The Deliberate Creative

Darcy Luoma shares her philosophy about being Thoughtfully Fit. Just like one would intentionally train to run a marathon, we need to train to be more mentally and emotionally fit. Darcy shares the six components you need to improve many areas of your life - whether it's being more creative with a team or improving your relationship with your spouse. She gives actionable insights and shares stories of her own personal shifts.

What You'll Learn

• The six components of being Thoughtfully Fit
• Hear stories about how to be more intentional about how you show up in life

Resources

• Darcy Luoma's website
• Episode 52 with Darcy Luoma: How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity
• Ask a Manager blog

Weekly Challenge

Strengthen your core. When you find yourself in a difficult situation pause, think, and act. Listen to the episode to learn more. Share your experiences in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!

Creativity is about the survival of ideas, pushing and pulling them out of us, giving them shape, and nurturing them into the world. It rarely happens alone. More often teams and groups are critical to creative ideas reaching adulthood. Yet, teams are complex. They can be the greatest champions for an idea or instantly kill it. In this episode, Amy Climer talks about the 3 elements of collaborative creativity that teams need to help ideas survive and thrive.

What You'll Learn

• The three elements of collaboratively creative teams.
• What happens when ideas are shot down too early

Resources

• Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008
• Episode 52 with Darcy Luoma: How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity
• Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Weekly Challenge

Think about a team you are a member of. How do they rank in the three elements of collaborative creativity? Where are the weaknesses and strengths? What does the team need to learn in order to be more creative together?

This episode explores the similarities and roots of three common creative processes: Design Thinking, Human Centered Design, and Creative Problem Solving.

What You'll Learn

• The history of creative process
• The similarities between three popular creative design processes
• Why understanding these is valuable to your work as a team leader, manager, or creative team member.

Resources

• Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008
• Episode 37 with Keith Sawyer
• Book: Explaining Creativity by Keith Sawyer

In this episode, things are flipped. Podcast host Amy Climer is interviewed by Meg Bolger and Sam Killermann from Facilitating XYZ. Amy talks about how she learned to facilitate and explores facilitating creativity in teams. This is a replay from an episode on Facilitating XYZ, first aired on May 16, 2017.

What You'll Learn

• The difference between a presentation, a training, and a facilitation
• How to get more ideas and engagement from workshop participants
• How to address "idea fatigue" and the value of getting bored
• The Creative Problem Solving process and how it works with teams

Resources

• Facilitating XYZ
• Climer Cards
• The Creative Problem Solving Institute
• Amy's Top 6 Creativity Books
• Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action
• Book: Experience and Education by John Dewey
• Book: The Processing Pinnacle by Steven Simpson
• Matt Church
• Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
• Book: Open To Outcome: A Practical Guide For Facilitating & Teaching Experiential Reflection
• Book: The Artist's Way – Julia Cameron
• The complete video with closed-caption and show index is available on YouTube

Implementing creative ideas can be a big challenge for teams. In this episode Project Manager Professional Brian Davidson explains how to use project management tools with teams to make any project a success. He provides simple, clear processes useful for non-project managers to lead their teams through to execution. He examines typical challenges team face with collaborative, creative projects and what to do about them.

What You'll Learn

• The step-by-step process of how to create a project management map, a work
• A simple way to get your team to collectively create a project plan and timeline
• Common pitfalls teams make when trying to implement innovative projects and what to do about it

About Brian Davidson Brian Davidson is a Project Management Professional and Certified Scrum Master with 13 years experience leading 32 projects in United States, Middle East, China, and Asia-Pacific region. He is passionate about leading teams to achieve project success. Brian is particularly interested in combining both innovation skills with execution skills to help people and teams achieve their innovation goals. He is also a project management coach and readily shares his experience and expertise with those interested in learning about project management. Contact him at [email protected]. Resources

• Brian's website: www.mypmdevelopment.com with sample project templates and tools
• www.smartsheet.com for an online, collaborative project plan template.
• One Page Project Manager (www.oppmi.com) for a 12-step, one-page, project plan template and related books.
• HBR Article: Innovator's DNA by Dyer, Gregerson, and Christensen

The Weekly Challenge Work through the project charter exercise Brain explained and share it with others. How did it go? What did you learn? Share your experiences and questions in the comments below! Transcript

Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy!

Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!

Chad Littlefield has studied questions. He knows how to ask excellent questions that lead to open, intriguing, creative conversations. He explains how to ask useful questions that help people be more creative. Learn tips on how to craft the best questions, build team trust, and increase creativity.

What You'll Learn

• The essential elements of well-crafted questions
• The reason "why" questions close off creativity
• How to use questions to drive creativity

About Chad Littlefield Chad Littlefield, M.Ed., is the co-founder and CEO of We!™. He has spoken at TEDx and is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections. As a speaker and professional facilitator, Chad designs fun, challenging, and engaging experiences and tools that break down communication barriers, and increase connection and engagement. He has worked as an instructor at Penn State University and led the design team who created We! Connect Cards™ which are now being used to create conversations that matter within companies and campuses in over 50 countries around the world. Chad has the privilege of consulting, coaching, and facilitating within organizations like JetBlue, Starbucks, Penn State, Cigna, Typeform, United Way, Goodwill, TEDx and dozens more. Resources

• Chad Littlefield's website
• We! Connect Cards
• We!™ Newsletter
• Movie: Patch Adams with Robin Williams
• Patch Adam's Gesundheit! Institute
• Amy Climer's Dissertation
• Episode 60: "Might" it a Mighty Word

The Weekly Challenge In the next week, talk with three strangers. They could be people in your daily interactions, like a cashier, and ask them an open-ended question that starts with "what" or "how." The questions need to come from a place of genuine curiosity. In the comments below share what questions you asked and what happened. Transcript

Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy!

In this episode, I interview artist Greg Climer. Yes, he’s my brother, but he’s also an amazing artist and a professor at the Parson School of Design in New York. He talks about his artistic practice, where he gets his ideas, and offers advice for how to get more creative.

What You’ll Learn

* Three tips from artist Greg Climer to help you be more creative

* How Greg comes up with new ideas and how you can do the same

About Greg Climer

Greg Climer is an artist whose work, though primarily textiles, bridges media and explores ephemeral experiences, film, sculpture and technology. His exploration of craft forms inverts methods and explores making through a queer lens.

He was a 2016 Artist-In-Residence at the Museum of Art and Design, where he created the animated quilts. His work has shown in the Mint Museum of Craft and Design (North Carolina), Kustera Projects (Brooklyn), Fred Frelinghuysen Presents (Brooklyn), and other galleries throughout the United States.

He is an Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and the Associate Director of First Year at Parson School for Design in New York City.

Resources

* Greg Climer’s website

* Greg Climer on Instagram

* Greg Climer in Fast Company magazine

* Parson’s School of Design

*

The tool Greg and Amy both use for daily writing – 750words.com

* Podcast Bored and Brilliant

* Episode 35: The Leadership Style Continuum

* Episode 40: How Positivity Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tina Hallis

* Episode 44: How Diversity in Teams Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tanya Williams

The Weekly Challenge

Take Greg’s advice this week and find 4-5 magazines you wouldn’t normally read and dive into all of them at once. What ideas come up? Share your thoughts and experience in the comments!

Transcript

Feel like reading instead of listening? Download the free transcript or read it below. Enjoy!

Transcript for Episode #069: Creativity in Practice Series – Artist Greg Climer

Amy Climer: Welcome to The Deliberate Creative Podcast, Episode 69. Thanks for joining me today. Today, I am doing something a little different on the podcast. Most of the last episodes have been focused on teaching you one certain element of creativity, leadership or team development. Each episode, I either interviewed or interview an expert in a certain area. For instance, Episode 44 when I talked to Tanya Williams about increasing diversity in teams and how that can increase creativity. Or

In this episode, I interview artist Greg Climer. Yes, he's my brother, but he's also an amazing artist and a professor at the Parson School of Design in New York. He talks about his artistic practice, where he gets his ideas, and offers advice for how to get more creative.

What You'll Learn

• Three tips from artist Greg Climer to help you be more creative
• How Greg comes up with new ideas and how you can do the same

About Greg Climer

Greg Climer is an artist whose work, though primarily textiles, bridges media and explores ephemeral experiences, film, sculpture and technology. His exploration of craft forms inverts methods and explores making through a queer lens.

He was a 2016 Artist-In-Residence at the Museum of Art and Design, where he created the animated quilts. His work has shown in the Mint Museum of Craft and Design (North Carolina), Kustera Projects (Brooklyn), Fred Frelinghuysen Presents (Brooklyn), and other galleries throughout the United States.

He is an Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and the Associate Director of First Year at Parson School for Design in New York City.

Resources

• Greg Climer's website
• Greg Climer on Instagram
• Greg Climer in Fast Company magazine
• Parson's School of Design
• The tool Greg and Amy both use for daily writing - 750words.com
• Podcast Bored and Brilliant
• Episode 35: The Leadership Style Continuum
• Episode 40: How Positivity Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tina Hallis
• Episode 44: How Diversity in Teams Can Increase Creativity with Dr. Tanya Williams

The Weekly Challenge

Take Greg's advice this week and find 4-5 magazines you wouldn't normally read and dive into all of them at once. What ideas come up? Share your thoughts and experience in the comments!

Transcript

Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Enjoy!

Purna yoga focuses on the philosophy that life is yoga. In this episode, Letitia Walker shares what she has learned from her decades of practicing yoga and her life as a philosophy professor. She talks about the connection between the spark (creativity), the mind, and the body. If you are blocked it may be because one of these is out of balance. She explains how to tell what’s off and how to rebalance yourself so you can be more creative.

What You’ll Learn

* Three elements within you that need to work together to get those creative moments.

* Three simple questions you can ask yourself everyday to help you be more creative

* What to do when one of more elements is out of balance.

About Letitia Walker

Letitia Walker is a certified Purna Yoga Instructor at the 500 Hour level, currently pursuing her 2,000 Hour certification at Purna Yoga College. She has been practicing since 1998, teaching since 2004, and has studied with noted teachers: Aadil Palkhivala, Savitri, Michael Stone, Elise Browning Miller, and Matthew Sanford.

Purna means complete. As a Purna Yoga instructor, Letitia’s classes and workshops address the entire you – body, mind, emotions and spirit – by drawing on four pillars of knowledge:

* Asana & Pranayama rooted in the alignment-oriented practice of BKS Iyengar as refined by Purna Yoga co-founder, Aadil Palkhivala

* Nutrition & Lifestyle Choices that meld the best of Ayurveda, Chinese, and Western medicine

* dynamic and transformational Heartfull Meditation techniques created by co-founder Savitri

* Applied Philosophy, which takes the breadth & wisdom of the ancient yogic texts and applies them practically to modern living

Off the mat, Letitia, along with her husband, is the author of Sock Monkey Dreams: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter (Viking Studio, 2006) and also designs her own line of graphic tees (Look Good Tees). She loves cooking, gardening, and spending time with friends and family, most notably her husband, Whitney, writer and master DJ extraordinaire, and Didi and Dolly, the cutest rescue shih tzus on the planet.

Resources

* Letitia Walker’s website: liveyoganow.com

*

Letitia’s CreativeMornings talk with the carpal tunnel series and Mental Centering technique

* Purna Yoga College

The Weekly Challenge

Take some time each day to think about the three questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Beyond that, work on the pause. Pause before you react. Take a deep breath before you respond. This allows time for the spark to emerge and for creativity to flourish.

Transcript

Feel like reading instead of listening? Download the free transcript or read it below. Enjoy!

Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them! 

Transcript for Episode #068: The Connection Between Yoga and Creativity with Letitia Walker

Amy Climer: Welcome to The Deliberate Creative Podcast Episode 68. Today’s guest is Letitia Walker who is a former philosophy professor and now yog...

Purna yoga focuses on the philosophy that life is yoga. In this episode, Letitia Walker shares what she has learned from her decades of practicing yoga and her life as a philosophy professor. She talks about the connection between the spark (creativity), the mind, and the body. If you are blocked it may be because one of these is out of balance. She explains how to tell what's off and how to rebalance yourself so you can be more creative.

What You'll Learn

• Three elements within you that need to work together to get those creative moments
• Three simple questions you can ask yourself everyday to help you be more creative
• What to do when one of more elements is out of balance

About Letitia Walker

Letitia Walker is a certified Purna Yoga Instructor at the 500 Hour level, currently pursuing her 2,000 Hour certification at Purna Yoga College. She has been practicing since 1998, teaching since 2004, and has studied with noted teachers: Aadil Palkhivala, Savitri, Michael Stone, Elise Browning Miller, and Matthew Sanford.

Purna means complete. As a Purna Yoga instructor, Letitia's classes and workshops address the entire you – body, mind, emotions and spirit – by drawing on four pillars of knowledge:

• Asana & Pranayama rooted in the alignment-oriented practice of BKS Iyengar as refined by Purna Yoga co-founder, Aadil Palkhivala
• Nutrition & Lifestyle Choices that meld the best of Ayurveda, Chinese, and Western medicine
• dynamic and transformational Heartfull Meditation techniques created by co-founder Savitri
• Applied Philosophy, which takes the breadth & wisdom of the ancient yogic texts and applies them practically to modern living

Off the mat, Letitia, along with her husband, is the author of Sock Monkey Dreams: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter (Viking Studio, 2006) and also designs her own line of graphic tees (Look Good Tees). She loves cooking, gardening, and spending time with friends and family, most notably her husband, Whitney, writer and master DJ extraordinaire, and Didi and Dolly, the cutest rescue shih tzus on the planet.

Resources

• Letitia Walker's website: liveyoganow.com
• Letitia's CreativeMornings talk with the carpal tunnel series and Mental Centering technique
• Purna Yoga College

The Weekly Challenge Take some time each day to think about the three questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Beyond that, work on the pause. Pause before you react. Take a deep breath before you respond. This allows time for the spark to emerge and for creativity to flourish.