Suggestions

There was so much we tried to do and such a large area we attemped to cover, it was almost overwhelming.  Yet,  I really wanted to explore more possibilities, more ideas and go further into the concepts of the class.  Probably, I would have liked to have fewer things going on and concentrate on one thing in more depth.   It was like a snack table and I got a little bit of everything.  That was a good thing when you look at it one way.  But, I also wanted to stay for the entree and spend more quality time and energy on a topic.  I suppose it left me hungry for more.  That is also a good thing, so I’ll be watching for part II.   Thanks for a great class.

Big Picture

The big picture for me is that this course opened a lot of new ways of thinking, convergently and divergently.  Logic and creativity can compliment each other.  That was one of the questions I started out with in this class.  I have an entire new way to approach my teaching technique and I can continue to work on this in the future.  There is a wealth of information in the books we never even touch upon.  This course made me realize that I play a larger role on the effect of those in my class as far as learning and knowledge go.   If I can get them to learn and retain the knowledge, I have succeeded.  Creativity is a key factor in being able to accomplish that.

Creativity Fair

I thought the Creativity Fair turned out well.  It was a great experiance to have the person attend that actually wrote the book we were using in class.   I wasn’t particularly surprised about anything anyone said or asked.   The event probably would have turned out better if the weather had been more in our favor.   I know it kept people away because I was fielding apologies all day Tuesday. 

Secret Santa Revealed

I thought you might all find this interesting whether you believe in Santa or not.  This is real-life individual who creatively found a way to help those in need.  He has a remarkable story and there are those that would not respect his privacy.  Therefore, he decided to take the high road and beat them to the finish line.

Hi Guys,

This is a story I thought you might want to check out. This guy Larry Stewart is a good friend of Ray & Jeans (my friends from KC). They have been on several of these trips where he has given away this money at Christmas time and in times of disaster ie… Hurricane Katrina, San Diego Fires, The list goes on and on. I have had the opportunity to meet Larry on several occasions with Ray and Jean and he is an incredible person with an amazing story. I have known his identity for several years but have not been able to share it because of his wishes. I have shared the story of Secret Santa with several people since I met him but that was it. Jean called me while I was in California and told me that he was going to reveal his identity because he has had a tabloid trying to expose him. Larry has been battling Cancer since last spring.

Please keep him in your prayers. Since his story broke last week in Kansas City he has been bombarded by the media. He was on Good Morning America and David Letterman has asked him to come on his show. My guess is that he will only be able to be on a few things due to his poor health. He is a wonderful person who has helped so many. His main reason for wanting to share his story is in the hopes that his tradition of anonymous giving will be contagious and people everywhere will do that. That’s why I wanted to share his story with you. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

From: Larry Stewart To: ‘Larry J. McCormick’ Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 12:56 PM

Subject: Secret Santa Revealed

Hello all,

As many of you know the identity of the Secret Santa was revealed today in the Kansas City Star with my complete approval. There are a host of reasons I made this decision. Here is just one compelling reason:

Over the last few years, there have been those in the “media” who, for whatever reason have been trying to “expose” me. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to those of you who knew the “secret” and never gave me up.

There was a so called “publication” which has been dubbed by some as the “national Enquirer” of Kansas City. They have done everything from trying to follow me from my office to staking out an ELF and trying to follow him from his home hoping that they could confirm my identity. I don’t know why anyone would want to mess up a good thing.

After a lot of thought and discussion with family, it was unanimous that if anyone told my story it should be me and not some “rag” or other media outlet that sells “bad news”. We beat them to the punch. Now they have no “scoop”.

Now, as I “retire” from regular Secret Santa duties, I’ve decided to expand the Society of Secret Santas and therefore the Secret Santa Training School is officially open for business.

This year, there are 4 graduates of the school that are bringing a total of $70,000 in cash to be distributed a $100 at a time. Each bill will be stamped with the name “BUCK O’NEIL”. This $70k is in addition to the $100,000 that I’ve already committed to this year’s Sleigh Ride.

Below is the link to today’s KC Star story along with a gallery of photos capturing many moments from years past. I hope you enjoy the photos as they bring back special memories for me.

Also, Donna McGuire has written a book titled: Santa’s Secret: A Story of Hope. The book was released on Monday, November 13th which is Buck’s birthday. The book is available online now at www.secretsantabook.com

Here is the link to the KC Star story: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16023431.htm

Also, tonight on KMBC-TV 9 in Kansas City there will be a segment on the 10:00 PM news. If you are out of town you can get the segment at www.thekansascitychannel.com

Pass these links on to as many of your friends as you feel comfortable doing. The more books that are sold, the more people in need we can help.

God bless you all,

Larry Stewart

Famous Amos

 

 

Wally Amos, cookie entrepreneur, Famous Amos brand cookies

In 1975 Wally Amos quit his job as a theatrical agent to develop his growing hobby of baking bite-sized chocolate chip cookies. With the financial backing of friends such as Bill Cosby and Helen Reddy, he opened the first store in the world to sell chocolate chip cookies exclusively, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Famous Amos brand cookies was born and has now become a household name. Now, in the year of his company’s 25th anniversary, Wally Amos is a writer, speaker, literacy advocate and cookie entrepreneur whose trademark Hawaiian shirt and Panama hat are featured at the Smithsonian Institute. His unique, positive mental attitude inspires those who hear him speak his motto: “Nothing is an obstacle unless you say it is.”

How did you obtain this job?

In 1975 I decided I would like to do something for satisfaction instead of for the money. At the suggestion of a friend, B.J. Gilmore, I decided to open a store selling chocolate chip cookies. Little did I realize I would  be launching a career as an entrepreneur.When did you know this was your dream job?

I never looked at it as a job. I liked the idea of being responsible for the results of my actions. I like creating things and making things happen. Being an entrepreneur gives me that opportunity, in many different fields.

What do you enjoy most about this job?

The freedom it affords me. I also like the fact that it is up to me to create the results I desire.

What is an average day like?

There are no average days. Each day is different. Often times in a different city or country.

What is your educational/professional background?

I left high school six months before graduation. I don’t necessarily have a professional background. I was in the Air Force for four years. Worked at Saks Fifth Avenue for four years. Worked at the William Morris Agency for six years. I had my own personal manager business, in show business, for seven years, and from that went into the cookie business, which lead to lectures, books, video and audio cassettes, promoting literacy and other causes, etc.

What would you like to accomplish next?

I don’t have a list of goals I would like to accomplish. I live life one day at a time. Opportunities come into my life and I respond to those that appeal to me. My number one goal is peace of mind.

What has been the biggest sacrifice you have made for this job?

Again, I don’t have a job. I am doing the things I choose to do, when I choose to do them, the way I choose to do them. And I love what I’m doing. When you have those ingredients in the mix, there are no sacrifices.

Who or what has been your biggest influence in entering this field?

I have been working for myself since 1967. Doing so was a necessity because I did not like the idea of someone telling me how far I could advance. I suppose I was influenced by the desire to always do more.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to enter this field?

Be patient. Be prepared to work long hours each day for little or no salary during the early years. Always remember that you are a part of a team. Most Entrepreneurs forget that. It will help to make the following quote your mantra, ” I am more than I am but less than we are.” Know as much as possible about your chosen field. Be passionate about life and you will be passionate about what you do!

What advice would you give someone who was trying to attain his or her dream job?

Again, being patient. Sometimes you have to do a lot of things to determine what it is you don’t want to do. Along the way you pick up a lot of experience. Be open minded. You might just stumble into your dream job. LISTEN!!!! Opportunity is everywhere. A friend of mine always says, “I’m standing in possibility

Creativity/No Creativity cont………….

This is a continuation of the previous blog….

This afternoon I decided to try a different approach with my class.  I was getting the message they did not like the “motivational games” and were not sparking any creativity.  Instead, I spent a few minutes talking to them.  The question I posed was:  “What do you do outside of work that you enjoy?”  The answers I got were:  “Take care of my kids (ages 5 and 19 months). ”  “Clean my house and rearrange things because I’m frustrated.”  “Read”  

The second question was:  “Do you consider yourself creative?”  They all answered no, there was nothing creative about themselves (even the one I recognized as creative), and they couldn’t be creative if they tried.

I got an idea at that point and gave them each a piece of paper.  On that paper they were instructed to draw a square, triangle, circle or any geometric shape they preferred.  Then, they were instructed to make a picture out of it, anything they wanted but the first thing to come into their heads.   The results were as follows:

“Take care of my kids” person:            Drew a house with windows, grass, flowers and walkway up to the door.

“Clean my house” person:                     Drew two big eyes dead center in the middle of the page, surrounded by a flower pot with flowers,  a suitcase, a car, bicycle, house, sun, water, and a tree.  (This is the person I recongnized as creative.)

“Read” person:                                       Drew a huge sun with big eyes and big smile with long rays extending all around, but drew it with  a bright blue marker instead of a yellow.

 My presumed results:

#1          Her creativity surrounds her home, children, garden.  She said she does a lot of redecorating, works in the garden and this past summer they laid their own stone walkway.  Spends time with the kids playing games and exploring.

 #2        She cleans and rearranges out of frustration (which she admitted).  Always dreams of traveling but is afraid to go to far from home.  She afraid of getting lost (she was 45 minutes late for her first class because she got lost)  If she did travel she would go to exotic places (also admitted).  That explains the suitcase and from the rest of her drawing,she probably wants to go somewhere warm, sunny, near water, maybe a house on the beach.  Acknowledging I was right on,  she couldn’t believe how I figures that out.  I told her it was easy, through her creative expression!

 #3      This person reads books on adventure, mystery, mayhem, foreign intrigue.  Her picture was a bold statement that she likes to be different. (blue sun)  She is basically shy (she told me she won’t get up in front of people)     I took her out of her comfort zone.

All three told me volumes about themselves from the little pictures they drew in 2 minutes.   They also showed a lot of creativity in the way they revealed themselves.   I think they have discovered a creative part of themselves they didn’t know they had.  This was an educational experiance for me as well.

Creativity/No Creativity Observations

Creativity/No Creativity Observations 11-08-2006 12:20 PMPosted: I think I may have stumbled upon an area we haven’t talked much about. Can creativity be stifled? I have a small class, the same three I had yesterday. One participant is very team oriented, outgoing and creative. The other two, not so much, in fact, I was looking for signs of life! I tried the exercise we did in class have the three work as a team drawing lines. Each previous class I tried it with was successful, enjoyed it and felt it enhanced their learning process.Yesterday, this group created nothing but a randon lines and seemed to working against each other. There was no enthusiasm from the two and they seemed to be fighting against any attempt at creativity from the third. I even tried a different challenge in the afternoon. They went through the motions with no enthusiasm again.Today the same two still showed no sign of enthusiasm, but the third also seemed to be drawing from that negativity and was less enthused. She was trying to complete what obviously looked like a turkey. Her fellow team mates seemed to be working against her again. Each line she drew, they deliberately made a meaningless line in another direction to thwart her efforts. It didn’t appear to be a hostile move. They got along well in class, shared time together at breaks and lunch and seemed very cordial. Here, they weren’t working as a team. I watched closer this time and began to realize it wasn’t directed at that person. I think it was more of a rebellious act. They didn’t want to do this and the body language became obvious. They were stuck with it because I told them to do it and I was the trainer. I need to analyze this. ………Diane continued below………….. At lunch, I talked to the creative one of the three and asked how she felt about the group activity. Her answer was that she really enjoyed it but felt the other two girls did not like her and she didn’t fit in. She did not join them for lunch today because of the way they responded to her this morning. I suggested she not take it personally because there may be other reasons for their reaction. She said she felt fine about class and the material and was retaining it with no problems. I felt badly for her but was relieved it was not affecting her learning process. It seems that certain situations can be detrimental to the creative process if certain factors are present. I have an idea I might try as an experiment this afternoon. This is really turning into a research project……Diane

10 Ways to Spark Creativity at Leadership Retreats

I came upon this article that relates to creativity in business.  Various corporations hold retreats for the staff to encourage teamwork.  This particular corporation felt taking the team outdoors would stimulate new ideas and refresh creativity.  Other corporations use various techniques to rejuvinate tired minds.   WUSM, for example, sends staff to “FISH CAMP.”  This is widely used philosophy by major corporations like Southwest Airlines, Sprint Telepone and more.  It began in Seattle Washington at the Pike Place Fish Market.  The philosophy deals primarily with the concept that you can choose your own attitude.  Learn to play and enjoy what you do and the rest falls into place.  Play can promote creativity and new ideas will pop up all over.Successful Meetings (10/06) , P. 26; Rein, Rosemary

Costa Rica Learning Adventures and Retreats founder Rosemary Rein suggests 10 ideas for stimulating creative thinking at corporate leadership retreats. She writes that boredom and low mental output can be alleviated by taking the team outdoors, while fun activities can also stimulate innovation. Holding physical activity breaks that require and inspire teamwork between brainstorming sessions is another recommendation of Rein’s, as is encouraging competition between team members in reaching retreat goals. Assigning a theme to the retreat like a product can cultivate team synchronicity, and sharing your mission and vision with the team at the start of the retreat is also important. Rein suggests the presentation of pre-event publicity for the retreat to get the team excited. Providing professionally-delivered experiences that jolt attendees out of their normal routine can have a positive effect on learning, while team loyalty and ingenuity can be nurtured by treating each retreat participant as a trusted, important, and special person, concludes Rein.

http://www.becominghuman.org./

I found this website and thought it was very interesting.  The creative connection dates back to prehistoric times.  It is worthwhile to watch the documentary in this website to understand the fragile connection we have to our ancestors. This has been studied for years as paleoanthropology, evolution and human origins.  It helps us understand ourselves as a human race.  We can go back to the hominid profiles uncovered in Hadar, Ethiopia, or the toolmakers that revealed themselves after 300,000 years in Koonalda, Australia.  Man’s creativity began out of necessity for shelter, food, tools, communications and even a desire to keep a historical record for those that would come after.  Artistically, drawings were put on walls, hand-prints on limestone walls as a form of “calling card” or identification of home or territory.  Prehistoric art had the ability to understand abstract concepts.  Knowledge obtained from creative measures has been handed down to us for hundreds of thousands of years.  Each millenium, century, year, generation to generation developed further and created new concepts, new ideas, better ways to communicate and keep record, and most likely as entertainment in a prehistoric way.  I found this interesting and humbling at the same time.  Our ancestors had to discover fire and all we have to do is “flick our bick.”  We have come from cave wall communicators to bloggers!

Creativity: Where can we go with it?

With all these different views and experts researching what creativity is,  I have to wonder what I will do with my own creativity.  Some days I’m brimming over with it, others, not so much.  There are times  in my life when I have to say: “I can’t believe this happened, it could be in a book!”  I started long ago keeping a journal of these happenings.  I may not have an entry for six months, then, the “AHA” day arrives and I have a jewel.  My imagination takes over and I run away with the images in my head.  An already funny or intriguing incident becomes embellished in my psyche and written on the blank pages.  Someday I might have enough time to settle in with my favorite fuzzy slippers, oversized sweatshirt and devoted pooch nearby and organize this into the great American novel of mischief, mishaps, murder and money!………..Diane