Shooting for wisdom, hoping for common sense.

Occasionally, in the discussions around knowledge management, someone will throw out the notion of wisdom as the next thing up some tacit hierarchy. Liz Lawley here offers an excellent example of the very human nature of wisdom in the context of recent ruminations about the need for blogging rules;

rules? i don't need no stinkin' rules!. Everywhere you look these days, bloggers are writing policies and rulebooks. For themselves, for others, for everyone. With calls for accountability, integrity, consistency, appropriateness, and ethical behavior, it seems that every blogger I know is publishing their own set of guidelines for blogging. Feh. A pox on all their rules, thatís what I say. How many of us have published rules to govern how we talk to our friends? Iíd be horrified if a friend had to consult his or her published personal policy statement before saying something to me (or correcting a misstatement, for that matter). In his wonderful... [mamamusings]

Well worth your time to go read all of what Liz has to say and follow through to some of the other debate on the topic that she points to. I plan ot emulate Liz's fine leadership by example here. There will be no rules here. You get to judge whether I'm demonstrating any common sense.

[McGee's Musings]

Hear Hear !  Rules for trust ???   

The one line in Liz's post that struck me deep - "you'll have to trust me implicitly or not trust me at all".

When we trust we have faith.  Where there is faith, we need no rules.  Whether individually or as a community.

I make this my affirmation - thanks Liz.

6:51:10 PM    comment []  trackback []

"I will write myself into well-being." -- Nancy Mair

Writing and journaling takes us deeper into ourselves.

We write, review, can see things from different perspectives. This brings greater understanding. Journaling helps us filter through our mental noise and stuck programs. It allows us to safely get things off our chests. Once we empty out the mundane, we find the gems that have meaning.

Writing can be fun, it can uplift, it can be therapeutic.  It can be individualistic, collective, collaborative.  It can bring together, or isolate.  It can be abusive, it can be gentle.   It can be inner-driven or outer-driven.

Any which way it is good for health to get your thoughts and feelings onto paper so you can clearly see them.  And if you wish, you let them go. This creates space for more of who you are to emerge.

Then only can you hear more of the voice inside of you.

(This little piece has borrowed stuff from here - and makes me think again of creativity and tools and flying carpets).

6:26:41 PM    comment []  trackback []

Another nice rap going between blogs : this time on creativity, tools and flying carpets.  Interesting sequence of events.  Wish there was some tool to track and weave together all these threads more easily (i'm sure there's loads of people talking and writing about these issues in other places too) .  Comments and trackbacks are great - we need MORE !

Terry points out a resource on creativity tools at his blog.

I link to it and add another interesting resource at my blog.

This is linked to by a few bloggers - and debated and taken forward by Allan in a thought-provoking post. I find this out through trackback

I leave a comment there - and am reminded of some thoughts i had blogged earlier.

Meanwhile - Avi (and this is synchronicity) writes this piece called the The Flying Carpet. Difficult to excerpt here.  In a different context of his own - and a neat little story on his search for his own magic carpet that would helpo him fly, fly.  So relevant to the discussion on creativity and tools and how these interplay. 

I find myself leaving a similar comment at Avi's post - and then feel this is bloggable.  So this post.

I'm pasting here a few excerpts (read the full post- its worth it) from Allan's blog.

Allan says - Why Tools Hinder Creativity, Innovation & Originality

Forget Tools. Think. Think. And Think Again.

...... we're talking creativity here. And we're discussing tools. Frankly, it's my opinion that these are diametrically opposed concepts. Let me clarify. If we look at the words semantically and literally this is where I have a problem. Creativity tools. Rather, I see a significance difference in saying tools for creativity.  Over the years I've developed a series of workshops, programs, processes and methodologies for fostering and inspiring creativity. I've drawn on who I feel are the best thinkers in this are including Tony Buzan, Edward deBono, Roger Von Oech, Tom Monahan among others. And in most cases the only "tools" these thinkers would use include pencil, paper, post-it notes, hats (different colors, or images of) and maybe a few other props. Why? Because in many cases "tools" actually will hinder creativity.

...........and perhaps the worst tool of all: stock photography CDs and searchable websites. Ask any creative director at any agency worth its salt about pet peeves regarding art directors. I'm sure they'll tell you "time wasted searching for stock photos." So many art directors and many weak creative directors will browse stock photography catalogs for hours, even days, searching for an image that will trigger an idea that will make for a good ad, website or other communication piece. Problem here is the art or creative director is closing him or herself off from the ability to think on their own. In my agency I would work hard encouraging our creative team to get away from the computer, the stock books and other tools such as Communication Arts. The best ideas come from inside. They are not on the internet, on the book shelf or buried in some software. I'd say start with the idea. Then begin your search. This is where originality, innovation and creativity are nurtured. Bad habits. Bad stuff. Period.....

.....don't get me wrong. All of the "tools" I've mentioned, and those that I've forgot or have yet to discover, are all great. But they're not creativity tools. Simply tools that help creative people express their ideas -- once the ideas were thought of, developed and ultimately executed traditionally -- in the mind of the creator.....

....... creativity starts with the brain, cognition and the ability to unlearn things that have been taught -- much like a child -- only then can you truly be free to think. And only then should you turn to tools in order to help you express and communicate ......

My comments to Allan and Avi :

At what moment are we supposed to give up our childish things for the mantle of adulthood? What happens to the parts of us that remain capable of play? Why do we lose our spontaneity? When did we stop rolling down hills?

All of us ... adults and children seem to be forgetting our 'free child' - and this can stifle creativity beyond imagination.

Reflected in our relationships, our view of the world, our own self-perception and individuation, and even at our workplace in our interactions, corporate or brand visioning and decision-making.

Perhaps we play with semantics here- but my point is - some of us forget we are all creative beings and what we play is life.

Tools or flying carpets - sometimes we need them simply to help the process of remembering!

4:39:41 PM    comment []  trackback []