White Space

Creative Mornings Miami∙ Miami, FL 6 December 2013

Denise R. Jacobs

@denisejacobs

@Miami_CM1

#whitespacecreate

THE CANVAS The State of the Create

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

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

However, what happens is this

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We have this amazing tool

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/

Can’t access all of your great ideas

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

GIVE & TAKE Creativity and Power

We’re powerful

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

Instead of using it fully

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Try to contain it

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

Or give it away

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

GIVE & TAKE 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/

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

Overwhelmed

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

Afraid?

Photo: Denise Jacobs

All over the places

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

MAKE? How?

Channeling this divine power

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creation_of_Adam_(Michelangelo)_Detail.jpg

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

Moving from thinking

Photo: Derek Kearney

To creating

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/

What if the trick is not in doing?

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Something else

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The in-between

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

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

GIVE & TAKE Creating 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

Being prone

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

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/

Showers

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

Cross-channel movement

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

Refocus through breath

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

GIVE & TAKE 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 4 year old

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/

GIVE & TAKE 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

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Reclaim our power

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

True.

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

The future is now

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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Twitter.com/denisejacobs

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THANK YOU!