Monthly Archives: April 2014

Yes, you heard me right. If you’re ready to learn to be more creative, go stand in the middle of an intersection – preferably one that has a crosswalk through the middle as well as from corner to corner. At this crossroads, watch and feel the energy from people from all walks of life using all different kinds of transportation as they merge and pass each other. Give yourself permission to just observe and allow yourself to be curious about the stories that you are seeing.

Sounds simple but this is what true innovators do all the time. They actively seek out opportunities to stand in the intersection and open their minds to the wealth and depth of cultures, ideas and diverse experiences they are seeing. They ask “Why” and “What If?” They question and challenge themselves and others to connect the dots in unique ways. This isn’t new. Look at our world history and see how the birth of the greatest renaissance periods came the intersection of the arts, culture, business and human curiosity.

So here are my favorite three ways to start standing in the middle of the intersection.

• Say “Yes” more often when people ask you to do something new and different.
• Actively seek out people who are different from you (age, culture etc.) for conversation.
• Expand your reading to include books, blogs, magazines that cover subjects new to you.

And finally, allow yourself to simply be in the moment so that you can quiet the chatter in your head to better observe, learn and appreciate the wealth of life in our crossroads of life.