hacking the creative brain

/* Denise Jacobs <AngleBrackets /> Conference | Las Vegas, NV 29 October 2013 */

>> Work Better, Create More

Twitter Hacks I am: .@denisejacobs We’re at: #AngleBrackets And we’re going to #hackcreativity

I’ve always loved to create, but…

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/

I realized that

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

Powerful and empowering

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

Thus, I speak, write, and evangelize creativity

Photo: Derek Kearney

Intro The State of the Union

What’s our most important tool for creating?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plindberg/33867829/

Not these…

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

This one!

Office-bound

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewf/393637161/

Time pressures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/indraw/4857101224/

Managers

Clients

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/154640125/

Bureaucracy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749431435/

Oppressed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johannahobbs/2412291551/

“Houston, we have a problem…”

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S70-34902.jpg

Instead of feeling like this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/

We end up feelig like this

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

When we are in the creative flow

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

Who here feels like they are creative?

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

“Creativity is all about making connections and seeing patterns.”

- Bruce Nussbaum,

Creativity Intelligence

Creativity is critical

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

Understand the mechanisms of creativity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/304687602/

Let out all of your great ideas

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

“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

Our Goals

1 Emancipate & Adjust

2

Practice & Generate

3

Innovate & Produce

1 Emancipate & Adjust

Current work culture

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

Bad game of telephone

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

Habits and thinking to quit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/4170136164/sizes/l/

Distractions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/529178002/

Multitasking

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/3041235238/

Zeigarnik Effect

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

Communication addiction

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/422469526/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoferbjorkman/6910216819/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2671039488/

Intermittent reinforcement

Busyness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wester/504925076/

Internalized the critical voices

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

Become monsters in your head

http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/

Instead of Creativity

Source: Flickr

Destructivity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/3265941065/

“If your demons are such that they fill the room the instant you contemplate creating, your studio will be too dangerous a place to enter.”

- Eric Maisel, author of Fearless

Creating

Recognize the many forms of your Inner Critic

Impostor Syndrome

Hack >> Know the Impostor Syndrome Paradox

http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/

Comparisons

http://www.flickr.com/photos/automania/126698126/

Procrastination

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

Perfectionism

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

Fear of failure

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/

“False Evidence Appearing Real”

or, alternatively,

“F*ck Everything And Run!”

F.E.A.R. =

Thoughts on fear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIt20emgLY

“Fear is not real. It is a product of the thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”

- character of Cypher Raige

(played by Will Smith), After Earth

We become terrorists to ourselves

http://www.flickr.com/photos/koomatuomio/4182554398/

“Obsessing about preventing bad things from happening also prevents good things from happening, or sometimes prevents anything from happening at all.”

- Scott Berkun, The Year Without

Pants

Hack >> Become a Fear Alchemist

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

“The goal is to manage anxiety so that our energies are used for the productive and satisfying (act) of creating, rather than the destructive and debilitating art of self-torture.”

- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution

Banish the Inner Critic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoto/3822942678/

Maintain perspective

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daikrieg/1294053038/

Empathize

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/

Reframe #fail

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717326642/

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

- Dr. Edwin Land,

The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experience

Nothing is a mistake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirteenthnile/4546397775/

Change your body language, change your mind

“Our bodies change our minds, our minds change our behavior, and our behavior changes our outcomes.”

- Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are TED talk

Fake it until you become it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mangee/195050727/

Stand up. Assume a pose that embodies a sense of defeat, can’t do it, it will never work, “I suck/I’m no good/an impostor”, etc. Make yourself as small and powerless feeling as possible.

Then, strike a power pose. Imagine yourself as a

superhero looking off into the distance seeing your destiny of major creative butt-kicking.

Alternate several times. Hold the power pose for as

long as you can so that you can feel the change.

#Exercise: Power Pose

Adjust: Train Your Brain

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/3211540197/

Let’s take a closer look

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6006414578/

Left v. Right brain?

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

Left hemisphere

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smittenkittenoriginals/4451172538/

Right hemisphere

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

Instead: Left + Right brain = Creativity

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

“The parts of your brain that are responsible for self-monitoring are literally turned off during creative endeavors….Creative people have mastered the art of turning off [the inhibitive] part of their brains to let their ideas flow more smoothly, unleashing their imagination.”

- Tina Seelig, InGenius

What are our brains constantly producing?

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

Know your Brainwaves

Alpha: the gateway to creativity

Close your eyes and relax. Breathe through your nose.

Now place your tongue at the roof of your mouth,

turn your eyes towards the ceiling underneath your eyelids.

Take several deep, long breaths. As you relax, you are changing your brainwaves from

Beta to Alpha.

#Exercise: Enter Alpha

Hack >> Breathe to refocus

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

Hack >> Being prone

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

Hack >> Showers

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

“When your brain is supposedly doing nothing, it’s really doing a tremendous amount.”

– Marcus Raichle, Neurologist

Hack >> Daydream/Space out

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

Hack >> Engage in mindless activity

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

Hack >> Get physical

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

Hack >> Leverage Biophilia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/verifex/3782787057/

Hack >> Laugh

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagillphoto/3336353424/

“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

Intend Alpha

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

3 Practice & Generate

Exercise Discipline

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bizz0k0/3432638748/

Show up everyday

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8064533288/

And really commit to it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathtogutenberg/2976274920/

Focus on meaningful tasks

http://www.43folders.com/2008/09/01/what-are-you-doing

Hack >> Delegate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/3645313261/

To do more of what you love and less of what you dislike, start writing To Don’t Lists (aka “Stop Doing” Lists).

  Pick a partner, and write a list of 3-5 items that you commit to

stop doing within the next 30 days. Date the list. Share the list with your partner and get ideas on how to eliminate these items from your life either by stopping them or delegating/outsourcing the tasks.

  Review your list in 30 days to see what you need to continue

to stop doing so that your time is spent on what you value and want to cultivate. Create another list for the upcoming 30 days.

#Exercise: To Don’t List

Clean-up habit fields

http://www.flickr.com/photos/risager/3452272176/

Habit what?

http://alistapart.com/article/habit-fields

Clean up your work habit field by following the suggestions in the article “Habit Fields” by Jack Cheng. Create your equivalent of a “distraction chair” and move to it when you feel like you are inclined to surf the web, email, Tweet, Facebook, or engage in any other computer-related distraction. When you are ready to work again, come back to your desk.

Rinse and repeat until your work habit field is clear

again and no longer fuzzy.

Hack >> Habit field reboot

Manage time

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolocampioni/2168286027/

Single-task

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/

“Single-tasking is the new multi-tasking.”

- A Your Brain on Creativity

participant

Say NO to Distractions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideon/6582069/

RescueTime.com

GetConcentrating.com

Firefox extension: LeechBlock: http://www.proginosko.com/leechblock.html

Firefox extension: Idderall: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/idderall/

Google Chrome extension: Strict Workflow: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/strict-workflow/

Google Chrome extension: StayFocusd: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/

stayfocusd/

{ Further Resources }

Hack >> Pomodoro Technique

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/4975166968/

Hack >> Airplane mode

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieterouwerkerk/699475144/

Practice the Pomodoro technique. Do a 30 minute sprint where you turn off all distractions and work for 25 minutes.

Before you start your sprint, write down the objective of the

sprint. Do the sprint, and at the end of it, take a moment to jot down any challenges encountered, and your end results from the sprint.

For your 5 minute break, activate your Alpha brainwaves by

either laying down on the floor with your eyes closed, or look at clouds shifting in the sky.

Hack >> Pomodoro 2.0

Hack >> Work standing up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rknight/2645099486/

Why? Because

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

Hack >> Change environments

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3475417696/

Generate: Start the flow of ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/international-festival/3018718331/

Hack >> Shape your micro-environment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/info_grrl/6162309101/

Everything is a remix

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4812026355/

Remix inspiration

“Mona Lisa” by Paul Giovanopoulos, http://www.giovanopoulos.com/

Hack >> Create constaints

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

Get inspired by children

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

From the mind of a 4yo

Photo courtesy of Laura Bohill (@LauRARbee)

Generate ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathb/3933087930/

Capture ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosengrant/3637839874/

Embrace disruption

Photo: Denise Jacobs

Write them down

http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinator/2826079915/

Sketch them out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eoze04/4890376021/

Talk them out (& record it)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/3641402489/

Gather and curate your ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmanviz/3181410714/

Evernote Pinterest.com Delicious.com Flickr.com Trello.com Zootool.com Gimmebar.com

Dropr.com Diigo Tumblr Imgspark.com Scrnshots.com Vi.sualize.us Emberapp.com

Tools to do so

3 Innovate & Produce

Do it with others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/u-suke/5668302030/

Mo’ people, mo’ ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seretuaccidente/147686396/

Immerse yourself in diverse environments

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirinwiniger/3680885289/

Building 20 at MIT

Avoid sameness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dahlstroms/3774973833/

The source of great ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/

Bring brilliance together

http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4436484250/

Create a locus where ideas can mix & mingle

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/7496803638/

Don’t keep them to yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8127201319/

Invite others to wonder with you

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silicongulf/2114492904/

Share ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanpalmero/4278466639/

Share mistakes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilt/26322670/

Hack >> Co-work to collaborate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeemick/5106610355/

Hack >> Engage in Parallel Play

http://handsfullofgrass.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_2123.jpg

Amplify the ideas of others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/54381130/

Improv

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roel1943/5740295789/

Hack >> Plus it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66568868@N00/6032481145/

The structure

Make your partner look good

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31246066@N04/4597640798/

Will connect people beyond the cubicle

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4371000846/

And encourage better teamwork

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445603066/

“Creativity is more than a great idea, it’s the determination to see the idea through to fruition.”

- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution

Prototype

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindmob/292609444/

Iterate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deliciousblur/4165405018/

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

The d.school production-iteration process

The stage is set for Flow

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

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

•  Practice in place •  Cleared space •  Time carved out and distractions

eliminated •  Necessary materials on hand

All of the previous steps lead you here:

Epilogue Liberation

Previously

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

Moving forward

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/3317141795/

Before

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_g_travels/860951845/

After

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualdoubts/4087935894/

Stepping through them more easily

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/4269399012/

(Re)Gain Creative Confidence

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055807492/

“…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 of Ideo

…which is

Ideas are on and poppin’!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4957946157/

Joyfulness in Work

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvm_71/5011353192/

Turn work into play

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5392982007/

What you produce is unique

Hack your habits >> Different Results

http://starchild07.deviantart.com/art/Brainwaves-44238823

Practicing different habits >> Transform your life

The goal

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

You have the power

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

…And make better things

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5319988695/

Get your creativity hack on!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibi/5448158773/

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!

Cover art thanks to Americo Morales

AmericoMorales.com

My articles for further reading! netmagazine.com/features/ four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity alistapart.com/articles/ reigniting-your-creative-spark/ alistapart.com/articles/ banishing-your-inner-critic/

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

Thank you!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4759535970/