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Creative Exercises

Posted By Amber Zumstein as Art & Design, communications, Random Thoughts

Posted 12.11.2009

Creativity is a lot like the human body; it requires exercise and a healthy diet to stay in shape. Doing the same type of creative work all the time is like doing the same exercise every day. You need to mix it up to get results. Cross training the right side of the brain is a requirement in the quest for creative zen. Inspiration comes in many forms, and as a designer, experiencing art and culture is invaluable. Pursuing diverse interests and broadening your horizons will stretch and feed your creative muscles.

Creativity is all about re-arranging, re-inventing and re-thinking. Changing your perspective or seeing something new can help revitalize you and help you to work it out. At my fingertips, I have a fabulous city that is filled with films, bookstores, theaters, museums and music. I flex my design muscles by reading design blogs and magazines, following designers on twitter, and continually looking at sites to see what others are up to and talking about. There are also design groups and events to go to. Meeting and getting to know other designers is beneficial for many reasons, if not only to share nerdy design references.

I count myself lucky to be a creative professional. I love nothing more then having a great brainstorm session or coming up with a solid design solution. You get a runners high off of it, the creative endorphins kick in and you marvel at how fortunate you are to design for a living.

Tags: Amber Zumstein, branding, creative exercises, creative ideas, design, staying fresh in design
Posted in Art & Design, communications, Random Thoughts | No Comments »

Dear Recession, Thank You

Posted By Melissa Ballate as Random Thoughts, strategic planning, Strategy

Posted 11.30.2009

Italicized items can be filled in by you the reader

Dear Recession,

The two years that you have been in my life have been the most unstable and yet transformative that our business/organization/department has ever seen (our balance sheet was particularly shocked by your arrival).

When I first heard of you in 2007, I figured that after years of banks and mortgage brokers gorging themselves on unqualified homebuyers, you were just paying them a visit to make amends. Next, when I heard the talking heads on television warning me to stop shopping, I thought it was a scare tactic. It took the near collapse of the auto industry to convince me I was mistaken. I quickly realized you were not particularly selective and further how much the world economy was interdependent.

As soon as 2008, my funding/customers/clients began to fall away. When a grant that was cut off/account who couldn’t afford us anymore/partner going out of business, we began to feel your wrath. First we had to make amends by cutting expenses, pretty soon we were cutting jobs. The swiftness of it all caught me so off guard that I think I failed to lead where I should have, bringing my business/organization/department further into the hole.

With cash flow at a minimum and a dozen or so of my staff members gone, you got me thinking. I mean really reflecting. I started to ask myself questions I hadn’t thought about since I took the helm of this operation. What is it that we do best? What value do we provide our customers and distributors/partners? Why do we do business? How are we going to sell/operate?

This thinking quickly propelled me into a week-long period of sleepless nights, research and maddening note taking… It took my husband/wife/partner pointing out to me that I hadn’t been this excited in years. That’s when it hit me…I was actually planning for the future! I had been so taken up in my success over the last 10+ years that I forgot to do what got our business/organization/department here to begin with… plan for the future!

There is a Spanish song called “Me Asustas, Pero Me Gustas.” (This translates to “You Scare Me, But I Like You.”) I never thought I’d say this about such a difficult time for our business/organization/department, but this has been a hidden blessing. I have realized that no matter how successful I become, I less not forget the importance of setting goals, adapting to change and strategizing for our future.

Tags: benefits of the recession, i love the recession, making the best of the recession, melissa ballate, planning, strategic planning, strategizing for success, strategy
Posted in Random Thoughts, strategic planning, Strategy | 1 Comment »

It’s All in Your Head

Posted By Melissa Ballate as communications, Random Thoughts, strategy

Posted 10.30.2009

The brain’s 100 trillion synapses have been mapped by a group of scientists in Lausanne, Switzerland. The result? Physically and structurally, a picture of the brain looks exactly like most human systems (think the interconnectedness of relationships, an aerial view of a city, a computer network). What that means is that what we see everyday, what we’ve built as a human race, is a projection of the brain. This is not only a survival mechanism, but undoubtedly makes the brain the most successful organ in evolution.

Communications works much like the brain. With it, we recreate a person’s (or a group of people’s) projection of reality in words, images, and scenarios. Its when people see themselves in something, that they create the emotional connections that drive action. (It’s what we here lovingly call information consumption.)

What we know today about the brain, only proves that everything in life is a matter of perception. If we perceive a problem; we act like there is one. If we perceive love; we respond to it. If we perceive happiness; we become it. The quicker human beings recognize this as reality, the sooner they can begin to make the most of it.

Until then, we communicators will just have to make the best of the situation…

Tags: blue daring, communications, melissa ballate, perception, reality
Posted in communications, Random Thoughts, strategy | 1 Comment »