Trying to find a creative solution to a problem, but feel like you are running into a wall? Do you feel like you got stuck with the “non-imaginary gene”? This is normal. In fact, according to a global study, 75% of people feel they are not as creative as they could be. That’s just 25% of people who hold a positive perception of their creative abilities. Often times, a lack of creativity and “out of the box” thinking is a product of narrow perspective.

I once led a group of graduate students in a creative exercise to develop a new program within an existing organization. Several parameters were included in the assignment, including the mandatory inclusion of the organization’s existing infrastructure and the new program had to enhance service at no additional cost to program participants or the organization. What was the group to do? This is a common situation faced by many.

I armed each student with a Post-It note pad and a pen and let them know we were going for a walk. I let the group know as we walked out the door that we were going to literally “get out of the box” so they could think “out of the box.” What exactly is entailed in thinking “out of the box?”

Thinking “out of the box” means to think in an alternative manner in addressing whatever task you have at hand. Alternative thinking means that you must look for solutions that are not common. So how does one go about thinking about what people don’t normally think about? And how can we expect people to think "out of the box" if they lack confidence in their abilities to be creative? Here are 7 creativity-boosting tips that the grad students learned that day that I believe can help anyone (or any group) “rev up” their creative mindset while increasing confidence.

1.      Change your perspective- LITERALLY!
This may mean getting away from your desk, your living-room, or your normal surroundings. I had the group take a walk so that the “box” that they were in could be expanded. From fresh surroundings we can free up fresh ideas. At times we stress out our creative processor when we get stuck. Changing what is coming into your mind (your physical perceptions) can help you get unstuck through re-focus.

2.      Don’t limit your thinking- 
Once out, I told the group to think as a customer about a new program that they would appreciate. I told them that the sky is the limit, use up every sticky note if need be. I told them to jot one idea on one sticky note as the ideas came to them. No idea should be pre-judged. Just write! Unfortunately, we can censor out great ideas too early in the thinking process. Be open to what is in your mind, without judgment, and let the ideas pour out.

3.      Shift your mindset- 
I had the group think from a customer perspective-looking backwards. Looking at the end result (what you would like) and working backwards helps shift your mindset and perspective to see additional possibilities. Often when we are thinking up from the "creator" side, it's hard to see. Looking from someone else's point of view is very helpful.

4.      Look for patterns and trends- 
Once back inside the classroom from the “out of the box” walk, we arranged everyone’s sticky notes on the wall. We looked for patterns (like ideas) and put them atop one another until we had all unique ideas. We then looked for trends and themes. (Note- This is the starting place if you are creative brainstorming on your own). By arranging the thoughts (idea notes) into themes we then have better grouping to think through. What’s really fun about this stage is that in a group, it can be pretty funny to see what some people wrote down. You begin wondering about just how random your co-workers thoughts are. The act of laughter, however, can help relieve pressure, build collaboration, and free up creativity moving forward. For an individual who is going through this, you might question your sanity. Again, smile at the sense of humor that is within you that just popped out on a Post-It note.

5.      Be open- 
Like I said, don’t self-censor. Ask yourself (or your group) questions as to the pros and cons of each idea. Trends will begin to appear again and the ideas can be refined further. My group refined over 150 ideas down to 6 within about 30 minutes. The group then voted for the top 3. A vote with just the top 3 was then taken. If you think that was the end-WRONG! The next step is really important.

6.      Put your ideas to the test- 
The "final" vote was a pulse of where the group was. Had they stopped there, they’d have missed the best and creative idea. I then asked each of the people who voted for a particular idea, why they felt it was the most creative solution and why it was so great. I also asked if there were any weaknesses to the idea. Each vote justification and criticism was given and recorded.

7.      Be willing to have an “ah-ha” moment! – 
Most people would have thought that the idea with the most votes would have clearly been the best choice, instead, the students each had an “ah-ha” moment as votes began changing. Somehow, thinking through and talking through the positives and shortcomings of each idea shifted people’s thinking. In the end, the group reached consensus on a highly creative solution that they were very confident in and VERY proud of!

Regardless if you are trying to figure out how to decorate your living room, or if your group is coming up with ideas to build revenue, by changing your perspective, both figuratively and literally, and taking the time to think through the pros and cons, success can be had. Creativity is about letting your imagination run wild and then reeling it back in and examining it to best fit the application. Now, go be creative!

I have been "baby-sitting" my son's dog for about a month now. This is not the first "long-term sleep-over" for her. Last year we had her while we were pouring over 2,000 sq. ft. of concrete in the backyard; which meant she was cooped up in the house for way too many hours on end. Bella is a 3 year-old Husky. She came to my son as a rescue and should serve as the poster-animal for rescue animals. Bella does tricks, she is well mannered, and says "I love you." She's an all around great dog.

Saturday I decided that I would take Bella (and myself) on a nice walk. When you live in Southern California, there is just some sort of magnetic pulse that beckons you out of the house to enjoy the weather. I bundled up as, although the sun was up, the morning air was still chilly, and I grabbed Bella's leash. She bolted to the front door, prancing at the prospect of going for a walk. Now, I'm a walker and runner, I love to be out, traversing the neighborhoods, the bike paths, and up the streets. Bella was so excited she was yanking me to get going as I set my GPS. Finally, GPS on "start walking" and we were off!

Bella was so excited and began "leading" me on our journey. It was like she was on a mission to show me the world! Her ears were upright and she needed to inspect everything. With every sound throughout the neighborhood she took notice. Every sense in Bella's body was working overtime and there seemed to be an urgency in her to experience something! If she could say more than "I love you," she'd have been saying, "Come on! Come on! Come on! I have so much cool stuff to show you!"

Although I felt like a racehorse being released from the shoot when Bella decided we "were off to the races," the pace that Bella had me going was not my "normal pace." She actually slowed me down. Yes, here was a "spaz" dog yanking me down the street and I'm saying she's the slow one. It dawned on me, it wasn't really the pace that seemed slow, it was the world around me. You see, in Bella's world the world is much too interesting to just pass things by without taking notice. My "normal" pace was not much faster (if at all) than the pace that Bella had me on. What was different was what I was "forced" to see. Bella was so excited to show me "her world."

Honestly, Bella's world is pretty cool. What's even better, is her world is our world too. The leaves on the ground, a rock, the branches in a tree, they all look different when you take a moment to stop and look. Without rushing by or absorbed in the "pumping" music I normally have from my ear buds, I was able to really take in the world around me. Rather than looking at the obvious, "Oh their yard looks nice," or "I like the paint on that house," Bella showed me just how many beautiful, interesting, and disgusting things are out along our path. Most of these things I wouldn't have even noticed, if not for the dog.

This made me think, how many things do we just sail past in a day? How much beauty and awesomeness to we just pass by as we are looking at the obvious? My challenge for you, and myself, is to slow down and think about the world around you from the perspective of the dog. How can we tap into excellence and drive excellence without first appreciating how truly excellent a world we live in?

My inspiration for writing It! Happens: A Practical Guide to Finding Your It came in realizing that there are so many people in this world that are crippled by not taking action out of fear. Not that everyone walks around afraid to try new things or think for themselves, but fear, I have found is an inhibitor of action and growth for many. Some people don't want to look dumb; others are afraid if they do something the way they feel it should be done (for better results) that their ideas will not be accepted. Excellence, on the other hand has a foundation of love or positivity. By breaking through the shackles within our own perceptions and shifting our outlook we can crush the fear within us and produce greatness; and so many of you have this but we just need a mind shift!

There are so many "it" stories. I have shared a few of these with you in It! Happens: A Practical Guide to Finding Your It. What is your it? Did you have it and not even realize it? Did you experience an affirmation of your perspectives on doing things with excellence, just because you can? I'd love to hear from you and hear your it stories. It is my intent to find inspiration in the wonderful stories you share that may help other people become inspired. What greater legacy can we leave than to inspire a world to excellence?!

Let's start talking about it. What it means to you and what your it has produced.

Tell me about it.....

It has been said that "the world is your oyster." It therefore stands to reason, that the value of the pearl is determined by you! Your pearl, is not a pre-determined value, limited to your environment, your experience, your education, your family, your pedigree, etc. The value of your pearl is vast and limitless. Imagine for a moment you are the subject of a MasterCard commercial. It would go something like this:
-
Buying pizza for your co-workers- $45.
Supporting the fundraiser at your kid's school- $25
Handing the cash in your pocket to the person in line
at the grocery store that didn't have enough money- $20
Your Pearl- PRICELESS

Your value is not set by anyone or anything other than you. What you give and how you add excellence and value to this world enables YOU to establish your value. When you do something kind for someone just because you can- not because you have to- your value is increased. The world IS your oyster! You have infinite and limitless value... what is the value of your pearl?