# Patience #Art #Life skills education #Empowerment # Life Coaching#Transitions

February 9, 2020
by Savvy Raj 1 Comment

The Creative Flow

Curvy Road of Ideation to Solutions

When creativity is put to test…

The process of creation to finding targeted solutions in the world of products to services is a long and winding road in creativity. The general assumption is that of a direct and linear way to creativity. While one thing leads to another it is not always a straight linear road.

It is the very nature of creativity to retrace, rewind, edit and reframe until it makes sense.

Non judgmental understanding and
empathy is crucial to creating solutions.
It is important to set aside ones own assumptions to gain understanding of another’s perspectives and needs.

To brainstorm you need a direction so it is important to give a clear sense of flow and the perspectives gained in understanding and emphasizing with the needs, helps to streamline the flow of thoughts towards ideation.Ideation is a result of many thoughts, many questions, in analysis, synthesis and deductions.

There are so many paths in the process of creative ideation like for instance…

Brainstorming : This is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.

BrainWriting : Another collaborative creativity concept at work. Here the ideas are all recorded by the creator and then passed on to the next person who can use it as a trigger for their own set of ideas..

The Worst Possible idea : This is a creative design thinking technique where team members seek the worst solutions in ideation sessions. This eases the pressure and boosts the confidence of the team to challenge assumptions and find better and better ideas

SCAMPER : This is an acronym and each letter stands for a thinking technique: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse.

It is important to know what to focus and what to let go as there will be many plenty of ideas that may come up in the process of ideation. Hence keeping focus on what the actual problem is, helps in finding solutions to address and resolving it.

Then comes the part of checking out whether the ideas are actually a perfect solution by examining the quality checks, fault testing and cross questioning so that the idea can be then accepted or rejected as a solution.

New issues can come up that can challenge the process flow. There would also be new opinions and opportunities to explore and refine more.

So however curvy or zig zag the truth is, the road is full of potential and myriad possibilities in the making. Such is the truth of the creative flow.

Sounds like a good idea?

Savvy

January 25, 2020
by Savvy Raj 2 Comments

The tree speaks for itself…

The tree above signifies the connection

Of how the microscopic characteristics

Relate to the macroscopic structures.

The tree speaks for itself…

Overall ensuring a form and identity

That speaks of structure and integrity

That can withstand stress & pressure

Erosion & the aging processes.

The tree perhaps is shriveled & stark

Within its roots the winter wilts its will

Yet the tree upholds itself in tenacity

Branching out to balance itself.

Standing strong and proud

In the autumn of life

In being all it needs to be.

The tree speaks for itself.

Savvy

December 20, 2019
by Savvy Raj 4 Comments

Solitude: A road to stillness?

AN ARTIST’S RELATION TO SOLITUDE
An artist must make time for the long periods of solitude
Solitude is extremely important
Away from home
Away from the studio
Away from family
Away from friends
An artist should stay for long periods of time at waterfalls
An artist should stay for long periods of time at exploding volcanoes
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at fast-running rivers
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the horizon where the ocean and sky meet
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the stars in the night sky

Marina Abramovic

I loved the poem enough to share it, yet felt there is something much deeper to reflect there.

Is solitude the road to stillness … afterall there is often stillness in the movements and movement in the stillness as well.

So I would like to ask an artist…

Do you really want solitude or stillness ?

Sometimes in deep solitude there is no stillness.

And that is perhaps the reason for the need of staying away from it all.

Staying away is not the answer but just a change to alter and arrange thoughts.

For thoughts run amuck sometimes and have a speed all their own

Perhaps the need of the moment is being still

To witness the tides as they rise and recede.

Stillness is amidst it all in your hearts

Not in some far away place.

Then anytime you are free to…

Walk in to your own special place.

Art happens out of nowhere

It has no specific time to arrive

In the busiest of moments

Arises an insight

To write to paint and draw

It tugs on your heart to create itself.

It sees no day or night

No reason to appear or disappear

In fact art is living in every moment

Waiting for us to manifest it.

Savvy

December 9, 2019
by Savvy Raj Leave a comment

Touching the nerve of truth

Touching the nerve of truth
It is not an easy task to confront
Cause to confront is to be ready for conflict
Be it any kind…
From mental social or physical and more
Conflicts are always unwanted.

But change is the only constant

And life moves on creating itself.

In any art and creative endeavour
Say even speaking & writing for that matter, there is much scope for influences and perceptions.

It is the nature of truth to transform
But not without chaos and confusion
Such is the nature of human frailty.

There in lies the strength of human spirit. (Contd)

Savvy

November 24, 2019
by Savvy Raj Leave a comment

Why empathy matters in offices?

A young newly appointed Human Resources manager in a company, when told about the companys plan to induct empathy-based training for the employees, questions the founder why to invest on people when they may not stick around, speaks much about the necessity for such training.

Her question was more about cutting cost incurred per employee, but the management was looking at a larger picture. If through these training humane interactions can become a norm than a chance happening, the overall retention of employees will cut the costs of hiring them.

The value of empathy as part of work culture across the world is spreading far and wide.

Many times a leader can show empathy in one situation but not consistently. An awareness of what empathetic behaviour can alter in conversations is worth knowing. In fact, every employee can benefit from life skills training which includes empathetic communication.

How can employees be taught Empathy as a life skill?

Tools of Empathy can be practised in all office settings. Management can take initiative in settings precedents to practice than preach. This ensures faster retention and greater scope of emulation.

Senior managers can adopt skill sets that are conducive to the implementation of empathy in the workplace.

1: Practising good listening skills ceates a feeling that they are being heard.

2: Empathy is about taking into consideration another’s point of view in a non-judgemental manner.

3: Giving time and attention to employees increases communication and productivity.

4: Mindfulness increases in the workplace as employees begin to be aware of each other. Strength and weaknesses are mutually balanced and supported in cooperation.

5: Helps in conflict resolutions and negotiations and trust-building and thereby improving teamwork and collaboration.

Enough evidence to show the difference empathy based trainings can bring to offices and how it creates a positive environment. It is time to adopt and build empathy driven work culture.

Is your office empathy driven as yet?

Savvy