Wilkinson Bros’ Creative Resolution
Some of you may think this should be easy. Some of you think you don't have a creative bone in your body. Well, we’re all creatively capable and could use a little nudge:
1. Regress a Little
Beatrix Potter said, “Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” If you feel like your schooling didn’t encourage enough creativity, think of the times when your imagination wasn’t hindered by a syllabus or handcuffed by a grading system. Picasso chimes in on the subject as well: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
2. Take a Risk
According to FDR, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” What makes an effort thrilling? The potential risk. What at first seems chaotic, strange, or uncertain sometimes reflects creative perseverance. NOTE: This requires courage.
3. Opportunities Are Everywhere
“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” Because this quote belongs to Henry David Thoreau, its cheese-factor seems tolerable. He’s right. You and your workmates should encourage an environment of creativity. Employ bulletin boards to post ideas, have brainstorming sessions, lunch meetings, picnics, challenges...
4. Acknowledge Its Importance
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” “Creative” relates to imagination or original ideas. “Maladjusted” means failing to cope with the demands of a normal social environment. What creative solution lies just beyond the everybody’s-doing-it solution? It’s there (and it can be quite fruitful).
5. Chaos Can Be Good
“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star,” claimed Friedrich Nietzsche. Okay, this one is super cheesy, but it’s applicable isn’t it?
Now get out there and BE creative. Don’t put it off; December 2008 is right around the corner.
-Corey Wilkinson, Wilkinson Brothers, Inc. |