Special Series: Cultivate Creativity

For the last few weeks we’ve been running special series called Cultivate Creativity, inspired by Nolan Bushnell’s latest book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs, which Net Minds launched last week. We ran four wonderful pieces with related content from existing contributors, and if you missed them, you’ll want to check them out now. Enjoy!

Free Your Inner 5-Year-Old: Divergent Thinking & Creativity. Children are naturally creative and resourceful — and in fact, a study from 1965 in divergent thinking suggests that an enormous percentage of Kindergarten-age children may have genius-level capacity. Where did this capacity go, and can we get it back? Just as Bushnell suggested we champion bad ideas and celebrate failure to bolster a high-creativity environment, Gwen Kinsey has a strong opinion on how you can free your inner 5-year-old from “you must,” “you can’t,” and “that’s not right…” Click here to read more.

When Reinvention Goes Wrong. Career reinvention, like business reinvention, is an important skill in a fast-paced world — and in Finding the Next Steve Jobs, Bushnell highlights reinvention as a key trait of successful companies. That said, there are ways in which a reinvention attempt can go a-wry, and Vera L. Dordick provides us with a concise list of specifics for making sure your career (or business) reinvention stays on track. Jump in with both feet, but be educated — and keep your eyes open! Click here to read more.

[Video] Charlie Gilkey on Communication Structure. When it comes to the most effective structure for cultivating a highly-creative workplace, Charlie Gilkey tells us that there’s a big difference between structuring the environment — which can kill your creativity fast — and structuring your communication, which is a far better alternative. It’s a great tie-in to Bushnell’s second chapter about workplace flexibility, and it’s an excellent 6-minute video! Click here to watch it.

Presence Point: Project Passion & Inspire Your Audience. Especially since the advent of Finding the Next Steve Jobs (ahem - chapter 4!), we know that smart businesses are hiring for passion and intensity in their potential employees and project partners. But what if you have a gap in your ability to honestly communicate the passion you feel for your work? Cheryl Dolan is an expert in presence and communication techniques, and she shares her best tips for connecting your passionate self with the people you’re talking to. Click here to read more.

To find out more about cultivating a highly-creative workplace, check out Finding the Next Steve Jobs at Net Minds, or take a look at some of the press Bushnell’s book has received since its release (among them, NYTimes and Forbes). 

About Megan Elizabeth Morris

Megan Elizabeth Morris -- also known as MEM -- is the Managing Editor for Upmarket Magazine. She connects remarkable contributors with great new audiences, and occasionally contributes herself. If you’re a talented content creator looking to build community around an outside-the-box business message, be sure to drop her a note or check out our submission guidelines. You can also find out more about MEM on her personal info page or by following her on Twitter.

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