Hacking the creative Brain

Denise R. JacobsFuture. Innovation. Technology. Creativity.Amsterdam, Netherlands18 February 2013

Working Better to Create More

Tweeting tall talesI am:@denisejacobs

We’re at:#FITCAms @fitc

I’m talking about how to:#hackcreativity

I used to have long hair

I’m part Vulcan. Srsly!

Photo: Stefan Nitzsche

I Almost adopted a chicken

I Like to make stuff

After writing this…

I had an epiphany

Empowered & empowering

Intro

Is this all there is?

Live in Cubicalia

The BossMan

All of the pressure…

Oppressed

“Houston, We have a problem…”

No, not these…

I mean this

Feel Like this?

Aka: Meh.

Out of Inspiration

Or this?

We need to be Conversant with

“Creativity is newness produced.”

★“Creativity is the process of developing original ideas that have value.”

- Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds

We are alchemists

Even though it feels like it…

“Creativity is magical, but is not magic.”

- Charles Limb, “Your Brain on Improvisation” TED talk

Let’s get our hack on

1

emancipate

2

Adjust

3

Practice

4

Generate

5

Innovate

6

Produce

1

emancipate

Multitasking

Unclosed Loops (ZeigarNik Effect)

Communication addiction

Busyness

The evil voices in your head

(“false evidence appearing real” or “f*ck everything and run”)

causes unnecessary inhibitions which obstruct the generation of new ideas on a biochemical and neurological level.

Fear

Banish you inner critic

Impostor syndrome

Comparisons

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”

- Dr. Edwin Land

“Being right keeps us in place. Being wrong forces us to explore.”

– Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From

Hack: Reframe #fail

2

Adjust

I’m talking about this

Balance Your Brain

Get your alpha on

Get physical

Hack: Shower

Hack: Be still

Lower cognitive filters

HACK: “Lo-fi” time

HACK: Deliberate Daydreaming

Biophilia

Negative Stress > Eustress

Hack: Laugh

3

Practice

Eliminate distractions

Exercise discipline

Show up everyday

Clean-up your habit fields

Manage time

Delegate

Be Mindful – Do one thing at a time

Restructure Work environments

Work standing up

Why? Because

http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/

4

generate

Look for problems to solve

Seek chanllenges

Change environments

Incubate to Generate

Gather and Curate

Zootool.comGimmebar.comPinterest.comImgspark.comScrnshots.comVi.sualize.usEmberapp.com

EvernoteDiigoDeliciousFlickrTrello

Tools

5

Innovate

Do it with others

Bring brilliance together

Ideas are a network

The source of great ideas

Sameness

Diverse environments

Invite others to wonder with you

Share Ideas

Share mistakes

Co-work to collaborate

Parallel platy

IMprovise

Hack: Plus it

6

Produce

Tinker

Make Prototypes

Iterate

• observe• suggest• tinker• review • apply feedback• reiterate

The d.school process

Get into the flow

• Cleared space – work area, time, head

• Concept in mind: know what you want to achieve and what it looks like

• Necessary materials on hand• Distractions eliminated• Practice in place• Willingness in place

All of the pieces in place…

Cavalier creativity

Outro

Easter Eggs

Level Up

Level Up

Joy in work

Creative Confidence

“…the confidence that, when given a difficult problem, we have a methodology that enables us to come up with a solution that nobody has before.”

- David Kelley, Ideo

“Whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?”

From this

To this

Full of ideas

Value YOurself

Ultimate outcome

delicious.com/denisejacobs/unfoldyourbrain

delicious.com/denisejacobs/creativityhabit

delicious.com/denisejacobs/brainoncreativity

Resources

Articles for further reading (mine)

netmagazine.com/features/four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity

alistapart.com/articles/reigniting-your-creative-spark/

alistapart.com/articles/banishing-your-inner-critic/

Americomorales.com

Smashing Books #3 &#3 1/3

My chapter: “Storytelling in Webdesign”

SmashingBook.com

Shameless Self-Promotion #2

The CSS Detective Guide

CSSDetectiveGuide.comtwitter.com/cssdetective

Shameless Self-Promotion #1

InterAct With Web Standards:A Holistic Approach to Web Design

InterActWithWebStandards.comtwitter.com/waspinteract

Shameless Self-Promotion #3

How to find me

DeniseJacobs.com

denise@denisejacobs.com

twitter.com/denisejacobs

slideshare.net/denisejacobs

Thank you!