Creative On-Demand
Learning through creativity can help organizations solve problems with innovative solutions. Harvard Business Review’s article “How to be creative on demand” by Joseph Grenny (Jan 9, 2019) writes that “creativity is learnable”. Grenny also recommends to “Do things that DON’T interest you”. It’s easier to do what we know, have the confidence doing, or knowledge and skills. To keep learning, grow your creativity and innovation, doing something new is essential. This blog shares some reflections about doing the #10DAYTACKLE vlog challenge, and what I learned from the creativity journey. Here are a few tips and conditions to grow your creativity:
- Be Curious
- Follow What Inspires You
- Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
- Experiment
- Care Less What People Think
- Don’t Expect Perfection
- Be Open-Minded To The Unexpected
- Move Past Fear
- Do Something New
- Have Fun
Spontaneity
Do you ever jump into something, without thinking too much about it, going with your gut instinct and just go for it?
I am not always a spontaneous person, but this is the part of myself that I have been growing these last two years! I think that a lot of personal and professional growth can occur, when we tap into our creative side. Exploring something new, outside of our comfort zone opens us up to innovative ideas.
I jumped into the #10DAYTACKLE with Heather Just Create, following the ‘pull of possibilities’ I explored the question of ‘what if’ I do the #10DAYTACKLE about focusing on my health while on this entrepreneur journey? I know that I need to be intentional about my self-care, and explore what else I should do for my health. I decided ‘Let’s Do This’ and jumped in with both feet.
Benefits
Getting outside to walk, and vlog at the same time, became really fun! The vlogging meant I followed through, due to the accountability of making a goal public. It was a benefit to be outside in the sunshine and in nature. I had fun exploring new ways of telling a story. I was recording, editing and uploading a video every day for 10 days in a row. My creativity grew and even though it took over my life for 10 days, and I was tired, I missed it when it was over. I grew so much more because I jumped in 100%, instead of waiting for when I was less busy. I learned a lot more because it was 10 back to back days of creativity, I had to change things up, so that I was not doing the same thing day after day. I learned a tremendous amount by joining the #10DAYTACKLE community!
Dig Deeper
I learned more about myself by digging deeper. I tried new things with the camera, and how I could do a better job of drawing people into the message I was sharing (i.e. a ‘no talking video’ or a ‘shopping haul’). We can really grow our courage by being Intentionally Brave. The trick is, that we don’t feel brave while we are trying something new. We may feel really uncomfortable for a while, but then we stretch ourselves because WE DID IT! Try new things, and give yourself permission to not be perfect (especially when putting something public, online). It’s OK! Celebrate each step you take! Recognize that especially when something is difficult, it can be that much more satisfying that you did it anyway!
Sharing More
I decided to share a bit of a personal journey, which required me to be Intentionally Brave. I had just finished uploading a vlog series from a recent Disney Solo Trip, so the #10DAYTACKLE was a perfect continuation of the journey I was on. The two vlog series still fit with our message to ‘Intentionally Lead, Live & Learn.’ In fact, during the #10DAYTACKLE, that Lead, Live, Learn message solidified for me. Practicing an intro and outro message for 10 days in a row, over and over, helped grow my confidence with the tag line. Sharing a bit more personal stuff about myself, really stretches my comfort zone. Understanding my boundaries while building a business in an online world, is an important part of this journey. The online behaviour from followers is that they respond and want an authentic experience. This requires selfies, and sharing ‘me’, within the context of sharing a journey and story. People don’t want pushy sales, they want an invitation to be part of something.
Not Perfect
I don’t think there is a specific perfect business or marketing formula that applies to everyone. Templates, step by step guides, how to resources, are all helpful! However, ultimately each person must see what fits for them and their tribe (audience). This can only be really explored by getting out there.to test what works and what feels right. Market research only goes so far, the beauty of an organic reach is by being real. I started adding bloopers at the end of the vlogs, or leaving them within the vlog. This was a fun, and authentic way to be an Leader who inspires others to be real. We are all not perfect, there are ways to embrace this! As much as I am a person who likes to do things well and right, I realized that part of my creativity journey is not expecting perfection. I am learning and this means doing something imperfect, as I grow new skills and stretch my comfort zone.
Blopper from #10DAYTACKLE Day Nine
Step Forward
Whether it’s personal or professional growth, we can’t always wait until we feel completely ready to take a step forward. Ultimately, each person must evaluate their own context, your steps forward should be a personal choice. There is a balance in navigating your own journey. Some steps forward involve preparation, decisions and evaluating one’s own context. Everyone faces those moments when it’s time: to change chapters, start a new season, or for the next step on a journey. The step forward may stretch your comfort zone, especially when some factors are unknown.
Some examples: When taking a new job, we have read the job description, met the coworkers, taken the office tour, etc., but we don’t really know what it will be like, until we start going into work every day. It could be a new route to drive, or a change in schedule for who leaves first in the morning, and who does the day care drop off. It could be a new bus route, where you need to learn to get the timing right. Your new routine could change the ability to meet up with a friend for your Wednesday night coffee and chat, because you now have to work later on Wednesdays. As much as we know, we don’t know everything that we will learn, feel or experience. We still have to make the choice to take the job offer, or stay in the current job.
I am really glad that I took the steps forward: to leave a Director job, back-pack for three weeks in Europe, and then decide to start my own business. These past two years of learning, growing and stretching my identity and skills has been amazing!!
Have Fun!
I’ve been getting more comfortable with the camera over the past two years. I’m comfortable speaking live in front of people no problem, but the camera has stretched my comfort zone. During the #10DAYTACKLE (and on my Disney Solo Trip), I vlogged in public. There is an interesting progression from the first days of the Disney trip, and the end of the #10DAYTACKLE. It fun to edit, and see my own growth. Everything from talking to the camera in public, and then people walk by and ‘shake their heads’, to using the camera in the grocery store. It was necessary to be intentionally comfortable with being ‘uncomfortable’ and doing it anyway. During the #10DAYTACKLE and the Disney Solo Trip, I intentionally embraced having fun with the process.
What Makes You Unique?
This question is a great question, but not always an easy one to answer. It’s part of marketing, whether you are showcasing a business or yourself in an interview. Exploring this question, especially in a creative way, such as through vlogs, gives the opportunity to dig deeper. I’m not finished with this exploration. I encourage you to think of creative ways to share what make you unique. Here is one attempt at sharing what makes me unique #10DAYTACKLE on Day nine:
Not Fully Prepared
I ended the #10DAYTACKLE with my first YouTube live, which I realized I didn’t know too much about…15 minutes before the LIVE event. I have more to learn about doing this in the future. We can often learn the most be doing and not being perfect, or when things go wrong. If we wait until we feel prepared, sometimes we wait a long time.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like to be prepared, and I do a lot of prep, research, practice and development for any project or job I do (speaking, workshops etc.). However, when it comes to stretching our comfort zone, or growing personally and professionally, we sometimes need to take a risk, and step over the line we have drawn for ourselves. Steping forward into some unknown results, in order to be creative or try something new, provides a lot of personal and professional results.
Learning Through Creativity
These are some reflections about my #10DAYTACKLE experience! I am very glad that I jumped into the 10 day vlogging challenge, even though I had multiple ‘reasons’ that could have stopped me, feeling it wasn’t the right time. I also got more out of the experience than what I was expecting. It’s good to unpack what was learned after a new experience. It can be difficult to fully know what you are learning during the experience. I am referring to unexpected learning, surprises and ‘ah ha’ moments. Growing in multiple ways, learning through creativity can include mind, body and spirit. Some skills or learning are more tacit, where it’s hard to explain what was learned. Explore and unpack your experience, even if it’s hard to articulate. I needed to pause a bit after the #10DAYTACKLE experience, and this is why there was not a Blog post last week. Give yourself permission to walk your own journey, with flexibility. Embrace each experience, easy or challenging! You can always learn and have a ‘take-away’ from every situation. Enjoy the journey of learning through creativity!
We welcome your comments, when you check out the #10DAYTACKLE or Disney Solo Trip Vlogs. See if they give you ideas, of how you can explore learning through creativity, in your own way.
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Patricia with Regier Educational Services, helping facilitators engage the variety of learning types in your online audience. Education includes a Master of Adult Education, a BA in Psychology, and twenty years experience developing and facilitating workplace, community and collaborative training. Online learning experience designer and facilitator. Utilizing teaching adults best practices, and innovative multi-media resources to emphasize your message. Engaging content creator, facilitator and online production partner.
To request more information about learning and development opportunities, or book Patricia as a speaker or production partner please use the contact form below, or Email patricia@regiereducation.com
