The innovation age began in 1972; people born then have important innovation roles

In 1972, forty-one years ago, the Blue Marble, a famous photograph of the Earth was taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft, at a distance of about 45,000 kilometres (28,000 mi).º It was the first time we saw our planet from space. That same year Bhutan instituted  Gross National Happiness (GNH) and not Gross National Product (GNP) as a sign of well-being, an alternate view of what success means.

People born in that era appreciate opportunities to enliven new ideas, make new decisions and take new actions. Ones that engage people to support, sustain and enable life and vitality to flourish. Innovation is in their blood. World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – 21 can be used as a time to open the door for that expression and to act on visions, hopes and future dreams.

Watch this brief video for an insight into an innovation-era world view.  Have you others to share?

Marci Segal, MS.  Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they may create new futures.

The purpose?  To grow the confidence of group facilitators to be inspiring and engaging when sparking new thinking, new ideas and new actions in their groups. Peace of mind. In a word.

Here’s a link to the session: Know-Thyself-Creativity for Facilitators

Registration for the conference, the Creativity Expert Exchange at Buffalo State College closes soon.  Take a look here to make your arrangements.

Hope to see you there…

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership, Freeing leaders thinking so they can create new futures, since forever.  Founder, World Creativity and Innovation Week, April 15-21.

Likely you are aware of my involvement with World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21, (WCIW) as its founder in 2001 and steward.  Each year around this time my attention goes 100% (and then some friends would say) to support the energy, and shake the bushes so that everyone on the planet feels they can lift themselves away from the future the past was leading us to, toward a new one.

World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21 is a focused time of year for people to celebrate their creativity, their ability to

• be open to and generate new ideas
• be open to and make new decisions
• be open to and take new actions

that make the world a better place and make their place in the world better too.

2013 WCIW Three New Things

Each WCIW I find at least three new things to do or think about, and in so doing, influence my future…

1. Prepared and presented my first Pecha Kucha at Toronto PechaKucha, the topic being World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21.
2. Attended the opening of an art show of never seen creations.
3. Made a new slow cooker recipe.

I hope you found new things too, new thoughts, ideas, decisions, actions… it would be great if you want to share…:-)

Feel Free

Feel free to look around  World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21 for examples of what others did all over the planet.  Pretty amazing stuff.  There’s more on our Facebook page and Facebook group.

Feel free to consider how you might leverage World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21, 2014, next year, to shift to a newer, brighter future.  We’ll be looking for volunteers – so let me know your interest.

Thanks to all who made this year a tremendous success!

Until the next…

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures, founder and steward, World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21 (since 2001)

Nice thought piece for World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 -21.  Maybe by the end of the week, you’ll have a plan of which priorities to choose from for some juicy new ideas, new decisions and new actions.  Wouldn’t that be a great outcome for this week! http://wp.me/p1XI3D-1TM

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures, founder, World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21.

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Creativity and the Brain – “We were born to create! In fact, before we were born, we, with the help of our mothers, exerted a significant amount of energy in creating neural connections among neurons (the brain’s major brain cells). These connections created a complex brain system, with some of the most interesting connections happening in our frontal cortex – the big protrusion at the front of our head. This part of the brain is quite distinct from other animals and often described as being responsible for many of the incredible abilities that we tend to consider “humanly”, including our creativity.”

See on www.canc.ca

Idea lynceus (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Like the pun?:-)

See on Scoop.it – Creativity and Learning Insights

What is a creative idea? A mystical gift from your God? The discovery of something new? A profound insight of almost spiritual proportions? An irritant to rational thinking? A creative idea can be any of these things.

Ignore the bit where it talks about exceptionally creative people.  Not fun.  Personally biased against any label of ‘exceptionally creative people’.

See on www.athenna.com

Marci Segal, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.

MS, Creativity and Change Leadership; Founder, World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – 21

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Creativity Graph (Photo credit: lightsoutfilms)

Went through old files over the weekend. Found feedback comments from a 1981 creativity conference I participated in as a volunteer leader.

Do you think this is what people want from creativity conferences today, a generation later?

• An incredibly enriching experience. Answered many questions and created new ones.  Challenged my mind, body and spirit and a beautiful gather of people who offer so much and are open to so much.  Veryencouraging, energy giving, nurturing and fun. The best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time.
• The most unique, positive, collective, creative experience I have had during my lifetime.
• Intellectually, the process is a pulling, straining, painful one, where one is asked to give after all has been given – - a bit like the birth process! Enlightening personally for me.
• Its warm, friendly, and peaceful atmosphere truly impressed me ans would be unforgettable all my life.
• Great place to find so much information on so many subjects- – no other place can offer this open and loving atmosphere so conducive to learning and sharing.
• The most exciting, stimulating, people-oriented week I have ever experienced.
• Outstanding experience, opportunity to grow, expand, evolve and continue development. Going home with four Action Plans – one for a year of training–self development; one for an office problem and two lesser ones.
• I regained my faith in human relationships
• Rather a turning point in my life. My eyes have been opened, mind eager and a new determination to care for my body
• It was a source of endless opportunities
• My opportunity for re-birth and re-creation, an opportunity to discover the spirit within me
• Physically I feel less tired that when I came in (how many tell you that?); emotionally I feel a deeper sense of peace and equilibrium; socially I have warm feelings; intellectually I feel stimulated
• A real variety of ideas – just what I needed to cure my own burn out
• I have grown greatly and feel that I will continue to do so as each petal of my rose opens up
• Community of Connections
• Has changed my direction in life; meaningful to bring back to others
• Through the love and support I became sure enough of myself to deal with my own problems
• I’ve been overwhelmed by all of the concern and generosity of ALL.
• This is my second time back and I wondered how it would be to return.  It is still wonder-full
• The Institute practices what it preaches. Uses the process on itself, continually growing, deferring judgement
• Was particularly impressed by the quality, humanity and knowledge of many of the leaders… What I am left with is an appreciation of the warmth, humor, concern, freedom and challenge that surrounded me this week.
• A definite growth experience not only in internalizing the process buy in the combined openness of and enthusiasm of the leaders and participants and in the encouragement and hope offered. I leave here with definite goals and knowledge that problems are relative, not absolute.  One of my goals is to return next year.
• Stimulating and soul searching. I will never be the same.
• A centre of knowledge, growth and love… a place where I can finally be myself… a place to breathe and refuel
  • Scintillating, sensitive, sensual
  • Unique, unbelievable
  • Priceless, profound
  • Exhilarating, exciting, enlightening, energizing
  • Revealing, remarkable

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership. Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.

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 Creativity: The ability to bring together disparate ideas in new and useful combinations.

You like?  I read it in a review of Christopher Bergland’s The Athlete’s Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss in Psychology Today.  He makes good points about the benefit of ‘sweat equity’ (ouch the pun!) in the creative process.

Albert Einstein said of the theory of relativity, “I thought of it while riding my bicycle.” Anyone who exercises regularly knows that your thinking process changes when you are walking, jogging, biking, swimming, riding the elliptical trainer, etc. New ideas tend to bubble up and crystallize when you are inside the aerobic zone. You are able to connect the dots and problem solve with a cognitive flexibility that you don’t have when you are sitting at your desk. This is a universal phenomenon, but one that neuroscientists are just beginning to understand.

Aerobic exercise clears the cobwebs from your mind and gives you access to insights that are out of reach when you are sedentary. On the complete flip side, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (when we are dreaming) is probably the most creative state of mind we experience daily. Keith Richards came up with the song ‘Satisfaction‘ in his sleep. There are thousands of anecdotes of creative greats having eureka moments when they dream. Each of us knows from first-hand experience how our imagination streams unrelated ideas together when we dream. Regular exercise and sleeping well go hand-in-hand. Regular exercise allows you to sleep deeper and dream better. The more regularly you exercise, the better you will sleep and the more of a creative powerhouse you will become.

I can verify his statements, countless new combinations of ideas occur when I’m bike riding, hiking, even walking.  I also find the morning shower a haven for new thinking too, do you?

I like his definition of creativity – and am going to start using it.  Makes sense.

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership: Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.

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Today’s find is the article, The Science of Our Optimism Bias and the Life Cycle of Happiness, on the subject of Tali Sharot’s research presented at TED.

“Optimism starts with what may be the most extraordinary of human talents: mental time travel. That is, the ability to move back and forth through time and space in one’s mind. To think positively about our prospects, it helps to be able to imagine ourselves in the future. Although most of us take this ability for granted, our capacity to envision a different time and place is critical for our survival. It allows us to plan ahead, to save food and resources for times of scarcity, and to endure hard work in anticipation of a future reward.

While mental time travel has clear survival advantages, conscious foresight came to humans at an enormous price — the understanding that somewhere in the future, death awaits. This knowledge that old age, sickness, decline of mental power, and oblivion are somewhere around the corner, can be devastating.”

Here’s an idea – what if you viewed the Ted talk, read the blog post and post your response to the opening question: When do you think or feel people are most likely to express their creativity?

Ciao for now…

Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership: Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.