Dr. Chris Show

I've always loved comic books and graphic novels. In addition to being works of art, they can also be an effective instructional medium that can leverage storytelling and scenario really well.

One great example of this is the comic "Radio an Illustrated Guide" by Ira Glass and Jessica Abel. In addition to teaching a bit about radio production and audio editing the comic also discusses good storytelling in audio. Unfortunately, the paper copy is out of print, there are some used ones on Amazon but you can get a digital copy for $2 from the This American Life website.

https://store.thisamericanlife.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RADIO%3AANILLUSTRATEDGUIDEPDF

While I was pulling the comic off my shelves I also decided to share another book about the art of Instructional design that is out of print and I only share with those I think deserve it. NO link for that book but if you watch the video or listen to the podcast you'll get the name of the book so you can hunt for it on Amazon.

Storytelling has been used to teach for as long as there has been language. We know this and we also know that human beings are natural storytellers. Yet there are still so many times as instructional designers when we find ourselves with an instructional goal our storytelling skills just can't be found.

This highlights the importance of critically examining what makes a good story and practicing those skills.

If we're going to support our learners along their learning journey it can help to understand what this type of journey entails. So my tip of the day is to review "The Hero's Journey" specifically by reading or watching "The Power of Myth" with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers (which rumor has it can be found on Netflix).

Two of the more practical learning theories are Operant Conditioning and Spaced Repetition. And when they are combined you can use what they teach us as a solid strategy for boosting learner engagement and retention in your instructional design work.

The lesson from Spaced Repetition is that in order to retain information we need to review it periodically. When we learn something new we don't hold onto it forever instead we begin to slide down the "forgetting curve" and reviewing what we've learned before we lose too much can reduce the effects of that forgetting curve.

One of the lessons from Operant Conditioning is that rewards work and that rewards at unpredictable intervals work wonders.

This can offer instructional designers a useful strategy. Return to important information regularly but not too regularly so that the interval is a bit unpredictable and offer a reward when the information is remembered. In animal studies food was most often used so while a cookie is always an option human beings are a bit more flexible, positive feedback, encouragement, and recognition can also work wonders.

Yesterday I shared some recommendations regarding Mind Mapping software and received a few questions asking for some information about what exactly a mind map is and when or how you would use one.

Today I wanted to jump in with a screencast of the Mind Node software I mentioned yesterday as we go a bit "meta" and use a Mind Map to explore what a Mind Map is and where it can help.

One organizational technique I use often is that of Mind Mapping.

A mind map is a visual way of breaking down ideas and concepts hierarchically. A mind map starts with a central idea or concept and then branching out from that central idea are the keywords that represent the different aspects of that central idea, and, and out until the concept is fully explored or you've run out of space on your paper.

While I've done paper mind maps for years I have had great luck with using software to rapidly develop mind maps for a variety of purposes such as in project planning and especially in working through a task or concept analysis for instructional design projects.

The two pieces of software that I have used and enjoyed are MindMeister and MindNode.

MindMeister is a free cloud-based tool found here: https://www.mindmeister.com which has some excellent collaboration abilities.

MindNode is a MacOS and iOS software that syncs between devices but doesn't really have the collaborative component the same way MindMeister does. It's also a bit pricy coming in at about $55 if you go all in. https://mindnode.com/

I'd encourage you to try your hand at mind mapping your current project or challenge. It's a lovely technique that can help get things organized.

Self Confidence, Self-Acceptance, and a Supporting Belief System. Now you may be asking yourself.. This seems like such a fundamental and foundational pillar of creativity why is it the last one we are talking about?

I have a good reason.

It can be easy to share platitudes. Believe in yourself. Really?

For me believe often comes with success. It is my hope that by working through the homework for each of the other pillars will help you build that confidence.

Self-acceptance comes with accepting where you are now. It doesn't matter if you are a skilled artist. What matters is that you acknowledge where you are on the continuum and move in the direction you want to go. Anyone can do anything and you can increase your creativity by believing in your potential enough to put in the effort regarding the 12 pillars of creativity.

The supporting believe the system is that of a growth mindset. Your skills and your creativity can grow. I hope that you have discovered that through the exercises. It is not easy, it takes work, but it is very much worth the effort.

And finally, self-confidence comes with practice and accomplishment.

It is difficult to express your creativity in a project if you are unable to make any choices regarding how the project is done. Eventually in order to create something new you will need to leverage your own autonomy and make choices regarding your project.

This is not to say you need a total lack of constraints or limits in order to be creative. Quite the opposite. Having a strong set of constraints and limits while still preserving the ability to make choices within those boundaries is where you can find your creativity jump.

This pillar can be leveraged in two steps. The first is recognizing the areas of autonomy and the choices that we have. Over the course of the week watch for the areas within your work where you are making choices. Acknowledge those choices. There is often a layer of choices that we defer either by habit or avoidance. I found there was a tremendous amount of decisions I was deferring out of conflict avoidance as I was going through this exercise.

Watch the choices you make each day for a few days. Especially the ones you make by default, habit, or out of avoidance. You don’t need to change the decisions you make, just acknowledge them as you make them.

The second step is to critically review your choices one at a time. Now, this step takes some energy. Once you acknowledge the bounds you have and the freedom you have within the constraints of your work you will need to start to exercise some of those choices.

If you are working on your own project this is significantly easier than if you are working at a job or for a client since you will need to do the work in a way that the client or boss will approve.

If your decisions require approval, try, ask, and sometimes take a chance.

That said if you are being micromanaged in your work and can’t afford to be fired, you may need to find another outlet for your creative energies. And if you are a boss with employees you would like to see be more creative you can’t micromanage them. They will need autonomy and the ability to make choices.

Quite seriously it takes a lot of work to be creative. There is effort and as we learned earlier there is quite a bit of failure and the need for perseverance. In order to sustain this level of energy over the long term, you need to have the motivation to keep going and the ambition needed to focus on your improvement.

There are times when external forces can work on our motivation, these external motivators can be money or obligation. Usually, for me the external motivation tends to be an obligation, obligation to my family mostly. Even the tasks from an external boss tend to filter through my need to be a provider for my family.

Internal motivation is another important source of energy. The internal motivation can come from having a connection to your “strong purpose” from pillar two. It can also come from exploration and discovering the areas where you have that natural curiosity from pillar nine.

Quite simply it is difficult to be creative if you do not want to be creative. if you're here then you have demonstrated in motivation and an ambition to be creative.

Motivation though can ebb and flow in our lives. Over time our ambitions and goals can change. The key step to mastering this pillar of creativity is listening to your heart, connect to your larger goals, and remember to dream.

Your homework is to dream what are your motivations and what is your honest ambition I suggest a vision board or a writing exercise that explores this question. Choose your medium and dream big. How far do you want to go?

I am a firm believer that people are naturally curious. The area where you find yourself the most curious is generally the area where you are the most creative. But how can we increase our curiosity or even evaluate our curiosity?

That is why I have the concept of a “Tolerance of Ambiguity” included.

There are ways to increase our tolerance for ambiguity. For those most part, this involves a combination of looking at things from multiple perspectives as well as stepping into situations of uncertainty.

Take a different path, explore, talk to a stranger. There are all things that you can do to help strengthen your tolerance for ambiguity and build your curiosity.

We spoke earlier about the importance of routine. And this does not mean you should abandon routine for ambiguity but rather that you should plan in times to strengthen your tolerance and to explore the world.

In many ways, creativity as a concept involves generating new ideas and crossing into new territory. For those without some experience sailing off the map as it were, this can be a difficult thing to do. It may seem easier and safer to stay in your comfort zone. Being able to step outside of your comfort zone with a minimal amount of discomfort can significantly improve your creative output.

Learn to explore the world in as many ways as you can. Every time you find yourself saying or thinking “but what if I don’t like it” fight the urge to step back and try. The idea is not that you will enjoy and like everything you try but rather that you will discover what you do like and what you don’t like.

Take the training wheels off.

Your homework this week is to go exploring. Remember to start easy. Choose an area of your life that you enjoy, be that food, fishing, bike riding, or quilting. Whatever the context explore a different perspective. A different restaurant, different fishing spots, a different bike path, or different techniques.

Remember to continually try new things and new experiences. You don’t need to like them all, or even most of them, it’s a big world. Explore. And learn to enjoy the discoveries.

This can strengthen your creativity by enhancing your exposure to the world and sparking connections. It can also help you explore different aspects and be curious about your area of focus.

Out of all of the different pillars of creativity, incubation times the one I struggle with the most. So what exactly is incubation time? incubation time is the time you set aside to allow your unconscious mind space to work on the problem at hand. This is the time when creatives need to take a step back walk away from that project and let go.

it's a simple concept, but one that requires a reminder. Going for a walk and giving yourself time to breathe, to think, to let go, and to rest is indeed part of the creative process.

Most people have heard the story of Archimedes, or have at least heard the word EUREKA! “I have found it!” The story of eureka is a story of incubation time. In the story Archimedes yells out “EUREKA” as he was getting into the bath and finally understood the mathematical concept of displacement. The important part here is that the sudden realization came when he was getting into the bath, not working in his studio, workshop, or office.

There are times we need to step away and let our ideas steep like a cup of tea.

There are many ways we can do this, the classic warm bath in the style of Archimedes, a walk in the style of Henry David Thoreau, or whatever you need to power down and give your ideas and problem and chance to settle into your unconscious and to let that unconscious mind do what it needs to do.

The unconscious works in different ways and you may find that sudden rush of insight comes at unexpected times. Keep a notebook or your cell phone handy, but remember this is a time to unplug so don’t forget to put that cell phone in “airplane mode” so you are not disturbed.