Feedback & Insights on LinkedIn Learning "Creativity course"

I appreciate the initiative of REHAU to give free and unlimited access for employees to LinkedIn Learning, where you can find professional topics in all spheres and directions. To my opinion, constant learning is a huge step toward personal and professional development which leads to innovations, creativity, and more healthier work atmosphere. The structure of courses is very easy, and you can learn without any pressure and stress.

My first course “Unique ways to generate creative ideas” prepared by Denise Jacobs was interesting and helpful. I liked the way Denise did it and what hints, methods, and techniques she shared. To my revelation, I realized that almost 85% of this course I implemented and did in my life daily intuitively or because of my curiosity. And I received this AHA moment.… understand that maybe all these things that I or other people did before daily as a routine could be understandable for me and others but not for everyone. And sometimes we do some cool stuff daily even not realizing that other people don’t do this and don’t have such an experience.

What I am thankful Denise for, in this small course are:

• Her inspiration to motivate and inspire other people

• Sharing tips, insights, advice, and experience in a very precise and soft manner

• Not overwhelming with information and new fancy terminology

This approach gave me a retrospective of all my life and work experience, all ideas and projects that I did before silencing my inner critic and fears that maybe I am not good enough or not worthy.

So, here I would like to share how I used intuitively or because of my curiosity the same tips for reviling creativity and catching ideas that Denise gave us on a daily basis for a lot of years.

Paper notebook for ideas.

In Ukraine, I had millions of paper notebooks for everything. One for ideas, the other for insights, the other for quotes from books, films, and podcasts, etc. But the notebook for ideas was all the time with me. That was a special magic and hidden instrument that I could use in the situation of frustration and unknowness, or when just time was for this particular idea. It didn’t mean that all ideas I had I used, no it was my secret list for personal motivation and inspiration.

Observation and motivated contemplation.

Inspiration for creativity and as a result for ideas is everywhere: beautiful locations, cities and countries, nature, architecture, art, galleries and museums, clothes, flowers, desserts and coffees, cafes, and restaurants, people and pets, etc. EVERYWHERE!!! Everything depends on your world’s perception, your vision’s angle, and your ability to observe silently and contemplate with motivation. And this worked for all my life in business and in private life. To be a creative person you need to be able to OBSERVE and to LISTEN.

Constant learning.

Passion for curiosity which leads to constant learning in different things and searching for answers is the main motivator and engine for creativity.

Workspace.

At REHAU in Ukraine, I initiated to creation of a very special place which was called the Ministry of Marketing Communications with this particular signature on the door That was a room where I and my colleague worked. It was a room specially decorated with photos from all our big and prominent events and outstanding projects and designs that showed us how great we were and what cool project we realized, but also it was full of flowers, nice decorative stuff, pillows, and blankets on the window sill, amora of homemade pastries and desserts. Employees from different departments would like to come to this room from time to time for inspiration and changing perspectives. Some of our clients heard about this room from their colleagues and while coming to our office asked me: “Oh, Yuliia, could you please show me that Ministry of Marketing Communications room?”. So, our workspace matters. It inspires and motivates me for better work not only for me (us) but also for other colleagues and even clients.

Home space.

Is as important as our workspace. My home space in Kyiv also was full of flowers, decorative stuff, and some memories from past achievements. But also, it’s very important to have a comfortable and nice chair and table with a view not from a wall but from a window – again to OBSERVE and INSPIRE.

Invite ideas.

According to Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic,” all ideas are in a flow and everybody can resonate with this flow and take any idea. And that’s why there could be accidents when different people have the same ideas, but one person did it and another just spoke about it. I communicated with my spirits of the idea, genius, and mises as Denise recommended in her course. And it worked because we should be open to ideas, we should trust them, and of course, communicate and collaborate with them. It doesn’t matter where you work and who you are matters that fact that without communication we can’t build anything. Communication – is an anergy for everything giving everything life.

Play like you are a child or play to create as Denise said.

While we are children we play, we playfully do everything, being fully open to everything new. But becoming adults we completely forget to play becoming extremely serious and arrogant. Creativity can be born while you are playing or playfully living your life. This playful manner doesn’t tell that you are a bad boss, manager, employee, wife/husband, etc, that can tell that you are wise enough having all your statuses and knowledge and allowing to be ridiculous in other’s people eyes. And particular play can reveal your new talents and innovative ways in everything. Honestly, it was very difficult for me for the last 5-8 years to be playful at work because I was EXTREMELY serious. BUT I did it at home and I did it before and it opened new doors for me.

LITERATURE FOR CREATIVITY, IDEAS and DREAMS:

Julia Cameron https://juliacameronlive.com/  

• “The Artist’s Way. A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.”

• “Seeking Wisdom. A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection”

Elizabeth Gilbert https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/ 

• “Big Magic”

Barbara Sher http://barbarasher.com/ 

• “Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything You Love”

• “Wishcraft - How to Get What You Really Want”

• “I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was”

• “Live the Life You Love”

• “It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now: How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age”

Ostin Cleon

• “Still like an artist. JOURNAL”

Tom and David Kelley https://www.creativeconfidence.com/  

• “Creative Confidence”

March 31, 2023.