The Innovise Guys

Putting the Muse in Musical The Innovise Guys are once again talking to The Artist's Way author Julia Cameron. This time it's about her new musical, The Medium at Large, written in collaboration with Emma Lively, her long-time creative collaborator. Emma, the Guys, and Julia talk about the show, set to open in previews October 17 and run October 19 through November 16 at the Village Players Performing Arts Center in Oak Park, Illinois at 1010 Madison Street. The spiritually inspired musical comedy deals with ghosts, romance, and mischief in New York City in 1938. The topic of the play was suggested at a dinner party by a grieving friend, features a medium character inspired by long-time friend and mentor Max Showalter, and stars renowned Chicago and Tony nominated actor John Herrara. Emma Lively observed, "The idea of the ghosts is incredibly rich -- leaving much room for mystery, inspiration, and humor. Our goal with this unusual love story is to remind the audience that we're never a lone, and those who have passed on are still with us." In the interview, the nature of inspiration is explored – "Many songs came to me complete with words and music", said Julia. Adds Emma, "Yes, we believe that creativity is out there and artists are those who tap into that source and bring it into being." The playwrights and composers speak of the nature of collaboration, creative process, development, and of the fun, the play, and the humor that inspires their work. They also invoked the spirits of Rogers and Hammerstein. Artist's Way devotees may find the play especially appealing, but it is a truly human play with universal themes of loss, love, connection and coping – with a lightening comfort – about those we hold dear who have passed on. The artists acknowledge that their blithe sense of humor infuses the work – so it should leave the audience "inspired and hopeful". For more information and tickets, find it at www.village-players.org or by calling 866-764-1010. Sample video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lSoeETp3U

Gushing with Gusto! To our Innovise Guys podcast listeners: "You are an immeasurable life force, saturated with infinite creative potential at this very moment ... From Siberia to the Serengetti, you are the ne plus ultra, the instantaneous creative, the best of the best at your best ... All of you --precedent- setting and paradigm shattering, bold and clever Argonauts tastefully continuing through the space-time continuum ..." How does that feel? Good, huh? These are but a few of compliments gleaned "Wickhead's Guide to Verbal Gusto" by JK (Jim Kelly) -- with whom we discuss the art of "dishing the upper" to one another, by finding the perfect compliment. JK is a former advertising copywriter turned author and a creative juggernaut and good-will ambassador who never travels life's highway without a Motherload of positive vibes and oodles of inventive energy. In the book he quotes Booker T. Washington -- "If you want to lift yourself, lift up someone else" and Bill & Ted -- "Be excellent to one another." And JK shows us how. In this interview, the author guides us through his motivations, the creative process and the uplifting content of his book. (Groundbreaking Press 2007) When he is not "dishing compliments" with the panache and flourish of "surf-speak" versions of Jame T. Kirk or Ace Ventura, Jim Kelly is an "Irishman at Large", stationed outside of Petaluma, California -- near Sonoma Creek -- at the Larson Family Winery. If you consider yourself even remotely "A deftly-skilled professional, thinking outside the box -- The Commissioner of Can-do", then this podcast is for you. For more information go to: www.groundbreaking.com, www.amazon.com and www.larsonfamilywinery.com.

Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein first met as Harvard freshman in 1957. Their book, "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes" (2007) is presently a best seller in both the humor and philosophy categories. Not bad for a couple of philosophy majors who tried on various careers after graduation. Tom worked with street gangs in Chicago, doctors at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and dropped in and out of divinity schools. Dan has written jokes for various comedians, including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin. Tom lives on Cape Cod with his wife. Dan lives in the Berkshires with his wife. Together, they are also authors of the politically incorrect book of daily affirmations, "Macho Meditations". This interview is littered with jokes (WARNING: some are PG-13) with illustrative examples of how jokes are able to connect to a better understanding of philosophers and their philosophies. Of course, humor is an essential ingredient of creativity and old friends Dan and Tom briskly banter back and forth on their collaboration and also tell the story of their "Aha! Moment" -- that spawned the book idea. Not surprisingly, that moment took place in a light-hearted conversation over a couple of pints in a pub. So successful is this book that their publisher demanded an encore -- the newly published "Aristotle and an Aardvark go to Washington" -- offering humorous insights into political jargon employed by the real jokers in DC. The Innovise Guys assume you will guffaw, chortle, howl, abstractly "he-haw!" and even titter as much as did we through this rousing romp through the thoughtfully theoretical and silly cerebral philosophical phootnotes from Plato to modernity. You'll laugh 'til you think! www.platoandaplatypus.com

Tim Hurson is one of the class acts in the creativity and innovation field. In this interview with The Innovise Guys he provides real insights into creative thinking and you get a slice of one of the best "thinkers about thinking? providing innovation services today. He has a lot going on, he's written a fabulous new book -- Think Better, an Innovators Guide to Productive Thinking, he's also the prime mover behind the MindCamp conference in Toronto (http://www.thinkxic.com/mindcamp/tastings.php), and Facilitators Without Borders, a group that provide pro bono facilitation services for communities in need. Tim talks about all these things, but mostly about how to "think better,? the challenges of writing and publishing, and the responses he's received so far to his book. Tim is a founder of ThinkX Intellectual Capital (www.thinkxic.com) and an in-demand innovation consultant and public speaker. He is also is a great story teller with a great sense of humor, so this interview goes by in a flash.

This is an interesting and informationally dense interview, be prepared to take notes! Over 70 books have been written about Thomas Edison, "Innovate Like Edison" is different, it's the first to elucidate how Edison did Innovation. This book puts forward more detail about how he worked and his methods with teams, research, and more. This is a book that we can learn from and adopt. The Innovise Guys talk to the great grand niece of Edison, Sarah Miller Caldicott, an innovator in her own right, and co-author of this important new book about innovation process. As usual the Guys have fun with serious content and they explore the books ideas with Sarah. Included are a review of Edison's "five competencies of innovation," his innovation and problem solving assessments (that you can access in the book), various other Innovation tools and techniques, and what it was like to work with illustrious co-author Michael Gelb. For more information about Sarah and the book, visit www.sarahcaldicott.com.

Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, had this to say about the authors of This Is Not the Life I Ordered: "Kudos to the amazing strength of these women! This book is the needed inspiration to survive the worst luck and circumstances that catch women unexpectedly. Stories of almost unimaginable pain and tragedy: the death of loved ones, being witness to mass murder, the loss of an esteemed job after years of loyalty, and the reversal of fortunes. But more importantly, these are stories of individual strength to transform shock, despair, and paralysis into sheer will and guts. It contains the innate resources we have to climb out of the abyss and into a new life with unexpected happiness." In this podcast, The Innovise Guys talk to two of the authors, Deborah Collins Stephens and Michealene Cristini Risley about their book which celebrates sisterhood, community and creative re-framing of lives gone horribly awry -- and how hope, optimism, humor and acceptance can open the way to gratitude and acceptance of what life deals you. The guys want to also mention that they think, on top of everything else, these brainy, resilient, funny women are "major babes".

The Los Angeles Times – once wrote, "Fresh out of college, Marty Sklar was overwhelmed to find himself as Walt Disney's newest writer.? Sklar, in awe, dutifully followed Disney around, scribbling down Disney's orders, ideas and, occasionally, one-line gems. Many years after Walt's death, Sklar recognized this treasure-trove of wisdom and created "Mickey's Ten Commandments?, one of the most widely circulated creeds and a bible of the theme park industry."The lessons became a cornerstone of Sklar's own iconic reputation at Walt Disney Co., where he is among the last of a generation of creative minds who worked with the founder--so closely in his case that he became known as the Sorcerer's Apprentice?. "When people see Marty, they see Walt," says a former colleague. "When Marty says something is good, it's almost like Walt says it's good." He has also been called "the Jiminy Cricket? of Disney. Sklar led Disney Imagineering for over three decades. The Innovise Guys tracked down Marty at the ACA conference in Austin this past spring where he keynoted (American Creativity Association meeting). In this short but sweet interview, we learn of brainstorming and creativity Disney-style and about some of the methods behind the fairy dust. "There are two ways to look at a blank piece of paper," says Sklar, "One way is to see it as the most frightening thing in the world because there is nothing on it, and you have to make the first mark. The other way is to see the blank sheet as the greatest opportunity in the world.... You can let your imagination fly in any direction." Let's "Wish upon a star …?, shall we?

Bijoy Goswami is an interesting man. He's the author of The Human Fabric, CEO of Aviri Corporation, and a founder of the Austin Boostrap Network. He's well educated of course -- Stanford -- but what makes him interesting is his diverse background and his ability to blend eastern and western concepts into new ways of being effective in the business world. A highly creative individiual Bijoy is very articulate when it comes to talking about start-ups, and creativity and innovation. Gregg caught up with Bijoy at Cafe Caffeine in Austin, Texas while there on his own book tour for Jack's Notebook. This is a concise and information packed interview, for more about Bijoy see: www.http://www.aviri.com/bijoy.htm and for more about the Austin Boostrap Network, see: http://www.bootstrapaustin.org/.