Outline:

• Misconceptions about creativity

• How creativity affects the brain

• How to start a creative project

• Little examples and stories sprinkled throughout

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• Creativity can be overwhelming and challenging. Why is that?

• The original idea myth

• Connecting dots and combining a lot of things (Di Vinci combining knowledge of anatomy with art/drawing)

• Original ideas (sitting in boardroom, lots of coffee) - not typically how it works

• best ideas in the shower, from a movie, anywhere (symmetry with water)

• Everyone at one point has been told, this drawing or whatever you created sucks

• Have to push through a lot of crap before it turns out okay, then it becomes a little better.

• Then you think to yourself I'm awesome, then you find out that you aren't awesome

• Where to begin?

• go on walk and do photography (practice seeing the world differently)

• pen and paper drawing

• video - use your iPhone

• Society that doesn't do anything unless it is practical - STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) but need break to be able to enjoy life and the sheer beauty of humanity

Spike Lee: "I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you're able to entertain people, you're doing a good thing."

You know where you will be at if you don't do it, but never know what could happen if you begin practicing

• New hobby -> meet new people, and practice a skill, maybe one day make money from it

Value in being creative:

• it's a muscle can be strengthened

• Maya Angelou: "You can't use it up creativity, the more you use, the more you have"

Harvard article:

• some studies show it can reduce stress, lead to happiness and fufillment

• Flow state

My challenge to audience:

• draw if you feel like drawing, take photos, design - see the tools to create art as an investment, skin in the game as they call it, use them, build upon it and share with others either individually or on social media. You never know then, who you could inspire!

Now for some inspiration check out the rest of the series for inspiration from other artists, where they began and some of the challenges they have had to overcome!

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/creative-thinking-and-the-brain