aileen bennett

days 8-13 – the quiet before the storm.

by aileen on July 26, 2011

I know I have been quiet. Sometimes you get too busy doing to write about doing. I committed to writing about this experience and so I’m back.

I have a new project that I’m set on doing. It’s an idea that might fail (those are the best kind) and I’m going to need others to make it happen (those are the scary kind).

I’m at the stage where I’m getting everything together behind the scenes which is why you haven’t heard from me, but I’m still here and I’m still being deliberately creative. Someone asked me yesterday, over coffee, “Where do you get all these ideas?” and I replied in my standard manner “Oh, that’s the easy part” – I was wrong, I defaulted to a standard answer (as we often do). They come from training your brain to think that way, they come from noticing the world, they come from being deliberately creative.

My first semester at college changed my life. They taught us to think of ideas, in fact that was all we did – and we were judged on it. I wish I could do that time over again – I wish I could analyze what we did. How I worked and how others worked. When it comes down to it the only way to think of ideas is to think of ideas.

I’m sorry I’m not revealing all on here, in my head I was intending to share it all, but sometimes ideas need some time to incubate before they are launched on the world. Today I will be making a timeline for that – working out what I need to get in place, and when. It’s getting close to time to share this idea, to let it out into the world and see if it flies or sinks – either way I’m going to learn a lot about me, about you, and about the world.

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day 6 – sharing

by aileen on July 19, 2011

Being deliberately creative takes a combination of thinking alone and sharing. Day 6 was a sharing day. I talked ideas with friends in person, over skype and via text – there are so many ways to share these days. I didn’t have “an idea” but I had an idea what I wanted to have an idea about. Then last night it struck me, – this may be ‘the idea’, it may just be the ‘next idea’ – or it may be the idea that leads to ‘the idea’ – who knows.. but it is firmly planted in my head and growing rapidly.

So the idea is…..

No, not ready to share it yet, but believe me, you will hear about it. There are lots of clues in this post – but clues are no good unless you know what you are looking for. So today, go and share your thoughts, your ideas, you thoughts, yourself – you’ll be surprised at what happens!

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Days 4 & 5

by aileen on July 18, 2011

This weekend I decided I would spend the time preparing my space, my equipment for what is brewing in my mind… yes that’s the gurgling sound you can hear when everything is quiet. It’s a kind of ‘build it’ and you can’t afford for it not to happen.

I got my current computers hard drive and memory upgraded – and ordered a new second screen (bigger) and a new (well, refurbished) macbook pro.. yep I went all out. I have decided to subscribe to the new Adobe stuff – all of it. It’s been a back and forth decision but I have decided that, although, yes it’s cheaper to buy it in the long run, this gives me a chance to have it all, play with it, learn (some of) it, and really see what I use and what I don’t. It’s time for me to play catch up in the software stakes.

I don’t want to be a graphic designer again, but I do want to use all the new technology to communicate – in a whole new way. I plan on using a whole lot more video, graphics and creativity. I want to combine that with my obsession with business, communication, connection and company culture.

Weekends are a great time to let things stew in your head, you can relax with friends and family and just let your ideas brew for a while.

This could be dangerous!

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Day 3 – Noticing the creativity around you

by aileen on July 13, 2011

Yesterday was about noticing the creativity that people use without even labeling it as such. I was at an event at a large company and before and after I spoke I watched:

People thinking on their feet and making spur of the moment decisions- that’s creativity.
Adding value to the customer experience – that’s creativity.
Writing on the paper table clothes to say ‘good morning’ and later, ‘thank you for coming’ and ‘we’ll miss you’ (See the message they wrote for me below)- that’s creativity.
Finding solutions to customer problems – that’s creativity.

Once you start looking you see it everywhere. Once you see it you start by wondering what else could happen. Start by asking What If…..

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Day 2 – fit to be creative.

by aileen on July 13, 2011

If we want to be creative on a consistent basis we need to have a strong mind and as much as we try and pretend otherwise part of having a strong mind is having a strong body. I know that when I’m tired and lets face it – fat, I am less creative, less driven and less successful.

This is our only body, if we are not going to look after it then who is. So today let’s get moving, and keep it up every day. I’m taking a creative approach to this so I’m trying some new stuff… while you are walking, or lifting reps exercise your mind too. Make up new colors from things that you see, or challenge yourself to name as many types of blue (or another color) as you can imagine between each rep. I did it yesterday – you quickly run out of sensible ones and it’s quite funny to see what you come up with. I found myself thinking of drainhole gray, dirty car white, kinda blue, industrial moss green…. you will be amazed at what you come up with.

I know I am motivated by words so last night I went into my Gym (or the secret room as my husband calls it) and put up the phrase below

It’s true. Your Habits Show. We can tell who is working out and who isn’t – it doesn’t really matter what they say, your habits show. It’s time for me to stop kidding myself that ‘I’m quite fit really’ and get into working out consistently. My body deserves it. My creativity needs it.

I know it will make me a better speaker. Hold me to this!

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Forty Days of Creativity – Day One.

by aileen on July 12, 2011

Day One

This is an experiment in creativity. Deliberate Creativity.

I have been researching, writing, reading, ok yes – obsessing about creativity in business for a while. Not just for those business who have to be creative on a daily basis but those that don’t (but could really benefit from it). I have lots of ideas so what better than to try them myself daily and work out what works. I have no idea where this will lead but I intend to have a lot of fun finding out.

I wanted to share some of this journey with you. Some of the things I try I’d love you to try too, I will (if this all works) be creating some products (maybe a book, ecourse & of course a speech / training) but that’s not the point right now. The point is to experiment with being deliberately creative.

I started my career as a Graphic Designer, apparently from the time I was 3 or 4 years old I used to tell my parent I wanted to “draw Cornflake Boxes” when I got older. Through my teenage years it was my complete focus. I was the first in my family to get a degree (yes, in Graphic Design) and I loved every minute of working in the industry…… but then I began to notice something else. This was a business. This was about clients and productivity and end product. At college no one had mentioned that – they were all about clever ideas and great looking design.

I became obsessed with the client presentation (yes I’ve always been the obsessive type) and why they liked some design and not others. I loved packaging design more than logo design because the success or failure didn’t depend on people thinking it was ‘pretty’ or ‘cool’ – it depended on sales figures. Yes, I got to draw cornflake packets. Yes it was everything I’d dreamed it would be.

Then my career took a turn. I was freelancing as a designer and working at a couple of London Colleges teaches Graphics. One day someone entered my classroom and asked if I could cover a class that afternoon… in Communication. I agreed and my life changed. (Skip long story here) Gradually I became a speaker, winning the Best Humorous Speaker in the UK and Ireland title in 2000.

I have always stayed creative, my speeches have always been very visual and my home is full of design. Lately it’s been bugging me, leaping out of every crevice, it’s time to let it have a more important role, an upfront position in my business.

So this is the blog of the experiment. 40 days to test what I think I have learned in the last 40 years.

If you have read this far, congratulations. Today I am starting my day by re-reading one of my favorite very small books by Seth Godin. GRACEFUL – It’s a simple little book with powerful messages- It’s only $2.99 from Amazon (kindle edition) – It should put me on the right track.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments as I go through this process, I’d love to hear how creativity plays a role in your business and whether you leave it to chance or have a system to make it happen and make it brilliant.

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A reminder to be OPEN

by aileen on July 11, 2011

Last week I bought an ‘OPEN’ sign from a business that had closed (ironic) and I couldn’t resist altering it slightly. I painted out some letters and used a dremel to carve out some new ones. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. It now hangs in my office to remind me to be OPEN. So now for the before and after pics…

BEFORE

NOW

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The Quick Fix

by aileen on July 5, 2011

In the last few years we have all be trained to look for the easy way to do things. Television, magazines and the internet constantly promises us magical results: lose 15lbs this week, tone your body in 3 minutes a day, make six figures a year working four hours a week. You know the stuff.

We are continuously fed the lie that success doesn’t take hard work or effort. I guess we just wouldn’t buy something that declared ‘Use your hard work and willpower to lose 2.5lbs this week.’

We want quick fixes, and blame ourselves when they don’t work. With each easy method that doesn’t work, (not that we ever really stick to them) we label ourselves or the system a failure and look for the next thing.

We want newer and faster, we look for ‘no willpower needed’ and cling to phrases like ‘work smarter, not harder’ — after all who wants to work harder?

A few years ago a movie called “The Secret” revived people’s interest in the Law of Attraction — we no longer had to do anything. We just had to visualize what we wanted and magically the Universe sent it to us. I’m a motivational speaker — I’m meant to tell you this stuff works. Just imagine it happening and it will. Believe in yourself and everything will change. Blah, blah, blah.

I’ll be honest — I still spend the first 20 mins of each day visualizing what I want to happen in my life. Sometimes I write out my goals. Sometimes I just think about them with a cup of tea. I’m learning to meditate.

So why do I do this if I don’t believe it worksIt’s not that it doesn’t work, it does. If you spend the first 20 minutes of the day visualizing AND then the rest of the day working towards what you want.

Learning to believe in yourself is only worth it if you use that belief to spur you into action. If you want the body, the career or the life of your dreams you have to take action.

This is good news. Really. There is only one way to know the joy of working towards what you want, following your passion — and that’s to do it. If it’s the path you are meant to be on, the work is part of the reward. I can’t promise that you are going to love every minute, but you are going to be learning the skills, and the lessons, and the self-discipline that are all an integral part of success in any field.

Yes you need to dream, but you also need the discipline of action.

Watch an athlete at his peak, you can’t fake the years of training that takes. You can’t fake learning, or experience, and even if you could bluff your way through life you’d be missing out on the true reward.

Effort is it’s own reward. The sooner we learn that, the happier we will be.

Now that’s a quick fix.

This was first published in The Advertiser in the weekly column I write, That’s What She Said.

Publix – I think I love you

by aileen on April 30, 2011

This weekend I’m at the beach with some girl friends. I always love to get away to the sea and the beautiful white sand, but when I hear Florida I get extra excited. It means I get to go to my favorite ~~packaging museum~~ supermarket, Publix. I used to be a packaging designer and the love for it never left. Publix has simple own label packaging throughout the store that would make my food cupboards look as minimalist as the rest of my house but their cookies and snacks also have humor – perfect for tempting you to buy. I spent the whole time running around taking photos…here are a few for you to enjoy.

Next time I go I may need a truck so I can bring everything home. Even the packaging that didn’t make me laugh makes me smile. I could shop there until the cows come home.

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The Next Big Thing?

by aileen on April 20, 2011

I am working on a fun new project. It was inspired by all the questions I am asked about communication wherever I go. I wanted to be able to answer more questions, and to share those answers so we could all learn from them, I wanted to be able to provide a place where people can go to find the answers… and so a new website is being hatched. It will be a membership site, not sure of the cost yet, but I’m all about giving people the best value possible so you can rest easy on that.

It will be a place where you can go and find what you need, if it’s a last minute bullet point list as you head into a meeting, a video how to write a speech, or an article about dealing with difficult co-workers. There will also be (insert drumroll here……… ) a question and answer section where you will be able to ask questions and get them answered directly by me. It will be like having your very own communication coach. Someone to answer your questions about your specific situation. The answers may also be open to others to discuss so you can get lots of opinions and learn from a multitude of people – I’m not completely sure yet.

It’s still in the planning stages, but we are working hard and fast (it’s been brewing for a while)…

I am planning on including information/ advice about Presenting, Networking, Selling, Customer Service, Understanding People, Dealing with Difficult People, Asking Difficult Questions, Behavior, Negotiations, Creativity, Faciliating- and other subjects.

I’m not sure what all of this looks like yet… so I would love your input.. What would you like to see? What would you use? Tell me your thoughts – after all it’s all about you. My aim is to make it the best resource of it’s kind, and to do that I need to make you happy.

Please leave your thoughts below. They will be read, and thought about, and will help create something magical…

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