Creative Confidence

Creative confidence busts the myth that only few people can be creative and others are not creative. Most people under-utilize the creative talent. Creative confidence helps us reclaim our creativity, passion and fun. True potential of our brain is unknown and it is not limited by what we’ve done before. The Process of Guided Mastery will help to overcome fear and help people believe that they can change the situation and accomplish what they had set to do in the world. To be creative, we need to fail more. Experiment with experiences; embrace continuous learning and start designing your own life. Life is a creative innovation lab. Life is full of side hobbies and experiments. Try doing experiments, do it creatively.

Be a fly on the wall in your customer world, understand his pain points, try your own service, talk with unexpected experts. The best way to gain creative confidence is through action – taken one step at a time.. Doug Diez at GE with scan machine, Embrace infant warmers, Pulse news creators, etc and many more examples.

References/Quotes:

Failure sucks, but instructs – IDEO

Job.Career. Calling – People’s relation to their work Amy Wrzseniewski (Curse of competence. (Actively unhappy about work)

How can we ‘Improving video conference’ to how can we provide viable alternative to air travel – John Chambers Cisco (reframing challenges)

Knowing – Doing gap : HBR  how to turn knowledge to action

How to draw anything (Napkin academy)

Kelley brothers – David and Tom Kelley, Albert Bandura, SirKen Robinson, Claudia Kotchka (P&G)

Toolkits : Dschool.stanford.edu | OpenIDEO |

Key methods (writing this so that I keep track for my future use):

1. Mind maps – for convergent + divergent thinking
2. Note down list of all ideas you get in a day
3. SAY – Think – Do – Feel (all need to be aligned to successful)
4. Empathy maps
5. I Like / I wish Constructive and effective feedback (My favorite!)
6. Speed dating 
7. - how would your family members describe you
   - If you had $100000000000,..
   - You wish your parents told..
8. Nick names in a group event
9. Journey maps
10. Dream/Gripe. Convert Dream/Dripe into  Problems to works – How might we..?

Another review of the book in yourstory

Everyone has stories

We live in a world where we have the option to choose the information we want to read/listen. One like, One subscribe button is all that It takes. But this provides a lopsided view of arguments and doesn't empower us to have balanced opinions or connect divergent things.

Every time we travel, we listen to songs, sleep, read books, check latest news, update status messages on Facebook/twitter, talk over phone or reply mails. When was the last time you struck a conversation with a stranger and listened to his stories or opinions. Everyone has stories. But we choose to move out of comfort zone, try knowing someone/something new. We like to play within the box that we have created with the info we have subscribed to. Technology has just enabled us to fall back on easier choice than doing something difficult.

Some people by nature are extroverts. For the rest of them, this becomes a habit when we sustain this for months. And we tend to think that social and interpersonal skills are not their cup of tea. The biggest challenge comes when they’re evaluated based on their social skills. (Say during college admissions, job interviews). This is not the only criteria, but a factor that might play a crucial role in the future.

Next time you travel in bus, train, flights or even walk, listen. Everyone has stories. Problems of other people can be solved by your solutions and breakthrough ideas. After all, it is not a bad skill to have and develop.