White Space
Frontend CH Conference∙ Zürich, Switzerland 28 August 2014
Denise R. Jacobs
@denisejacobs
@frontendconfch #fec14
#whitespacecreate
Wait…what?!
Photo: Denise Jacobs Photo: Derek Kearney
THE CANVAS The State of the Create
How do you feel in the creative flow?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfear/289257055/
We are alchemists
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Faust_image_19thcentury.jpg
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
However, this happens
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7693102@N07/2536807562/
We have this amazing tool
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APSM_V14_D495_Side_view_of_the_brain_and_spinal_cord.jpg
Time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33909700@N02/3159761620/
Attention
http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperfeesh/147493122/
Focus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lambdachialpha/203904103/
You run into road blocks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99301367@N00/8497106802/
Can’t access all of your great ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/
GIVE & TAKE Creativity and Power
We’re powerful
Instead of using it fully
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/
Try to contain it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gc_photography/4662878037/
Or give it away
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6D-O5ECr5EUow5jrck2A2A
By doubting ourselves
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445602998/
GIVE & TAKE Distracting Complications
Internal focus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boojee/4457378697/
Look outside ourselves
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jtcatbagan/1557200142/
Addicted to hyperconnectivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersdenken/2082816707/
Intermittent reinforcement
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/422469526/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoferbjorkman/6910216819/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2671039488/
Hyperconnectivity gives us the perception of getting more done. It makes us feel like we're doing more, because we're using every free moment of every waking hour.” - Jonathan Fields
Distractions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2084287794/
Unclosed mental loops
http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect
Overwhelmed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeflyer09/7574540716/
Afraid?
Photo: Denise Jacobs
All over the place
http://www.flickr.com/photos/figliodiorfeo/2393269886/
Channeling this power
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creation_of_Adam_(Michelangelo)_Detail.jpg
What if
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogil/1507585665/
From thinking
Photo: Derek Kearney
To creating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/
Is not in “doing”?...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenturamon/83083170/
Something else?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djgarage/3680441291/in/photostream/
Genius is the offspring of the in-between.” - Jonathan Fields
The in-between
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aguslepe/5512044294/
GIVE & TAKE Creating and the Focus Paradox
Maximize
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cblue98/7254347346/
A balanced brain
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=left%20brain%20right%20brain&order=9&offset=48#/d10qlpq
Integrate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/4639590640/
Neurons firing well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885580/
Know your Brainwaves
Alpha: the gateway to Creativity
Being prone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snazzy54/4581347651/
Spacing out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frinthy/4680321558/
Daydream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/
Mindless activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabi/2499381396/
Showers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3761878381/
Cross-channel movement
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/
Refocus through breath
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/
Laughing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/3644297054/
Playing/Fun
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkendall/3613416741/
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
Instead of this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielsilliman/4489863368/
When your brain is supposedly doing nothing, it’s really doing a tremendous amount.” – Marcus Raichle, Neurologist
Intend Alpha
http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg
GIVE & TAKE Aid from the Unseen
Sometimes dabbling in mysticism can be a fun way to understand and solve a problem.” - Carl King, So You’re a Creative Genius, Now What?
Natalie
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/
From the mind of a 4 year old
Photo courtesy of Laura Bohill (@LauRARbee)
A little help from our (imaginary) friends
Travel our internal lands
http://archivingthecity.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/maps_of_the_imagination.jpg
Your subconscious
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themuse.jpg
One form of a genius…
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Albert_Einstein%2C_by_Doris_Ulmann.jpg
Another form of a genius
Daemon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_fish_(The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy)#Babel_fish
Muses
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:NAMA_3_Muses.jpg
Mneme – Memory Melete – Practice or occasion Aoide – Voice
The Three Original Muses
Muses were thought to be the true speakers for whom an artist is merely the mouthpiece. Muses were also thought to inspire people to do their best.
Mneme (Memory)
Photo: Denise Jacobs
Melete (Practice/Occasion)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayray/4069381837/
Aoide (Voice)
Photo: Denise Jacobs
The spirit of the idea
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/3152875826/
Ideas want to take form
The world is being circled by ideas and creativity that wants to made manifest and are looking for portals to come through…” - Elizabeth Gilbert
Ideas use us (not vise-versa)
Listen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684688/
Converse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/181249465/
Trust is everything.” - Scott Berkun, The Year Without Pants
Voila!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohman/174718774/
GIVE & TAKE How will you move forward?
The choice is yours
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasoneppink/80772661/
How you use your creative brain power
“Untitled” by Americo Morales
Creative flow lies in-between
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgeithner/5290115839/
True.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stealingsand/5563317146/
Reclaim our power
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/
The future is now
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6005503875/
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
Leverage white space
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdoublew/2663137942/
The End…?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/232100469/
delicious.com/denisejacobs/white space creativity 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!
netmagazine.com/features/ four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity alistapart.com/articles/ reigniting-your-creative-spark/ alistapart.com/articles/ banishing-your-inner-critic/
My articles for further reading
And the most recent:
webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/breaking-the-perfectionism-procrastination-infinite-loop/
Breaking the Perfectionism-Procrastination Infinite Loop
Art & Inspiration: Americo Morales
“Untitled 1” Mind map AmericoMorales.net
How to find me
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/
DeniseJacobs.com
Twitter.com/denisejacobs
Facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
Slideshare.net/denisejacobs
THE CREATIVE DOSE A Creativity + Innovation Collective
“Untitled” by Americo Morales
Denise Jacobs, Founder + Creativity Evangelist
Creative Thinking & Problem-solving Design Thinking
Cultivating & Applying an Innovation Mindset Creative Collaboration
Team Communication & Cohesion
TheCreativeDose.com – Coming September 2014 (yay!)
THANK YOU!
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