Hacking the Creative Process: The Design Blitz and Other Disruptions
Hacking the Creative Brain
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Transcript of Hacking the Creative Brain
/* Denise Jacobs <AngleBrackets /> Conference | Las Vegas, NV 29 October 2013 */
>> Work Better, Create More
Twitter Hacks I am: .@denisejacobs We’re at: #AngleBrackets And we’re going to #hackcreativity
I’ve always loved to create, but…
But I was still afraid: am I truly creative?
Photo: Denise Jacobs
After writing this…
I had an epiphany
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055814772/
I realized that
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/
Powerful and empowering
http://www.flickr.com/photos/assbach/267598910/
Thus, I speak, write, and evangelize creativity
Photo: Derek Kearney
Intro The State of the Union
What’s our most important tool for creating?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plindberg/33867829/
Not these…
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APSM_V14_D495_Side_view_of_the_brain_and_spinal_cord.jpg
This one!
Office-bound
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewf/393637161/
Time pressures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indraw/4857101224/
Managers
Clients
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/154640125/
Bureaucracy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749431435/
Oppressed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johannahobbs/2412291551/
“Houston, we have a problem…”
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S70-34902.jpg
Instead of feeling like this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/
We end up feelig like this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfear/289257055/
When we are in the creative flow
We are alchemists
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Faust_image_19thcentury.jpg
“Creativity is newness produced.”
- Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds
It feels like
http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/2761300969/
“Creativity is magical, but it is not magic.”
- Dr. Charles Limb,
Your Brain on Improvisation TED talk
Who here feels like they are creative?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
“Creativity is all about making connections and seeing patterns.”
- Bruce Nussbaum,
Creativity Intelligence
Creativity is critical
http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/
Understand the mechanisms of creativity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/304687602/
Let out all of your great ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/
“Creativity makes day to day experiences more vivid, more enjoyable, more rewarding. When we live creatively, boredom is banished and every moment holds the promise of a fresh discovery.”
- Mihali Csikszentmihalyi, Creativity
Our Goals
1 Emancipate & Adjust
2
Practice & Generate
3
Innovate & Produce
1 Emancipate & Adjust
Current work culture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emayoh/4589881812/
Bad game of telephone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684688/
Habits and thinking to quit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/4170136164/sizes/l/
Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/529178002/
Multitasking
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/3041235238/
Zeigarnik Effect
http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect
Communication addiction
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersdenken/2082816707/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/422469526/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoferbjorkman/6910216819/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2671039488/
Intermittent reinforcement
Busyness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wester/504925076/
Internalized the critical voices
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeapalooza/553545517/
Become monsters in your head
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/
Instead of Creativity
Source: Flickr
Destructivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/3265941065/
“If your demons are such that they fill the room the instant you contemplate creating, your studio will be too dangerous a place to enter.”
- Eric Maisel, author of Fearless
Creating
Recognize the many forms of your Inner Critic
Impostor Syndrome
Hack >> Know the Impostor Syndrome Paradox
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/
Comparisons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/automania/126698126/
Procrastination
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
Perfectionism
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/
Fear of failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/
“False Evidence Appearing Real”
or, alternatively,
“F*ck Everything And Run!”
F.E.A.R. =
Thoughts on fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIt20emgLY
“Fear is not real. It is a product of the thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”
- character of Cypher Raige
(played by Will Smith), After Earth
We become terrorists to ourselves
http://www.flickr.com/photos/koomatuomio/4182554398/
“Obsessing about preventing bad things from happening also prevents good things from happening, or sometimes prevents anything from happening at all.”
- Scott Berkun, The Year Without
Pants
Hack >> Become a Fear Alchemist
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Wright_of_Derby_The_Alchemist.jpg
“The goal is to manage anxiety so that our energies are used for the productive and satisfying (act) of creating, rather than the destructive and debilitating art of self-torture.”
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution
Banish the Inner Critic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoto/3822942678/
Maintain perspective
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daikrieg/1294053038/
Empathize
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/
Reframe #fail
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717326642/
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
- Dr. Edwin Land,
The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experience
Nothing is a mistake
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirteenthnile/4546397775/
Change your body language, change your mind
“Our bodies change our minds, our minds change our behavior, and our behavior changes our outcomes.”
- Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are TED talk
Fake it until you become it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mangee/195050727/
Stand up. Assume a pose that embodies a sense of defeat, can’t do it, it will never work, “I suck/I’m no good/an impostor”, etc. Make yourself as small and powerless feeling as possible.
Then, strike a power pose. Imagine yourself as a
superhero looking off into the distance seeing your destiny of major creative butt-kicking.
Alternate several times. Hold the power pose for as
long as you can so that you can feel the change.
#Exercise: Power Pose
Adjust: Train Your Brain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/3211540197/
Let’s take a closer look
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6006414578/
Left v. Right brain?
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=left%20brain%20right%20brain&order=9&offset=48#/d10qlpq
Left hemisphere
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smittenkittenoriginals/4451172538/
Right hemisphere
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885580/
Instead: Left + Right brain = Creativity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/4639590640/
“The parts of your brain that are responsible for self-monitoring are literally turned off during creative endeavors….Creative people have mastered the art of turning off [the inhibitive] part of their brains to let their ideas flow more smoothly, unleashing their imagination.”
- Tina Seelig, InGenius
What are our brains constantly producing?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cblue98/7254347346/
Know your Brainwaves
Alpha: the gateway to creativity
Close your eyes and relax. Breathe through your nose.
Now place your tongue at the roof of your mouth,
turn your eyes towards the ceiling underneath your eyelids.
Take several deep, long breaths. As you relax, you are changing your brainwaves from
Beta to Alpha.
#Exercise: Enter Alpha
Hack >> Breathe to refocus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/
Hack >> Being prone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snazzy54/4581347651/
Hack >> Showers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3761878381/
“When your brain is supposedly doing nothing, it’s really doing a tremendous amount.”
– Marcus Raichle, Neurologist
Hack >> Daydream/Space out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/
Hack >> Engage in mindless activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabi/2499381396/
Hack >> Get physical
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/
Hack >> Leverage Biophilia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verifex/3782787057/
Hack >> Laugh
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagillphoto/3336353424/
“When you are playful, you are activating the right side of your brain. The logical brain is a limited brain. The right side is unlimited. You can (do and ) be anything you want.”
- Madan Kataria, The Laughter
Guru
Intend Alpha
http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg
3 Practice & Generate
Exercise Discipline
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bizz0k0/3432638748/
Show up everyday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8064533288/
And really commit to it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathtogutenberg/2976274920/
Focus on meaningful tasks
http://www.43folders.com/2008/09/01/what-are-you-doing
Hack >> Delegate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/3645313261/
To do more of what you love and less of what you dislike, start writing To Don’t Lists (aka “Stop Doing” Lists).
Pick a partner, and write a list of 3-5 items that you commit to
stop doing within the next 30 days. Date the list. Share the list with your partner and get ideas on how to eliminate these items from your life either by stopping them or delegating/outsourcing the tasks.
Review your list in 30 days to see what you need to continue
to stop doing so that your time is spent on what you value and want to cultivate. Create another list for the upcoming 30 days.
#Exercise: To Don’t List
Clean-up habit fields
http://www.flickr.com/photos/risager/3452272176/
Habit what?
http://alistapart.com/article/habit-fields
Clean up your work habit field by following the suggestions in the article “Habit Fields” by Jack Cheng. Create your equivalent of a “distraction chair” and move to it when you feel like you are inclined to surf the web, email, Tweet, Facebook, or engage in any other computer-related distraction. When you are ready to work again, come back to your desk.
Rinse and repeat until your work habit field is clear
again and no longer fuzzy.
Hack >> Habit field reboot
Manage time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolocampioni/2168286027/
Single-task
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/
“Single-tasking is the new multi-tasking.”
- A Your Brain on Creativity
participant
Say NO to Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideon/6582069/
RescueTime.com
GetConcentrating.com
Firefox extension: LeechBlock: http://www.proginosko.com/leechblock.html
Firefox extension: Idderall: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/idderall/
Google Chrome extension: Strict Workflow: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/strict-workflow/
Google Chrome extension: StayFocusd: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/
stayfocusd/
{ Further Resources }
Hack >> Pomodoro Technique
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/4975166968/
Hack >> Airplane mode
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieterouwerkerk/699475144/
Practice the Pomodoro technique. Do a 30 minute sprint where you turn off all distractions and work for 25 minutes.
Before you start your sprint, write down the objective of the
sprint. Do the sprint, and at the end of it, take a moment to jot down any challenges encountered, and your end results from the sprint.
For your 5 minute break, activate your Alpha brainwaves by
either laying down on the floor with your eyes closed, or look at clouds shifting in the sky.
Hack >> Pomodoro 2.0
Hack >> Work standing up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rknight/2645099486/
Why? Because
http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/
Hack >> Change environments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3475417696/
Generate: Start the flow of ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/international-festival/3018718331/
Hack >> Shape your micro-environment
http://www.flickr.com/photos/info_grrl/6162309101/
Everything is a remix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4812026355/
Remix inspiration
“Mona Lisa” by Paul Giovanopoulos, http://www.giovanopoulos.com/
Hack >> Create constaints
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielsilliman/4489863368/
Get inspired by children
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/
From the mind of a 4yo
Photo courtesy of Laura Bohill (@LauRARbee)
Generate ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathb/3933087930/
Capture ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosengrant/3637839874/
Embrace disruption
Photo: Denise Jacobs
Write them down
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinator/2826079915/
Sketch them out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eoze04/4890376021/
Talk them out (& record it)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/3641402489/
Gather and curate your ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmanviz/3181410714/
Evernote Pinterest.com Delicious.com Flickr.com Trello.com Zootool.com Gimmebar.com
Dropr.com Diigo Tumblr Imgspark.com Scrnshots.com Vi.sualize.us Emberapp.com
Tools to do so
3 Innovate & Produce
Do it with others
http://www.flickr.com/photos/u-suke/5668302030/
Mo’ people, mo’ ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seretuaccidente/147686396/
Immerse yourself in diverse environments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirinwiniger/3680885289/
Building 20 at MIT
Avoid sameness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dahlstroms/3774973833/
The source of great ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/
Bring brilliance together
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4436484250/
Create a locus where ideas can mix & mingle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/7496803638/
Don’t keep them to yourself
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8127201319/
Invite others to wonder with you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silicongulf/2114492904/
Share ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanpalmero/4278466639/
Share mistakes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilt/26322670/
Hack >> Co-work to collaborate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeemick/5106610355/
Hack >> Engage in Parallel Play
http://handsfullofgrass.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_2123.jpg
Amplify the ideas of others
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/54381130/
Improv
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roel1943/5740295789/
Hack >> Plus it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66568868@N00/6032481145/
The structure
Make your partner look good
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31246066@N04/4597640798/
Will connect people beyond the cubicle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4371000846/
And encourage better teamwork
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445603066/
“Creativity is more than a great idea, it’s the determination to see the idea through to fruition.”
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution
Prototype
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindmob/292609444/
Iterate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deliciousblur/4165405018/
• observe • suggest • tinker • review • apply feedback • reiterate
The d.school production-iteration process
The stage is set for Flow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgeithner/5290115839/
• Concept in mind: know what you want to achieve and what it looks like
• Practice in place • Cleared space • Time carved out and distractions
eliminated • Necessary materials on hand
All of the previous steps lead you here:
Epilogue Liberation
Previously
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2084287794/
Moving forward
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/3317141795/
Before
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_g_travels/860951845/
After
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualdoubts/4087935894/
Stepping through them more easily
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/4269399012/
(Re)Gain Creative Confidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055807492/
“…the confidence that, when given a difficult problem, we have a methodology that enables us to come up with a solution that nobody has before.”
- David Kelley of Ideo
…which is
Ideas are on and poppin’!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4957946157/
Joyfulness in Work
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvm_71/5011353192/
Turn work into play
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5392982007/
What you produce is unique
Hack your habits >> Different Results
http://starchild07.deviantart.com/art/Brainwaves-44238823
Practicing different habits >> Transform your life
The goal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6005503875/
You have the power
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/
…And make better things
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5319988695/
Get your creativity hack on!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibi/5448158773/
The End…?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/232100469/
delicious.com/denisejacobs/getunblocked delicious.com/denisejacobs/unfoldyourbrain delicious.com/denisejacobs/creativityhabit delicious.com/denisejacobs/brainoncreativity
Always being updated as I find new relevant articles!
“Great Resources” almost daily: @denisejacobs on Twitter
Resources!
Cover art thanks to Americo Morales
AmericoMorales.com
My articles for further reading! netmagazine.com/features/ four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity alistapart.com/articles/ reigniting-your-creative-spark/ alistapart.com/articles/ banishing-your-inner-critic/
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Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/
Thank you!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4759535970/