By: Vicki Pleus, APR, CPRC – Volusia/Flagler Chapter
Tim Walsh, Fearless Leader, The Playmakers (www.theplaymakers.com)
- What do these three have in common?
- Car, tree, elephant àTrunk!
- Florida, locksmith, piano? àKeys
28 years ago Tim introduced this game, Tribond, at the Toy Fair, 1990 in New York City. People did not get it! Not a solid start to his creative endeavor.
- Do you think you are very creative?
- Somewhat creative?
- Not creative?
We all create all the time and don’t realize we are doing it.
Creativity: The process of having original ideas that have value – Ken Robinson.
Creativity is not a moment in time. It’s a dimmer switch you can turn up.
It’s a process. Creativity is conception; it’s not birth.
He worked to pitch TriBond to Good Morning America. A host there loved trivia games…Tim pursued, and sent a game to a producer. He was persistent! The game was played all morning long. Hosts played it for 4 minutes, value of $2 million of exposure.
CREATIVITY HACK #1 – Remain persistent.
Creativity is a process. “Show up.” – Steven King (quote about persistence)
CREATIVITY HACK #2 – Value.
CEOs polled – creativity is the number one thing needed.
WHY DO WE CREATE?
- To move ourselves or others
- To communicate ideas
- To solve problems
Keep these three in focus if you want to do your most creative work.
How can you apply these three to things you do in PR, like writing a news release?
Focus on the “WHY” you are creating
Focus on the WHYs…
CREATIVITY HACK #3: CREATE A BOUNDARY OF SPACE AND TIME
Understand how “checking social media” can interfere in a boundary of space.
- Set a boundary of time…a start and finish
CREATIVITY HACK #4: FIND FLOW
“Flow is a state of optimal experience and heightened focus when you’re stretched to your limits in an effort to accomplishment something difficult and worthwhile.”
What’s happening in FLOW?
- Intense focus
- Diminished sense of self
- Forget to eat, forget to sleep, brain does not tell you to eat!
- The voice that tells you to stop goes away
- Deep, effortless involvement
- Altered sense of time
- Sense of control
Book by Steven Kotler – who goes into flow the most? (Book: The Rise of Superman)
- In flow, the prefrontal cortex of your brain slows down
- PLANNING: You must know the goal to get into flow; and your TEAM must know where you’re going, too
- EMOTION: Calm like a lake. Emotion is shut down in flow.
- PERCEPTION OF TIME: time gets wonky!
Extreme sports athletes can turn on flow easily. They focus, find a way to silence the inner critic.
FINDING FLOW
- Boundary of space
- Boundary of time
- Clear, realistic goals
- Shot of dopamine in the brain!
- Focus on why
- To move our selves or others
- To communicate ideas
- To solve problems
- Are you pointing at goals you want? If not, you will get sidetracked
- Immediate feedback
- Challenge level need to be > or = your skill level at that task
- The challenge skill ratio (see graphic)
Book: Right Brain Red: 7 Ideas for Creative Success
CREATIVITY HACK #5: Look outside your industry.
Looking outside your world is a power way to create something.
CREATIVITY HACK #6: BREAK A RULE
- Cliché, but true!
- Some of the biggest kickstarter campaigns are for board games…they are not dead; the internet didn’t kill card and board games
CREATIVITY HACK #7: SERVE SOMEONE
- Serve others and show them your value through that
Suggestion: Best games for adults
- Apples to Apples
- Monopoly