Need some creative fuel?

Imagine that...

Albert Einstein said 'Imagination is more important than Knowledge' - but what about in business? When we use our imagination we free our mind from its 'factory pre-settings' to think more creatively and develop different and potentially better ways of doing business.

After years of education where we're often rewarded for following the rules and memorising information rather than exploring it, we look back at young children and wonder where all that fun and creativity went. How can kids spend hours with fuzzy pipe cleaners, textas and coloured paper with sheer fascination?

Imagination is a natural ability in each of us, to which our emories, experience, interests, thoughts, knowledge and freedom contribute. So consider that imagination is always in you, sometimes it just needs encouragement.

Imagination is left and right brain

In business, imagination is used to create a company but we often divide the workplace into creative and practical thinkers. Practical thinkers concern themselves with concrete details and planning, while creative people are known as divergent thinkers, arty and emotive. Rather than dividing us up, what if every one of us possessed both these qualities but just chose a different way of looking at the world?

Take the classic pessimist/optimist battle - two outlooks on life we regularly all switch between depending on our mood and the moment. Hearing your alarm clock go off at 5am hardly compares to winning a million dollars, right? The pessimist looks at life and thinks 'why oh, why?' just as the practical thinker tries to figure everything out. Meanwhile, dreamers and optimists envision imaginative scenarios that haven't happened or might happen, and open-mindedly ask 'Why couldn't that be possible?'.

George Bernard Shaw said, "You see things as they are and ask, 'Why?' I dream things as they never were and ask, 'Why not?'". So imagination is typically a right-brain function that needs to be supplemented with left-brain logic. And you've got both.

You can improve your creative thinking just by exercising it...

Ask Questions - What would you like to do that you've never done before? Where would be the best place in the world to live? What would be the best job? Ask questions that get you thinking outside the square you live in.

Just Do It - Don't sit on the sidelines, firsthand experiences provide new material for your brain to play with, out of which come new ideas. A Chinese proverb states, I hear: I forget - I see: I remember - I do: I understand.

Jet Set - There's no better way to broaden and refresh your outlook than travel. Travel takes you out of a rut and exposes you to new people, customs, ideas and ways of living. Every culture provides a unique way of looking at common situations and solving problems. If the budget bites, arm-chair travel with television programs and books on the world around us, or spend the day in an unexplored part of your city.

The Power of One - The more you apply your ability to think and use the talent around you, the better you'll become at creating new ideas. If you rely on 'experts' and consultants to solve your problems, your creative abilities can dry out.

Hang out with Creatives - Think more creatively by mixing with creative people. Talk to people who possess a different energy who will stimulate your thought processes.

Even more suggestions that provide creative fuel:

- Rent the movie 'Big' or actually go play in a toy store! Play charades or the board game Pictionary to stimulate visual communication.

- Get some fresh air into your lungs & play some sport.

- Play a strategy game like chess or checkers with an opponent.

- Try a word puzzle like a crossword, Boggle or Scrabble to sharpen your mind.

- Hobbies like painting or sculpture are workouts for your imagination.

- Try a technical hobby like amateur radio, electronics or remote control 'toys'.

- Get into a good book like a documentary, biography or mystery and give your imagination something to feed on.

- Read about new trends in a magazine you wouldn't normally buy.

- Doodle or draw with your less used hand.

- Go to the theatre and get immersed in someone else's life.

- Or why not just stare up at the clouds…and daydream.

Bring back creativity into education

The FRANK Team is at its core an education & training company - when you strip it back to bare bones. We have a strong desire and passion for real, creative and frank eduation & training, with a particular focus on young people and young entrepreneurs.

We were recently alerted to a fabulous piece that rings the bells on bringing back creativity (and that entrepreneurial spirit) into education. Thank goodness. We so often see young people struggling with the idea of :"what do you really want to do in life" or "being enterprising and creative in your thinking" when all they are concerned about are marks at schools. We created The Frank Team because we could see that young people were not getting access to really good life skills and innovative thinking that will help them create great lives. We loved every word of this eloquent and very humourous piece, and so wanted you to enjoy it as well.

http://www.see.com.au/blog/?p=1850

Watch and then answer:
How did you discover your true talent?

After some reflection I have seen that my true talent is teaching. I never really "discovered" it, but more found that it came very naturally to me and was something I had been doing and enjoying for a long time. And when I combine that teaching ability with my creativity and entrepreneurial spirit you get The Frank Team - which is a company that provides creative education solutions that inspire and empower people to make their career, business and community goals a reality. Our authentic, fun and innovative skills training, guest speakers and resources are especially designed for young people and corporates. So I get to use all of my true talents!

So we ask teachers and curriculum writers to take up the challenge as well - to bring back creativity into education, NOW!

Let us know what your true talent is!