Think Simple Now » creativity

Why I Write

Tina Su — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:09:05 +0000

Photos by the talented Wynona Grey. See more of her work on flickr.

To me, writing is not work. Writing is like dancing with Existence, with Spirit, with God. It’s beautiful and precious. I get more satisfaction and energy from writing than I do from a few extra hours of sleep. Seriously.

Some days, when absorbed in the moment of writing down a stream of thoughts, I lose track of time, and I skip sleep altogether. And I function fine the next day–only with a bigger smile.

Sometimes a string of words will hit me so strongly that I will sit in front of the computer bawling. I cry, not because I am sad, but because I’ve experienced such intense joy that it moved me to tears.

Writing is just one form of creative outlet. I am no more qualified to write than you. And usually, as I relax and flow with my stream of consciousness, and write down whatever comes to mind, the result is surprising to me too. I am just a messenger after all.

I am no more qualified to write motivational thoughts about happiness than you. I have many bad days and embarrassing moments throughout my daily life that I am not proud of. On some days, when I make mistakes, like hurting someone’s feelings, I wish that I were someone else – someone better.

Perhaps writing is that outlet for me to become someone better. To learn from the messages which get transpired through my writing. Perhaps, unconsciously, that’s why I started this blog (and the daily newsletter) in the first place, so that I can remind myself to stay strong when things get hard. And boy do things get hard some days.

Some people have commented that I seem like a selfless person. I really don’t think I am. I don’t think you can truly be selfless unless you are talking about your children, or a mythological enlightened person you hear stories about–who have achieved the heightened and permanent state of unconditional love to all things alive. If this enlightened state is even possible I know I have definitely not reached it–at least not yet.

What I do know is this. I am not writing out of “choice” (lack of a better word), but out of a force beyond me that pushes me, urging me to write, and it won’t leave me alone until I do. Call it inspiration, if you will.

I feel like we are all here for specific purposes–to be great at something and to provide something unique that makes each one of us exceptional. For me I think that means writing things that inspires motivation, happiness and empowerment;

And if I’m allowed one more life purpose–which I am, because we write the rules to our own life–it would be photographing people’s faces–capturing a moment between moments when a person’s true spirit is revealed. You can always tell from the eyes of a person if the moment is genuine.

That is pretty much my story. Simple.

Besides the obvious people in my life whom I love, motivating people through inspirational writing and capturing authentic moments through photography are the loves of my life. When I engage with these loves authentically they make me feel utterly alive. They make me feel overflowing bliss. They make me feel like a loose cloud, floating freely in the beautiful blue sky, bathed by the hot sun above, and watching as the world unfolds around me.

When I say I am a messenger, I am not referring to channeling a mystical spirit, or some holy magical person. I just mean that I know this is my unique purpose in life. This is what I was brought into this world to do. I now know that with unquestionable clarity–since Nov 5^th,2010 at 12 a.m. (when the first draft of this post was written).

I’m like a little green plant, standing proudly in the garden. Even though each plant may seem insignificant on its own, without it, and all the other plants like it, the garden would no longer be green; the garden would no longer be a garden.

So you see, the little green plant (me), in collective effort with all the other green plants (you) is important in the end. Together, they (we) make the garden possible.

I’m like that little green plant in the corner against the maple fence, and you are that little green plant next to the pink flower, and you are that little green plant two rows next to the apple tree. We are all important, and together, we make up the gardens of this world. We are what make this world beautiful.

And not doing what I was brought into this world to do would be like the little green plant letting itself die, leaving a little patch of brown dirt where the green plant once resided.

This is the reason why I write. To keep the little green plant in the corner against the maple fence green (and happy). I’m simply playing my part, following my heart, flowing with inspiration, and doing a little bit everyday to keep the garden green.

And it is with my deep hope that you will find and recognize the little green plant in you. If you haven’t already, remember to be nice to yourself. Just relax, it’ll happen. Follow your heart’s song, and all things will fall into place.

Life is not a race. Only we, confused humans, make it so. It’s not a race, but rather a journey to be enjoyed. Slow down. Listen to your inner voice. What is it telling you?

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And make sure to check out our facebook page, click on the Like button to gain daily inspiration and join our daily conversations about happiness. You may also be interested in my TSN Insider newsletter, for a casual view of life from my perspective

Limiting Beliefs

Tina Su — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:00:07 +0000

By Tina Su

I never know what I’m going to write until I actually sit down to write it. Actually, the less I think about it, and just allow myself to relax into the flow, the better the writing usually takes shape.

My state of mind has everything to do with the quality of the final result. Thus, the lack of writing produced in the first 10 months of 2010 – as I was recovering and overcoming post-partum depression.

The biggest gift I received from the Good Mood Blogger contest was, that in entering it, a mental shift took place in me that pushed me over the edge of the mental blockage I was “stuck” in. And for that, I felt like a winner from the very beginning.

The mental blocks (aka. Limiting beliefs) we experience in life – not just in writing, but with taking action toward goals we want to accomplish – can have a detrimental effect which dramatically change the stories of our lives.

A few weeks ago, in the TSN Insider newsletter, I talked about the negative effect my mental blockage regarding money had on my life. The result of that was unconscious self-sabotaging of the success I had, until my physical reality matched that of my beliefs. I was literally pushing opportunities away, and doing so unconsciously.

It is worthwhile, to observe ourselves, and our emotional reactions towards certain topics. And if we have an inverse reaction, examine and reflect on why we may feel that way. Keep reflecting, and questioning yourself, and drilling deeper into the possible mental blockages or limiting beliefs you may have developed about that topic.

For example, if you want to make more money, or be more successful in your field of expertise, notice how you feel towards and talk about people with more money or more success than you. Are you feeling jealous or judging them with a negative lens in the privacy of your mind?

Another example, you want to be an artist, let’s say a painter, but you can’t seem to find time to lift a paintbrush. Or the an opportunity comes up for you to advance your painting career, but you come up with excuses that takes you away from the opportunity. In this case, examine what fears and possible limiting beliefs you may have about being an artist?

You may consider me to be a writer, because, I’ve been writing on TSN for over 3 years now. And given that I make a relative living doing it, I would qualify to be called a writer. But in my mind, I never believed that about myself, until very recently.

English wasn’t my first language. I spoke my first English sentence when I was 10. And having been placed into ESL classes for many years, along side all the other immigrant children, I didn’t enter my first non-ESL English class until I was 15 or 16.

I always considered myself to be weak in the English language and avoided it. I always felt insecure about my grammar and spelling. And wouldn’t let anything I’ve written see the light of day, until it got read and edited by someone more qualified – like a native speaker.

In high school, I loved English class – especially escaping into the dreamy world of a good novel. But I was also scared of them, scared of book reports and essays. I felt exceptionally nervous of exams, where I had to compose essays under pressure – my mind would blank out of fear, so bad that sometimes I would shake like a little dry leaf, and I would end up doing badly, which further strengthened my belief that I was bad at English.

In my last year in high school – when your grades mattered the most for entrance to University – I took 3 math classes (calculus, statistics and geometry) to offset my grade average for the low grade I got from English class.

For the midterm exam, I remember working so hard, and thought I had done well. Until I got the result back, which was disappointing. When I went to ask my English teacher about it, I remember vividly the look on her face and the puffy strands of gray hair she wore, when she said something along the lines of, “You are a bad writer. In fact, so bad that you should not be allowed in University.”

I was heart broken.

From that moment on, I was terrified of what University would hold. I was scared to write, and I believed her in saying I was a bad writer. I ended up pursuing a Bachelor in Math, and specialized in Computer Science, because, that was the only thing I could do that avoided my fear of writing.

When I was breaking up with Adam, years ago, one of my big fear and hesitancy was that I would loose my editor, my proofreader, essentially my safety net for Think Simple Now. I was so afraid that I actually considered being in a relationship that I wasn’t happy in.

Since the relationship with Adam ended, my step-dad and later Jeremy took over the responsibility of proof reading all my writing. This is one of the main reasons why articles took so long to turn around. And why I feel so liberated with the TSN Insider email list experiment – unedited, unproof-read, just a stream of ideas, raw, directly from me to you. It’s imperfect, and it’s okay.

It wasn’t until I entered into the Good Mood Gig contest, when the mental shift took place in me, for the first time in 3 years as a professional blogger, I actually considered myself to be a qualified “writer”.

In the meanwhile, I had given up many opportunities to become a writer who can make a good living being creative – like saying no to a book deal from a respectable publisher; or saying no to opportunities to guest post on some of the highest trafficked sites; or ignoring some highly profitable sponsoring campaigns by national brands; or at the height of TSN’s growth and rising popularity in 2008, I decided to stop blogging.

It’s all laugh-able now, but sometimes, when I think about them, they make me a little sad, and make me want to kick myself for being so “stupid”. But let bygones be bygones. All experiences were crucial in leading me up to this moment, and all the lessons where necessary to help me grow, and to help me find my true calling. So in the end, it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

We’ve all made mistakes as a result of living unconsciously, and while it is worthy to examine them from a place of learning, there is no value dwelling in them in a state of guilt or regret.

If you are feeling stuck in certain life areas, or find yourself avoiding certain topics; look within and see what limiting beliefs you may be carrying, that is causing you to feel stuck. You may have to dig deep – for many of these unconscious beliefs are deeply rooted, and have been with us since we were children.

One of my unwritten goals for this year is to discover, uncover, and undo some of my own limiting beliefs, and unconscious habitual patterns that I unknowingly acquired as a child.

It is going to be a marvelous and fruitful journey.

What are you working on this year? Share your thoughts on Limiting Beliefs or any other topic in the comment section.

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Want more articles than the blog posts on this site? I’m currently experimenting with more frequent writing that reflects on something I’ve learned each day, or something that made me happy. This article was extracted and then polished from the TSN Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe here to receive my “TSN Insider” emails.

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How to Wake Up Inspired …

Jonathan Mead — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:49:09 +0000

Photo by Simón Pais

By Jonathan Mead

Inspiration is typically viewed as something that comes and goes. Some days you “feel it” more than others.

But what if you could be deeply and unconditionally inspired everyday? I bet it would make a difference in the quality of your life. You would probably wake up excited to start your day. You’d get more done, be more creative and feel more of that elusive “flow.” Being inspired also means enjoying the process more, instead of feeling forced and unnatural.

The best part of persistent inspiration is that action tends to be effortless. There isn’t so much trying, rather you’re more simply being and allowing whatever action is natural to flow out from you.

Most of us just wait for inspiration though. We passively anticipate our muse, instead of actively seeking it out.

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.“
~Jack London

I’ve been experimenting with something different for a while, purposefully taking responsibility for being inspired. For a while I didn’t know if it would work. Inspiration is kind of an elusive phenomenon after all. And even if you choose to look for inspiration, does that mean it will come?

The answer is yes, and no.

Actively creating an inspired state doesn’t work 100% of the time. Sometimes instead you will feel calm, centered and relaxed instead of being filled with electric motivation. And that’s okay.

Here’s the thing though: deliberately choosing to be inspired tends to create a more consistent inspired state over time. That is, the more you flip the switch, the more it becomes automatic and spontaneous.

So the question is… How can you reinforce inspiration, so that it becomes automatic?

I’ve found a few ways to helps this along:

1. Eat inspiration for breakfast.

Who are some of the people that inspire you or have influenced your work? Who do you want to be like, who are some of your mentors? Take some time in the morning to read something they’ve written, or watch a video they’ve created.

2. Reflect on your reasons why.

We should all have deeply emotional reasons behind the goals we set (if you don’t, they might be the wrong goals). Reviewing the reasons behind our intentions help us to remember why we’re doing what we’re doing. Without that purpose, it can be hard to stay inspired.

3. Discard unwanted commitments.

We often say yes to too much. It’s much harder to deliberately choose our projects than to blindly accept whatever comes our way. Regularly reviewing your commitments to make sure that you’re only working on things that truly excite you is essential to being inspired. You can’t expect to be excited about things you didn’t consciously choose or desire.

4. Create an inspiring physical space.

What is it that you truly love to do? What gets your energy flowing and your blood rushing? Surround your physical space in things that will remind you of and reinforce your passion. If art is your passion, make sure your surroundings reflect that. Put up pictures from your favorite artists. Have an easel nearby with paint ready. If your passion is architecture, surround your space with pictures of your favorite buildings, or structures. Let your space be a constant inspirational reinforcement. It only takes a few hours to setup at the most, and after that it’s constantly working for you on autopilot.

5. Surround yourself with inspiring people.

The people you socialize and engage with will have a big impact on your level of inspiration. Choose to be selective about the people you let into your life, and what type of energy they bring to your circle of influence. You can start by following inspiring people on Twitter or keeping in touch with the work of leaders and innovators you admire.

6. Challenge yourself.

The more you move in the direction of things that challenge and make you a bit nervous, the more likely you will find inspiration. You can’t expect to be inspired by doing the same thing every day, following the same routine, working at the same boring job, watching the same boring television shows. You have to decide to follow your passions, engage in the world and choose paths that might make you feel a bit uncomfortable.

7. Create space.

Probably the most neglected of all ways to find inspiration is the most counterintuitive. Sometimes to be inspired, we have to step away… we have to create space and room for our passions to breathe. Spending time hiking and in nature is my favorite way to do this. It’s in the gaps that beauty is found. It’s the empty space that makes a cup useful.

These are all great ways to cultivate a more inspired life, but I think perhaps the most important thing to focus on is the feeling you want to create.

Feeling first, then action

Most of the time we look for the feeling we want to have from or as a result of the action we’re taking. We seek to feel a certain way through the pursuits we engage in. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this approach, it’s just that it can often lead to misjudgment on what goals are truly right for us.

On the other hand, if we focus on what we want to feel first – enjoyment, creativity, connection, excitement, etc. – then we set ourselves up for naturally engaging in action that supports those feelings. Our actions become a reflection of the way we feel, not the other way around.

Inspiration is a choice

Cultivating a life of sustainable inspiration is something that I’m working toward each day. I’m too impatient to wait around for inspiration to fall on my lap, or into my head.

I don’t think living an inspired life happens by accident.

I think inspiration is a choice.

About the author: Jonathan Mead is a limit-breaking coach, martial artist and trafficker of truth. He writes about self development and living on your own terms at Illuminated Mind.

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38 Creative Gift Ideas

Tina Su — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:24:07 +0000

Photo: Stock Photo

“How you spend your money is
how you vote on what exists in the world.”

Having spent my entire Thanksgiving weekend organizing and de-cluttering my living space, I am a bit afraid of acquiring any more stuff. I mean, I love receiving and opening presents, it makes me feel special… but soon it becomes just another thing that I take for granted, while adding to the clutter at home. As the saying goes, “The stuff we own ends up owning us”. Very true!

This year (and for all years after this), I’m advocating for no present exchanges amongst my circle of friends. Their love, friendship and occasional pet sitting favors will suffice. Thank you.

Having said that, many of you are still ‘obligated’ to produce presents. Thus, I’ve compiled this list of gift ideas, following last year’s tradition. Given my current bias towards owning nothing, this year’s list leans towards gift ideas that are practical, clever, frugal, or eco-friendly.

I had way too much fun compiling this list, and I hope that some of these ideas bring many more smiles to the loved ones in your life.

1. Magazine Necklace ($18)

Made of recycled rolled, shellac-dipped magazine strips! Not only incredibly unique, but also supports an amazing cause. Families in Uganda were torn apart during the violent civil war, in which children were trafficked both as soldiers and for sexual exploitation by guerrillas. Now surviving families are rebuilding their lives through this jewelry.

2. Universal TV Remote Control Keychain ($19)

Imagine sitting in a restaurant trying to have a conversation with someone, but the restaurant TV is annoying the heck out of you. For $19, you could get this remote keychain that can turn off any TV. Wow! Alternatively, you could make your own following the instructions here.

3. Diamond Ring Mug ($15)

Turn surprise into laughter. A white porcelain mug with a “Diamond” ring attached to it as handle. The “2 Carat Cup” is packaged in an oversized jewelry box, so when you present it as a gift, all you see is the ring. :)

4. Tickle Me Plant ($6)

The ‘ticklish’ plant that ‘moves’ when you touch it. The set includes a ceramic pot, a package of seeds, a soil pellet, and packaging that becomes a mini greenhouse. When you touch a grown plant, its leaves and flower close. The plant is otherwise known as Mimosa pudica. A pretty unique way to introduce any newbie to gardening. The company’s mission statement is, “We want every child (and those young at heart) to have a positive experience growing plants.” Aw…

5. GOOD Magazine Subscription ($20)

GOOD Magazine donates 100% of subscription money to charity. And the magazine is not bad. Among its non-profit partners (which you have the choice of where the money goes) are: Kiva, Room to Read and Youth Aids.

6. Mix Tape USB Drive ($20)

Ah, memories from the 80s. Remember the days before CDs and MP3 players? If you do, then you probably made mixed tapes of all your favorite music to share with your friends and school crushes on good old fashioned blank cassette tapes! Now you can reclaim that memory, and put MP3s of sappy love songs and other digital files on this 64 MB USB drive, enclosed in an old fashioned cassette tape wrapping.

7. USB Cassette Deck ($135)

Speaking of mix tapes, are you holding onto a pile of these tapes sitting in your attic from the 80s? Now you can let them go, after using this plug & play device to simply transfer your old cassette tapes to CD or MP3 on your computer.

8. Flexible Illuminated Keyboard ($30)

This full size, roll-able, spill-proof, indestructible keyboard serves as an effective portable keyboard for traveling. This one even has the option to light up, giving it a blue glow when you’re in the dark.

9. Heated Computer Keyboard ($36)

People really liked the USB heated blanket from last year’s list. This year, instead of recommending USB heated gloves to warm up our hands, why not have keyboards that can warm them directly? Makes typing more enjoyable on those cold mornings in the office.

10. Porn for Women ($12)

Now that I have your attention, this book is hilarious. I burst out laughing while flipping through it. Yes, it is a joke, but really cute and tastefully done. (Preview pages.)

11. Homemade Chai Tea Mix

Make your own instant chai mix, and put the mix in a nice tin jar. Type or hand write the instructions for brewing and attach it to the side of the jar. Place a few bags of black tea on top of the jar, secure it with a ribbon. Alternatively, you can put the mix in a nice clear bag, close it with a ribbon. Place the bag in a cozy mug. Here’s one recipe.

12. Homemade Sun Jar ($20)

The sun jar collects and stores sun from during the day. Simply put it out in the sun, and watch it light up at night. Watch people’s faces light up when you tell them that you’ve made it yourself. It’s an adorable, unique and functional gift. Love it!

13. Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps ($16)

I know this isn’t the sexiest thing you’ve seen, but it’s pretty darn useful and clever. Invented by a professional mover, these straps will make moving furniture and heavy things a more pleasant experience. The straps actually reduce the weight of objects by 66% and make it much easier to navigate through tight spaces in your home. No more scratches or stains on wood floors or carpets from moves. Also check out the Shoulder Dolly.

14. Nike Sport Kit for iPod Nano ($29)

If you own an iPod Nano and go jogging, check this out. The device tracks running time, distance, pace, calories burned, and can provide real-time spoken feedback that alerts you to workout milestones.

15. Homemade GTD Kit

Introduce someone to Getting Things Done (GTD)productivity concepts with a homemade kit consisting of supplies they may need, including a copy of the book, pads of paper, post-it notes, and filing folders. All set for learning and doing.

16. Homemade Raw Food Kit

Introduce someone to the curious raw food diet with a homemade kit consisting of a recipe book or two, almonds, dried fruits, flax crackers, fresh produce – avocados, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

Alternatively, give them all the tools and ingredients they need to make raw spaghetti, with a hand-written or typed recipe. Get creative.

17. Homemade Ideas Kit

Make someone a creative brainstorming kit that includes instructions for creative thinking, a nice notebook and some pens, tie them together with a ribbon. Write on the first page of the notebook, “For your next million dollar idea…” It’s simple and unusual.

18. Origami Sticky Notes ($3)

Bored at work, or need a creative way to distract yourself at your desk? Turn your old sticky notes into 3D paper models. Each sheet has printed instructions on the back – 10 designs in total. Alternatively, use this book with your existing sticky notes. And if you have a lot of time on your hands, consider napkin folding.

19. Travel Toothbrush Sanitizer ($30)

A convenient toothbrush container with built-in UV germ-killing capabilities. When the lid is closed, the germicidal light activates and within 6 minutes, you have a sanitized toothbrush. Pretty cool!

20. Recycled Paper Hot Mat ($8)

This hot mat is made from recycled materials, and designed to keep moisture and heat from sensitive table tops. Recycled newspaper provides hope and income for Filipino families. Here’s a larger version of the mat.

21. Flowbee Haircutting System ($85)

Give yourself a professional looking haircut at home. I thought it was a joke, until I read the raving reviews. Seems like those who own one love it and it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

22. Zipcar Membership ($75)

Pay-per-use car rental, paid by the hour. For $10 an hour, the service includes the car, insurance and gas. Fantastic option for us car-less downtown dwellers – where parking runs $300 a month, and it just doesn’t make sense to own a car. I have personally been a member for 3 years and love it.

23. Eco-Friendly External Hard Drive ($74)

With its sleek modern design, this eco-friendly external hard drive is encased in bamboo grown by the manufacturer and steam-pressed without chemicals or wood varnish. The case also uses 100% recycled aluminum. And get this – the instruction manual is printed on the box to reduce paper usage. Additionally, the Energy Star Level 4 power adapter is a fan-less design for energy efficiency. (Cheapest one I found was $74) Can hold 500GB of data.

24. Candle by the Hour ($23)

You can preset the amount of burning time for this candle, by the hour. So, it’s cool if you fall asleep while the candle is still on. Additionally, the candle is made out of beeswax, which apparently helps to clean the air.

25. Forever Lasting Radio-Flashlight-Nightlight ($19)

Forever is a long time, and such is the claim for this battery-free AM/FM radio, flashlight, and table-top nightlight. 1 minute of cranking will give you 20 minutes of radio listening or 40 minutes of flashlight and nightlight. Not only is this functional, it’s also creatively designed, making it an attractive display on shelves, tables or nightstands.

Before you go to bed, crank it for music from your favorite radio stations. It will turn off automatically in 20 minutes while you are falling asleep. Let the flashlight show you the way to bathroom in the middle of night.

26. Planet Earth Series ($55)

This 11-episode DVD set shows off the world’s environmental beauty and extremes, from mountains and oceans to ice worlds and underground caves. Highly recommended. Beautifully produced, aw-inspiring and very educational.

27.The Green Book ($10)

A very practical and outstanding resource book on the little things we can do to help our environment. Did you know that, if everyone in the U.S. used one less paper napkin per day, in a year’s time we would have saved one billion pounds of landfill waste? I didn’t know that!

28. Mobile Alarm Clock ($50)

Need a push in the morning to get out of bed? This alarm clock moves and will give you one snooze before it runs away, thus forcing you out of bed to find it before shutting it off. Clever!

29. iPhone Glove ($15-$40)

For navigating your touch screen mobile device in the cold. The gloves have little round metal scratch-free dots on the tips of the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger that allow you to register touch inputs on your iPhone, G1 Phone or Blackberry Storm. Another company – Freehand, tackles the problem with a different solution – caps that flip back exposing your thumb and index finger. They’re $20 (fleece), $30 (stretch) and $40 (leather).

30. “The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” ($11)

For anyone out there even remotely interested in the possibilities of working for yourself, this book is for you. It’s one of the best books on entrepreneurship and business mindsets. While you’re at it, you might also be interested in “Small Business Ideas: 400 Latest & Greatest Small Business Ideas”

31. “Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway” ($11)

We all have fears. Thus, this book is appropriate for everyone. One of my favorite books, and I recommend it to everyone.

32. Bubble Scrubber ($6)

Kitchen cleaning brush with a built-in bubble wand. See if you can use this to encourage your kids or lazy roommate to help with the dishes. Bubble wand + dish soap + water = FUN!

33. Staple Free Stapler ($6)

This little gem attaches pages together by cutting and folding the papers together, thus removing the need for metal clips or staples. Great for documents you know you’ll throw away – no more removing metal staples before feeding it into the shredder or recycling it.

34. Recycled Bangle Picture Frame ($28)

Unique frames made with pieces of broken glass bangle bracelets, the jingling ornaments worn by women throughout India. Here’s one with a different design.

35. Table Topics Conversation Cards ($25)

Need a conversation started at the dinner table or on road trips? These cards seem like a great idea to get people communicating and connecting. Also available for couples, teens, and families.

36. One Laptop Per Child ($199-$399)

These are innovatively designed, low-cost, rugged, plastic laptops for children living in the most remote environments. As such, the laptop consists of some amazing features: small text book sized, built-in wireless, unique screen to make it readable under direct sunlight, and ultra-low power (4 watts vs. 40 watts used in conventional laptops).

For $199, you can give this impactful learning tool to a child in a developing country. For $399, you can keep one for your child (or yourself), in addition to giving one to a child in need. (Learn more about the laptop)

37. ModestNeeds – Instantly Change a Life ($10+)

Get a gift certificate at ModestNeeds, and help a family struggling to make ends-meet with heating bills this month. The testimonials of families it’s helped are pretty moving. Just have a look.

38. Give $25 to Puppies Behind Bars

Puppies Behind Bars trains inmates to raise puppies to become service dogs for the disabled.

Conscious Gift Wrapping

Reduce your gift wrapping waste by recycling and reusing items from around the house. Use old posters, magazines, comics, paper shopping bags, Sunday funnies, scrap fabric, calendars or old maps. Get creative. When you receive gifts, be sure to save the ribbons and bows.Alternatively, you could make your own bows: using old wrapping paper, or regular white paper.

Thoughts on Holiday Cards

I am not a big fan of holiday cards. I never know what to do with them. On one hand, you don’t want to toss it away, knowing someone spent money on it and wrote in it. On the other hand, you don’t want to keep it, since it clutters up your living space.

“An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. It is estimated that between Thanksgiving and the New Year an extra million tons of waste are generated nationwide each week.” (source: CIWMB)

If you must get cards, check out these from the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, each of which features a different child’s drawing. All of the profits go to WWOs innovative programs, which provide resources to children in orphanages around the world

Other Places for Gifts

Made By Survivors – Jewelry, clothing and gifts made by survivors of sex trafficking to support rehab programs.
World of Good – online eBay shop introduces consumers to the actual artisans and causes. Simple and clear categories defining your purchase impact: People Positive, Eco Positive, or Animal Friendly.
Ten Thousand Villages-Similar to World of Good.
Etsy- Marketplace for handmade and original things. Support creative souls following their hearts, and making beautiful things. Anything from clothing, to jewelry, to ceramics, to artwork.
Make Your Own – from the clever people at instructables. Here are more ideas.

Need more ideas? Here’s our list from last year:

40 Simple Gift Ideas to Spark a Smile

Got unique gift ideas you want to share? Do tell! Do tell! … in the comment section. See you there! And while you’re there, what do you want for Christmas this year?

If you enjoyed this article, please join TSN on facebook (add Tina here) or follow us on Twitter. And I’d love it if you could bookmark it on del.icio.us, share it on StumbleUpon, or vote for it on reddit. I appreciate your support. :)

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Pen Zen: Bring Clarity to Writing

Jesse Hines — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:30:37 +0000

Photo via g2slp

By Jesse Hines

Have you ever read an email from someone that was too wordy, lacked focus, and left you confused? How can we learn from reading such emails to improve our own communication? How do we compose emails and writings that others will actually want to read?

The ability to write clearly is crucial to getting your message across no matter what you’re writing, whether it’s an email, a blog post, a magazine article, or a letter to a friend. Clear and concise writing is vital to having your words read and understood.

The whole purpose of most writing is to inform readers of something or to persuade people to do something. The more clear and concise your language, the easier your message will be understood, and the more likely your readers will respond to that message.

Before you can write clearly, you have to be able to think clearly. A big reason many writers don’t see desired success in conveying their message is that they were not focused on a clear message. Good writing usually stems directly from clear thinking.

In this post, we’ll first look at some common obstacles to clear thinking and writing, then offer some suggestions to develop the mental state for clear writing, and finally give some specific writing tips that, if implemented, will immediately add that magic touch of clarity to your writing.

Three Obstacles to Clear and Concise Writing

Obstacle 1: False ideas about what good writing is.

Many writers try to write more intelligently and attractively than they need to. Their writing can come across as trying too hard and that isn’t intelligent or attractive. There’s no cosmic law dictating that as soon as you start putting words on paper, you have to jazz it up and make it sound more intelligent than it really is.

Even writers with more knowledge and experience make this mistake. They want to impress readers with their grandiose grasp of the language, tossing about little-known, large words and trying to write in a clever way that ends up diminishing the clarity of their message. They’ve forgotten the most important piece of good writing: your first priority is to inform your readers, not to impress them.

If you seek first to impress, you probably won’t; nor will you often truly inform, as your message gets lost in the jungle of your arcane vocabulary. Seek first to inform, as clearly as you can. If you do that, you stand a better chance of also impressing your readers because you expressed your points clearly.

Obstacle 2: Not being clear about one’s message.

Many writers have a general idea of what they want to say, but they don’t crystallize it in one short, snappy sentence. Thus, they start out writing, touching on their topic from different angles, and including every bit of information they think is relevant.

The writing may end up readable and professional sounding, but the readers will come away thinking that, while they understood the gist of the author’s intent, they can’t precisely say what the take-home point was. This is usually because the writer never really knew what it was either.

Obstacle 3: Distractions.

Your mind has to be clear for your writing to be precise. If you’ve got the TV on in the background, if other people are coming in and out of your writing space, if you’ve got Twitter updates and email updates continually popping up on your screen, etc. – your focus will be eradicated.

How to Develop the Clear Mental State for Writing

1. Read, Read, Read

Reading broadly can accomplish two things: one, broaden your vocabulary so you more naturally use the right words instead of searching about for intelligent-sounding words which might not be a good fit; and two, you can get a much better, natural feel for what makes up good, clear, and fluid writing.

Additionally, you expose yourself to more ideas and perspectives, forcing yourself to think more critically in general, which will enable you to think more critically about the subjects on which you’re writing.

Respected magazines and newspapers which regularly include in-depth articles and essays have been extremely helpful to me in demonstrating how to write clear, engaging, intelligent prose which convey both a clear message and a colorful style. Two of my favorites are GQ Magazine and the Wall Street Journal newspaper.

2. Read Books and Blogs on Writing

The following are resources that have most directly and immediately benefited my writing mechanics.

Book: The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White.
Essay: Politics And The English Language by George Orwell.
Book: Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams.
Blog: Copyblogger by Brian Clark.

3. Clear Your Writing Space

When it’s time to write, clear everything off your writing table except for what’s absolutely necessary to write the piece. There might be all kinds of unrelated notes, books, magazines, loose change, several pens, notepads, etc. Simply take a minute to rid the table of all the excess. Only keep resources directly related to the current project and set everything else aside. For example, a pen or notes might be good resources to keep close. Clarity and simplicity in your workspace lends itself to clarity and simplicity in your thinking, and so on down to your writing.

4. Block-Off Time

Determine how much time you realistically think you’ll need to write the piece and schedule that time period for writing only. Say it’ll take you maybe three hours. Block off that time and do nothing but work on the project for the full three hours, taking a five-minute break at the end of each hour to walk around and stretch.

5. Eliminate Distractions

Turn off the television, turn off your cell phone, turn off instant messaging, turn off Twitter and email updates, and anything else that’s likely to interrupt you, thus diminishing your focus. You might also consider turning off your Internet connection so you don’t surf the web.

All of that distracting infotainment will still be there in droves once you finish your project. Then info-binge all you want. But, for the time being, do nothing but write. Simple. Clear. Focused.

8 Keys to Clarity When Writing

1. Visualize Road Signs

Think about the street and highway signs you see around your city. People who write road signs have very little space within which to get their message across. In that very limited space, the fewer and larger the words, the more likely drivers are to see the words and process the conveyed message.

Examples:

Do Not Enter
Speed Limit 50: Next 400 Miles.
Stop

Notice the concise prose. The message is very clear. Do the same in your own writing. Choose the right words, the most descriptive words, and keep your words to a minimum. Say exactly what you have to say and be done with it. Don’t muddy up your meaning by writing more than is necessary to make your point.

2. Write a One-Liner Summary

You may remember writing a thesis statement in high school or college. Similar to a thesis statement, consider putting together a one sentence summary text describing the main purpose prior to writing.

Whenever you have something to write, take a few minutes to think your subject through, and then write out, in one or two short sentences, the main idea you’re trying to get across. Think about your purpose with this piece of writing and your expected outcome.

Do this for yourself, as a guiding structure for your writing, and refer back to it regularly to stay on track toward your primary argument.

A purposeful summary or thesis statement is like a company’s mission statement; it sets out our clear mission in whatever we’re writing.

3. Do Your Headline First

A headline is a one-sentence encapsulation of your subject and will act as a guiding force for your entire piece. While the thesis statement is a promise you make to yourself, your writing will reflect the thesis statement – a headline “is a promise to prospective readers. Its job is to clearly communicate the benefit that you will deliver to the reader in exchange for their valuable time,” says Brian Clark.

Figure out what you really want your piece to say, and after putting together a good thesis statement, write up a good, snappy, eye-catching, bold, informative, and short headline.

Once you have a good title, it functions as a reference point for your piece. As you’re writing, imagine yourself in the place of your readers; continually ask yourself if the arguments you’re making, the prose you’re writing, truly fulfills the promise made to your readers. Combining a good thesis statement with a good headline before you begin writing can have a powerful, laser-like effect on your focus, enabling you to write with more clarity and purpose.

Photo via Peter Gene

4. Write Like You Talk

Instead of reaching about for soaring words and phrases, simply write like normal people speak. Of course, you’ll have to adjust for legitimate differences between spoken and written words, but you should use the language your readers will clearly understand and relate to. Don’t confuse your prose’s clarity by using jargon or stilted, “intelligent” words.

An example of what you shouldn’t write:

“I do believe that the most important action that could be taken to improve customer satisfaction is to truly engage customers by establishing a significant relationship with them through extended attention to what motivates them to take a particular stance in correlation to the company.“

Most normal people don’t speak like that. Change it to:

“Let’s really pay attention to what our customers say they want from us.“

Remember, simple, short, and clear.

Another benefit to writing like you speak is that you retain your own voice and can express yourself authentically. You don’t need to search for unfamiliar language to sound more professional. Simply be yourself and write the way you speak. Your prose will become clearer and your own voice will shine through.

5. Use Simple Words to Evoke Vivid Images

Often the simple short word will do much better than any large word, to convey your idea, and be more clearly understood. Try to create concrete images in your writing by using real, earthy words; words that describe actual things. Here are some related quotes from respected authors:

“Never use a long word where a short one will do.”-George Orwell.
“Always prefer the clean direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.”-C.S. Lewis.
“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”-Ernest Hemingway.

6. Eliminate Redundant Words and Phrases

Some redundancy is necessary to stress your main points, but too much indicates that you don’t really have much to say or know how to say it well. An easy way of reducing redundancy is to not use two or more words which mean the same thing.

Examples,

Past history – if something is history, it clearly happened in the past;
Armed gunman – if someone has a gun, they’re clearly armed;
Foreign imports – if something is imported, it’s clearly foreign;
Screaming loudly – if someone is screaming, they’re clearly being loud.

Only use the words you need to use and eliminate excess. After writing, go back to each paragraph and sentence with a fine toothed comb and see how you can rephrase the same meaning using fewer words. Do this several times. Don’t be afraid to cut text out, if it means a more effective piece of writing.

7. Minimize Clichés.

A cliché is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. Dulling your writing or speaking with clichés is lazy thinking. It shows you don’t value your subject enough to invest the energy and time to really describe it in more colorful, unique, and accurate language.

George Orwell called clichés dying metaphors and ready-made phrases that do your thinking for you. Instead of using clichés to fill in space, aim to think critically about meaning and choose words that accurately and freshly conjure the image and meaning you are trying to convey.

Examples of long-standing clichés:

Light at the end of the tunnel
Keeping up with the Joneses
Put it on the back burner

Examples of popular clichés today:

Size does matter
Perfect storm
Watergate, Spygate, Nipplegate, Ashleygate. (anything that’s a scandal)-gate

Orwell offers this advice for using more colorful language without resorting to clichés:

“A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: What am I trying to say? What words will express it? What image or idiom will make it clearer? Is this image fresh enough to have an effect? And he will probably ask himself two more: Could I put it more shortly? Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

But you are not obliged to go to all this trouble. You can shirk it by simply throwing your mind open and letting the ready-made phrases come crowding in. They will construct your sentences for you – even think your thoughts for you, to a certain extent – and at need they will perform the important service of partially concealing your meaning even from yourself.”

8. Cut Out Most Metadiscourse.

Metadiscourse is simply writing about writing. It occurs when a writer comments on what he is saying. Examples are: I believe, I think, In my opinion. These are unnecessary because it is clear that you are the one expressing your opinion, and excessive usage can make your writing sound extra verbose.

An example of especially verbose metadiscourse:

“I would like to take this opportunity to offer a hearty congratulations to you.“

No need to say you would like to take this opportunity; just take it. Don’t tell him that you would like to, or are about to, offer congratulations – just congratulate him.

Here’s an alternative version projecting the same meaning:

“Congratulations!“

There are times when metadiscourse is helpful. Particularly, when the topic is controversial, it is wise to be clear that a statement is our opinion.

The point here is to become aware of when we add extra words to justify ourselves. Constantly adding metadiscourse adds unnecessary words and buries the main point.

What components have you noticed in writing making it easy to read? Any tips for keeping your emails and writing as simple and clear as possible? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. See you there.

Jesse Hines is a freelance writer. For any writing needs you have, contact him for a quote via his website. To get more writing tips from Jesse, subscribe to his blog, Robust Writing.

If you enjoyed this article, please vote for it on Digg, share it on StumbleUpon or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

External Resources:

Book: The Elements of Style
Book: Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace
Mike D: The Five-Sentence Email Rule
Doshdosh: How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

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How to Tap Your Nap

Vic Stachura — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:06:18 +0000

Photo: stock photo

By Vic Stachura

What do you do when you have problems that need creative solutions? Would you like to be more creative? Are you willing to give sleep a try?

Thomas Edison, Salvador Dali and Stephen King all did it. So did Wagner, Poe and Twain. They all used this technique successfully at one time or another.

What am I talking about? The ability to use the initial stages of sleep to generate creative ideas or to solve a perplex problem. Sounds a little far-fetched, doesn’t it? I thought so too, until I discovered that many of the great scientists, artists and engineers of our time have used sleep as a means of inspiration and problem solving. It has been described as trolling or mining for ideas in the subconscious of our mind.

We now know that our minds are just as active while we are sleeping as when we are awake. Portions of the brain do shut down during the midnight hours, while others become active and take us to far-away places where the ‘wild things roam’. Some of the greatest minds of our time have mastered this technique and enhanced their creativity. And with a little help, so can you.

Salvador Dali called his technique slumber with a key. He would sit in a chair with a heavy key in his left hand and plate on the floor. He would drift off, enjoy the subconscious show and wake up when the key would drop on the plate.

Stephen King also gets ideas from his sleep. He says that ideas are sent the way you would send someone an interoffice message in a pneumatic tube. Sometimes ideas are normal and retrieved while in a light sleep. Other, more exotic ideas are found in the depths of his sleep and only occasionally survive the trip to the surface.

Thomas Edison would put two steel plates on the floor directly underneath his hands, which were holding a steel ball. As he sat in his chair and drifting off into dream-land, his hands would open, dropping the balls on the plates and wake him up. He then noted any images, thought or ideas he had during his “naps”.

The following article was inspired by Jeff Warren’s book The Head Trip: Adventures on The Wheel Of Consciousness. While this article touches on only one aspect of our sleep patterns, “The Head Trip” is truly an adventure on the exploration of our consciousness.

Who is Creative?

Everyone has the ability to be creative and we shouldn’t think otherwise. You, me, your neighbor, even your land lady. Not everyone needs to be a Picasso or a Rembrandt, but we all have a creative and artistic side that can be tapped and nurtured. The key is that one needs to have the desire and the willingness to try. I’m not saying it’s easy but with a desire to learn, and some persistence, you too can be the creative person you want to be.

For me, I selected writing as my creative outlet. I enjoy the craft and enjoy creating stories to communicate ideas. I’ve been freelance writing for a short time now, and people ask me, where do you get ideas for articles? I usually tell them, I sleep on it and get a confused look in return. For me, ideas come at different times and I’ve started to carry a notebook to capture them when they come.

Besides getting ideas while driving or taking a shower, I tend also to generate topics for articles or even entire paragraphs while I’m half asleep or in a partial sleep state. Sometimes I get these ideas in the morning when I wake before my alarm while laying there half asleep. Other times I get these ideas at the beginning of the night when the wheel of consciousness starts to spin and I end up in another place.

Sleep is Exercise for Your Brain

Did you ever think about how you fall asleep? It’s a little more complicated than curling into the fetal position and waking up in the morning. There are actually five stages of sleep that we go through each night. REM sleep is the most commonly known stage and is where many of our wildest dreaming takes place. But it’s in the first stage of sleep where we can easily be aware of our surroundings and mine our subconscious for creative ideas. The first stage of sleep is called the Hypnagogia. I promise never to use that word again and will use the term Sleep Onset, instead.

During the first phase of sleep is when we’re in between consciousness and that deep, REM sleep that we all love. As we slowly slip deeper into our minds, a funny thing starts to happen. Ideas start to generate. Some of them are fantastical, while others are practical. With a little practice, you too can use Sleep Onset to help generate creative ideas or solve complex problems.

Putting the Technique to Practice

There are two tricks to getting this technique to work:

You need to ‘prime the pump’ of your subconscious
Awaken before you slip into a deep sleep and don’t remember that great idea you had in the beginning of the night.

Did you ever experience a state where you were half-asleep? It’s when you’re kind-of sleeping, but not really and you can still hear things around you? It’s a strange feeling. You’re laying or sitting motionless, hearing noises or music around you, and you still have some cognitive ability. Your brain is starting to relax, but it’s not relaxed enough to send you completely into the land of Oz. That’s the stage of Sleep Onset that you can use to your advantage. I really enjoy this feeling and always wake very refreshed and feeling great. What a nice side affect – even if you don’t find any ideas, you’re getting some rest and wake up feeling refreshed. And that is never a bad thing to do.

Photo: Simón Pais-Thomas

The following are 6 steps to putting this technique to practice.

1. Start with a “Beginner’s Mind”

The concept of beginner’s mind is a Zen teaching that basically states that we should take our knowledge of a subject and set it aside for a while and approach a task with a clear mind.

How many stories have we heard where someone described an invention that everyone said was impossible. Sometimes too much knowledge can get in the way of a creative endeavor. If you know something is impossible, then it will be. But, if you don’t, then the possibilities are limitless.

2. Prime Your Subconscious by Focusing on Your Topic

You need to set your mind to the topic or problem at hand and this should be done before you start to fall asleep. It’s similar to when you have a problem and you have that Aha! moment while taking a shower. Up until that point your subconscious was busily working on your problem while you were distracted by the noise of everyday life. But one word of caution: you need to focus deeply on a problem repeatedly for a while, in order to drive it into the subconscious. Only then can your Aha! moment pop out later.

3. Turn on the Music

I’ve experienced the creative state of Sleep Onset many times, and it most frequently occurs when I’m listening to music. Either I put on headphones or have music playing in the background. While I enjoy rock-n-roll and Guitar Hero, a softer style of music works best for me when going to sleep. Buddha Lounge and Kitaro are my favorites. Don’t be afraid to experiment New Age and Ambient Music . Guns-N-Roses may be right for you, and that’s ok too. Whatever works, works.

4. Get Comfortable

Being on an easy chair, lying in bed or sitting on a plane – pick your favorite place, get comfortable and relax. Believe it or not, I experience the creative state frequently while flying. Once I reach the point where ‘electronic devices are permitted’, the head phones go on and I start streaming music into my brain. Maybe it’s a combination of the music, the gentle rocking motion of the plane and the hum of the engines that get my mind going. For me, it’s a recipe for creative success. It’s a shame the mood is broken when the plane hits some nasty turbulence and my drink ends up in my lap.

5. Think About Your Topic as You Drift Off

You’re comfortable, you’ve thought about your topic, and your favorite music is playing in the background. Now you can start to drift off. Before long you may notice that you’re “kind-of” sleeping. You can’t move, you hear the music, and you’re aware that you can’t move and you’re hearing music.

6. Free Your Mind

In your semi-conscious state, you’re aware of what’s happening and where it may lead. Learn to recognize this state of mind and focus on your idea or problem. This is where problem solving occurs and the ideas start to generate.

There’s no magic that I can write about here, you’ll just have to try it and see what happens. For me, I usually start to think about a topic for an article and I’ll start to formulate the opening lines and the premise of the initial paragraph.

7. Wake Up and Take Notes

I typically wake up after a period of time without the aid of heavy keys or ball bearings. But you may want something to prevent you from falling into a deep sleep and missing your creative opportunity. I suggest you set an alarm for 15 – 25 minutes and be prepared to take notes when you awake.

When I wake, I usually write down the opening lines or scribble the paragraph that I was thinking about. It’s never perfect, but it gives me enough information that I can easily bring it into focus. The process is like polishing a rock, after a while the rock becomes smooth and shiny. When you polish long enough, you can make anything look good.

Parting Words

Normally when one thinks of altered states, you have an image of being locked in an isolation chamber or taking substances that shouldn’t be taken. While some may have had success with these alternative methods, they usually lead to unwanted side effects. The sleep approach is legal, it works AND you wake up refreshed. What more could you ask for?

What are your thoughts on alternative methods for generating creative ideas? What do you do when you’re stuck with a problem? See you in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this article, please vote for it on Digg, share it on StumbleUpon or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Editor’s Comment (Tina): I have not consciously tried sleep as a method for generating ideas, but am very intrigued by Victor’s unique voice. I will give this a try and comment. What I do regularly is a simple “visualization session” either in the bath or sitting on a comfortable couch.

The idea is to relax completely and let your unconscious mind flow, while allowing your conscious mind to lightly direct traffic. I would start with 5 minutes of gratitude with eyes closed, and then I would drive in to visualizing the end result I want for various problems. I would list out specific constraints and ask specific questions. I would repeat the question in my mind.

Even if I didn’t find the answer after my ‘rituals’, I would continue to mentally repeat the question throughout the day. The answer eventually comes, sometimes quickly, sometimes after a few days. I’ve found that when the answers are received, I’m usually in a relaxed state: after waking up from sleep, after visualization session, while reading, and while taking a walk. Music wise, I prefer any CD from Nawang Khechog for creative visualization. It’s also what I listen to when writing all articles for Think Simple Now.

Editor’s Editor’s Comment (Adam): I have been using shallow sleep as a focus and contemplation opportunity for a long time. I can remember when I was younger, lying in bed at night as thoughts stream through my mind and wondering Why aren’t I this creative during the day? Like me, I imagine that most people experience this same rush, but rarely write down those thoughts. I really appreciate Victor’s approach and style. I hope to see more of his writing on Think Simple Now.

I would also like to note that the Editor spends a long time in shallow sleep every morning while her alarm rings, sometimes for hours. She may not have consciously tried this technique, but I guarantee that she’s experienced it.

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

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Connect with Your Creative Writer

Tina Su — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:02:36 +0000

Photo by Cindy Loughridge

Do you have to complete a piece of writing but are putting it off? A report, a blog article, or a letter? Are you finding that the moment you sit down to write, your mind seems to go blank? Crap! Writers block! What can you do about it?

Although, the term writers block is popular, this feeling of blockage and mind blanking is not specific to writing, but of any creative feats. Other examples include, brainstorming for a new business, dancing, musical performances, music composition, painting or photography. I’ve personally experienced this during my photography work, blanking out as I stand in front of a client waiting for me for direction. I call these Creative Blocks, where your mind just comes up empty and you feel lost. It’s purely mental.

Through practice and observation, I’ve gotten pretty good at getting past these blank moments, and this article shares some insights for unlocking your creativity. Throughout the article, I will be using writing as the example, but keep in mind that it is equally applicable to any creative activity.

Creativity & Mental Blocks

Before digging into how we can unlock these creative blocks, here are some observations on the subject of feeling mentally blocked.

The more we Think about it, the worse it becomes. The more we think about not knowing what to write, the stronger the feeling of not knowing what to write, the harder is it to come up with creative and original content.
Creativity is a miraculous interaction of the mind and spirit. Regardless of how we label it, I believe it is inter-linked with spiritual realm of things (not religion). Talk to any exceptional artists and they’ll explain that the creative space is comparable to that of no-mind spiritual state. My brilliant cellist friend once explained it perfectly, “that place in you which is infinite and unexplainable and nothing physical can compare to that space. When I am in that place, all thoughts clear out. It’s just me and the field of infinity.“
We all have the capacity within us to access this place of infinite creativity. However, what may be blocking us is our mind, our thoughts, the inner noise created by ourselves, consciously and unconsciously.
When we are working in that creative space, we are experiencing flow. We feel happy, content, and passionate. Time just flies. Think of the last time you were deeply in joy with writing, creating something or deeply immersed in a project. What did that feel like?
There is no such thing as “I am not a creative person“, it may only be the case because we keep telling ourselves that. Creativity is something that can be cultivated. We are born with access to the creative space, some of us may be more in-tuned to it, but it is never too late to get in touch with that side of ourselves.
When we need to produce something creative on a deadline, we may succumb to fear and start to procrastinate. Our thoughts get in the way sometimes, because we are afraid that we won’t be able to produce quality result in time, and so we push it away.

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

From my experience as a writer, I’ve learned that unless I was exceptionally inspired to write about a particular topic, I will experience writer’s block every single time. Sitting in front of a blank screen, my mind chatter would fire off random and discouraging thoughts. Ones like the following:

How should I start the article? Errr.. I donno.
How to structure the body? Can this article be as good as the last?
Crap, I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel very good.
I think I’m gonna check email. And to get a drink after that. I’ll delay this a bit more.

Can you relate? If so, you are not alone. It is quite normal to hear mind chattering. As widespread and as ‘normal’ as these self-destructive thoughts, they are not the problem. The problem is when we start to believe in these thoughts.

The secret to overcoming writer’s block is simple, and that is to just do it. Literally!

Here’s a simple stepped process that I follow when doing any sort of writing:

Step 1: Awareness - At any point during the following steps, you may be interrupted by your mind chatter yapping in the background. When you hear him or her, just say, Thank you for sharing. And continue on with what you’re doing.

Step 2 – Topic Selection – When selecting a topic, always choose one that you align with, closely. Preference goes to topics that you are personally experiencing now or in a recent past. Being able to emotionally connect with what you’re writing about is the seed for inserting that passion into your writing. Passion adds energy into a piece of writing and makes it come alive. If you do not connect with the available topics and you don’t have alternative options, visualize what it would feel like to be passionate about that topic.

Step 3 – Brainstorm & Capture Random Ideas – Spend 5-10 minutes to list out everything you can possibly talk about for this topic. List out all ideas, thoughts, sentences that come to you. List in bullet points and do so as fast as possible. Do not judge the thoughts that come to you, write everything down. No editing, just listing. Don’t worry about spelling, structure, or grammar. You can always delete them later. The point of this step is getting as many ideas down as possible. Also, this step helps you to get into the flow and rhythm of creative thinking.

Step 4 – Roughly Organized the Flow - See if you can move some of the thoughts from last step into meaningful groupings. It doesn’t have to be perfect or finalized. This step helps you to organize your thoughts a bit and starts to create a sense of logical flow.

Photo by Katsuaki Shoda

Step 5 – Jumping Over the Block – Start writing your opening paragraph without too much editing. Your first attempt might suck, and you will hear yourself shouting that in your head. Ignore them and continue to write without caring about how it sounds. Don’t bother erasing, just keep going. If you want to rephrase a paragraph, just write it above the old paragraph without removing the old paragraph. No perfection here, we’re just getting thoughts in paragraph form. Don’t worry about tweaking, do that later. The point of this step is to create the article flow.

I’ve found that often time, we get stuck at properly re-wording a sentence. In the end, we’ve spent so much time tweaking every detail that we still don’t know how the writing will flow. The important point here is to just write and get your ideas down in paragraph form, regardless of how sloppy or casual a paragraph may sound. You can always come back to perfect the paragraphs later, or re-write them once you have the important ideas down.

Step 6: Going with the Flow – After doing step 5 for a while, you will find an emotional connection with your writing. For me, this typically takes about 3-5 paragraphs of just writing without editing, at which point, words and nicely phrased sentences would flow out of me, effortlessly. Now, follow that flow. Either continue to write the rest of the article draft, or go back to re-phrase previously written paragraphs.

Step 7: Keep a Scratch Pad – As you come up with better ways of re-phrasing ideas, take your old wordings and paste them into a separate file known as the scratch pad. For example, I keep a file on my laptop called “blah.doc” which acts as my scratch pad of random paragraphs and sentences during writing. As useless as they may seem, they can pose as a pointer to the original idea. Even if the original phrasing is rough around the edges and not presentable, keeping the words mean no ideas are lost.

Step 8: Rephrasing & Trimming the Extra Pounds - Go through the article several times. At each sentence, ask yourself whether you can better phrase the sentence using less words? Add clarifying sentences only when you feel that it adds to the article. Do paragraphs sound verbose and not add value to your writing? If so, cut it out.

Tips for Unlocking Creativity

In addition to the steps above, here are the habits and tips which have helped me get more in-tuned with my inner creativity:

Follow Your Heart – Being inspired and passionate about what you’re creating is like swimming with the waves, they help push you in the direction you want to go without too much extra effort. Equally, when you’re creating something you don’t have much passion for, is like swimming against the waves, you can get back on the shore, but you’ll have to work a lot harder, while spending more energy doing so.
Tell the Truth - If you aim for truth without letting your ego take center stage, you will find that brilliance results as a side effect to your efforts. Practice candidness and speaking honestly, your authenticity will shine through and people will know because they too can feel it. Here’s a sweet quote you might like:
- “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” ~ C.S Lewis
Keep a Notebook at all Times – Always carry some form of paper and pen with you. You will never know what strokes of inspiration you’ll encounter as you enter the realms of everyday life.
Writing Down Ideas - We tend to get creative ideas during the week at times when we are not in front of the computer. Make a habit of writing everything down in your notebook, everything from inspirational quotes, to ideas that strike you, to personal thoughts and observations. For example, for this blog, I keep a doc containing a list of topics for future articles, and I add to this list whenever I feel that passion kicking in my heart about some new topic.
Inviting Creativity – When we get ideas, often our mind is so loud that we don’t notice them. Even when we notice these ideas, we start judging them. We would come up with reasons why they wouldn’t work. However, when we do this, we are really sending messages to our unconscious mind that we’re not interested in receiving notices of creative ideas. And we stop receiving them as often. Make a habit of seeking creative ideas, and create a space that welcomes them without judgment when they come, noting them down and give gratitude for having received them.
Give it Time – Send out a clear intention on what you would like to create and think about it over the next few days. You’ll find that once the intent is sent, you’ll start receiving related ideas at random times. Make sure you write everything down as it comes. You’ll be thankful you did.
Establish an Enjoyable Routine – We are creatures of habits and we are strongly subjective to associations. It’s a good idea to create a routine or ritual around when you write or do anything creative. With time, your mind will associate the routine with falling into a creative space. My personal routine is: having hot tea, listening to ambient music without singing, and having a blanket or my little dog covering my lap. It’s true! :)
Meditate - I cannot emphasize enough the benefits meditation and spending alone time for gaining mental clarity and easier access to your creative space. There are some fantastic guided meditation audio at Zencast, free of charge. For starters, just start with 5-10 minutes of silent time every morning with complete focus on your breath.
Practice, Practice, Practice - The more we do something, the better we get. Period. Not only do we get better, it becomes easier, or rather, we adapt to it. The more opportunity we spend in that creative space, the easier it will be to fall into it next time. It’s like anything else.

Photo by Katsuaki Shoda
Exposure - If you want to be good at something, expose yourself to it as much as possible. If you want to become a better writer, read powerful and inspirational writing, often. If you want to be a photographer, check out publications from photographers whose work you connect with, or inspires you. Find someone with the kind of results you want, and model the positive traits they have. Assimilate these traits and develop them into your own style.
Remove Distractions – There’s nothing like being interrupted while you’re in the zone. Once you are interrupted, you need to spend extra time in order to get yourself back in that state again. If you’re about to get in your creative zone, it’s a good idea to get rid of all potential interruptions. Turn off the TV, put your phone on mute, don’t answer the door, put pets in another room, let your spouse known what you’re up to, etc.
Just Be Yourself - When you try hard to sound good, you’ll come off sounding unauthentic, and people are sensitive to that. Don’t try to be anything, just BE. Be in the moment as you are, right now. And from where we are, see what unfolds in this moment.
Cross-train - Think of the creative space as an infinite field of energy and intelligence. The activities we consider to be creative endeavors, such as writing, drawing, dancing or playing instruments, are simply tools that give us glimpses into that space. And when we practice other creative activities, we access different channels to the same stream of energy. Try doing something creative that frightens you or you don’t have much experience with. Go dancing or take a salsa class if dancing isn’t your thing. If you don’t think you’re a good writer, write a personal letter to yourself, make it introspective and intimate. If you feel that the best you can draw are stick figures, you have to check out this book: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and workbook. Phenomenal book on developing the creative side of your brain.

What do you do that makes you feel creative? Got any tips for how to get in touch with this beautiful state we know as creativity? See you in the comments below! Talk soon.

If you enjoyed this article, please vote for it on Digg, share it on StumbleUpon or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Other Articles You May Like:

External Resources on Creativity:

Video: Dr Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stoke of Insight

Book: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Book: The Myths of Innovation
Web: Thinking Like a Genius
Interview: with Chuck Close
CopyBlogger: 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking
Skellie: 110+ Resources for Creative Minds

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Your Guide to Get Spinning in the Idea Tornado

Tina Su — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:01:46 +0000

Photo: stock photo

Have you ever felt mentally blocked from finding a solution to a problem you are facing? Most of us have had this experience, and it can be quite frustrating. Writers call it writer’s block, and the rest of us call it stumped, stymied, confused, etc. Brainstorming is one effective tool for helping to remove the mental roadblock and come up with ideas and solutions.

Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas that allows the brain to think freely and use both sides of the brain to ideally come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. Brainstorming can be used whether you’re sorting out a problem at work, coming up with your next business idea, or resolving a personal relationship issue. Brainstorming can help you hone in on the problem and come up with creative ways to approach it.

Essentials

Define the result. What is it you’d like to accomplish or figure out? Define the issue first, so you know what your target is. Define the problem as a measurable result rather than something vague and generic. Perhaps you want to answer a question, “What would I like to accomplish next year?” and you can define the result as “I want to be doing something that utilizes my graphic design and communications skills. I will feel fully engaged with my project and I will help at least 100 people. What are some projects I can work on?”

Write it down. Brainstorm on paper (or digital device). I’ve found that the moment I write an idea down, not only do I have a record of this idea, but more ideas will start to flow my way.

Suspend judgment. Brainstorming is a free flow of ideas. If you reject certain ideas because they seem improbable or crazy, you may miss something brilliant! Open your mind and let the stream of consciousness release all your thoughts; crazy, nonsensical or otherwise. Treat every idea like a gift, welcome everyone. This is especially when brainstorming in a group, do not shut down any idea, if it doesn’t work, move it on a separate sheet of paper.

Don’t evaluate. At the same time, don’t evaluate the utility of an idea. Brainstorming is the stage where you come up with ideas. Evaluation happens later on. If you evaluate now, you slow down the process and block yourself from creativity.

Go wild. The sky’s the limit, when it comes to brainstorming. The key is to come up with a wide range of ideas and solutions. Don’t limit your thoughts, no matter how crazy they sound. Each idea is a potential partial solution to your problem.

Be playful. Make it fun. Brainstorming should not be tedious, boring, or too serious. Ideas flow better when you make it light-hearted and fun.

Methods for Effective Brainstorming

There are several ways and techniques to approach brainstorming. But no matter how you do it, you’ll probably get some surprising results. When I try too hard to come up with ideas, I generally tank. But when I allow my mind to do its own thing, the result is often magical. Here are a few of the brainstorming techniques to try:

1. Free-writing – This simple technique involves putting a pen to paper for a certain amount of time (usually 15 minutes), and writing nonstop until the time is up. The key is to continuously write whatever that comes out of your head without editing. At the end of the writing period, you may have written a few things like, “I don’t know what to write.” But by writing continuously without editing, you free yourself from your inner critic. You may come up with a brilliant idea or solution you hadn’t thought of before.

2. Listing – With this technique, you simply write down words, phrases, and ideas as they come to you, usually in list or bulleted form. The advantage of the list is that it is simple and it works for getting your thoughts written down.

3. Mindmapping – To mindmap, you simply write the main topic or problem in the middle of a page, and then quickly fill in the rest of the space on the page with ideas, topics, and words associated with the main idea. Once you’ve done that, simply draw lines between the ideas that are connected with each other. This technique is great for seeing patterns and links between ideas.

4. List of 100 – Litemind recently mentioned this technique on their blog. All you do is come up with 100 different ideas and solutions, but you must do it quickly. Because it’s a ridiculously high number of ideas, your mind is forced to quickly get creative.

5. Solve the opposite problem – One technique to get us out of feeling stuck when trying to solve a problem is to solve the opposite problem. Take each idea from solving the opposite problem, flip it and it’ll become an idea for the original problem. For example, we are trying to brainstorm for “The best cell phone design”, an idea for the opposite problem “The worst cell phone design” can be “impossible to program address book”. Now flipping the idea gives us “incredibly easy and intuitive to add new contacts into the address book”.

6. Build on existing ideas – Take existing ideas that have worked and add to them or mold them to fit the new problem. Building on top of successful solutions can help you come up with new, and often improved ideas. Using this technique keeps you from the blank page syndrome; staring at the blank page thinking you can’t give an idea because there are none in front of you. The existing solution gives a base and focus to your brainstorming.

Tips for Effective Brainstorming

1. Set a time limit. The idea behind this suggestion is that by giving yourself a deadline, you are forced to quickly come up with ideas.

2. Relaxed environment. Create an environment where you are at ease, peaceful and creative. Where do you feel at ease? A local café? Sitting in your living room? For me, I work best when sitting at my dining table, surrounded by candles, and playing Nawang Khechog or Shakuhachi Meditation Music in the background.

3. “Just Do It“. Dive in without thinking anymore of I can’t and just do. When I write articles for this blog, my initial reaction when facing a blank page is always, crap, I don’t know what to write. My trick is to just start writing anything that comes to mind without worrying about structure or formality. After several minutes or paragraphs, I’ll start to see the article idea take shape. Once I have a better idea of my topic and its main points, I go back to the beginning and start to write the article.

4. Word association. Allow yourself to come up with as many word associations as you can. You may be amazed to find that your mind can bring seemingly unconnected ideas together in interesting ways.

5. Capture ideas. Some techniques require you to capture your ideas in some way, and others do not. If you want to make sure you remember all the ideas, you can use paper, a blackboard or whiteboard, or your computer. I recommend pen and paper for its simplicity and low barrier to entry.

6. Bounce ideas. I’ve found it effective to bounce ideas with another like-minded person, or even brainstorming as a group with other people using above methods. Sometimes when two heads are working together, you result with synergetic ideas (better than what you could have come up with separately).

7. Get the Blood Flowing. When I’m at my table brainstorming, I like to be standing up. I sometimes dance to up-beat music because it brings me fully into this moment. When I’m sitting, I tend to relax easily which makes me tired and sleepy. When I’m standing and moving, my heart is pumping and blood is flowing, and this gives me energy for brainstorming.

Do you have any tips for effective brainstorming? When do you feel most creative? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments. See you there!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on StumbleUpon, vote for it on Digg or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Other Articles You May Like:

External Resources on Brainstorming:

Ririan Project: 20 Sure-Fire Ways to Come Up With Great Ideas
Life Dev: Get Productive (And Let Your Mind Wander)
Life Hack: Brainstorming Walls

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40 Simple Gift Ideas to Spark a Smile

Tina Su — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:02:36 +0000

I have a confession to make… I still have not started my Christmas shopping. Having said that, I’m guessing that many of your out there are just like me, waiting for the last week before Christmas. :) As a gentle reminder to myself, I’ve compiled a list of gift ideas for the holiday season. These ideas are not limited to just Christmas, but for all occasions. I hope you may benefit from this list as well.

The list is broken down into several categories:

Unique Gifts
Gifts that Touch the Soul
Books that Change Lives
Alternative Wrapping Ideas

Enjoy!

Unique Gifts:

1. Seed Gift Wrap that Blossoms – Okay, this is really cool. Imagine a wrapping paper that you will plant instead of throwing away. These are biodegradable paper embedded with wildflower seeds. Once you’re done using the paper, just plant and water for beautiful blossoms. There’s no waste.

2. Nepalese Recycled Silk Sari Yarn – Vibrantly colored and unique yarn guaranteed to be a unique gift. Purchase helps provide an income to otherwise disadvantaged women while simultaneously using otherwise-discarded fabric waste.

3. USB Heating Blanket – Is your boss too cheap to pay for a little heat in the office? Show your boss a little respect by buying an electric blanket that plugs into your computer. :) In all seriousness, if your computer is next to a drafty window or a cold area, this seems handy to throw over your legs or use the button clasp to make a cloak for your shoulders.

4. Solar Powered Night Light – I love these eco friendly items. They recharge during the day by soaking energy from natural lights and you can use them at night time as a cool atmospheric room light.

5. Tibetan Singing Bowls – Singing bowl gives clear, beautiful sound, perfect for beginning and ending meditation periods. Here’s a blue design with pretty packaging. I personally own this one.

6. Recycled Paper Coasters - Beautifully made unique coasters reuse earth’s resource.

7. Portable Solar Charger – Great for traveling. Charge your phone, ipod and other electronics.

8. Bamboo Cotton Bath Robes – I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy a nice light-weight, soft-feel bath robe.

9. Solar LED House Numbers - I think these are just plain cool. Attractive house numbers which are solar powered. I love the modern look of these designs. Also very practical for the home.

10. MiniCards – Moo makes these really cool and attractive name cards. Get a box for your gift receiver. Be creative with the images you choose for them, or use existing designs. Moo also offers gift certificates. These are especially great if you have a teenager or twenty-something on your gift list. They’ll think you’re cool. And be proud to give these out to their friends.

11. Neck & Shoulder Relaxation Tool – I am sitting most of the times for my job, and my neck and shoulders can easily become tense after several hours. Here’s a nice little tool to help us relax. You can see a more attractive picture of the product here.

12. Handmade Paper Journal with Cinnamon stick closure – this also helps to support local artists from disadvantaged countries.

13. Avocado Scooper – This made me laugh out loud. It’s very clever and unique.

14. Compact Portable Speakers - Great for when you’re traveling. For under $5 you can’t go wrong. I own these and love them. They work with portable devices like the ipod, cd players, laptops.

15. Multi-Language Talking Translator – Ideal for international travelers, the Talking Translator will help you learn the pronunciation of foreign words. Search among 12 different languages.

Gifts that Touch the Soul:

16. Homemade Gift Basket – What do they like? Put some of their favorite things together, or put together a group of small things that you think your friend will like. I’ve made this for a friend once, I included things like: chocolates, a mug, a shirt, homemade CDs, books, etc. You can get a straw basket from IKEA, home decorative stores or from your local Chinatown. Get some party stuffers for the bottom of the basket. Or stuff it with newspapers and cover the top with colored tissue paper. Wrap the entire basket with clear wrapping and close the top with a colored ribbon. Your gift receiver will love this personalized gift.

17. Love Coupons – Make a little coupon book containing favors you would do for the receiver. It doesn’t have to be fancy, you can print them out from a word processor, cut it in rectangles of the same size and staple them together. Or if you want to go all out, get nice paper and a nice ink pen, write in each page of your coupon book. I’ll let you be creative with what you’ll put in the coupons. Here are some ideas: airport pickup, make dinners (can be specific with meals), massages, take dog for walks, babysitting, pamper day, etc. Put the coupon in a little box or gift bag. Recycled jewelry boxes are great for these.

19. Maid Service – Buy your friend or family a one-time maid service to clean up their place. Especially if your friend really needs the help. Alternatively, you can offer to help as a gift to them. You can find maid services from Craigslist and your local photo books.

20. Meditation Gift Basket – make your own basket containing incense, guided meditation CD or DVD (or both), meditative music, candles.

21. Photo box – a photo box containing photos of memories you’ve shared together. If you’ve shared specific memories with this person and have artifacts from that memory, it’s a nice touch to personalize the gift by putting these in the box. ie. If the box contains memories from a trip, maybe ticket stubs from that trip or small jewelries found on the trip. Here’s a hand-made photo box from Bangladesh for under $4.

22. Salsa lessons – Typical group lessons are about $10 and individual lessons are $60 for a couple. I recommend a group lesson. Dancing is a fun way to connect with another person.

23. Yoga classes – get a gift certificate at the local yoga center, or check out YMCA, you can get day passes for people for $10.

24. Photo Frame – get a nice looking photo frame and put a meaningful picture in the frame. Of you and the receiver, a group of you, you alone, etc. For example, my mother cannot get enough pictures of me. I think I’ll understand it once I become a mother. :)

25. Massage – People love deep tissue massages. Consider getting them a one-time session to a local massage therapist. It’ll be a treat that they’ll be sure to appreciate. If you are concerned about cost, many cities have massage schools where their clinics offer sessions for half of market cost. Or offer to do the massage yourself.

26. Cordless Skype Phones – use the low prices skype service without a computer. These phones will also allow you to connect and make local calls if you have a land line. I own the Philips VOIP841 and absolutely love it. It feels as authentic as a landline, and we bring this little guy with us when we travel to other countries for extended periods of times so friends and family can be in touch.

27. Flickr Pro Account – does your receiver take lots of photos? Get them the popular flickr pro account for large online storage and photo sharing for $24 a year.

28. Moleskin Lined Notebooks – I love these for writing ideas and journals. You might also like the 2008 weekly planners (also in small size).

29. Aerobic Heart Rate Monitor – I got this for jogging so I could keep my heart at its maximum heart rate level when I’m exercising. Part of aerobic exercise routine (which differs from anaerobic exercises).

30. Personal Timer – Great little tool to increase productivity effectiveness by giving tasks a limited amount of time to work on them. I love this little timer.

31. Digital Photo Frame

32. Charitable Donations – Kiva offers gift certificates. Support loans that change lives. Or sponsor a small child inside Tibet for food and education.

Books that Change Lives:

33. The Power Of Now – This book shifted my thinking and changed my life. Highest recommendation. I personally guaranteed this book.

34. The Magic of Thinking Big – Excellent book suited for anyone on your list.

35. The 4-Hour Workweek – I’m recommending this not just because I have a secret crush on Tim Ferriss. This is truly a phenomenal book that will give you alternative ways to look at work and designing your life.

36. Guaranteed Solutions – Spiritual growth and understanding of our emotions.

37. Think and Grow Rich – Written in 1937, after 25 years of research on hundreds of successful people, he boiled down the core principles and shares them in this value-dense book.

Alternative Wrapping Ideas:

Banana Fiber Paper – Unique wrapping paper made from chunks of banana bark.
Waxed Hemp Twine – Instead of buying plastic ribbons for your wrappings, consider Hemp Twines. They give off that organic look, plus, it’s environmentally friendly. Comes in multiple colors.
Alternative Wrappings - try reusing magazines as an alternative to wrapping paper. This is a creative and environmentally friendly alternative.

Got a unique and thoughtful gift idea? We’d love to hear them. Please share with us in the comments.

Note added on 12/05/07: additional suggestions from readers which I loved:

GlobalGiving – offers biodegradable gift cards from the marketplace for online charitable giving. Support projects that change peoples’ lives – like education for a Zimbabwean orphan, pedal-powered electricity for a Nepalese village, or fuel-efficient stoves for Sudanese refugees. Way cool!
Reserve a spot in heaven – I laughed at this one. Yes, it’s a joke gift, silly but will make people smile. :) see washington post article.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on StumbleUpon, vote for it on Digg or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Treat someone to a day of bliss and make them feel like royalty with a free pass to a local spa. An ideal gift for Mother’s Day! In the GTA? Try Elmwood Spas for the most relaxing facial Toronto has to offer!

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7 Habits of Highly Innovative People

Tina Su — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:08:50 +0000

Have you ever looked at super creative or innovative people, and felt they are special beings blessed with gifts? Have you felt that you are not as fortunate? I used to feel this way. I have since learned that creativity is more about psychology than intellect, and there are no secrets to being creative. Actually, there is no such thing as “being more creative”, you are already a creative being.

I’m sure we can all relate to moments when we felt stuck trying to tap into our own creativity. Did you know that this block is merely your mind at work? Your mind is creating all sorts of assumptions, self-imposed constraints and self-limiting inhibitions. I have found that we can remove these assumptions just by being in the moment; start doing, and stop thinking.

Here are seven habits found in highly innovative and creative people that I’ve organized and summarized from Scott Berkun‘s “the myths of innovation“.

1. Persistence – Innovation involves more than just great ideas. We need faith, hard work and a laser sharp focus for the end result to keep persisting for our vision in the face of roadblocks. We tend to see the end result of a creative idea in awe, but what we don’t see are the actions, hard work and persistence behind the scene to make the vision a reality.

“Invention is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration“,

–Thomas A. Edison

2. Remove Self-Limiting Inhibitions – Under the spell of inhibition, we feel limited and stuck. We need to free ourselves from these mind-created constraints by removing assumptions and restrictions. This is what we refer to when we say “think outside the box”. Encourage ourselves to be open to new ideas and solutions without setting limiting beliefs. Remember, innovation is more about psychology than intellect.

3. Take Risks, Make Mistakes – I believe that part of the reason why we create self-imposed inhibition is due to our fear of failure. Expect that some ideas will fail in the process of learning. Build prototypes often, test them out on people, gather feedback, and make incremental changes. Rather than treating the mistakes as failures, think of them as experiments. “Experiment is the expected failure to deliberately learn something.” (Scott Berkun). Instead of punishing yourself for the failures, accept them, then take your newfound knowledge and put it towards finding the best solution. Live up to your goal of producing the best result, but understand you might hit roadblocks along the way.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.“

–Thomas A. Edison

4. Escape – Our environment can and does effect how we feel. The more relaxed and calm we are internally, the more receptive we are to tap into our flowing creativity. This is why ideas sometimes come to us in the shower or while we’re alone. Each of us have different triggers to access our creative energy. I get into the ‘creative zone’ from sitting at my dining table, with a warm cup of chai, and my noise-canceling headphones. Many great thinkers go on long walks to help them solve problems. Experiment and find what works for you.

5. Writing Things Down – Many innovators and creative people keep a journal to jot down ideas and thoughts. Some keep a sketch book, scrap book, post-it notes, loose paper. They all have a method to capture their thoughts, to think on paper, to drop their inhibitions and start the creative process. Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous notebook was purchased by Bill Gates for $30.8 Million dollars.

6. Find Patterns & Create Combinations – Ideas come from other ideas. Did you know that Edison wasn’t the first one who came up with the invention of the light bulb? He was the first to build a workable carbon filament inside a glass bulb, that made light bulbs last longer. You can increase your exposure to new ideas, look for patterns and see how you can combine ideas to improve upon existing solutions.

7. Curiosity – Many innovators are just curious people who are inquisitive, and like to solve problems. Practice seeing things differently. For example, When seeing the solution to a problem, ask yourself, “What are some alternative ways to doing this?”. Ask a lot of questions and challenge the norms or existing methods.

Here are some techniques you can apply to cultivate creativity:

Keep a Journal – Practice writing every thought, idea, and inspiration down. Practice, brainstorming and thinking on paper.
Solve the Opposite Problem – Scott talked about this technique. The idea is to invent and brainstorm by solving the opposite problem that you are trying to solve. So, for example, if you are trying to create “The best laptop design”, then start with ideas to create “The worst laptop design”. For each idea you come up with, flip it. For example, if “heavy and clunky” is one idea for “The worst laptop design”, then flipping that might give me “light and sleek” which can be used in “The best laptop design”.
This technique works especially well when brainstorming in a group.The technique sounds so silly that people will become playful when answering. Humor brings down inhibition and encourages people to say things out aloud. People feel less insecure and more open.
Find A Creative Environment – Find a relaxing or inspiring environment that triggers your creativity. Try different spots until you find some that really bring out the best in you. I alternate between my living room (which I have carefully decorated) and a couple of local coffee shops.
Do something fun – If you’re stuck on something, shift your thoughts by going to do something fun and completely different. Come back to it with a fresh mind.
Partnering - Find creative partnerships with another. New ideas can surface as a result of two forces that would not have been arrived by a single person. Brainstorm together.
‘Commit to Failure’ - “Commit yourself to taking enough risks that you will fail some of the time. If you’re not failing, we’re not doing something sufficiently difficult or creative.” -Scott Berkun
Talk to Someone About It - I have found that when I try to articulate a particular problem to someone, that I’ll somehow articulate my solution, as well. When explaining my situation, I’m not expecting them to solve my problem, but rather act as a ‘bouncing board’ for ideas.
**Plan for Roadblocks -Commit to efforts to overcome potential setbacks. It’s worthwhile to identify and have a plan for non-creative items that may inhibit creative thinking. Scott talked about the most common roadblocks people face: Loss of motivation, ran out of money, unable to convince key person.

What do you think are some common trait of innovative people? Share your thoughts in the comments below. See you there!

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Think Simple Now » creativity

Why I Write

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Limiting Beliefs

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How to Wake Up Inspired …

1. Eat inspiration for breakfast.

2. Reflect on your reasons why.

3. Discard unwanted commitments.

4. Create an inspiring physical space.

5. Surround yourself with inspiring people.

6. Challenge yourself.

7. Create space.

Feeling first, then action

Inspiration is a choice

38 Creative Gift Ideas

1. Magazine Necklace ($18)

2. Universal TV Remote Control Keychain ($19)

3. Diamond Ring Mug ($15)

4. Tickle Me Plant ($6)

5. GOOD Magazine Subscription ($20)

6. Mix Tape USB Drive ($20)

7. USB Cassette Deck ($135)

8. Flexible Illuminated Keyboard ($30)

9. Heated Computer Keyboard ($36)

10. Porn for Women ($12)

11. Homemade Chai Tea Mix

12. Homemade Sun Jar ($20)

13. Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps ($16)

14. Nike Sport Kit for iPod Nano ($29)

15. Homemade GTD Kit

16. Homemade Raw Food Kit

17. Homemade Ideas Kit

18. Origami Sticky Notes ($3)

19. Travel Toothbrush Sanitizer ($30)

20. Recycled Paper Hot Mat ($8)

21. Flowbee Haircutting System ($85)

22. Zipcar Membership ($75)

23. Eco-Friendly External Hard Drive ($74)

24. Candle by the Hour ($23)

25. Forever Lasting Radio-Flashlight-Nightlight ($19)

26. Planet Earth Series ($55)

27.The Green Book ($10)

28. Mobile Alarm Clock ($50)

29. iPhone Glove ($15-$40)

30. “The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” ($11)

31. “Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway” ($11)

32. Bubble Scrubber ($6)

33. Staple Free Stapler ($6)

34. Recycled Bangle Picture Frame ($28)

35. Table Topics Conversation Cards ($25)

36. One Laptop Per Child ($199-$399)

37. ModestNeeds – Instantly Change a Life ($10+)

38. Give $25 to Puppies Behind Bars

Conscious Gift Wrapping

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Other Places for Gifts

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Putting the Technique to Practice

Parting Words

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Creativity & Mental Blocks

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

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Essentials

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Tips for Effective Brainstorming

40 Simple Gift Ideas to Spark a Smile

Unique Gifts:

Gifts that Touch the Soul:

Books that Change Lives:

Alternative Wrapping Ideas:

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