Wily Walnut’s Blog 2.0

Reminiscent of Thomas Edison’s Invention Factory at Menlo Park, New Jersey, Proctor and Gamble have their own creative thinking think tank over at Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati.

It sounds like a Disneyland for the creative mind. Check out this cool news item to learn about what those folks are doing over there:

Clay St Project lets P&G Think Outside of the Pyramid

I love the firestarter question that sparks a lot of creativity over there:

“If you were going to come to Earth and see things for the first time, what would they look like?”

A great question to take with you into 2009 — so you can see with fresh eyes… and thus see what others miss.

Wishing you happy new year and creative days,

Wily

I picked up on a Twitter thread and found Dean Hunt’s brilliant site and specifically this post: The Power Of Creative Thinking in which he shows how one little idea he came up with generated massive practical value for him.

You should look at Dean’s site just for a masterclass in original quirky thinking, unique presentation, and living creatively in your life, work and business.

Love the whole killer rabbit theme going on… simple little thing and yet it makes the whole experience memorable and fun.

I like this article over at BusinessWeek on How to Produce Big Ideas on Demand by G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón  of Maddock Douglas, a company that invents, brands, and markets products “for companies driven by innovation.”

Here are their tips:

1. Shower your way to creativity.

This is fairly old hat. You relax in the shower and that frees up your mind. But they add a note that there may be some scientific basis to it… that the water may stimulate synapses in the brain. There is also the diving reflex to consider. Splash cold water in your face and it triggers the diving reflex which in turn oxygenates your brain.

See The Brain Bubbles technique to permanently boost your IQ in just 3 weeks!

2. Sleep on it!

See: Sleep to succeed! Sleep and dream your way to brilliant ideas!

3. Engage in Mind-Mapping!

See: Mind Mapping: the visual creative thinking process

4. Schedule Your Day Dreaming

This is a good point. They say that many people are most creative in the morning, just at the point where they start checking and replying emails, wasting that time. I took a tip from internet marketer Michael Campbell about this, he does all his creative work first thing and leaves email till later in the day. It’s still a hard habit to break though.

5. Yuk it Up!

See: Enhance Your Intelligence With Jokes, Wit and Humor!

And: Gay Think - think pink your way to creativity, genius and wit!

Sharon Hayes, the designer of Angel Heaven World, wanted “to encourage feelings of security and joy for today’s children and to recapture a sense of innocence in this forever changing world.”

Her values-oriented web site “provides kids with an experience that celebrates creativity, learning and doing positive things for others.”

Angel Heaven World stands apart with its entertaining and wholesome online neighborhood where kids (ages 4-7) can play games, download coloring pages, pick wings for their angels then fly and chat in the Angel Heaven park. The site can also help kids learn basic skills like memory building, reading and creative thinking in a safe, secure web environment. With their parent’s permission, kids can also purchase Angel Heaven dolls and accessories.

 I can see how there is a market for this kind of thing. However I can’t help thinking that there is something more than a little creepy about encouraging young kids to play in ‘Angel Heaven World’ that it’s almost as bad as what it wants to avoid.

That said, I love movies about angels, so what do I know?!! Lol!

Press release: Introducing Angel Heaven World

Website: http://www.angelheavenworld.com
 

Innovation strategist, Idris Mootee, of  Innovation Playground, has written an article that makes some valuable points to any business looking to develop creative thinking and innovation amongst its people.

It’s not enough just to take on creative types, he says. Most of those type of people won’t have the mental fortitude to see projects through to productive ends. Mootee stresses the need for a culture of non-traditional thinking, in which experimentation and prototyping is encouraged.

The same attitude is required by anyone who wants to live creatively in the 21st Century and grow as an individual. You have to constantly set up experiments in living, so that you can try out new ways of thinking, acting and being. Keep pushing against the limitations.

Check out Idris Mootee’s article here: “Creative Thinking” Is More Than Just “Creativity”. And Business Innovation Is Not Dependent On Creative People.
 

Reading about Prriya Raj, dubbed ‘India’s answer to Dilbert’ at this article in the Statesman: Boardroom Hero. Apparently his work is endorsed by Edward de Bono, who has written the foreword to his recent books.

Check his work out at: http://www.prriyaraj.com

How creative could you be if money wasn’t an issue? WOW! What a great question!

It’s the premise behind a new book called “The Affluent Artist” written by Rick DiBiasio, with a foreword by Jack Canfield.

Here’s the press release if you are interested in progressing beyond starving artist mode!!

When it comes to the stereotype of the “starving artist” it is often assumed that creative and artistic people have no business acumen. The Affluent Artist™ How Creative Could You Be if Money Wasn’t an Issue? The Money Book for Creative People by Rick DiBiasio, CFP®, with a foreword by Jack Canfield, invites all creatives, no matter what their discipline, to use their creativity to understand and obtain financial freedom.

Rick DiBiasio is a Certified Financial Planner with 25 years of experience and a national planning practice that exclusively deals with creative clients. With The Affluent Artist™ he offers a fun, easy-to-understand “How To” guide for people who have been too busy dancing, sculpting or dreaming to learn the “money stuff”.

The book invites artists from all walks of life to throw out the stereotypes about art and money and allow financial abundance into their lives. Whether you’ve been learning to train dolphins for SeaWorld, working as a Broadway dancer or as an Imagineer for Disney, chances are you’ve been learning about your craft, not about personal finance. DiBiasio offers business and financial planning wisdom to creative individuals who find themselves in the roles of the Starving Artist, the Corporate Artist, the Self Employed Artist and the Affluent Artist.

The book includes stories and interviews with artists in each of these roles as well as “Financial Stuff You Just Gotta Know”, a humorous and necessary primer on financial terms and situations. In addition, DiBiasio presents a “how-to” on avoiding financial pitfalls along with a business fable based on his years of experience helping artists find their financial footing. He says, “Creative people don’t have to starve! Having a good idea about personal finance and the business process will help you, in the long run, to be more creative.”

Rick DiBiasio CFP ® is a 25 year veteran of Wall Street and the Financial Planning Industry. He has written newspaper columns, has been a radio talk show host and currently hosts a popular blog. His series of interviews with creative people and how they make their soul happy is available through his website, www.affluentartist.com. He lives in Florida.