I thought of this while looking through a book, “Being Happy” for an inspirational quote to post on Facebook or Twitter. (My mind goes in all kinds of directions some days.) I flipped the book open to a section titled, “you get what you expect.” It’s very true. So I posted it with hopes of inspiring some of my friends to enter their work in an awards program I’m working on for IABC Minnesota. My status update was “Get what you expect and make sure you have high expectations! I’d say the over the moon with a gentle earth landing.” after posting stuff about the competition.

Personally, I have a hard time liking awards competitions because I think they are too subjective, especially when it comes to creative/art/graphic design. But this particular one sends the entries to other states for judging with a set of criteria – hopefully making it more objective.

Expectations for Bronze Quill this year: for all my colleagues and friends to enter their wonderful work – how about 130 of them? Let’s shoot for the moon. And then land on earth, telling everyone about our experience. I’m adventurous, why not?

Could it be this person that I’ve been married to for over 28 years? We can go looking for the multi-millionaire advisors, the business owners, the CEO – but then sometimes we can look right next to us and find exactly what we need.

Dean and I took off from Minneapolis for Chicago at 5:40am Tuesday to enjoy a couple of days in the city before the conference started on Thursday afternoon. We’re off the plane quickly, hopped on the train and found ourselves on the doorstep of the restaurant, Eleven, for breakfast in Chicago by 8 a.m. We were moving fast! And, we didn’t stop all day. (I finally dropped from exhaustion Thursday evening)

All day going here and there doing what seemed fun at the moment. Stopped by the Architecture Foundation to pick up tickets for a tour on one of their boats. Amazing stuff! Drifted by the old Montgomery Ward building which is supposedly the largest building in the world and now occupied by Groupon (What? Huh? Is that right? Are they really that big?) Up and down Michigan Avenue. I love shoe shopping but didn’t want to put Dean through that pain, so we stopped by The Purple Pig for a couple of small dishes for tasty and unique food.

Small dishes. It’s the little things that move me the most. Like the way the homeless choose to ask for money. Shake a cup. Pray. Sit with a child. Hold up a sign. They made the biggest impression on me. I was torn with what to do. Would have loved to pay for a room, buy them dinner, give them all my cash. What about the free ice cream cones a large company was giving away on the corner one evening? Did they give any to the needy? Or did they just hand them to the successful visitors and business people walking up and down the streets? They were advertising a TV show. Don’t remember which one – didn’t care. The ice cream was tasty though.

So, I enjoyed the ice cream, walking by the needy people. In all my selfish, piggish, self-doubting attitude. And then I went on to absorb what I could from the conference. How to be a better designer, communicator, business person, co-worker, team player. How to make a million dollars – which turned me off the most. Is it because deep down inside, I don’t believe in myself? Or is it because wealth is something more than how much money one has in the bank? The speaker was obnoxious, rude and ugly. Was it just me thinking that? Was I the only one who walked out after she boldly announced she wasn’t about to pay her new employees’ health care benefits – were they kidding? Ugh.

Making a million dollars didn’t look so good now. How about making a few thousand FEEL like a million? Turn SOI into ROI. Turn my Sphere of Influence into a Return on Investment. I’m doing that every day. The return on investment – of spending time on this earth with wonderful people – FEELS like a million.

People in our lives make a difference.  Surround yourself with good people and you’ll find your life rich and rewarding. The intention itself will attract good people to your life.

Certain people stand out and for the simple but profound actions. A manager was hired for the in-house creative department in which I worked. This person was brought into our lives for a reason. He taught so many of us how to be kind to one another and to value our families over work. Work was always important and we all worked very hard. Something stands out now: every day during lunch, our manager would make a point to sit down at the table in the center of all the offices and encourage all of us to eat together. Looking back, this brought us together as a family which helped us get become a wonderful team. We grew together.

Open yourself up to good people.

Congratulations to Sherwin Schwartzrock, the man behind the idea. Sherwin is the chair of the AIGA Minnesota Veteran Designers Committee. I’ve spent some time with the group, who are all dedicated veterans of the graphic design profession.

Working with Überscüber benefits you and your organization by

• helping you spread the word about your organization
• giving you a unique perspective
• saving you money
• helping your business grow by allowing you to confidently communicate your brand
• giving you personal attention
• helping Überscüber to continue to share information with families

Uberscuber provides Creative Services for organizations and individuals who care about the well being of families.

• logos, web sites, printed materials, illustrations, videos and animations
• coordination for special programs such as fund raisers, recognition programs and networking events
• activities designed just for the families of your organization
• introductions to social media
• connections with other like-minded organizations

We also create custom art, writing and music activities to help the families in your organization.

If you’d like more information about working with Uberscuber, please send an email to wendy@uberscuber.com

Note: This has been edited from the blog of Andy Eklund

1. Select a noun.

A descriptive noun conjures up different aspects which you can use to brainstorm ideas. Open to any page of a book – or better yet, adictionary – and select a noun at random (preferably one with no connection to your topic or problem). When you combine this word withyour problem or need, what idea does the “merger” suggest? If one word doesn’t work, pick another, then another.

2. Or, try an action verb.

Verbs work differently in creative thinking because – by their very nature – they suggest action, specifically a change. Pick any specific attribute of your product or service that you believe is central to the problem. Next, select any action verb from a variety of sources and force-fit it with the problem. The first few “mergers” mightbe odd, but don’t despair. You can go through 40-45 verbs in one sitting before getting 8-10 good ideas.

3. Get a magazine filled with pictures.

A visual image is far more conducive to stimulating an idea than anoun or verb, so any picture can be a dynamic catalyst for ideas. Twomethods: select a magazine with large photos or simply go online to your favorite photo source. Google images, Flickr, etc. There are many to choose from. It’s easy to get caught up in this, so set a time limit for this activity.

4. Get away from your problem by getting out of the office or the room you are meeting in.

One the best ways to invigorate your creativity is simply to get up and move. Doesn’t it make sense that your brain works better when you’re active, as opposed to sitting? Even better, go outside. Your brain continues to work on a problem after you’ve stopped focusing on it, so why not get outside in the fresh airto let your imagination go? Do yourself a bigger favor and go for a walk. Now you have visual stimulation everywhere you look. Give yourself more stimulation by going to a museum or shopping center. At the very least, getting up and away from your problem will clear your mind so that when you return to your problem you’ll be refreshed and re-energized.

5. Talk to someone unrelated to the problem.

Did you know that the more knowledgeable and involved you are in any situation or topic, the less likely you’ll be able to be creative? You can have too much information. You learn so much it restricts your thinking. It’s often helpful to describe your problem or need to someone who has an open mind – like a colleague in another depart mentor another floor, or even children. Kids don’t bring cynicism or negativity to a problem, and they certainly don’t have the wisdom or experience to allow past history to dictate answers for the future.What’s the worst that will happen? You may not get a new idea, but you often find that you’ve re-thought your problem by trying to explain it to someone wide-eyed and without prejudice. And isn’t that part of solving the problem too?

6. Talk to someone who will use the idea.

The worst thing that can happen is that you finalize your ideas, you think they are wonderful but the end user just doesn’t like the idea. Or for some reason, it just won’t work for them. Find someone who will “use” the idea to brainstorm other ideas. You’ll also find that it’s easier to sell the ideato the “client” because you’ve had more confidence that the target audience would participate and engage in these ideas. Another lesson from this trick: don’t we often think the only people we can talk to are inside the company? With due respect to confidentiality and intellectual property, sometimes it’s actually better to find someoneelse not associated with your problem or issue to brainstorm new ideas.

7. Ask a celebrity for help.

Again, focusing on the end-user is paramount to creating the right idea. Sometimes part of the fun is imagining the target audience as areal, historical or fictional celebrity. Pick a character you feel you know well – Homer Simpson, Batman, any character that you think might use the product or the service! The additional attributes of any celebrity from any area of popular culture or news gives you ample elements to brainstorm. Have fun with this one.

8. Find a metaphor to the problem.

Metaphors are phrases or figures of speech which compare two things,such as “All the world’s a stage.” Metaphors are helpful because they suggest how one problem may be like another existing problem, and therefore, the new problem may be a possible solution to the original problem. Think of 4-5 different metaphors or analogies which mirror or mimic the original problem or need. Write them on a page. Using one metaphor at a time, think how the ‘new’ solution might be applicable to your current problem. Another way to use this tip is to transfer the problem you have in your specific industry or category to an entirely different situation or to an entirely different occupation.

9. Borrow and steal.

This tip is either cheating or a form of flattery. Of course you don’t want to simply transferone idea to another project. But applying an idea from an unrelated industry or situation to your current environment often creates awholly new idea … or at the very least, a new twist on an old ― and successful! ― idea.

10. Put it aside. Even better, sleep on it.

Sometimes we simply need to let our brain rest by putting the idea away for the night, or simply move on to another project for a good amount of time. The good news is that you may stop and work on another project, but your brain continues to work on the problem well after you’re moved on to another task. In fact, you never know when your brain will suddenly come up with an unusual or shockingly brilliant idea. That’s what happens when an idea pops into your head when you’re driving, taking a shower, riding public transportation to work. Happily your brain never turns off so make sure you’re prepared. Keep a pen and small pad of paper with you ― by your nightstand, in your briefcase, near the television. Research has often suggested that this type of ‘unconscious brainstorming’ is more productive because your brain is thinking well beyond the scope you allow yourself when sitting at your desk.

Don’t be afraid to brainstorm alone. Solo creativity may actually produce better results than a group brainstorm. Some people focus more when working alone, they feel they have less distractions from other people, and that there’s generally a stronger sense of satisfaction when the ideas finally emerge. Perhaps we need to rethink the adage that “Two heads are better than one,,” because in reality, one brain – our own – is all we need to be creative.

Wonderful article with colorful examples. Just what you’re looking for.

I thought this information was interesting. Wondering what title you should have on your business cards? It ranges from super serious to fun and entertaining. It’s great to have a title that grabs attention. Go with “owner” or go with “queen.” Hey, go with “queen” or “king” – let us know what kinds of conversations it sparks.

http://www.startupnation.com/articles/1632/1/titles-startup-business.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_title

After reading these articles, I want to design some new business cards for myself. And look for a printer who will print 50 or 100 cards for me at a time so I can change them more often but get them printed on great stock. Caution – this might turn out to be a new fun hobby!

The world is full of talented people and if we were all able to work on and with our passion, wouldn’t it be fun? Let’s say a person is into nutrition, fun cars, travel and birdwatching. Chances are, that person is an expert on at least one of those topics. They might read up on all the latest nutrition fads and can share the latest news with everyone they talk to.

The greatest part of having a passion, is the great information and knowlege you can share with the people in your life. Have lunch or coffee with someone today. Ask them what they’ve been reading about lately. You’ll learn something very interesting – not only about the topic but something about the person you’re talking to.

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