Successful Blog

Think You’re Not Creative? That Could Cost You Your Job

by

Balderdash and Piffle

Creativity at Work

Creativity comes from the sum of one’s life experience. It pulls from knowledge, abilities, and skills. It uses neural pathways in the brain made by everything a person has learned and makes new ones as new connections form. It calls upon an ability to get beyond the ordinary, automatic response—to explore the inside and the outside of that darned proverbial box.

Still think you’re not creative? Maybe your definition of creative is too narrow. Some folks, who call themselves “creatives,” would have you believe that all creativity lies only in artistic endeavor. That brings me back to balderdash and piffle. Those folks aren’t creative in how they define creativity.

Ordinary folk have the power for creative thinking.

Creative thinking is essential to most every career on the planet. Businesses need creative thinkers to innovate, to manage risk, to meet ever-changing customer needs, to build efficient processes and solve complex problems.

If you argue for your lack of creativity, that could cost you your job. [Read more…]

Net Neutrality 8-2-2006

by

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Telcos Keep Castigating the “Free-Riders”

GigaOm’s Katie Fehrenbacher attended today a speech by AT&T Chairman Ed Whitacre before the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and reports that he’s as hard-line as ever about network neutrality. Here’s what he said:

“Some companies want us to be a big dumb pipe that gets bigger and bigger…No one gets a free ride. The American economy doesn’t work that way…We are not going to build this with no chance for a return. Those that want to use this will pay.”

Comcast, Cox, Time Warner to Start Mobile Voice Tests

The Hollywood Reporter’s Andrew Wallenstein has this extended, excellent piece on the cable-telco battle of the bundles. Buried in the article, however, is something new to me: Comcast, Time Warner and Cox will start this month testing the sale of mobile voice service as part of a new, expanded quadruple-play package.

This potentially killer combination flows from the $200 million dollar-backed consortium formed last year by Comcast, Time Warner, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse with Sprint-Nextel. According to the piece, Comcast and Cox will trial a mobile voice service in selected markets including Boston, Austin, Texas, and Portland, OR. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

The Mic is on and We’re in OZ!

by

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

open mike night

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Tonight we’re in OZ!

oz

We might talk about

  • Dorothy and Toto
  • The Scarecrow,
  • The Tinman,
  • The Cowardly Lion
  • The Munchins,
  • The Witches,
  • The Flying Monkeys
  • A Horse of a Different Color
  • and OZ himself

AND THE EVER POPULAR,

Basil the code-writing donkey.

–Me “Liz” Strauss

Related article
The Mic Is Open in Nashville — Let the Music Move You!

Open Mic at 7pm Chicago Time — We’re Going to OZ!

by

We’re Off to See the Wizard!

Personal Branding logo

YES, the mic will be open again tonight. So start collecting your thoughts. Remember, you get to bring what you want to talk about.

The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about.

Tonight we’re going to OZ!.

We might also talk about

  • Dorothy and Toto
  • The Scarecrow, The Tinman, The Cowardly Lion
  • The Munchkins, The Witches, The Flying Monkeys
  • A Horse of a Different Color and OZ himself

AND THE EVER POPULAR,

Basil the code-writing donkey.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.

And we’ll be in OZ

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles

The Mic Is Open in Nashville — Let the Music Move You!

We’re All Creative 1: The Bunnies Prove It

by

I Drive Myself Crazy Crazier

Creativity at Work

Yesterdays post on 10 Reasons Creative Folks Make Us Crazy — The 10 Dimensions of Creative Complexity got quite a response, particularly on a couple of forums. The most interesting part was that in the comments about the post it seemed that

  1. the folks commenting didn’t seem to have read the entire post, only the list.
  2. they also didn’t know this blog or they would understand that I count myself among the people who drive people crazy.
  3. they didn’t catch my personal belief that everyone is creative.

The fact is I drive myself crazy crazier the more I think. The other fact is business schools need creative thinkers more than ever. The whole world does if we want to get anything to change around here.

With those thoughts in mind, I dug out a piece that explains my thoughts on creativity. I’m posting it because the bunnies prove that we’re all creative types. [Read more…]

Happy Blogtipping August 1

by

Three Really Great People

blogtipping icon 1

Each of these folks brings a special humanity to the blogosphere you can see that in the energy and insight of every word that they write. So today being Blogtipping Day, August 1, I tip my blog to them.

Here’s how it works.

  • Choose three or more bloggers you admire and link to them,
  • List three reasons why you admire each one.
  • Then add a tip at the end.

That’s all there is to it.

1. Ann at Manage to Change. I tip my blog to you because

  • You blog about ideas that people need to think about, yet you do it with heart and humanity that gives them depth and appeal.
  • You care about the community and leave your blog to seek it out. Then you share the ideas with your readers in wonderful ways.
  • You are one of the most supportive commenters I’ve read in the blogosphere. You’re specific and insightful, and you say what you mean.

    • My blog tip: Consider writing a post on Liz’s Blog :).

    2. Tammy at Marketing Basics

  • You have great way of incorporating what you read into dynamite blog posts.
  • Your writing voice is warm, delightful, and filled with energy.
  • Your comments always call me to action. They deserve a thoughtful response because you have taken the time to think about what you read and to thoughtfully comment.

    • My blog tip: Your comments are the best promotion for your blog. Use them often and liberally at new blogs every week.

    3. Robert at Accidental Taorist

  • Your twist on things is unique and special. Your thoughts and your humor are your brand.
  • You write better than you give yourself credit for or than you believe. Push the envelope a little and have fun with it.
  • You understand how to make a reader feel that there’s a real person behind the screen. I often feel like you live inside my computer.

    • My blog tip: I love your template, but I’d love it better if it worked in IE. 🙂

    –Me “Liz” Strauss

    Related article
    Blogtipping the Three Stooges
    Link Leak Virus Page