate new, creative, original ideas.  What You'll Learn Why "might" is a mighty word How to change the way you ask questions to generate new ideas How to increase the sense of possibility with your team, your family/friends, and your self Resources Episode 5: Creative Problem Solving – Ideate The Weekly Challenge Use the word “might” at least three times a day for the next week. Try it when talking with your boss, bringing up a problem in a team meeting, asking your kids questions, talking about the future with your spouse. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways you might use the word “might” to create a sense of possibility and openness, and ultimately to generate more ideas. One of those ideas could lead to an amazing breakthrough.  

Sleep is a huge factor in our ability to be creative and come up with new ideas. Recently, there has been more research about how sleep affects our brains. This episode explores the effects of sleep on our creativity. Learn how you can get more sleep and how to support your teams to get more sleep and function at an even higher and more creative level. What You'll Learn Why you and your team need more sleep Six ways you can improve your sleep How you might be preventing your team members from getting the sleep they need to perform their best Resources Climer Cards Free Climer Cards eBook How to set Do Not Disturb on your iPhone How to set Do Not Disturb on your Android Flux for Mac Article: Creativity - The Unconscious Foundations of the Incubation Period The Model Health Show Podcast Episode 147: 10 Ways Sleep Can Give You a Better Brain The Weekly Challenge Get more sleep! Try a few of the suggestions mentioned in this episode and try them more than once. Challenge yourself to implement one of the suggestions at least five nights in a row and observe what happens. Ask your family members and colleagues if they notice a change!  

Team meetings are an opportunity to gather input, share ideas, and explore strategies. However, in many teams there are some team members who talk more, while others are less vocal. Every person's input if valuable, otherwise they shouldn't be on the team. In this episode, learn six techniques to equalize the voices in team meetings. The powerful techniques are easy enough to implement in your next meeting. This is the third episode in a three part series about team meetings. What You'll Learn Six techniques to help equalize input from team members How to hear from the less talkative members How to get the full potential from team members Resources Climer Cards Free Climer Cards eBook Episode 56: Five Ways to Open Your Team Meetings Episode 57: Five Ways to Close Your Team Meetings The Weekly Challenge Try one of the six techniques with your team at your next team meeting. Let me know how it goes. What happened? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below. 

Meetings are often the primary communication tool for teams. The way meetings begin and end impact the quality of the meeting. The episode explains five different ways to end your team meeting. The techniques encourage reflection and allow everyone to gain data about where the team is at. The episode builds on 056 which talked about how to open a meeting. What You'll Learn Why being intentional about how you end your meetings can help your teams be more successful. Five techniques to close your team meetings. How to increase reflection from team members and gain more insights into member's perception of a topic. Resources Climer Cards Free Climer Cards eBook Episode 56: Five Ways to Open Your Team Meetings The Weekly Challenge Try one of the five techniques to close your team meeting. How did it impact the meeting? How did it help the team? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

Meetings are often the primary way a team works together. The format and process of team meetings affects how a team works together, their sense of purpose, and their ability to innovate. By changing the format of a meeting you can increase trust among team members, improve communication, and do better work together. In this episode, learn five ways to begin your meeting that will help build your team to be even stronger. What You'll Learn Why starting a meeting with a short activity can help your team be more productive and focused Five ways to begin your meeting that will help you focus on your goals and increase camaraderie and trust Resources Climer Cards Toppers Pizza Five Core Values The Weekly Challenge Try one or more of the meeting openers at your next meeting. What happened? How did it affect the meeting? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Do you ever doubt your creativity? Do you ever think you just aren't creative enough or you don't have a creative bone in your body? If so, this episode is for you. Amy explains why the planet needs your creativity and reminds you of your creative potential. If you are doubting your creativity listen to this episode! What You'll Learn How the stories we heard at a young age impact our creative self-identity The role genetics play in your creativity Why the world needs you to be creative Resources Book: A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson Quote: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~ From A RETURN TO LOVE by Marianne Williamson © 1992 (Paperback; pp 190-191) The Weekly Challenge Try to identify where those negative messages about creativity came from. When have you received positive messages about your creativity? Do you ignore those and focus on the negative ones? How can you shift your thinking to realize you are creative? The planet needs your creativity!

Every one of us has our own unique, interpersonal style. In essence, we all have a default, natural behavior that we are most comfortable with. This behavior is called your Social Style. Social Styles explain our communication preferences, how we deal with conflict, and how we interact with others. By understanding your own style and others' you can learn to become more versatile therefore enhancing work relationships, resolving conflicts more effectively, and creating effective change. You'll learn your Social Style and how to adjust to better work with colleagues, partner, and friends. What You'll Learn Your own personal Social Style Three ways to increase your versatility in working with others Hear an example from Amy's life where she adjusted her style with great success Resources Book: The Social Styles Handbook by Wilson Learning Website: Social Styles by Wilson Learning Episode 8: FourSight with Blair Miller Orangutan Survival Species Plan The Weekly Challenge Determine your own Social Style. Figure out one way you can adjust your approach to better match someone else's style. What happened? How did it go?

If we keep operating at maximum intensity we won't continue to perform at maximum intensity. Without intermittent periods of rest creativity and productivity suffer in both teams and individuals. This episode explores the need for recovery time after intense projects and look what happens when we don't pause, slow down, and let ourselves rest.  What You'll Learn Why recovery time for your brain is as important for creativity What happens when we don't slow down, take vacations, and give our brain time to rest.  Resources Podcast: Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert Episode 52: On Multitasking with Darcy Luoma Book: Art of Thought by Graham Wallas, 1926  The Weekly Challenge Figure out your "end game" with the current projects and other things that are causing stress for you. Is there an end date? If so, what will change? If not, how can you make some changes to your life to allow more space and recovery time for your brain. This will increase your creativity! Share your comments below.