Comparison Kills Creativity or Why You Need to Play
Creativity can be thwarted if not killed by comparison. One powerful antidote is play, for children and for adults. Viola Spolin knew this as did one of my teachers long ago.
How to write about yourself when the future is foggy
Writing about one's self when you're in the midst of re-invention can be daunting. But with every step, the path gets clearer. "We make the road by walking."
Embrace Your Creative Edge: Lessons from Ann Randolph
Last week, I attended a writing/performance workshop conducted by the inimitable actress Ann Randolph – known for her award winning solo performances in Loveland and Squeeze Box. Here are some take-aways!
How the Internet is Warping Our Brains (and what to do about it…)
Our use of computers is shaping our common vocabulary. (Heard on the street, boy to mother: “When are you going to upgrade […]
How a Beloved Institution is Re-storying Itself
A library in the Netherlands has reinvented and restoried itself - with some amazing results.
How to ask a better question: how does space make you feel?
Good questions lead to interesting answers. I’ve been questioning why some spaces make us feel good while others make us feel empty and dull. And in the air, I find a couple of examples.
How a Mapmaker Imagines the World
What's in a map? Is it a literal representation of reality or a way to see the future? Explore ideas with seasoned map-maker Annie Brulé.
On Facing the Void
Facing a void means standing in the unknown. it can feel potent, full of possibility, or paralyzing. Without answers, a poem can provide comfort.
The secret reason you need to dance (or get moving!) Hint: it’s not fitness…
I’m a dancer. Who stopped dancing. But now I’ve a new reason to move – and it’s not about fitness. Do you […]
Celebrating you
In this season of gifts and celebrations, wise men and pilgrimages, the dark of night, and the light of new beginnings, I […]
When Nurses Speak
Last week, with a partner, I guided 6 nurses to be able to share their stories on stage. The group represented 180 years of nursing experience. Add six stories and you had one big miracle. As a participant with more than thirty years experience wrote after the experience: “The transformation was the highlight of my nursing career.” It doesn't get better than that!
Doodling about leadership with Lynda Barry
Lynda Barry doesn’t write or draw about leadership. She’s an award-winning cartoonist, known for her comic strip “Ernie Pook’s Comeek.” Yet in her recent graphic book Syllabus, she shows us how she led her students on a path of discovery - into the world of creativity and seeing - qualities all leaders need.
When Nurses + Stories = Tranformation
Nurses are taught to listen. But in a profession so key to our health care system, they need to speak out as well - and tell their stories. That's what Nurses Speak is all about.
How to create your legend (when your name isn’t Hilton)
The word legend is often associated with celebrities, notorious fame-seekers and dead heroes. But there's a new legend: someone who follows an authentic path, courageously following the call s/he knows to be true. You, too, can be such a legend...if you claim it.
How to pick the perfect email closing
I'm taking a break from teaching about conflict to explore this life defining if tongue-in-cheek topic: email closing salutations!
What Robin Williams teaches us about leadership
We can find our inspiration for leadership in many places. Last week - for me - it came from Robin Williams, whose untimely death I deeply grieve. He was a wild man who taught us the beauty and power of letting loose some creative wildness. He made me believe that there was room in this world for aliens, people who thought outside the box, people who moved with creativity and compassion and weren’t afraid to let their imaginations rip. Don't you want to let out a little more of your wild side? And don't you think our organizations would be better off for it?
A Secret Tool to Help You with Difficult Conversations
If you’re like most folks I’ve worked with, handling conflict, especially when it involves messy emotional conversations, is not your cup of tea. Conflict comes with the role of a leader – and it’s important to be able to have those difficult conversations. I bet you handle conversations well when differences are clear-cut, objective and technical. But do you run for cover when things become confrontational and feelings start flying? Well here's help - new skills - that come from improvisational theatre.
Managing Creative Chaos
We all create in different ways and for some, like me, the creative process is accompanied by a certain amount of chaos. How can we avoid being overwhelmed when our creative juices are running?
Unleash the Creativity Within Conflict!
We may want to avoid certain conflicts, but learning to manage conflict is necessary for creativity. Besides, it makes a better story.
How IGNITE Seattle! Ignites…
I had the opportunity to speak at IGNITE Seattle! this week. Watching the organizers having fun and working as a team, I took away a few leadership lessons of my own.
How to Stop But-ting
When we say "yes, but" in our controversial conversations we can escalate conflict and decrease listening. Last week, I taught about a way to reach a better outcome. Just don't say what I did!
Spark Your Thinking by Going Visual
Visual Goal Setting is a way of tapping your intuition and giving additional power to your goal setting and planning efforts. I spent a great evening with Patty Dobrowolski, author of Drawing Solutions, learning how to make use of this creative tool.
Is it Time to Get Your Hands Dirty?
Planning and improvisation often go together. And you can't start a business unless you are willing to plan....and then improvise, or as we say in the garden "go get your hands dirty".
