white space

Skissernas Museum ∙ University of Lund Lund, Sweden∙ 6 November 2013

Denise R. Jacobs

@denisejacobs

#skissernasmuseum

#whitespacreate

My own blocks caused me to binge-create

But I was still afraid: am I truly creative?

Photo: Denise Jacobs

After writing this…

I had an epiphany

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055814772/

In terms of

http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

We ALL hold the power

http://www.flickr.com/photos/assbach/267598910/

It’s highly valued

http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/

I’ve decided it’s my life work

Photo: Derek Kearney

THE CANVAS The State of the Create

What’s our most important tool for creating?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogil/1507585665/

Precisely.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APSM_V14_D495_Side_view_of_the_brain_and_spinal_cord.jpg

Time

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33909700@N02/3159761620/

Attention

http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperfeesh/147493122/

Focus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lambdachialpha/203904103/

However, what happens is this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7693102@N07/2536807562/

And you run

http://royhoes.deviantart.com/art/Out-of-Inspiration-85588391

Can’t access all of your great ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/

When we are in the creative flow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfear/289257055/

We are alchemists

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Faust_image_19thcentury.jpg

Creativity is newness produced.” - Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds

It feels like

http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/2761300969/

Creativity is magical, but it is not magic.” - Dr. Charles Limb, Your Brain on Improvisation TED talk

NEGATIVE SPACE Perception & Lies

It starts early

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/

Age 6

Dad

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Mother & Sister

Photo: Deloria Jacobs Photos: Deloria Jacobs

Me? A graphic artist

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Age 10

Oldest friend in the world

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Age 12

Camp Whip-poor-will

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

My genetic heritage

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Mom: 5’11 Dad: 6’3

Taller than everyone, all the time

Age 24

Happy graduation! Now what?

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

First airplane ride!

Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Internalized the critical voices

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeapalooza/553545517/

These lies that we tell ourselves

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emayoh/4589881812/

Leave parts of us paralyzed and imprisoned

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b3ni/2990601183/

Adds up

GIVE & TAKE Creativity and Power

Power

Afraid?

Photo: Denise Jacobs

We’re powerful

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89927155@N00/2144275209/

Overwhelmed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeflyer09/7574540716/

Instead of using it fully

http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/

Try to contain it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gc_photography/4662878037/

We give our power away

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6D-O5ECr5EUow5jrck2A2A

NOISE & CLUTTER Distracting Complications.

Internal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boojee/4457378697/

Look outside ourselves

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jtcatbagan/1557200142/

Distractions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2084287794/

Addicted to hyperconnectivity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersdenken/2082816707/

Intermittent reinforcement

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/422469526/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoferbjorkman/6910216819/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2671039488/

Unclosed mental loops

http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect

Hyperconnectivity gives us the perception of getting more done. It makes us feel like we're doing more, because we're using every free moment of every waking hour.” - Jonathan Fields

Unleash it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanekemp/6152286326/

Multiple places at once

http://www.flickr.com/photos/figliodiorfeo/2393269886/

Bored =

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

Seeking distraction/entertainment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/modenaroid/4103509077/

Something else

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djgarage/3680441291/in/photostream/

The in-between

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aguslepe/5512044294/

Allows creativity to blossom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beigephotos/16139685/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/beigephotos/16139686/

Genius is the offspring of the in-between.” - Jonathan Fields

CLARITY Changing Focus

Maximize

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cblue98/7254347346/

A balanced brain

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=left%20brain%20right%20brain&order=9&offset=48#/d10qlpq

Integrate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/4639590640/

Neurons firing well

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885580/

Know your Brainwaves

Alpha: the gateway to creativity

Spacing out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frinthy/4680321558/

Daydream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzylittlemanpeach/4633972431/

Mindless activity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabi/2499381396/

Being prone

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snazzy54/4581347651/

Showers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3761878381/

Get physical

http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/

Breathe to refocus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/

Laughing

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/3644297054/

Playing/Fun

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkendall/3613416741/

When you are playful, you are activating the right side of your brain. The logical brain is a limited brain. The right side is unlimited. You can (do and ) be anything you want.” - Madan Kataria, The Laughter Guru

Instead of this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielsilliman/4489863368/

Intend Alpha

http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg

When your brain is supposedly doing nothing, it’s really doing a tremendous amount.” – Marcus Raichle, Neurologist

THE INVISIBLE Aid from the Unseen

Sometimes dabbling in mysticism can be a fun way to understand and solve a problem.” - Carl King, So You’re a Creative Genius, Now What?

Natalie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/

From the mind of a 4yo

Photo courtesy of Laura Bohill (@LauRARbee)

A little help from (imaginary) friends

Travel our internal lands

http://archivingthecity.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/maps_of_the_imagination.jpg

Your subconscious

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themuse.jpg

One form of a genius…

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Albert_Einstein%2C_by_Doris_Ulmann.jpg

Another form of a genius

Daemon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_fish_(The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy)#Babel_fish

Muses

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:NAMA_3_Muses.jpg

Mneme – Memory Melete – Practice or occasion Aoide – Voice

The Three Original Muses

Muses were thought to be the true speakers for whom an artist is merely the mouthpiece. Muses were also thought to inspire people to do their best.

Mneme (Memory)

Photo: Denise Jacobs

Melete (Practice/Occasion)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayray/4069381837/

Aoide (Voice)

Photo: Denise Jacobs

The spirit of the idea

http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/3152875826/

Ideas want to take form

The world is being circled by ideas and creativity that wants to made manifest and are looking for portals to come through…” - Elizabeth Gilbert

Ideas use us (not vise-versa)

Listen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684688/

Converse

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/181249465/

Trust is everything.” - Scott Berkun, The Year Without Pants

Voila!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohman/174718774/

CHOOSE How will you move forward?

The choice is yours

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasoneppink/80772661/

How you use your creative brain power

“Untitled” by Americo Morales

Creative flow lies in-between

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgeithner/5290115839/

True.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stealingsand/5563317146/

Reclaim our power

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/

Value yourself, ideas, and process

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocait/2847866615/

Moving forward

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6005503875/

Creativity makes day to day experiences more vivid, more enjoyable, more rewarding. When we live creatively, boredom is banished and every moment holds the promise of a fresh discovery.” - Mihali Csikszentmihalyi, Creativity

Leverage white space

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdoublew/2663137942/

The End…?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/232100469/

delicious.com/denisejacobs/getunblocked delicious.com/denisejacobs/unfoldyourbrain delicious.com/denisejacobs/creativityhabit delicious.com/denisejacobs/brainoncreativity

Always being updated as I find new relevant articles! “Great Resources” almost daily: @denisejacobs on Twitter

Resources!

netmagazine.com/features/ four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity alistapart.com/articles/ reigniting-your-creative-spark/ alistapart.com/articles/ banishing-your-inner-critic/

My articles for further reading

Art & Inspiration: Americo Morales

“Untitled 1” Mind map AmericoMorales.net

How to find me

Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

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