In this line of work, it really feels like creativity is a way of life, not just a skill you have or a thought process you must endure. Being creative consultants for a wide array of clients requires flexible thinking, curiosity, critical analysis, and understanding the market. These skills are all a part of the lifestyle of becoming a creative person who takes everything around them and can draw connections that others may not, be able to adapt quickly based on new developments, and be able to dream in ways that others may not dare.
It's really cool to be in such an environment that nurtures you to think in so many different ways. I always knew the learning curve would be steep, but only now do I really get to appreciate what it is like. I remember when I was still back in LA, trying to ask questions about how things work over here. Perhaps I never got any fully satisfactory answers because it boils down to the story of my life: it's complicated. In fact, on a day to day basis different challenges arise, from clients who are requesting more thoughts from us to coworkers who are getting sick (and infecting the lot of us). I find that even in my way of dealing with something like avoiding the flu or cold, there is leeway to be creative in my own right (aka the types of new things I try out to prevent from getting sick).
I really enjoy living and breathing creativity like this. It could be just in how I choose to organize my ideas one day or it could be in how I decide to manage my time. Everything I do allows me the freedom to think critically about what would work best in that circumstance, with my type of personality and preferences. So much thinking also requires a lot of time away from the issues, to let them incubate before I come back to developing them. I really wish I had some sort of mindless work to do in between major thinking sessions, like updating the website or sketching/molding random images that could be a new mascot. I think I wouldn't even mind handling some number problems, now that my life is consumed with words!
Recently I've been reading Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner (my interest in his thoughts began back in middle school) and I'm at the chapter where he talks about creativity. He mentions some companies that have taken unconventional approaches and also mentioned skunkworks a few times, which really captured my attention. Throughout the rest of the day, I found my mind wandering to how I can run a company that fosters creativity.
Things I have considered are no designated work hours, time off each week for a personal development activity of your choice (whether it's crocheting or taking a class), no dress code, customized work spaces (You want toys? Ok! You want a beanbag for a chair? Sure. You want a clear desk? Alright!), and pretty much just more flexibility all around. I would totally get a kick out of themed job titles, so rather than say you are a manager or blah blah blah officer, you'd be something completely arbitrary - Bamboo or Venus Flytrap. Or, alternatively, titles could really just be evolved nicknames, so someone in the office who may love to tidy can be Feather Duster while someone else who sleeps a lot can be Sloth or Zombie or something.
I don't know if I can ever implement measures like that and still find quality people who won't use that as an excuse to slack off - "oh, I'm just being creative right now" - you know? But hey, it's something to look into and consider.
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Namecards, or business cards, are one of those things that are really helpful in the business world. Though you can come up with various creative designs to try to stand out, what ultimately matters is a clean look with key (mostly contact) information. It's pretty much a standard to hand someone a business card when you make a contact or find someone interested in learning more about what you or your company can do for them. While you want to get your name out there and encourage follow-ups, you also don't want to throw cards at anyone you come across, especially if you haven't even spent a few minutes to talk to them. My decision to come to Singapore was largely based on feeling. It seems that I am allowing my intuition to guide me far more than I ever allowed before. I don't know if this is my quarter-life crisis, the result of maturing, or just a random epiphany, but it is becoming more pervasive in everything I do. Perhaps in growing up and learning to open your mind to things, you also learn how to trust your instincts. Maybe there really is something to your gut instincts. Whatever the case, I have been paying more attention to what my heart tells me over what my head may want to say. And you know what? It feels good. A lot of people seem to think that being messy means being disorganized. What they don't realize is that there is a method to the madness, if you will. Sometimes it's just a matter of how I like to arrange things. The sad thing is, I'm the only one who knows how to navigate this personal system. But nevertheless, just because I don't put things away in compartments, files, folders, and boxes doesn't mean I don't have a system. In fact, I have a very complicated system that involves multiple possible places for things. Today at dinner I was struck my the most fantastical notion of customized menus. See, when the waitress asked me if it was ok that there is pork in my shrimp wontons, I started to imagine a place where the waitress would ask for any food allergies you may have before you order. That idea then developed into having electronic menus that would update according to what items you could or could not eat and keep track of your favorite dishes as well as what you ordered recently. Every first-time customer could then just input their own data and from then on they could be given a membership card to be scanned upon each visit, pulling up their personal data. Cool, no? A low-cost version of this could just be printing menus for people with certain nut allergies, seafood allergies, or vegetarian all the way to vegan preferences. You know, money can become a major inconvenience when you're out of the country. Thankfully, in this day and age it's rather convenient, what with accounts accessible online, but nonetheless I find it difficult to get things done as efficiently. With tax season in full swing, I am getting concerned about filing my own tax returns this time around. There's a form that I need that I don't believe I have, but being away makes it difficult for me to ensure I have it in time for the deadline. Why do people have this aversion to bugs (and amphibians and reptiles)? Generally they are not going to hurt you and if you just let them be, they will not bother you too. Yet, it seems that a dislike for these creatures is widespread, from girls who squeal and hide to guys who rush off in a different direction. Reactions and distaste can range from just avoiding them as much as possible to chasing after them in an attempt to kill them. But for me, it's a completely different story. I spent nearly two hours discussing ideas and philosophies with a coworker today, as he shared with me his thoughts and observations and I expressed some of my own. Though we see things from very different angles, I respect him as a capable person who is good at what he does. However, his motivations and mine are vastly different, so the way we approach and think about things is quite unlike the other. Talk about a powerhouse. I am constantly surprised at all the speeches that I hear overseas that include references to America this, America that. I mean, I know that American culture is infecting other countries, but in every area, from social to political to scientific, I am reminded again and again just how effectively this seems to be occurring. Ok, so they watch American TV dramas and movies, fair enough. Hollywood is the mecca for the entertainment industry after all. But must it also be mentioned when referencing research, political philosophies, or economic analyses? (I'm not talking about the current economy "crisis" here - I can understand how talk of that can stem from the states.) [originally posted March 17, 2009] |
laelene My philosophy is simple: things change. Therefore, we are all on a lifelong journey of discovery. We should be flexible, questioning, learning, adapting, and growing. Always. Archives
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