Showing titles in Creativity

Creative problem-solving is at the heart of innovation, and some of the world's most innovative companies are very systematic in following this approach. Most people would assume that creativity and discipline can't coexist, and that only when resources are replete and the talent best-in-class can one be creative. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, creativity thrives amid constraints and calls for great discipline.

How can you generate novel ideas like a creative genius? What if you could brainstorm ideas with joy and ease, on your own and in a team? If you are looking for tools, techniques, and inspirations to unlock your creativity, The Art of Brainstorming is the audiobook for you! Since its birth in the early 1940s, brainstorming has continuously spread, especially in professional environments. Every day, many brainstorming sessions are held worldwide to generate novel ideas in many areas, from consumer research and marketing to advertising campaigns.

Productive Accidents shows how a framework for curiosity and creativity can also be a recipe for innovation and adventure. There are 10 actionable insights that can be applied by individuals, families, or companies. The more you experiment with these ideas the more you realise that serendipity can be predictable and repeatable experience.

From the creative mind and heart of designer Adam J. Kurtz comes this upbeat rallying cry for creators of all stripes. Expanding on a series of popular essays, this handwritten and heartfelt book shares wisdom and empathy from one working artist to others. As wry and cheeky as it is empathic and empowering, this deceptively simple book will be a touchstone for writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else who wants to be more creative - even when it would be easier to give up and act normal.

Bob Johansen lays out the core concepts of full-spectrum thinking and reveals the role that digital media - including gameful engagement, big-data analytics, visualization, blockchain, and machine learning - will play in facilitating and enhancing it. He offers examples of broader spectrums and new applications in a wide range of areas that will become possible first, then mandatory. This visionary book provides powerful ways to make sense of new opportunities and see the world as it really is.

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Hear the guide that New York Times best-selling author Ransom Riggs called "the best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."

For those who struggle with negative thoughts, overthinking, and procrastination, the answer to a more organized and productive lifestyle is right in your hands! This audiobook is an informative guide designed to help people of all ages and lifestyles find the most effective steps needed in order to recognize what is most important in any situation.

This new edition of Microcosm's popular DIY guide to zine making is updated to address zine making in today's digital- and social-media-obsessed world. Covering all the bases for beginners, Make a Zine hits on more advanced topics like Creative Commons licenses, legality, and sustainability. Make a Zine also takes a look at the burgeoning indie comix scene with a solid and comprehensive chapter by punk illustrator Fly.

Struggling to start your novel? Stuck in the middle? Finished a first draft, but it doesn't really grab you? This short, easy-to-follow book helps you speed through your first draft, minimize major rewrites, and keep readers turning the pages. Using specific questions and prompts to expand and focus your story idea, plus examples from plots as diverse as The Terminator, The Awakening, and Gone with the Wind, best-selling author L. M. Lilly talks you through the five simple steps she's used to write every novel she's published.

The world is flooded with information, but starving for wisdom. Many feel a sense of overload, anxiety, and a general state of restlessness. Eastern cultures refer to the monkey mind and respond with yoga and meditation. Western civilization has identified a series of disorders and related prescription drugs. All of this can help, but what is the complete and balanced solution? How do we get grounded, despite all the confusion? How do we build a solid foundation that assures solid, authentic growth?

Having trouble achieving your goals? The reason most people aren't successful is they fail to follow a day-by-day strategy. Instead they start each day, "hoping" they will have enough time to take action on their goals. If you closely examine the world's most successful people you'd see they start each day in an energized state, ready to accomplish any goal. What's their secret? Put simply, successful people have morning routines that help them feel energized and ready to focus on their most important goal.

Popular creative coach Gail McMeekin, author of the best-selling The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, offers a wealth of advice for the specific challenges creative women face today: thinking too small, underestimating the need for change, fearing the future, and lacking self-confidence. McMeekin combines interviews with some of today’s most successful women and her own proven success strategies to help readers transcend their “blocks” and achieve success.

When BIC, manufacturer of disposable ballpoint pens, wanted to grow, it looked for an idea beyond introducing new sizes and ink colors. Someone suggested lighters.

Imagine unleashing your creativity by enjoying the benefits of the type of mental play that helped inspire the theory of relativity. Or evaluating your business climate with the keen observation and open mind that yielded the theory of evolution. The individuals behind these revolutions of thought live on in our collective memory as models for tackling the challenges that lie ahead.

Musicians know how to stay ahead of the beat. Forced to find new ways to adapt to accelerating change, musicians are masters of innovation. Demystifying their process for the first time, Two Beats Ahead reveals what we can learn from today's top musical minds. Drawing from interviews and case studies with masterminds like Quincy Jones, Jimmy Iovine, Dr Dre, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams, as well as leaders at Google X and Amazon, this book identifies the key lessons and skills musicians can teach us about innovation.

Imagine having your own personal mentor - someone encouraging yet honest, supportive yet empowering, who could help you set and achieve your goals, turn your moments of doubt and fear into sources of strength, and discover what you’re truly capable of when you’re at your best. Kendra Levin is that mentor. And with The Hero Is You, she’s here to help you do the best writing of your life - and live your best life while doing it.

Every day we deal with the unplanned and the unexpected, from a broken toaster to losing (or gaining) a major client. Our natural ability to improvise gets us through. But we feel as if we’re winging it, rather than acting with courage and conviction. Robert Poynton teaches his acclaimed method to some of the world’s biggest brands and companies. Now, he shows us how these improvisational skills can be applied to the everyday business of work and life – helping us to navigate daily obstacles and reminding us how the unplanned and the unexpected can be a source of wonder and delight.

Life can be crazy with the demands of the world pressing against our every moment, but there's hope. Writing and authorship might not be for everyone, but how do you know if you never give it a try? From start to finish, Think, Write, Publish will help you along the way. From coming up with book ideas to finding pockets of time in the day to do the writing itself, everything is covered.

In 2012, fiction author Monica Leonelle made a life-changing decision to learn to write faster. Through months of trial-and-error, hundreds of hours of experimentation, and dozens of manuscripts, she tweaked and honed until she could easily write 10,000 words in a day, at speeds over 3500+ words per hour!

"At the heart of this simple book lies the key to many of the struggles we face these days, from being productive and achieving our goals, to getting healthy and fit in the face of fast food and inactivity, to finding simplicity and peace amidst chaos and confusion. That key itself is simple: focus. Our ability to focus will allow us to create in ways that perhaps we haven’t in years. It’ll allow us to slow down and find peace of mind. (Leo Babauta)