Making-Original-Products-presentationzen

You Are Creative
Creative power and creative imagination are not only for the artists of the
world—painters, sculptors, and so on. Teachers also need the power of
creativity. So do programmers, engineers, scientists, etc. You can see the
application of creative genius in many professional fields. Remember, it was
a group of brilliant and geeky-to-the-core, left-brain NASA engineers on the
ground who were able to jury-rig a solution to the life-threatening buildup
of carbon dioxide in the damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft back in 1970. Their
heroic fix—literally involving duct tape and spare parts—was ingenious
improvisation; it was imaginative and creative.
Being creative does not mean wearing a black turtleneck and hanging
out in jazz cafés sipping cappuccinos. It means using your whole mind to
find solutions. Creativity means not being paralyzed by your methods and
knowledge, but being able to think outside the box (sometimes very quickly)
to find solutions to unforeseen problems. This kind of situation requires logic
and analysis, but also big-picture thinking. And big-picture thinking is a rightbrain,
creative aptitude.
Back down here on earth, the seemingly mundane business of a conference
presentation, designed and delivered with the help of slideware, can be a
very creative thing. A presentation is an opportunity to differentiate yourself,
your organization, or your cause. It’s your chance to tell the story of why
your content is important and why it matters. It can be an opportunity to
make a difference. So why look or talk like everyone else? Why strive to meet
expectations? Why not surpass expectations and surprise people?
You are a creative person—probably far more creative than you think. All
people should work toward tapping into their creative abilities and unleashing
their imaginations. If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland (Graywolf Press) is
one of the most inspiring and useful books I have ever read. The book was first
published in 1938 and probably should have been titled “If You Want to Be
Creative.” Her simple yet sage advice will be of interest not only to writers but
to anyone who yearns to be more creative in their work or to help others get in
touch with their creative souls (this goes for programmers and epidemiologists,
as well as designers and artists). This book should be required reading for all
professionals and especially those aspiring to teach anyone about anything.
Following are ideas inspired by Brenda Ueland that you should keep in mind
when preparing for a presentation or any other creative endeavor in your work.
Chapter 2 Creativity, Limitations, and Constraints
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