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By now, many of you have either heard Richard Florida discuss his compelling books (or you’ve seen them in the store/library). I heard him again on the radio recently, and was reminded how impressed I was with the work he’s done:

The Rise of the Creative Class and How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life
Florida, an academic whose field is regional economic development, explains the rise of a new social class that he labels the creative class. Members include scientists, engineers, architects, educators, writers, artists, and entertainers. He defines this class as those whose economic function is to create new ideas, new technology, and new creative content. In general this group shares common characteristics, such as creativity, individuality, diversity, and merit. The author estimates that this group has 38 million members, constitutes more than 30 percent of the U.S. workforce, and profoundly influences work and lifestyle issues. The purpose of this book is to examine how and why we value creativity more highly than ever and cultivate it more intensely. He concludes that it is time for the creative class to grow up–boomers and Xers, liberals and conservatives, urbanites and suburbanites–and evolve from an amorphous group of self-directed while high-achieving individuals into a responsible, more cohesive group interested in the common good. Mary Whaley, Copyright © American Library Association.

And now he’s got a new book:
The Flight of the Creative Class – The New Global Competition for Talent

Following up on The Rise of the Creative Class (2002), Florida argues that if America continues to make it harder for some of the world’s most talented students and workers to come here, they’ll go to other countries eager to tap into their creative capabilities…

Hopefully, the CEOs of America’s corporations are paying attention 🙂

This article is by Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach.

This was a very easy article to write. I was late in getting started this month, and as my publication deadline got closer and I could no longer wait until I “felt” like writing an article, I was forced to sit down and do it. In doing it, I thought about the last month (when I meant to be getting started on this as well as other creative projects), and I identified seven things that have gotten in the way of my creativity. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of these.

1. Not getting enough sleep — I noticed this one the most when I DID finally get a good, long sleep (the night before writing this, actually). All of a sudden my muse was speaking to me again (see below for more on that), the day looked positive and full of promise and I was open to the ideas that are always flowing around me. And I just plain felt good! Sleep is something I write and speak a lot about, and it’s still a practice I need to consciously keep up so I don’t slip back into bad habits.

2. Trying to do it alone — Bouncing ideas off someone else is invaluable to me. When I stop before I start (see below), and I don’t consult or collaborate with others, I miss out on the collective voices that are available to me. Just hearing my own telling of an idea — reading it aloud or describing it — can be enough. Any feedback or new ideas is a bonus. If the idea is really fresh and precious, I may ask the listener not to give feedback, and let them know I just need a sounding board at this point.

3. Stopping before I start — Not carrying out my creative projects because of self-doubt, real or imagined obstacles, perfectionism or generalized fear. When it came to writing today’s article, I had to “Just Start”.

4. Poverty mentality — It’s very constricting to be worried about money all the time. I’m doing a lot of reading and learning about this topic right now — I’m sure I’ll be able to share more in future issues.

5. A cluttered work/living space — It’s been over two years since I finished my first major de-cluttering and it’s time for another one! Exciting! While my living space has stayed tidy, some clutter (things I don’t need, use or love) has crept back in and is starting to gnaw at me.

6. Disconnection from my inner wisdom — When I’m rested and feeling well, I can much more easily tap into the ideas that are flowing around me. Whether it’s being open to something useful in an article I’m reading, or just listening for the solution of that problem I’ve been struggling with for a few days (and really, it just “came to me”), the answers are there.

7. Disconnection from my body — If I’d been paying closer attention to my body’s needs, I think I would have arranged sooner for some nights of extra sleep. I need to listen to the messages my body is sending me — do I feel nourished by the food I’m eating (or am I getting hungry too often), am I hydrated (or do I feel thirsty or light-headed, or is my skin extra-dry)? Am I showing physical signs of stress — muscle tightness, shallow breathing or headaches? My body will reward me if I listen to it, use common sense and give it what it wants.

If you saw yourself in some of these examples, take heart. Awareness is the most important step for change to take place. To look in more detail at your self-care habits, take the free quiz on the “Resources” page of my website.

© Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

About the Author …
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, Everyday Artist, subscribe at GenuineCoaching.com.

When you were a kid, did you ever have your mom or dad or a teacher turn to you, just as you were REALLY ENJOYING something, and tell you, “Settle down, you’re getting TOO excited!” Well, I did, and I believed for years, that expressing my PASSION about something (usually music) was wrong, or harmful in some way. Granted, we all need to learn “correct” social behavior, but I’m talking about something deeper …

So, this morning, when I heard a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Kay Redfield Jamison, on National Public Radio, begin with these words, she really caught my ear:

“I believe that curiosity, wonder and passion are defining qualities of imaginative minds and great teachers …”

I was reminded of the old myth: artists have to be crazy to be creative.

Gratefully, I haven’t suffered from manic-depression (or bi-polar disorder) as Jamison confesses she has, but I do know what it is to have mood swings and to work with creative people who experience them pretty regularly. It’s a relief to find this resource. Click on this link to read more…

NPR : The Benefits of Restlessness and Jagged Edges

One of the things our family is most proud of is the video interview we did some years ago with my grandfather, “Pop” Nathan Jaffe. He lived to 108 years old (passed away in 1993). He was one of those old Russian Jews who survived escaping Russia right after the turn of the last century, the Great Depression, World War II … and all that came after. We’re grateful to have had the foresight to tape his story to pass along to future generations.

Bearing that in mind, I was so pleased to hear about the Story Corps project on Nat’l Public Radio that I thought I must pass this site along to you … in case you have a friend’s or family story you’d like to share with the world.

Enjoy!

Thanks to John Gabree for sending along this excellent site:

54 Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena.

You could send it as a gift to your eye doctor! Enjoy …

In my search for a little inspiration, I tripped across this delightful site at www.dailywriting.net. It’s called The Soul Food Cafe.

“The Soul Food Cafe is a portal for artists and writers alike. It is a safe haven where creativity flourishes. The Soul Food Cafe aims to promote creative pursuits as a daily practice. The site is quite literally overflowing with healthy and tasty morsels for every artist. It’s full of tips, techniques, references and encouragement.”

Enjoy!

Whether or not we’re still in school or working at a ‘regular job,’ we all look forward to Summer vacation because it signifies a time to play. Personally, I’d rather see us integrate more play into our daily lives … and here’s a great article to back me up with the reasons why!

“Play is extremely important for humans from birth to death. Play is not meant to be just for children. It is a form of release and connection that can tap into creativity and can allow you the chance to connect with your inner child and the inner child of others.

Play is a state of mind, but it is also a state of body, emotion, and spirit. Yes…it is something you do (playing games, swinging, playing “tag”, playing with dolls), but it is also something you watch others do, and gain pleasure from simply watching.

It is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet it is something we take for granted and may forget to do. It can be entirely positive, or can be dramatic (such as acting out a thrilling or suspenseful activity). Play can be used in many ways to not only stimulate creativity but as a way to transform negative emotions. We are hardwired as adults to engage in play, and it is crucial to our vitality to spend time with play each day.

This article will address the top ten benefits of play and provide suggestions on how you can get in touch with your own creative possibilities and abilities.

Read the full article by Marianne St. Clair, The Top Ten Benefits of Play found at Creativity_Portal.com.

Enjoy!

Heard a great story on NPR (National Public Radio) this morning. You can listen to the audio clip …

When pianist Laura Rosser performs, she hears more than sounds. She hears colors — each note has its own associated hue. Rosser has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. Stimulation of one sense produces the sensation of another.

Synesthesia is rare. Perhaps one person in several thousand has it. Most of these people don’t have the form that allows them to perceive sounds as colors.

Yet a number of famous composers appear to have been synesthetes. They include Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin, and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Some research suggests musical synesthesia is more likely to come with perfect pitch.

Each synesthete has a unique system of associations. That means the periwinkle that Rosser associates with D-flat might be purple for another synesthete. Other synesthetes associate colors with letters and numbers. Rosser has this type of synesthesia as well.

Randolph Blake, a researcher at Vanderbilt University, says the brains of synesthetes appear to be wired in a way that allows signals from one sense to trigger brain circuits usually associated with another sense. But it’s unclear how this alternate wiring takes place.”

NPR : For Pianist, Music Unleashes Rainbows of Color

To mark its 70th anniversary, the British Council asked more than 40,000 people in 102 countries to come up with the most beautiful words in the English language. See the 70 most popular words from that survey.

My guess is many of these words were chosen based on how fun they are to SAY, not necessarily for what they mean.

While there, check out the winners of the contest to compose a story of 150 words, using as many of the words from the list as possible. Maybe you’ll submit a story?

Enjoy!

Here’s a blast from the past — especially from those school days in Spring — when Summer vacation just couldn’t come fast enough — and you passed the time with a buddy, playing Hangman.

This time it’s digital, and you can choose which topics interest you — and you can say you’re exercising your right brain, because you are.

Enjoy!