In previous posts I have explained How to write a decent book and How to Publish a decent book. Now I want to share the ‘prequel’ to those two events.

Creativity is a process of learning new things, and thinking about them, leaving them for a while and revisiting them later.

I’ve found an old doc with my very first blog posts, from 2007. I’ve realised that I have wanted to write about creativity for more than 15 years… I wrote other things in the following years, from leadership lessons from sports, to a blog on Autism and Technology I run for 4 years, and different thoughts on fostering creativity in a team (my team). But I needed a long incubation period before I delivered my book Join The Playful Revolution.

Here you can read some of those earlier posts, originally in Spanish. There is some ancient tech in there (and an update too).

It is never too late to create

Creativity is an attitude, rather than an aptitude. We are born with the ability to create and imagine, and if not it is enough to watch children play and draw, but it can hibernate when it is attacked by the virus of correctness, the great enemy of error, a fundamental element in the creative process.

Apparently, age, sex, or socio-cultural level are not obstacles to being creative. If there is a decisive factor in knowing who is creative and who is not, it is the degree of fear of failure. It is necessary to make mistakes many times before finding a valid result, and each mistake is part of the elimination process, that little voice that says ‘not that way’, and that makes us keep looking.

While it is true that age can diminish perception and memory skills, with age there is also usually more experience and cultural background that more than compensates for it. The good news is that creativity is trainable, there are specific techniques (e.g. brainstorming), numerous books and online resources, and it is also something we can practice daily in our usual activities: from trying a new route to work, varying a recipe or finding a way to hang a picture when we do not have a hammer… 

Attitude, ladies and gentlemen. Age, talent or lack of, are not excuses: If you want to you can, and now is the best time to start.

What I need to be creative

1.- An active and curious brain – it is the only essential thing. When we have to look for an alternative ingredient because our guests are coming for dinner in half an hour, and we have forgotten to buy the meat (on a Sunday, when the stores are not open, and our neighbors are on vacation…) Well, an idea is the only thing we need, but right now!

2.- Paper and pencil – the cheapest, most versatile and accessible technology, to remember that happy idea or to think on paper…

3.- A brick – out of the 20 possible uses of a brick… this one was a joke (they say that a sense of humor is for creative people)

4.- A computer – from writers to architects, musicians, visual artists, engineers, scientists… I think it goes without saying…

5.- The internet – as a source of information and as a tool for collaboration.

PDA for creatives (back in 2007)

A PDA, or Personal Digital Assistant, of today is a device with superior features to the first Digital Agendas from which they have derived, and even to those of the first personal computers. It is a handheld device managed by an operating system adapted to its characteristics, such as Palm SO, created by the first PDA manufacturer, Palm, or Windows CE, included in the so-called ‘Pocket PC’. Recently there is a version of Linux for PDAs.

Almost all data input and output is produced through its touch screen, which has been increasing in size and resolution since its inception. The development of handwriting recognition applications, such as those also seen in tablet PCs, has been quite crucial in this respect. At their heart are processors that allow them to work with complex data and multimedia material, and it is increasingly easy for them to communicate with each other and other devices.

An example of a typical mid-range PDA would have a 512 Mhz processor, card slots, Bluetooth, Wifi and the ability to connect other external devices such as a USB stick, keyboard, camera or GPS. A wide variety of applications can be installed which, in addition to the typical organizer and agenda functions, allow you to create and view data in the form of text (.doc, .pdf, etc.), spreadsheets, databases, images, videos, and music. With other applications you can create multimedia content, browse the Internet, view mail, draw, play games and a host of other activities. The premise is, if you can do it on a PC, you have to be able to do it on a PDA.

Some of the things that can be done with a PDA in the field of creativity, in addition to the more typical functions, could be the following:

 ∙ writing notes or ideas, by hand.

∙ making sketches and mind maps

∙ drawing and painting

∙ writing full texts

∙ take pictures

∙ retouching photos

∙ record audio

∙ play audio

∙ compose music

∙ record video

∙ play video

2022 (may) update:

Where you read PDA think ‘tablet’, and we probably can do all that and more. I own a 2018 iPad, with an Apple Pencil, and it is my favorite tool ever.

My top apps are the following:

∙ writing notes or ideas, by hand. – Paper

∙ making sketches and mind maps – Paper

∙ drawing and painting – Paper, Canva

∙ writing full texts – Google Documents

∙ retouching photos – Snapseed

∙ record audio – built in, GarageBand

∙ compose music – Garage Band

I hope you enjoyed a visit to the history of a book.

Remember to play!

The post How to write a book – incubation phase appeared first on Creative Sensei.

Here you can read my retrospective of the process at different time points.

(December 6th update)

Surviving a crowdfunding

The team at Creator Institute had a full pre-sale process with templates you had to populate in order to make the pre-sale process simpler. They did it over a crowdfunding platform called Indiegogo.

It was a whole month of anxiety, promotion and calls. It was also a month of catching up with people, meeting new people and learning to articulate the essence of my project. And I was really humbled by the response I got. In addition, I came out with a stronger intent of seeing the book message grow.

Now, I ended up exhausted and needed to take a break from the process. 

My learnings on this phase where several:

• I was out of my comfort zone since day one. That feeling didn’t go away, but I developed the habit of doing what I had to do anyway because my purpose was more important than my mild introversion. For the introverts out there: your book probably will aim to educate or entertain to some level, or anything else. You owe it to the readers who can benefit from reading it to make the best effort to reach them, otherwise, you will be doing your book and your audience a disservice. Swallow your introversion and follow the steps without looking back, the crowdfunding is just one step of the path you have chosen.
• The Book Creators program is US based. When they suggest arranging 20’ calls for quick interviews, it is ok for US based interviews. When they suggest ‘catching up’ calls of 20’… well, that timeframe doesn’t work in Spain or other mediterranean, latin or more relational cultures. You just don’t come out of the blue and keep it short. So, for those introverts, or from more relational cultures, I suggest it may be better to start catching up with people as soon as you start the book project. You may mention in passing what you are up to, opening the door to more detailed explanation closer to the time. Then you will be able to keep it shorter than 60-90’. Otherwise, you will need to allocate a lot of time to crowdfunding month. Some other people did a longer campaign, but I was so tired I just wanted it to end.
• I chose the program because it was in English, but my backers happened to be mostly Spanish speaking. Many of my international co-authors struggled with something similar. I managed by translating my campaign page, and providing digital only perks, to avoid the international shipping. Also, I moved the translation of the book to the top of my priority developments (I already have a first draft).

To sum it up, give yourself enough time to reconnect with people way beyond it is required.

Ruthless editing

When I finished my first draft, I was happy I had put it all out. Over 50K words of content that had to be polished.

Four months after submitting the first draft, I started the revisions. As soon as I started reading the acquiring editor’s comment the pride wore off. Another humbling moment. This was going to be a piece of work.

I went into procrastinator mode because I didn’t want to face it. Eventually I got started. Adding details, explanations that have been left unfinished and transitions between ideas. And starting to break sentences down too: five line sentences are a little too much. I ended up with near 60K words, and I had not yet created the most practical part, with detailed techniques and session blueprints, nor bibliography.

They told us to be ruthless in the editing, and I followed through. I have managed to silence the editor mode while creating but this was the editing stage. I thought I would be using the scissors… but ended up using a chainsaw cutting down 35% of the content. 

I have a special place in my heart for all the editors and beta readers who had to read through my earlier versions… They are the heroes of the final product. Although the book could be better, I think it is readable, and that is thanks to all the editors and beta readers’ contribution. And we are talking about more than ten people…

My learnings on this stage:

• I wrote my first draft trying to put everything I had to share about the topic. The editing process was a practice of putting the reader at the center. I wanted a better and useful experience, thus, I removed non essential principles, theories, techniques and stories. I hope it is less comprehensible but more actionable.
• It takes a village to create a book, and having a coach with you is amazingly helpful
• Writing a book is a challenge, and a big commitment, but having a team behind you who have worked out the process, frees you to focus on your book and topic. You save endless hours of finding out what to do and how to do it. Plus, as a deadline writer, I benefit from having a clear calendar of the process. 

Pre-publishing stage

This part is a little more fun. You send parts of the book out to gather early praise. You share three cover concepts with your backers to gather some feedback, do copy editing revisions, proofreading, layout design, choose final title and cover, choose amazon categories… And you start to see the final product. You start feeling this become real. It is an exciting time.

In this stage you are going to be transitioning from writer of a book project to a published author status. You toy with the “what next” theme. But what is clear is that you are just starting the journey to reach your audience.

Being published is a huge milestone in itself. But if you aim to impact readers, you need readers, and that means marketing. And as a self published author, the responsibility is all yours.

In the Book Creators program, they cover this from day one, starting to document your journey in social media from the get go. But from now on, it is a critical task, regardless of what you think of it.

Published!!

(April ’22 update)

Compared to the long-term effort of writing and revising the book, publishing (as for ‘uploading’ to stores) was  easy.  The publisher New Degree Press has set it all up so you just have to follow the steps.

Brian Bies shared a video with all the steps to publish on Amazon, Kobo and Ingram, so our books will be distributed all over the world. The video takes about an hour to watch but if you want to stop and do the steps, it may take between 2 and 3 hours, to take it slow and steady.

To be able to publish across platforms in just one sitting, we needed some preparation in advance. We prepared author profiles, researched categories and filled a table with title,  pricing, and other details. By the afternoon you decide to publish you can do it all in one go by copying and pasting. They simplified the process for maximum reach and effect.

The only tricky part is the categorization in Amazon, but they have you covered on that too. If during the writing process we had a developmental editor, for the revision and publication we are paired with a MRE that holds your hand until the very end.

What next? Life as a published author

Fact: most self published authors sell between 250-300 books over time. 

With this reality check, we have to accept the fact that unless you do something differently, we are not going to get rich by selling books. I will talk about non-fiction here.

Marketing-wise, former book Creator authors have made more money from workshops, speaking and coaching opportunities they received because of the book, from people and organizations who wanted to put the content into practice or learn more about it.

Your goals may be different, but the direction you take should be informed by your intentions for the book and the type of impact you aim to achieve.

In my case, I’m not so fuzzy about the specifics, but I need some monetization that will probably be reinvested into translation to Spanish, audiobook and marketing to reach more people. So if you know any possible sponsors, let me know!

New Degree Press runs a few marketing workshops after publication, so you get some help along the way. They just created a Discord channel for authors of all cohorts to meet and support each other.

With all this in mind, I will be defining my next steps. I will keep you posted.

Book writing and publishing conclusions

As my final conclusions I am impressed buy the whole setup of the program that takes you by the hand it brings a lot of professionals to help you out. You learn from speakers, you meet other authors, you help other authors and you are helped by all the others. You have a community of like-minded people creating networking opportunities.

If I had the opportunity to write some other book with the Creator Institute program again I would do it (even though price has gone up, it is still a good and affordable deal). I would recommend it to anyone who has a book in them but doesn’t want to be dealing with the whole editing-publishing process on their own and who wants accountability and community. There are not many programs like these from zero, even without the idea for a book to publish the book, even to selling books.

Stick to shorter number of words if you want to be meeting deadlines more easily and simplify the editing process (25.000 words draft better than 50k).

Start building an audience as soon as you start the program. If you are an introvert or from a very relational culture you may need extra time (two or three times) or longer  periods (in months or weeks) depending on the time you can devote to crowdfunding. Also, if you are a foreigner and your people don’t speak English or your topic is not of general interest. 

But, this is a marathon, so don´t stress yourself over this. Some deadlines can be stretched, some life events may and have to take over… Just set your goals aligned with your lifestyle and modify them if big things happen – I would suggest you can change gear, but keep the engine going, so eventually, you reach your destination. But this is a very personal choice. (I needed a break, or I would have broken down).

Just trust the process, show up and do the work. All I can say is that I’m a happy published author now.

The post How to publish a decent book appeared first on Creative Sensei.

and it takes time and effort!

A few days ago, I hit the publish button on Amazon Kindle Publishing and my book Join The Playful Revolution (and paperback) was available for purchase online. It was meant to be in August’21, then December’21 but it happened on April’22. That’s life. In fact I hit the button on the 22nd, but it appears as published on the 21st, the international day of Creativity. Interesting, since it is a book that celebrates creativity and play at work.

A lot has happened since summer’20, when I was shaking off quarantine with the inner call to help people reinvent themselves, and having a little more fun on the way. Little did I know that the pandemic was not yet over. Still, I had tried to write a book for years, wanting to increase global creativity. Within that context, I set out to get things done, and started researching online: “How to write a book”. Well, I have a bias towards efficiency, so lets share that sometimes I added “in thirty days” to the search.

I found out about the Book Creator program Georgetown Professor Eric Koester was running. Originally offered to University students, they now accepted applicants from outside, high schoolers to retirees and anything in between. Great. They did it online. Sounds very good. And they had very affordable fees. I’m in. I applied and started my journey on October’20, and many hours of researching, interviewing, writing and editing later… the rest is history. Keep reading the ‘journal’ I wrote along the way (starting on November’20, to find more details about the why and the how.

The background

Years ago I wrote a book. A Phd thesis to be exact, roughly 100.000 words. I had experience in writing for a newspaper, and also managed to write an Msc thesis in two weeks (20.000 words). I had started a Phd fully confident in my writing skills, researching a topic of my own choice with great hopes and tones of enthusiasm. 

Fast forward 5 years, I have long passed submission time and arrived at the University location for a three month stint to finish writing up. And what had been boiling all throughout the research phase, hit me on my face, hard. I met the hardest form of writer’s block I had ever encountered. I spent days, weeks and months procrastinating, hiding in my flat, not talking to anyone, and specially, not writing a thing. Let’s say it was hard and solitary.

Three months became almost 18 months, and the once smiley, gregarious, happy me was replaced by the anxious me, with a snowball of work growing by the minute in front of me. To cut a long story short… I only got out of the mess “with a little help from my friends“ (Beatles song): from the one who became my accountability partner until I built writing momentum, to the one that helped out with corrections, and those who reviewed graphics, or index, etc.

Eventually, I handed in the thesis, and eventually, I graduated with a PhD in Education. But I learned much more than research methods and my topic. I had unlocked a will power way beyond my own nature, and I had learned to ask for help.

The book calling

As I shared, I had a very hard time writing my thesis. I struggled all throughout the process, so knowing that you may wonder: why on earth will you put yourself again in the situation of writing a big piece?

I will summarize the circumstances of my previous experience:

• The task was huge (aiming at 100.000 words of research content, no fluff)
• I was not confident with my English skills
• I was isolated (part, the nature of a phd, part, my own nature, although I asked for help at the end)

Well, the short answer is because I know this time will be different. And before I explain why I’m so sure about this, I will give you the long answer.

After years learning and reinventing myself in different fields, I have committed to increase the global creativity quotient. This requires that I research a little more, but also, that I have a clear message to share with this purpose. A book is helpful on both fronts. 

I had started writing bits and pieces here and there, but I was going nowhere. Enter Covid-19, shaken my world in different ways, and a definite decision to take action is made. Summer 2020, enter the scene Eric Koester’s “Book Creators” program. I cannot recall how I landed on his youtube channel, but I binge-watched the whole Book writing series, and applied to be part of the program. And here I am.

Why did I join? Because it was the opposite to my previous experience:

• The challenge is to write 20.000 words of raw material, that later will take form and grow up to 25-30.000 words, in an iterative process that takes 4-5 months. So the task is smaller, broken down, with weekly assignments, very paced. You just need to turn up every week and focus on the task at hand. They have a tried and tested process that takes people from zero to completion, and 95% is publication ready. Even if you are not ready at the end of the semester, your book will have progressed quite a bit, and you know “done is better than perfect”.
• Every author is assigned a developmental editor from an early point (week 5 of the program), and the process involves more detailed editing later on, from editors to beta readers.
• Every week there is a lecture with Eric, 2-3 guest lectures, and the opportunity to interact with other authors in the program during those sessions. On top of that, there are virtual library sessions, in case you want to schedule ‘writing time’ at the same time as others. Plus, you schedule a weekly call with your developmental editor. There is also a support person for general coordination of the program. Not to forget a couple of calls with Eric himself at the beginning, and during the process. You are definitely not alone in this.

As a bonus, I should add:

• The process focuses a lot on learning, making connections and telling stories. Writing an interview in the form of a story is a skill of its own, but that is at the core of the program, and it opens up a new world for me, coming from academic and free flow writing.
• The program includes the possibility of publishing and marketing the book, with lots of support also from the get go. 

The book writing

So how am I doing so far? Well, having a full time job and a family gets me busy, but I try to make it to the lecture and one speaker night a week, and keep the weekly assignments even if at the minimum. I have to confess that I started researching the topic and potential interviewees ahead of the beginning of the course, because I knew I would have a tight agenda.

I have interviewed two fellow authors and one of the speakers, and have received pointers and good leads from peers too. One of the things I enjoy most about our cohort is that there are participants who are still in high school, seasoned professionals and everything in between. It is a very fulfilling experience.

The program is fast paced, and can be overwhelming for some. The trick is not to worry about ‘the program’ nor ‘the book’, but focus on what you have on your plate for the week. Basically: Trust the process. They have tried and tested it for a few iterations so far, moving from the classroom of Georgetown University, to other universities, to an open program like the one I’m participating in.

Even though I don´t know the majority of the guests in the speaker series, I like to turn up because they are all interesting people who are doing things, which is inspirational. Also, I get to learn about things that are unrelated to my topic, but being my topic “creativity”, and “curiosity” one of its pillars, expanding my knowledge base is fantastic to develop my own creativity.

As for writing, the program acknowledges the different writing realities. Instead of requiring a daily writing commitment, which is the usual recommendation, it makes you think on the type of writer you really are (not the one you would like to be): habit writer (you turn up every day), episodic writer (when inspiration strikes you deliver, but is not systematic), and deadline writer (long last minute sprints to deliver). And the size of the assignment is such, with smaller milestones and deadlines, that it is possible for all types to meet the targets. And they have tested it.

I have been surprised by the generosity of quite a few people that didn’t know me at all, to share some time with me. Not only am I learning a lot, it is a very humbling experience and all I want is to make it worthwhile, and give back tons of value in the book. I warn everyone that is going to be a short book, a first attempt, and I hope not the last. I want to change the workplace, but I may go after education next :)

I’ve tried the story plots in order to write stories out of raw interview material, and it is so broken down that I found it tricky at the beginning but very satisfying, and I’m looking forward to writing something more.

Will keep you posted.#

Green light

25th of march update

At the end of January I submitted 30K words of raw content for overall revision by the publisher, New Degree Press and I was green lit for publication, making it to that 95% group. So far so good.

Now it was time to make that raw material into coherent chapters and structure, which created a moment of panic. I had my original outline, when I was conceptualizing the book, but I also had a different outline from a conversation with my coach Eric. And hit a wall. I didn’t know where to start and old fears knocked on my door. But it was brief. I chose a middle ground and merged the two approaches, somehow, and put them away for later.

I decided to go on individual chapters I knew would make sense and bring in the scattered pieces together, but move on. It was critical to have a completed draft, if imperfect -so imperfect it is embarrassing-. I typed away for days and weeks not looking back to any of the corrections my editor was providing me with… just forward, like a Forrest Gump of the writers.

On the 5th of March I submitted my First Draft with 51.000 words. That was a ride!!!

Choosing a Title

I ran a small poll on three possible titles for my book, which is not yet decided. these were the options:

• Creativity and Play at Work
• Innovation Cracks
• Playful Revolution

The clear winner was Playful Revolution, and while I still have make a final decision, I took notice and started to use it as a hashtag for my book project: #playfulrevolution

Pre-sale

On April 2nd, I will launch my pre-sale campaign. We have been working on creating the video clip that will explain it, which has also been an ‘interesting’ process on its own.

I’m humbled about the amount of people that are getting involved in this project, from editors, marketing people, speakers, interviewees, fellow authors, admin staff, author coaches, publishers… It really takes a village. So many people have supported me in this journey, that started like a personal challenge but it has become so much more.

I wanted to put out tools for people to bring more creativity and play to their workplace, specifically in technological companies. So far, I have expanded my thinking, and realized that there is an excruciating need for more play and creativity in the world (mostly the adult world), and ‘work’ is where a great number of adults spend quite a bit of time. One reason is that play opens the door for creativity, which fuels innovation, and I don’t need to explain why we need this urgently. Play also reduces anxiety and stress, which are a major problem in western countries and some others.

With all this in mind, I want to start a movement, the #playfulrevolution. If we had more play at work, we could say “let’s go to play” when we go to work (like somebody suggested to me), and bring the same joyful attitude, openness to experimentation and collaboration… Wouldn’t our days be different? Wouldn´t the outcome of our work be different?

If you think the world needs more play and creativity, considering supporting the project in one of these ways:

• buy the ebook here, (this link from Spain: amazon.es) or the paperback here (or in amazon.es) (if you don´t see the links or they don´t work, just search for the title on Amazon)
• share this link jointheplayfulrevolution.com with all your friends and colleagues (think of 5-10 people who may be interested or may know someone who may be interested)
• leave an honest review on Amazon
• and subscribe to our newsletter:  jointheplayfulrevolution.com

In the meantime, keep on reading (and wait for part 2 of this story: How to publish a decent book).

Play!

The post How to write a decent book appeared first on Creative Sensei.

Before you dive in, make sure to scroll down later to grab your copy of the Instagram guide Terri has created for the readers of this blog. I hope you enjoy it!

The Author

Terri Nakamura is a successful entrepreneur, content creator, and award-winning graphic designer. She’s an early adopter of social media and has been a technology influencer, a social media influencer for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and was named one of the 100 most influential tech women on Twitter by Business Insider. Terri recognized the potential of using Instagram as a blogging platform, leading her to write her first book on the subject, Blogging On Instagram: Engagement Writing On One of the World’s Best Social Media Platforms.

Terri lives in Seattle in a 130-year-old Victorian house with her cats Hunter and Grey, and her husband Kahuna Dave. In addition to writing, designing and keeping up with social media, she is co-founder and President of Alki Surf Shop, Seattle.

The Book

“If you are a writer, blogger or social media marketer, you will find blogging on Instagram the most gratifying channel for expression and interaction.”

Most of us see Instagram strictly as a tool for sharing photo or video content but, after blogging for many years, author Terri Nakamura noticed that her blog-style posts on Instagram would consistently deliver increased feedback and engagement. Realizing an opportunity, Terri moved to curate more long-format content for Instagram, finding success and genuine connections along the way.

Blogging on Instagram: Engagement Writing on One of the World’s Best Social Media Platforms is your personal guide to effective engagement writing on Instagram. Meticulously detailed and descriptive, the book teaches how to craft images and captions to foster real interaction; growing your follower base organically while consistently delivering value to fans. Terri brings in research from social media industry leaders as well as the voices of influencers both large and small who love using Instagram to blog. Explore their stories and more as Terri invites you into the world of blogging on Instagram.

Get the book here

Blogging on Instagram: Engagement Writing on One of the World’s Best Social Media Platforms —  (affiliate link, if you use it, you pay the same price but I get a small fee that helps support this project)

The Gift

Here is the generous gift from Terri Nakamura to all readers of this blog. She has created this Instagram guide exclusively for you, to help you make the most of Instagram as a creator. If you find it useful, please spread the word and follow @terrinakamura in her digital homeland (Instagram).

Begoña Pino — © Terri Nakamura giveaway R1

Contact Terri Nakamura

• Web: https://www.terrinakamura.com/
• Instagram: @terrinakamura
• links: https://linktre.ee/terrinakamura
• email: terri.nakamura@gmail.com
• phone: 206.973.7291(Seattle, US)

The post Creators – Terri Nakamura “Blogging on Instagram” appeared first on Creative Sensei.

I had the opportunity to ask Simon Sinek that very question: How do I start a movement? Well, I used different words, but if you have a message you want to share with the world, this wording may resonate better.

Simon was being interviewed by professor Eric Koester at the Speaker Series within the Book Creators program at the Creator Institute. He was sharing insights about his writing process, how he is a ‘pressure writer’ who sometimes gets into a plane to get into a flow and write for three hours.

How sometimes he finds a problem, tries to solve it and then share it, in the form of a book, like the problem with trust he reflects on Leaders Eat Last. And how, some other times, he can be talking about some ideas, finding answers to several questions in a book, like in the Infinite Game. I was very fond of the not really competitive environment he described as worthy rivalry (where the opponent helps you be better), as it elicit some particular image I had to depict on my notes:

I was writing a book about creativity and play at the workplace. Well, I had handed in the first draft a few months earlier and was on my way to revision. But during the interview I was granted the opportunity to ask him a question. I felt very honored and a little anxious then. I had been following Simon’s work for years, from the Golden Circle in Start With Why, to his lessons from Leaders Eat Last.

What happened when he spoke made me change course on the book. Now I want to share with you the story I share in the introductory chapter of my book Join The Playful Revolution as he disclosed the secret to starting a movement:

What do you believe in?

Simon Sinek is a leadership expert and the best-selling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last. His 2009 TEDx Talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” with over fifty-five million views, introduces the concept of the Golden Circle. This refers to the way great leaders communicate in a very different way from everyone else, be that Apple or Martin Luther King.

The three elements of the Golden Circle are: why, how, and what. At the core of the approach is starting with why: the company’s purpose, cause, belief, and the reason for it to exist.

In a recent conversation with Simon, I asked him how to start a global playful movement.

“I’m trying to bring more playfulness to the workplace to spark more creativity and innovation, while bringing happiness as well. So, how do you start to create a global movement?” I asked.

Simon paused for a moment to assess the question and then responded.

“I’m a great believer to start with the place that you are good at. I was good at speaking my idea before I was writing about my idea.”

He suggested you pick your preferred format and go with it to hone your thinking: blog, video, podcast, consulting, speaking, etc. Then, he provided an example of how he developed the concept of the Golden Circle, described in detail his book Start with Why.

“I treated it like a science experiment. I didn’t claim to be right. I didn’t claim that I had all the answers. When people would say, ‘will it work in this industry?’ My answer was, ‘I don’t know. I’ve never worked in that industry. Let’s try.’”

He continued, “I was very honest about that. I’m looking for the opportunities for the theory to fail, so I can improve the theory. What ended up happening was that the people who believed in my work gave me entry and tinkered with me. They let me tinker on their companies or their organizations.”

As Simon explained, his format of choice was speaking and he was talking about his ideas in order to refine them, but over time he noticed a shift.

He said, “I stopped talking about what I did and started talking about what I believed. Then, I was more and more being introduced to people who believe what I believe.”During the conversation, I was nodding at his every word. I could not be more in tune with him, but what he said next changed the focus of this book entirely.

“Stop telling people what you want to do and start telling people what you believe in. When you’re talking right now, you don’t really care about innovation. It’s a side effect, it’s a benefit that’s relevant to some people.”

Mmm, that came in as a knock, because I had just written a book about innovation, or so I thought. As soon as he started saying it, I smiled as if my mask had dropped. He could read right through me.

And he carried on.

“You’re in sales mode trying to throw spaghetti against the wall, hoping some of it will stick.”

He got me! I think I blushed a little and there was no place to hide.

He kept reasoning, “but talking about the thing that you believe… You believe in play. You believe that play is really important and we’ve forgotten the joy of play. It turns out that if you can embrace play, it brings all kinds of things: more happiness, it reduces stress, and drives innovation.”

Yes! He articulated it in a much nicer way. I had verbalized something different, but he put the focus on where my heart was, not my words.

“If I’m talking about play and then somebody smiles and goes, ‘you’re right.’ They’re more likely to invite you to figure something out with them. You have to practice talking about the thing you believe, and then saying yes to the people who believe what you believe, and saying no to people who don’t,” he added.

This is why I included this story, to share what I believe in the hope it may resonate with you.

Simon gave me one more example:

“In the early days, when I lived paycheck to paycheck, I didn’t have any money. I needed every client, it was really hard time. I remember word was starting to spread about a thing called “The Why,” and I remember somebody got my phone number. They heard about my work through somebody else I’d worked with, and they got to the phone: ‘I heard about you from [whoever]. Convince me why I should hire you?’ And I said, ‘Don’t.’ Because anybody who said ‘Convince me,’ I knew it was the wrong mindset. I needed somebody who said: ‘I heard what you do, I don’t think it’s perfect, but I think you’re onto something. I’d love to talk to you.’ I said yes to that, even if it paid less money. And so I was very diligent about choosing people to believe what I believe because they were the ones more likely to help spread the idea.”

I Believe

I believe in Play.
I believe that Play is really important and we’ve forgotten the joy of Play.
I believe Play is essential to spark the creative genius of every human.
I believe Play is a great collaboration environment.
I believe we need creativity to solve global problems.
I also believe we need Play to remain healthy and happy.
I believe Play can bring joy back to the workplace.

What do you believe in?

Note: some of the links are affiliate links. That means you pay the same but I get a little money to help support this project (thanks!).

The post How to start a movement and change the world like Simon Sinek appeared first on Creative Sensei.

I met Ilia while writing my own book Join The Playful Revolution, and he had the not easy task to coach me in the early stages of the process. If you are looking for someone to give your book direction, you will be in very capable hands if you work with Ilia.

The Author

Ilia Epifanov is an author and developmental editor, born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and currently living in Los Angeles. He has a degree in creative writing for entertainment and makes a living helping fellow authors achieve their writing dreams. Ilia has written comics and ghostwritten 30+ romance and mystery novels. With his new sci-fi mystery Crescent Earth, Epifanov speaks to sci-fi fans who want to grapple with the themes of love and loss in a new, exciting way. In his spare time, Ilia likes to take his two Pomeranians to the park and read crime fiction and comic books. He gets his inspiration from long walks with his family and traveling abroad.

The Book

Crescent Earth

“Like most flying saucers you’ve heard or read about, like most UFOs documented throughout history… This one is piloted by a human, a traveler through time.” – Dr. Haywood Williams Frankie Mason is dead.

In Ilia Epifanov’s sci-fi mystery Crescent Earth, the first intentional murder committed by a sentient android creates shock waves that threaten to change how androids are perceived. Rene Robertson is sentenced to labor on a moon base for the rest of time. Most of the human race is satisfied that justice has been properly dealt. Everyone except James Mason, Frankie’s only son. And now Tom, James’ companion, is left with a dilemma. The trauma of witnessing the murder first-hand has left a permanent scar on them both.

James has no way to move on from the terrifying memory… Until they are offered exciting positions on the moon base, creating a career opportunity that will put Tom on the fast track. And even though James is rich and doesn’t need a job, he suspiciously agrees to go. As Tom tries to put their lives back to normal, being in the same location as Frankie’s murderer sets in motion a chain of events as inevitable as they are horrible. But James must have his answers, whatever the cost.

Contact

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ilia-ghostwrites

Instagram: @ilia_writes

Email: ilia.a.epifanov@gmail.com

The post Creators – Ilia Epifanov – adventures of the future appeared first on Creative Sensei.

Creativity is a talent with which all people are born and that some of us have something rusty. To activate it, in addition to using creative techniques, we can play games, modify our environment and drink beer in a very specific way.

Apart from the creative materials, I have been able to experiment with activities and board games that serve to develop empathy, collaborations, storytelling, visual language and creativity (divergent thinking in particular). These skills are the necessary pillars to work optimally in innovation processes such as design thinking , and it is necessary to activate them systematically.The key in all these initiatives is to look for the loopholes through which we can operate, instead of looking at what other people are doing and lamenting that we can’t. If we can’t have a creative room, let’s have a creative box with the same philosophy and bring it to the meeting rooms. And now that we can’t have face-to-face meetings, let’s take them to virtual spaces such as collaborative whiteboards (Mural or Miro type).

With these playful activities we not only increase the possibilities of innovating, but those who participate know each other better, feel better and are activated, so they are also more productive and productive; and if you find yourself obliged to work remotely, then you need to find the corresponding alternatives, even if they are not identical. The approach is “How could I…?” applied to the creative process.

How beer can make you more creative

Creative techniques are not enough. Creative processes are not enough. I have been able to see it live and direct countless times. If you put any ten people in a room and brainstorm ideas, I could predict how original they would be, based on their profiles. If they all look alike, have the same seniority, training and tasks…, it is likely that their proposals are limited to a similar scope, and this does not change in the duration of a one-hour session, or a design thinking process .

The brain generates new ideas by combining elements. If the pieces you have are similar, you will be able to find fewer combinations than if they are numerous and varied. In other words, the more experiences, data, knowledge and insights you have, the more combinations are possible and therefore the more original your ideas can be.

For example, so as not to have to go very far, and within your usual routine –so that it doesn’t take you time–, the next time you go out for a beer, have a drink or have a family reunion, try something different. Whether the first beer is of another brand than usual, or the wine, the water, the starters, the main course or the dessert, it doesn’t matter. “Feed” your curiosity. It can work with new readings, music and walk routes.

If you get in the habit of trying new things every day or every week, you will be giving your neurons new information to process and a new pattern to match. As a personal recommendation, make sure that these new things are legal and do not endanger your personal integrity or that of others!

Resilience needs creativity

For years I have been clear that the world needs a lot of creativity to solve global problems. Now, in addition, we are in a difficult moment for many people and it is time to reinvent themselves at full speed, as individuals and as companies.

In the latest Linkedin Learning 2021 report, resilience takes first place for the most important skill to develop this year. In the text they quote Gemma Leigh Roberts, who explains it this way: “Improving resilience is about creating your advantage at work. […] It’s not just about learning how to cope exceptionally well with challenges, but also learning how to thrive and reach your full potential.”

In other words, resilience is our ability to withstand the storm and reinvent ourselves. Creativity is the basic skill to be able to do it and, play, the safest context to develop it.

Reference

Article first published here:

PINO, Begoña. «Creatividad: es momento de la ludorrevolución (#playfulrevolution)». COMeIN [en línea], junio 2021, no. 112. ISSN: 1696-3296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7238/c.n112.2145

The post Why do we need a playful revolution in the workplace? appeared first on Creative Sensei.

1′ – Introduction

3′ – Racial wealth gap

5′ – Universal principles for everyone

7’30” – Book journey of a story teller

13′ – Creative types and money

20′ – Book key lessons

22’30” – Tips to make money matter playful

30′ – Final thoughts

The Author

With over 17 years experience in financial services, she is the founder and financial planner of Your Story Financial, LLC, a virtual, fee-only fiduciary boutique firm committed to helping women and #STEM professionals oversee their financial affairs. At Your Story Financial, they believe everyone has a story, especially when it relates to one’s finances. Shehara helps clients create their financial success story, one chapter at a time.

Originally from Columbus, OH and graduated with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University Shehara reinvented herself. Soon after working as an engineer and taking on various roles, she decided to pursue her purpose in promoting financial literacy and financial planning.

In 2004, she changed careers and began working with a global financial institution. Five years later in 2009, she became a financial advisor with a national broker-dealer firm and began assisting professionals, business owners, married and single women with their financial futures. After seven years with that broker-dealer firm, she launched her own firm to continue to promote financial literacy and stay true to her vision to provide financial planning regardless of one’s age or accumulated assets.

In addition to helping clients achieve financial success, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hosting line dance parties, reading a good non-fiction book, watching historical documentaries, and spending time with her husband.

The book

Did you know that Black wealth will fall to zero by 2053 unless we do something about it?

Shehara Wooten’s In the Meantime: Own Your Financial Narrative highlights people who have succeeded by creating their own definition of financial freedom. Systems exist that have excluded the Black community’s ability to achieve wealth. However, despite the challenges, readers can be inspired by the stories of others who have succeeded “in spite of.”

You’ll learn the power of values and tenacity and gain insights on personal finance while hearing about innovative and inspiring people, such as:

• How O.W. Gurley, the founder of “Black Wall Street,” was ahead of his time
• How to determine your values so you can create a path for financial success
• How various entrepreneurs are creating their own definition of financial freedom
• When you embrace the principles of In the Meantime, you can make a change for yourself, your family, and the generations to come.

You can find the book here

(Affiliate link)

In the Meantime: Own Your Financial Narrative

Contact

contact Shehara Wooten here:

The post Creators – Shehara Wooten, own your money narrative appeared first on Creative Sensei.

We talk about Carlos’s purpose, as well as curiosity, creativity and play. You will meet a very warm business man making organizations more human. If you like what you see, go and buy his book, talk business or hire him to speak and share his message.

The Author

Carlos Carpizo is a former technology executive, now entrepreneur passionate about social innovation. He is a GenXer. Mexican by birth and Texan by choice. Proud parent of two GenZers or iGens. His mission is to increase economic growth and social inclusion for young adults in disadvantaged areas of North America (US & Mexico). Carlos is well known by his friends and family for being a failed artist so they’re grateful he was born in an era where he could put his abilities in the high technology space to good use. His boys, now men, are proud of him for having gotten his OCD and CEO style under control at home. His newfound best pal is his ‘grandpup’ Pookie.

The book

At Risk of Greatness is a book about a movement that is using new approaches to developing 21st century skills and abilities and, with it, a better life for disengaged young adults and communities. In this book, you’ll learn:

• About the importance of art to maintain our humanity in this age of accelerations and its intersection with technology.

• How smartphones are creating a slingshot effect with advanced technology.

• That a success mindset is vital to growth, regardless of your background.

• It’s not mandatory to go to college to achieve success in the 21st century as many alternative paths exist beyond a “traditional education.”

The book At Risk of Greatness will challenge you to think outside of the box when looking at our education systems and consider exciting alternatives to transform your community and the lives of young people.

You can find the book here

(Affiliate links, which means you get the same price but I get a small comision that helps support this project):

At Risk of greatness

Jóvenes en riesgo de Grandeza

Gift

Download a free chapter on curiosity courtesy of Carlos:

Curiosity_Ch7_AtRiskofGreatness_CarlosCarpizo

Contact

Contact Carlos Carpizo here:

Book web: http://atriskofgreatness.org/

Kosmos web: http://kosmosway.com/

Speaker reel: https://www.youtube.com/c/carloscarpizo2021

Phone: +1 682 593 6860

Email: carlos.carpizo@coevolution.online

Twitter: @CarpizoCarlos

Instagram: @carpizocarlos

Facebook: ccarpizo

The post Creators: Carlos Carpizo – elevating humankind through tech and art appeared first on Creative Sensei.

Background

Dr. Falcon is a high performing, versatile, and commercially astute forward thinker offering a career of impressive successes as a Healthcare Administrator,Entrepreneur, and Professor. Currently, Dr. Falcon is an Assistant Professor of Business and Free Enterprise. In2019, Dr. Falcon was awarded the Outstanding Faculty of the year and the Sam Walton Fellow of the Year for excellence in the advancement of the entrepreneurship spirit. In 2020, Dr. Falcon was appointed to the prestigious position of the Dorotha C. Tanner Endowed Chair in Ethics in Business and Economics.

The interview

The book: Lectures and Play. A Practical and Fun Guide to Create Extraordinary Classroom Experiences.

Her book makes a case for higher education professors to incorporate educational games to their traditional lectures in order to enhance the learning environment and yield deeper learning. The book includes a collection of outstanding games, tips, tricks and stories that can be used to teach more than a single subject or principle. 

You can find it here (affiliate link), among other places where books are sold.

How to contact Dr. Silviana Falcon

email: sfalcon@flsouthern.edu

instagram: Lectures_and_Play

linkedin: dr-silviana-falcon-a4597831/

phone: 863.398.3344

Here is a little gift from Dr. Falcon to you -free download:

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