How to spark creativity (literally)

I think today’s post was meant to be. I was looking at some of my favorite Web sites for inspiration and came across this post on CoolBusinessIdeas.com about a product that can increase creativity. An Australian scientist has developed a thinking cap that zaps the left side of the brain with magnetic pulses. In the trials, some participants showed increased levels of awareness and creativity.

*Image courtesy of CoolBusinessIdeas.com

So the next time you’re struggling in a brainstorm, or are working to develop an attention-getting, non-traditional PR campaign, maybe you should slip on your thinking cap for a quick zap of insta-creativity. Because who wouldn’t want to look like this at the office:

*Image courtesy of Engadget.com

OK, Now You’re Ready for Advanced Creativity

As you toyed with Crayola, I hope you reached back into your childhood and tapped into the creative fearlessness so endearing of that age.   Assuming you were able to do so, now may be the time to step it up.

The Jackson Pollock-a-scetch will offer you a formidible creative outlet.  Just start dragging your mouse and change colors with a simple click.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT JACKSON POLLOCK-A-SCETCH UNTIL YOU’VE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A TOUR OF CRAYOLA!  I REPEAT, DO NOT…

Creativity Begins At Home

Creativity isn’t just something we turn off and on when we come to work; we have to live it all the time. It’s about seeking solutions beyond the obvious, showing you care beyond the expected, and finding simplicity in the complex.

Rather than just talk about being creative though, let’s do it. To facilitate this exercise, I’ll offer a link to the modern day way to create your own card/art project at home. When I was a little kid, we just grabbed a handful of Crayolas. It was the way we “competed” against Hallmark back in the day. Today, you can reach out to Crayola online.

Visit the Card Creator or Arts & Crafts . As opposed to stating: “Do not try this at home,” I might suggest that’s exactly where you should try it. We don’t need anyone to get fired over playing Crayola in the office.

You’re welcome to submit project entries. We’d be happy to assemble a set of judges and carefully evaluate all submissions. What does the winner receive? I guess we’ll just have to get creative!

How About A Wordle…

Last week I was asked to be a guest blogger at ToddAnd, and it was a terrific experience. Darryl Ohrt, who writes Brand Flakes For Breakfast, summed up the week’s guest posts by creating a tag cloud using Wordle. It’s a wonderful tool that allows you to create real artwork from words. Wordle offers great flexibility in use of font, color, and layout. The tag cloud you see above was made from my post from a few weeks ago on key messages.

So if you’re relentlessly creative and want to create a picture FROM a thousand words, give Wordle a try.