Ways to Enhance Your Creativity

Did you know that January is International Creativity Month? ICM founder, Randall Munson said . . .

“Unleashing creativity is vital for personal and business success in this age of accelerating change.”

 

 

What can you do to give your creativity a boost or fresh start?

There are some surprisingly simple ways to activate your creative thinking. We’re not just talking about being creative to necessarily produce physical works of art. Think about using your creativity to solve problems (organizing included), feel happier, and be healthier. In Shana Lebowitz’s article, 36 Ways to Boost Creativity, she mentions ideas such as listening to music, writing by hand, daydreaming, getting social, trying something new, looking at something blue or green, sitting in a coffee shop, getting someone else’s opinion, and laughing.

In The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness With Your Own Two Hands, Carrie and Alton Barron believe that “creative action is integral to easing depression and anxiety and to fueling wellbeing. The need to create–to produce something using our minds and hands–is fundamental.”

My next creative venture is a 4-week Comedy Improv class that begins this week at the Croton Academy of Arts. I’ve taken this fabulous course before and was amazed at what got unleashed. It combines so many of the ideas suggested in Lebowitz’s article including laughter, doing something new, gesturing with two hands, and free associating.

I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation. What’s your go-to creativity booster?

 

 

 

 

New Year. New Numbers.

There’s hope in numbers. There are possibilities in numbers. There’s opportunity in numbers for a fresh start.

Pick a number. Make a plan. What one thing will you focus on to bring a positive change to your year?

 

2015 year

1 month

6  day

359 days remaining for 2015

5 years I’ve been blogging

248 number of blog posts I’ve written


When I began blogging in 2010, the thought of writing 100 or even 200 posts didn’t seem possible. 248 posts later, I discovered that a consistent effort over an extended period of time yielded positive outcomes.

These past five years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of sharing incredibly rich conversations with all of you. It’s been an honest exchange of ideas and perspectives. The numbers have spawned wonderful friendships, connections, insights, growth and change.

It’s fresh start time. What will the next 359 days of this year be about for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join our conversation!

 

 

 

 

10 Inspiring Ways to Create Balance

As the year winds down, we look back to help us assess and plan for the New Year. How was your year? Did you accomplish your goals? Are there areas that you’d like to focus on for next year? A great resource for ideas and words of wisdom is the “Ask the Expert” interview series.

The conversations we’ve had this year about change, letting go, clutter, motivation and more have been truly inspiring.  The short video features our 2014 experts and themes. Let it help you identify your theme for 2015. What area will you focus on to create more balance?

 

Watch the 2014 "Ask the Expert" video . . .

 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the interviews . . .

 

Fresh Starts

“The key is not to find more storage solutions for your stuff–the key is minimizing the number of things we own.”

- Joshua Becker

 

Change

“Accept setbacks as a natural part of the change process; they are bound to happen and are not a sign of failure, rather an important part of the learning.”

- Dr. Debbie Grove

 

Next Steps

“Tomorrow’s brilliance is rooted in the soil of today’s activity.”

- Todd Henry

 

Letting Go

“Each extraneous things we eliminate from our lives feels like a weight lifted from our shoulders–it’s positively exhilarating!”

- Francine Jay

 

Clutter

“Ultimately, someone has to choose the life they desire over their stuff if they want to be uncluttered, but how they get there is different for everyone.”

- Erin Rooney Doland

 

Time Management

“We have to accept the fact that we can’t do everything, and establish a set of personal policies (which identify our values), set specific goals, and schedule appointments with ourselves to actually get the work done.”

- Harold Taylor

 

Motivation

“ . . . you have to keep re-motivating yourself. Motivation is not just one long surge.”

- Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.

 

Enlisting Help

“When we open ourselves to help, amazing people come forward and amazing things happen. Some of my richest connections first started out as a request for help.”

- Cameron Gott

 

Success

“ . . . a lifetime of success involves showing up.”

- Whitney Johnson

 

Possibilities

“To start imagining a life of audacious possibility you need to first believe that it is possible for you.”

- Amy Deagle

 

Is it time to re-balance? Which ideas resonate with you?  My deepest gratitude goes to my “Ask the Expert” guests and blog community for engaging in wonderfully, deep discussions over this past year. Let’s keep the party going. Come join the conversation.

Wishing you all joy, love, health, balance, and happiness for the New Year

 

 

 

 

Stepping Away for Balance

Sometimes our balance comes from taking a break from life as we know it. There’s nothing quite like going far away to get some perspective. As many of you know, I recently returned from Japan.

This past spring, I was thrilled and honored by the invitation from JALO (Japan Association of Life Organizers) President, Mayumi Takahara to give two presentations and participate in a panel for the 2014 JALO conference in Yokohama. My ICD colleague, Vickie Dellaquila was also invited to present and we had the joy of being there together along with our husbands.

JALO has an amazing group of people. They are warm, gracious, and fun! I loved sharing my expertise and learning about organizing challenges in Japan. It was an extraordinary trip and I’m so grateful to Mayumi for offering me this opportunity.

Prior to leaving, my balance was way off due to competing demands and responsibilities. During the trip my balance continued to teeter as I adjusted to a new culture for almost two weeks and time zone (14 hours ahead.) Even still, it felt normal and positive being off balance as I experienced the new sights, sounds, scents, tastes, places, people, and things.

 

There were a few things that I observed while away. There was a wonderful mix of serenity, organization, and humor in the Japanese culture. My husband and I traveled to three cities- Yokohama, Kyoto, and Tokyo. In each place we found peaceful spots like trickling water fountains, gardens, and temples. Organization showed up in many areas such as the excellent train systems. And humor appeared when you least expected it with interesting architectural details, funny advertisements, or oversized anime characters (live or as statues).

 

Some things I loved included:

  • Heated toilet seats
  • Heated train seats
  • Right-sized furniture (for the under 5’ set)
  • Deep bathtubs with armrests
  • Friendly people
  • Excellent sound and visual systems
  • Cleanliness (the cleanest country I’ve ever visited)
  • Beautiful displays
  • Right-sized portions (always felt well fed, but never stuffed)
  • Gorgeous landscapes
  • Interesting architecture
  • Wonderful signage
  • Sparkly lights
  • Easy to understand train systems
  • No tipping
  • Service-oriented culture
  • Creative organization in unexpected places (with hotel toiletries, supplies, and snacks) integration of design and function everywhere

 

As this year comes to a close and the winter season arrives, I’m focused on restoring balance. My routines for work and sleep aren’t quite back to normal. It’s a great opportunity to rethink what worked, let go of what didn’t, and move forward in a balanced, purposeful way.

How are you doing this season? Are you thinking about balance and change? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join our conversation.