Mindfulness and Creativity: Innovating in Business and in Life~By Flynn Coleman

Creativity and Mindfulness Innovating in Business and in Life

by Flynn Coleman Founder of SAMYA Practice LLC

www.samyapractice.com

Introduction

What is SAMYA Practice? What’s on today’s agenda?

(c) 2013 Flynn Coleman www.samyapractice.com


A Guided Meditation to Help Stimulate Creativity



What did you imagine?

•  During the exercise, what did you notice?

•  Take a few moments to record your thoughts and observations. •  “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you

desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ~George Bernard Shaw



What is creativity?


The “ability to produce something new through imaginative skill…[creative] individuals may possess an exceptionally deep, broad, and flexible awareness of themselves.”

-Merriam-Webster Dictionary


Why is creativity so important in business (and life)?

•  Creativity:

•  Helps us to connect the dots

•  Stimulates innovation •  Promotes new ideas •  Encourages leadership and team enthusiasm

•  Allows for bolder, better problem-solving



Where does mindfulness fit in?

•  What is mindfulness? •  Paying attention •  Being present in the current moment •  Non-judgmental awareness



Mindfulness Techniques and Tools

•  How is mindfulness related to yoga and meditation?

•  Do we need these tools to be mindful and creative?



Mindfulness and Creativity

•  Mindfulness is the origin of creative activity

•  “All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions” - Leonardo da Vinci

•  “Creativity is a gift. It doesn't come through if the air is cluttered.” - John Lennon



Creativity as Mindfulness -->

•  Drop old stories, assumptions, and limits •  Create new stories: see what’s possible •  Empathize •  Focus -- Clarity, Productivity •  Expand boundaries and limits •  Shift perspective



Creativity is learned

•  Just like kindness, empathy, and mindfulness… •  It’s not something you are simply born with-> •  It’s a practice.

•  “The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that

wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” ~Robert Henri



Writing Exercise: Assumptions



Creativity Writing Exercise

•  Pick a problem or issue you are working on •  Write your assumptions about it •  See if you can undo those assumptions •  Example: “I cannot make money as an writer.” •  Turn it around: “There are plenty of ways to make

a living writing. I can research 5 of them tonight.” •  Challenge your limiting beliefs. Widen your lens. •  Does anyone want to share an assumption they

turned around?



Fear •  Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

-Erich Fromm •  Stress response/relaxation response—mindfulness/

meditation/yoga •  We need trust and support to be creative •  Difficult to be creative when we fear uncertainty •  Need non-judgmental atmosphere •  Mindfulness is not instant magic and won’t erase

fear, but…it helps us to become more comfortable with uncertainty and imperfection



Conditions for Creativity

•  “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” - Sylvia Plath

•  “If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll

never come up with anything original.” - Sir Ken Robinson



Finding our voice

•  Mindfulness helps us: •  Listen to all parts of ourselves, our intuition, and

our surroundings •  Filter distraction •  Become aware of our passions, strengths,

weaknesses •  Make more conscious and aligned choices •  Become more comfortable with vulnerability and

authenticity



Vulnerability=Creativity

•  Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change…of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. - Brené Brown



Flow

•  Mikael Csikszentmihalyi •  Father of positive psychology (which seeks to

understand talent and creativity for more fulfilling lives.)

•  Flow: a state of single-focus, joy, and bliss •  A way of finding your purpose/passion

•  The parallels between flow and yoga •  When have you felt in the zone?



Flow as Mindfulness - M.C. quotes •  “A joyful life is an individual creation that cannot be

copied from a recipe.”

•  “If you are interested in something, you will focus on it, and if you focus attention on anything, it is likely that you will become interested in it. Many of the things we find interesting are not so by nature, but because. we took the trouble of paying attention to them”

•  “Control of consciousness determines the quality of life.”



Creativity in Business (and Life)

•  Creativity=connecting the dots •  Steve Jobs speech

•  Associations, left/right brain working together •  Jill Bolte Taylor TED talk

•  Finding your passion •  Patagonia Common Threads Program

•  Getting Curious •  Cross-pollination of ideas-3M

•  “I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking” ~Albert Einstein



Creativity & Balance •  Balance focus and mind-wandering •  When you are “resting” or “relaxing” your subconscious is

working •  Steve Jobs - calligraphy class •  Newton - apple tree •  Archimedes - bath tub •  Sherlock Holmes – “doing nothing” •  Fleming – Penicillin (petri dish)

•  “Creativity is the residue of time wasted.” -Albert Einstein



Empathy •  What is empathy? •  How does mindfulness help? •  Why is empathy essential for business and life? •  It’s all about relationships.

•  Empathy is crucial for design (Tim Brown of IDEO).

•  Leads to compassion and understanding. •  LISTEN to others/collaborate.

•  “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” -Ernest Hemingway



Innovation

•  Innovation = creativity in action •  New paradigms

•  "Mindless habitual behavior is the enemy of

innovation.” - Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter



Disruptive Innovation

•  Rolling Stones - revamped the blues •  Kickstarter - changed how we support projects •  Zipcar/Uber/Virgin – changed how we get

places •  Etsy/Ebay – changed how we buy/sell •  Disrupt your OWN process to disrupt your

market and the world with your big idea (c) 2013 Flynn Coleman www.samyapractice.com


Bonus of health and wellbeing

•  More empathy and compassion for self/others •  Sustainability, less burn-out, happiness •  Less judgmental = even more great ideas •  Lower health care costs (Aetna study) •  Corporate wellness (Arianna Huffington article) •  Happier, healthier employees= more creative and

productive employees (c) 2013 Flynn Coleman www.samyapractice.com

http://newshub.aetna.com/press-release/products-and-services/aetna-delivers-evidence-based-mind-body-stress-management-progra

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/corporate-wellness_b_2903222.html


Ideas for sparking creativity •  Walk/be outside •  Rest/unplug/restore •  Try something new •  Join a team, start a team •  Change your environment •  Make your space inspiring •  Play (with your kids, pets, colleagues) •  Collaborate interspersed with finding solitude •  Check out SAMYA’s Creativity ebook for more ideas! •  What did you love to do as a kid? •  Good indication of what lights you up


http://samyapractice.com/downloads/12-ways-to-inspire-creativity/


Closing Meditation on Creativity

•  Visualize an interview with you 3 years from now…



Get Inspired

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” - Mary Oliver



Take one action today to get creative…


Share what you did with us! #samyapractice


Resources

•  12 Ways to Inspire Creativity

•  SAMYA Inspiration page •  Enlightened Technology for Practicing Mindfulness

•  Sign up for our newsletter to get a free inspiration meditation


http://samyapractice.com/downloads/12-ways-to-inspire-creativity/

http://samyapractice.com/inspiration/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/flynn-coleman/enlightened-technology-fo_b_3132476.html

http://eepurl.com/n9imv


Questions?

My contact info: [email protected] www.samyapractice.com




Mindfulness and Creativity: Innovating in Business and in Life~By Flynn Coleman

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Transcript of Mindfulness and Creativity: Innovating in Business and in Life~By Flynn Coleman