Express Yourself this Summer

As children, we are creators. We use our hands and our mouths, our hearts and our imaginations, to sing and dance and draw and build and dream. If we go into any first grade classroom and ask, "Who here can sing? Who here can dance?" we'll see most of the little hands shoot up in the air, screaming, "I can! I can! Watch me!"

But as we enter the high school years, even young people with great voices and agile bodies no longer feel comfortable saying they're a singer or a dancer--not without years of training and unwavering public approval. As we become adults in this culture, the playful arts of our childhood often become even more distant strangers. Stroking the keys of a piano or holding charcoal between our fingertips is given up in favor of the more pressing demands of career, money and relationships. We forget how much the act of creating is a birthright to being human.

But it doesn't have to be this way. We are never too old to remember, reclaim and re-engage our unique voice and self-expression.

It's our special challenge as adults to express who we've now become and to reconnect with that creative spirit that we have hidden in some deep but retrievable place inside us. As Albert Camus wrote, "A man's work is nothing more than to rediscover, through the detours of art, those one or two images in the presence of which his heart first opened."

It's also our challenge to help each other take the kinds of risks necessary to bring out all our voices, whether creaky, sore or smooth.

If you're in Chicago, I invite you to create with me this summer. Here are a few ways:

1. Our next Creativity Jam is scheduled for Sunday late afternoon, July 25th. Email me for more information or to RSVP and come join us.

2. I'm bringing people together--of all artistic inclinations--to develop The Malaise County Fair, an audience-participation show like no other you've seen before. Want to participate?

3. Let me help you learn to jam with others and play your own songs, whether with guitar, keyboards or other instruments. Read more here and check out the details on my website on my music coaching lessons.

It's time for me to take a little break from this blog to work on my own creative pursuits and to get a little freedom from the computer oppression we all are dealing with these days. Click on one of the themes, below right, or search using the window top left, for previous blog entries to help inspire you to be a force for creativity and innovation in your own life. Here's to letting it out this summer.

Putting on a Show in the 21st Century

I really like the two theater trends I've noticed in the past decade or two--going to a show often offers an experience that feels much more like the circus or a rock concert.

Take a look at the final scene (right and video here) of Lookingglass Theater's production of Hephaestus here in Chicago (now extended for two more weeks to June 20), playing in our esteemed Goodman Theatre. The story of Hephaestus, the Greek god who could forge anything out of metal, is played out in an amazing array of physical and circus performances, swinging from the rafters, flipping from ribbons and navigating the trapeze. Yes, those are seven high wire performers, including veteran members of the Wallenda Family, Ringling Bros. and Cirque du Soleil, way up above the audience (click the pic to see video of it live). I believe the future here is in the merging of narrative and acrobatic acts of wonder, as seen in Hephaestus, illustrating how innovation comes through hybrids--the combining elements in ways not quite seen before.

Now I am someone who sometimes finds myself disengaged during theater, so I welcome these physical feats as a way to draw me in. The popular physical acts of our time--Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Stomp and others--are also tremendously creative, surprising us with new ways to entertain and astound. Here in Chicago I've been dazzled by the circus-like spectacles of Redmoon Theatre (the pic I took below is a Redmoon spaceman above the crowd at the recent Columbia College Manifest) and the acrobatic wonders of the smaller Ameba Dance ensemble. I find, though, that the narrative element that I need to be fully drawn in is not always there.

The other theater trend--the full-band, rock out shows perhaps first popularized by"Rent"--also works in engaging me and has thankfully updated the musical for a post-Beatles world. I'd like to hear what your favorites have been.

But I'd still like to see theater innovate further by engaging the audience even more, experimenting with removing the fourth wall from the performance. I always ask myself, how can a show enable the audience to participate even more, perhaps even shape the content of the evening? Certainly we see occasional attempts toward audience participation in improv shows, who-done-it capers (where the audience decides on the villain or outcome), Tony 'n Tina's Wedding and the like. But generally the roles are minimal and we are still seated spectators, not exhilarated participators. For years I've been working on my own version of the audience-participation show, The Malaise County Fair, which would allow audience members, if they choose, to play a role in the performance (contact me if you'd like to get involved).

What would you like to see more of as a ticket-buyer? What trends have you noticed? Do you have any other ideas for more audience participation or innovation in shows?

CEOs: "Creativity is the most important leadership quality"

It's already been two weeks since the news broke: According to a new IBM survey, CEOs have identified "creativity" as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future. We're used to hearing "innovation" bandied about in the business world, but creativity--the juice that fuels the more results-oriented innovation--doesn't get the corporate limelight nearly as much. Now it does.

"CEOs are telling us they have to be more creative," says Saul Berman, Lead Partner, Strategy and Change, at IBM. "We're not going back to the old normal." Creativity was the highest ranked leadership quality at 60%, followed by integrity and global thinking (Thanks to Fast Company for this graphic, right).

The great challenge for CEOs is dealing with increasing complexity and change on all fronts, and because of that, according to the report, "Creativity is the most important leadership quality." The best corporate executives "practice and encourage experimentation and innovation throughout their organizations." The survey was based on interviews with more than 1500 CEOs worldwide, the largest one-on-one sample known.

So what are the characteristics of a creative leader? As the graphic below reveals, the creative leader is one who invites disruptive innovation and change, can tolerate ambiguity, challenge the status quo and invent new ways of doing things. For more on this study and to get your own copy of the report, click here.

Creative Participation Opportunities Abound in Chicago right now..

Next week I'll report in more detail about the big national news on the creativity front--that CEOs have identified creativity as the most important leadership competency for the future (More here).

But it's a full moon tonight, and I want to urge you to kick up some early summer creative dust of your own. I'll be kicking the creative cat (apologies to my cat, Jupiter) myself, so if you're in Chicago, come join me for one of the following:

Tonight/Thursday, May 27, Full Moon Jam after sundown
It’s another world at the Full Moon Jam, where hundreds will be gathering tonight after sunset on the lakefront just between Lawrence and Foster. There will be fire spinners and drummers and who knows what else in Chicago’s closest outdoor approximation to Burning Man. It’s a family/community event, no alcohol, ends around 10:15pm. More info here.

Sunday, May 30, Adam/Creativity Jam Performance, 1pm
I’m performing a 45-minute set/Creativity Jam as part of the Mitziut Art Show on Sunday, May 30th , from 1:15p to 2pm. It will be mix of original and popular songs, with opportunities for you to sing and play along (song lyrics, instruments and shakers available, with dancing encouraged). It’s the kickoff set to a free, full day of music and art at the North Lakeside Cultural Center, 6219 N. Sheridan Road. Parking can be tricky so come early just in case or ride your bike—should be beautiful out.

Tuesday, June 1, Creative Energy Boost Networking, 6pm
I’ll be co-facilitating (with energy expert and facilitator extraordinaire Natalie Goldfein) a “Creative Energy Boost” networking session for entrepreneurs and independent consultant types, brought to you by the Big Ooga. Natalie and I will facilitate a creative and interactive experience—you’ll leave with more energy, surprising ideas for what’s next in your business, and many new connections with colleagues. It’s at the 4Points Sheraton, 630 N. Rush (Rush & Ontario), from 6-8 pm. To learn more and purchase tickets (just $15): Click here. If you want to come for free, just say you are a guest of mine and RSVP to Lennie Rose: Lennie@BigOoga.com or 708-524-4562.

Wednesday, June 2, Gypsy Jam, 6:30p
Chicago non-profit Arts At Large is sponsoring this Jam dedicated to providing artists of all mediums an artistic playground--a place to come together, share ideas, inspire, support, (perchance collaborate), and yes, perform in a jam session. To sign up for a performance, contact Cindy Firing at fishopera@rcn.com/212.304.8871 asap. You can also just come to watch. More info here. Wednesday, June 2, 6:30-9:30pm, Arts at Large Office, 318 N. Lake Shore Drive. Note: Dial #100 at the front door to be buzzed in.

All of these events are participatory, guaranteed to get your creative juices moving.
Chicagoans, if you're not quite ready to participate in a jam but want to explore your musical side, I give great one-on-one starter lessons that provide an overview of music basics and get you playing songs on either keyboards or guitar in just weeks, on your schedule. Try it out and see what happens. Read more about my music coaching and six-week starter package. For those of you outside of Chicago, here's urging you to seek out--or create--creative participation opportunities of your own.

Say hi to Jupiter, the grand troublemaker.

The Creative Energy Crisis

"We're in a new kind of energy crisis—and this one's personal" ~from the Energy Project website

How energized are you when you're reading this? Do you feel in balance, on top of your life, tasks and goals--or stressed, overwhelmed and guilty for not doing more? We need energy to be creative, and too many of us are pretty maxed out.

The Way We're Working is not Working, the new book from Tony Schwartz, human performance expert and founder of the Energy Project, explores this compelling and too-often-ignored topic of personal energy. "The relentless urgency that characterizes most corporate cultures," he writes--and, I would add, organizations of all stripes and many personal lives of Americans as well--"undermines creativity...and, ultimately, performance." Schwartz has focused on how mismanaging our energy has impacted engagement in organizations (see his previous best-seller The Power of Full Engagement). His new book cites a meager 20% global workforce level of full engagement (those who consider themselves "fully engaged" at work, according to Towers Perrin) even before the recession fully hit. 57% of people work on evenings and weekends. 37% take 20 minutes or less for lunch. It's hard to be fully engaged when you're running on fumes. Creative? Forget about it.

In my role as a consultant I get to take a peek into the work lives of many different people in various industries and organizations--and it's not pretty. Almost everyone is stretched and overwhelmed, and the people who thrive tend to be those who have learned how to ignore personal needs and jump from one urgent demand to another. (Pardon me as I take a moment to vent. Perhaps I experience this more than others because of my outsider role, but it's shocking how many "successful" people cancel meetings at the last minute, don't return phone calls and don't keep their word. These integrity gaps have only widened in the past few years.)

Schwartz offers a better, and ultimately more productive, way of excelling in our ratrace world. It's by understanding and respecting the way personal energy works (see 10-minute video below for a good synopsis). Yes, high performers work hard, but they also recover their energy more than others. Humans are not unstoppable computers. We function in waves and pulses, like the heart beat, and sleep, breaks and renewal are essential for our productivity. "As addicted as we can become to the speed and intensity of our lives," Schwartz writes, "we're more creative an productive when we move intentionally between effort and renewal, action and reflection." Organizations, Schwartz explains, need to meet core energy needs of employees so that they are "freed, fueled and inspired" to bring the best of themselves to work. Those energy needs are sustainability (physical), security (emotional), self-expression (mental) and significance (spiritual). You can take the energy audit on the Energy Project website to see how well you are meeting your own energy needs.

I saw Tony at this week's international American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) conference here in Chicago, where we all ran like panting dogs from one breakout session to another, from one Expo booth to another, trying to network and learn and push ourselves to swallow everything we can (sorry, energy...though all conferences are like this, right?). I originally met him in San Francisco in the 1990s when his book, What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America, made a particular impact on me. That book described his own five-year journey across America seeking out mystics, philosophers, physicians and psychologists--an amazing feat--to understand what makes humans thrive. While his focus is a bit more on the corporate world these days, it's great to see that he continues his commitment to helping us all live a little better. And I have no doubt that our understanding of "energy"--long a buzzword in California ("You have good energy")--will become more more crucial in helping us navigate our world in the decades to come.

"Conformity Reigns but Exceptions Rule"

"Difference is a commitment to the unprecedented…a commitment to letting go.” Youngme Moon

I love Harvard professor Youngme Moon's sub-subtitle of her new book, Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd: "Succeeding in a World where Conformity Reigns but Exceptions Rule." In her book, she makes the case that true innovation--and success--comes when a business offers something meaningfully different.

As much as we Americans often claim the mantle of individuality and freedom to be different, most of us rarely are. From what we wear to what we talk about, from the party at the bar to the big wedding we attend, conformity reigns and rains and, as my poor friends here in Chicago have heard too much from me lately, I'm feeling all wet.

Moon makes the case that almost every success story of the past couple decades has been the exception to the rule, the outlier that has rejected orthodoxy, the difference-maker that did not simply compete in the same game as others. "Differentiation is not a tactic," she says. "It's not a flashy advertising campaign; it's not a sparkling new feature set. It's not a laminated frequent-buyer card or a money-back guarantee. Differentiation is a way of thinking. It's a mindset. It's a commitment. A commitment to be different, not in a superficial, I'm-going-to-offer-a-couple-of-features-my-competitor-doesn't-offer kind of way, but in a way that is fundamental and near impossible to replicate.”

Now I happen to be allergic to too much conformity, but I realize that it's often easier, and even satisfying, to conform. But creativity--which we need more than ever in our organizations and for our own personal success--requires deviance, a willingness to be different. A willingness and a mindset and a drive to be the one who doesn't do it that way, who draws outside the lines or creates meaningful new lines, who risks the stares and comments (and there will be many) from the conforming majority.

Moon's wonderful Anti-Creativity Checklist video (above) shares her top 14 ways to keep your place in the conforming majority and ensure that you won't be a difference-maker in your organization.

The "Four Cs" for 21st Century Education

Most of us know that "there is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces." So states the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a national organization comprised of both business (Apple, Intel, Adobe, HP) and education (National Education Association, Pearson, Scholastic) leaders, committed to "fusing the three Rs and four Cs." As an advocate for the skills of innovation, I'm thrilled to see attention now placed on these Four Cs, with 14 states, including Illinois, having signed on to adopt the Partnership framework as a way to ready students for the 21st century. Most of us know the three Rs are reading, writing and arithmetic, but what are the Cs?
In the Partnership framework above, the Four Cs make up the "Learning and Innovation Skills" and are as follows:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
3. Communication and Collaboration

For creativity and innovation, the framework emphasizes Thinking Creatively (brainstorming techniques, creating new ideas, refining and evaluating ideas), Working Creatively with Others (communicating new ideas, being open to diverse perspectives, demonstrating orginality, viewing failure as part of the process) and Implementing Innovations (Acting on creative ideas and contributing to a field). These are terrific guideposts.

So the question is, how do we really teach creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration? These are right brain skills, those that are most difficult to teach in a codified, regimented way. With most school systems now fixated on measurable outcomes (usually test scores), how do we make these Four Cs a priority when they are so hard to measure? Illinois, for one, has charged "core content teams" with several tasks including to "ensure that the Illinois Learning Standards embody the fusion of the three Rs and the four Cs." I'm looking forward to delving into this question and learning more about what states are really doing to embrace the framework. Let me hear from you if you know more about the progress being made.

In this Pearson Foundation video below, "Teaching Teachers to Teach 21st Century Learners," we hear from various leaders from the worlds of business and education as they discuss the importance of 21st century learning and the need for change. Partnership for 21st Century Skills President Ken Kay begins to describe the skills needed with this distinctive pairing: "Non-routine thinking" and "complex communications."


The education world has long been averse to change--in many ways we are still preparing students for a world that no longer exists. The fact that the Four Cs have been defined and already embraced by many leaders is a promising step. The conversation is happening. We'll see if that can lead to real change and better learning for our kids in the near future.

On Blindspots, Shift and Change

I woke up antsy again this morning, a common occurrence for me of late, sensing that I need a shift in life but not sure what to do or where to focus. So I write this with no conclusion planned, no lesson about creativity already identified. I am seeking a personal breakthrough, a change of perspective, right here, right now, fingertips on laptop.

I'm trying to turn toward my peripheral vision to uncover my blindspot(s)--where an answer lies--but what I see and hear instead is this constant barrage from my mind: Get to your 14 things to do, go through those 4 different pending email folders, make those calls, strategize then plan then do then act then go, go, go or you are in trouble. To escape this noise, I click on an email and suddenly find myself reading Will Marre's blog, where he is addressing something similar in his post "Take Back Your Life." He describes the increase of stress in our personal work worlds, and this part speaks to me:

Those who have decided to work for themselves as consultants or starting a new enterprise have so much pressure to outperform that the velocity of our warship has to always be moving at “warp.” If we slow down the immense gravity of our death-star economy will crush us. Whew.

That's it. The pressure I too often feel has put some kind of neck brace on me. I can't turn my head toward a very real force that is trying to get my attention. This is why I'm so antsy. I need to shift but the immense gravity weighs on me and I can't move.

So now I'm trying to access a different part of my being through the less rigid, right side of my brain. I rifle through some writing and find a poem of mine that recalls a long-ago moment in Napa, CA. Yes, this is close to the feeling I'm having.

...I cool against this tree trunk
with the wood-wind in my hair

and the sound of motors

in my mind

I remember the need I felt then to dip my head into some different kind of water:

Right now I crave water that has the texture of birth

and I would dip my head in it to show

what can be replaced

My hair would not turn gold
like the boy from the story

but I would find alloys from this strange land

in the puddle near the drain

of the bin I wash in

to start my day

I just took a shower. I was consciously trying to wash out the "alloys" from my hair in order to feel different, to emerge with a new mindset that would enable me to see what I needed to do in a way I couldn't before. But I discovered that nothing washed out of my hair. The alloys, if anything, were now a more permanent part of me--the gray in my hair. Which I realize I can cover or hide but can never replace.

Opening Day: Creative Renewal or Time-Suck of Distraction?

I live just six blocks from Wrigley Field, and being a life-long Cubs fan I felt compelled to at least mingle with the crowd on opening day this week. So I hit the streets of blue early Monday afternoon. But I went also mulling over a big question for me this season: Is spending Cubs time helping or killing my creative life? I know willing to embrace failure is certainly a key creativity principle--and the Cubs embody that more than any other sports team on the planet (more than 100 years without a World Series title)! But watching games and following stats and news can also be a huge time-suck of distraction as a passive spectator, taking away from the time and focus I need to be a creative actor in the world. What to do this year? Well, now was the time to check it out.

Soon I joined the hundreds of folks in the streets surrounding the ballpark, excitement brimming, as I watched a television interview (that's Sarah Kustok from Comcast Sports interviewing a fan--already some creative interaction!), and headed over to Murphy's Bleachers, one of the classic bars kitty-corner from the stadium, where I thought I might find a friend of mine. It was packed and, of course, filled with people who had started drinking before noon. "What happens at Wrigley stays at Wrigley," I heard one guy slur. I liked that notion--that anything is possible--but my stomach cringed at seeing the tables and tables of already-consumed beer (see pic). I certainly believe that drinking can at times stimulate the creative process, but overall the scene reminded of the lost hours (including the debilitating hangover) that ultimately tend to numb rather than enliven my creative life.

Now, I wasn't planning to go into the stadium, but I couldn't resist querying some of the scalpers and soon learned that I might be able to snag a cheaper ticket than I had imagined, maybe even face value. As I debated with myself whether I could afford the time, I weaved through the crowds, past the Harry Caray statue, among the smiling children and the long-suffering but happy-at-the-moment grandparents, to the lines of eager fans waiting to get in. Hmmm. And as fate would have it, I somehow came across a regular guy with an extra ticket who was willing to give it away for a song. After a brief negotiation, I would join him for the irresistible price of just $20! Holy Cow! I was in.

And look at these seats! Magnificently located on the first base side, a beautiful cool day, a Pepsi in my hand, this was nice. I know a hell of a lot more about the Cubs and their players than I should admit, so it was only minutes before I had already made friends with three other guys sitting around me, discussing last year's hitting slump, the worst fielder ever (Soriano), and the potential of the pitching staff. Before we knew it, the Cubs homered once and then twice, and soon we had a victory on opening day, baby!

Now the truth is, baseball is not that exciting. It helps when you know the players and strategy, but even given that I often start to get antsy by the 6th inning. So why do I go? What do I care? Again, I ask, is it worth the brain space and the time?

There is something wonderful about being a Cubs fan, which connects you in spirit to millions of people around the world. There is something about the taste of possibility on your tongue, the stirring of creativity embodied by the "It's Gonna Happen" signs that set a vision of the future. It helps me imagine a different world, where the Cubs are victors and our decades of suffering can be transformed with a swing of the bat and a final strike out pitch. But. But. But. It's heresy, I know, but coming out on opening day has confirmed for me that I have to make a change this year. Say it ain't say so, millions might carp, but I have come to this conclusion. I need to get out on my own field more this year. I have to be more of a creator. Cubs, I love you, but I can't do this anymore.

Dean Kamen, Captain Creative

I don't know all that much about Dean Kamen, known most commonly as the inventor of the Segway, but I believe he's the closest thing we have to an American Creative Superhero. He demonstrated his latest miracle invention--the robotic LUKE (as in Skywalker) arm--this week on the Stephen Colbert Show. Check out this more in-depth talk/demonstration he gives for TED, which shows even more what Luke can do (Video here).

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Dean Kamen
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Kamen is one of those rare inventor-entrepreneur-visionaries of a generation, like Buckminster Fuller of the the previous, who uses his mental genius for good, despite a world not always ready to receive. His Slingshot is a good example; it's a water purifying system that is portable, ecologically friendly and miraculous, able to literally turn urine, dirty puddles and who-knows-what-else into drinking water, with minimal energy requirements. It can literally transform the developing world. Unfortunately, our short-term, profit-motivated mindset derails this kind of innovation (alas, there ain't much money in it), so no wide distribution. Yet. Check out this video for more on the Slingshot.

The more you learn about Kamen (and please share what you know), the more he looms like a character from Marvel Comics, commandeering a grand fortress of a company (I believe an island, jets and helicopters are involved). After years of financial success and accumulated, cutting-edge technical resources, he is able to focus on world-changing innovations like few others, uniquely positioned to take on projects and requests he wants to pursue. Let's hope he doesn't get lured to dark side like the outrageously wealthy, power-thirsty inventors Super/Spider/Batman often battles.

For now, his company Deka Research and Development continues to take on pressing problems of our time, particularly those involving solar energy and water. As an inventor, Kamen holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. He is the founder of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a program that includes the greatest student robot competition of our time, which will take place in just seven days in front of more than 50,000 fans at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. May the Creative Force continue to be with him.