Creating Challenge Day 132 - Painting the City Red

Creating Challenge Day 84 - The Accidental Creative

Creating Challenge Day 79 - Lets Create This Together

Creating Challenge Day 77 - Culture + Strategy

Creating Challenge Day 47 - Mentors

Immanuel approach mentors - a great community!

Creating Challenge Day 46 - No

Sometimes the best answer to pursuing a great idea is "No."

Creating Challenge Day 45 - Convergence

The streams of my world are converging together now more than ever. I am grateful...and intrigued. This looks different and feels bigger than I had imagined...and much more fun! More details to come.

Creating Challenge Day 44 - Synchronicity By Email

Today I had two synchronicities happen by email!

This morning, out of the blue, I thought of the UK band, Iona, and decided to listen to some of their music. I had not thought of them or listened to their music in many months.

I then received an email from an Ioana with information I had been hoping for regarding a potential project I'm considering. The correlation in the names heightened my interest in the project.

The second synchronicity had to do with thinking this week about the book, Topgrading,  and wanting to reconnect with some information in it.

Today I received an email from the author of the book with an opportunity to attend a workshop. The email caught my attention and helped me pull the book out and get the info I had been wanting to reread.

I am noticing more synchronicity happening these days in more ways than these. I'm trying to pay attention as I feel like these are clues to follow as I pursue my goals for 2013.

How about you? What synchronicity is showing up in your life these days?

Creating Challenge Day 41 - Tribe

Got to hang out with some out of town tribe today!!!

Creating Challenge Day 40 - Collaboration

Today's Thought: Sometimes collaborating takes just as much effort, or more, than doing something on one's own. One has to walk that out to discover which way is better in some situations.

On a similar vein, I've been continuing to read Artful Making by Austin & Devin (2003). I love this book! The four core elements of artful making are release, emergence, collaboration, and play. There is a way to skilfully integrate these elements into optimal business settings to bring greater impact and results. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Creating Challenge Day 39 - Time to Learn

I am SO appreciative of my learning community. One of several "types" of people in my life is life-long learners.

A glimpse into today:

Today was a great day reconnecting with Iris and James Lemmer from 3231 Creatives. They have put their theories and dreams into action to create a social enterprise in Everett, WA.

I also got to enjoy session #2 of a course on Dialogue Education (DE) taught by Fred Defoy. I'm learning that all the great facilitation and training I've been a recipient of has had the hallmarks of DE. I'm glad to be able to learn that method more deeply and effectively so I can better utilize it in my training and facilitating.

I am also grateful for a warm home and a car that works in this cold, Chicagoland weather.

Creating Challenge Day 38 - Provoker

I was making my way through my Dream Year Weekend workbook this evening when I got stumped. I honestly couldn't remember a time in my childhood that would have given any indication of the dreams I am pursuing today.

The only thing that came to me was Buttons, our pet rabbit. But as I remembered my connection with Buttons, I remembered the neighbor boy who used to bully me...but wait, he only bullied me when I provoked him.

Huh. I did provoke him on purpose. It's funny how we only remember parts of stories sometimes. And around that time my provoking self got put on notice and went into hiding.

I'm grateful that my provoking self has made a comeback, after much refinement, to be a more productive part of my persona. A great ally when wanting to launch a new idea or companies of people. 

Creating Challenge Day 36 - Coworking!

I spent the afternoon brainstorming coworking ideas with a friend and colleague!

Check out this article on INC.com on 16 Cool Coworking Spaces! 

Here's another one on 6 Reasons to Build Your Start-up in a Coworking Space.

Creating Challenge Day 32 - Sharing our Great Thing

Dialogue Education is an awesome facilitation method for experiential learning. This image contrasts collaborative instruction vs. traditional instruction. Can you guys which is which?

Creating Challenge Day 31 - Hope & Resources

Creating Challenge Day 30 - Trust

Today's reflection: Trust

"If you were to sum up your work in the world with one word, what would it be?"

When I heard this question last Sunday during the final day of Dream Year Weekend, the first word that came to mind was "trust." I dismissed it. Why? How could that word sum up my worldwork? My own journey of self-trust couldn't possibly reflect my main contribution to the world, could it?

Yes.

Creating Challenge Day 29 - First Idea

One of the benefits of brainstorming is to expand the impact of an upcoming opportunity. Today's brainstorm took the form of walking through different scenarios and seeing which one provided the impact we wanted for an upcoming event. Scenario number two was the winner. Many times the first idea opens the door to better ones if you take the time to explore.

Creating Challenge Day 28 - Work Like Art

I'm reading an excellent book called "Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work."

Here is a quote:

"As business becomes more dependant on knowledge to create value, work becomes more like art. In the future, managers who understand how artists work will have an advantage over those who don't."

I'm looking forward to reading more about this intersection between management and performance art. Sounds like a whole brain experience.

Creating Challenge Day 27 - Dream Year Weekend!

Had an excellent last day of Dream Year Weekend in Virginia Beach, VA!!! I got everything I came for to help me more effectively move my own dreams from ideas to execution and coach others to do the same.

Creating Challenge Day 25 - Planes Trains and Automobiles

Part 1: Today's been a planes, trains, and automobiles kind of day. On my way to Virginia Beach from Baltimore...13hrs and counting. Car, taxi, train, bus #1, just boarded bus #2. I expect another taxi and one more automobile (if all goes well with the weather) and the day will be complete. I may catch the last 30 minutes of Day One of the Dream Year Weekend!!! Calgon take me away!

Part 2: I arrived at my destination at 9:15pm. Taxi ride was paid for by my hotel and the day of travel is complete. 15.5 hours from beginning to final destination.

Original travel time expected: 7 hours (Amtrak was down plus inclement weather)

During the day I had the great opportunity to have five ICF Chicago calls in support of our community and board. Thanking God that I just got a hands free headset for my phone.

I'm "toast!"

Creating Challenge Day 24 - Artful Making

Creating Challenge Day 23 - MRAC & SCIS in One Day!

Today's SCIS meetup with Sarah and Fred was our first of the year. Next Steps: We are moving forward in cross training for the sake of greater effectiveness.

The MRAC idea call was full of potential...looking forward to large group call on Friday for next steps.

Creating Challenge Day 20 - Six Soft Good Sunday

Creating Challenge Day 22 - Creating Members

I am so fortunate to have such a fabulous team on the ICF Chicago board.

Creating Challenge Day 21 - The Kids

Sometimes building community is all about watching other people's kids. :-) 

Creating Challenge Day 19 - Time to Converge!

This illustration was created during the Core Competency Coach Training program final session held on January 19th.

During the final part of a coaching session we brainstorm multiple next steps, choose next step(s) for now, identify specific, measurable, attainable, resonant, and time specific details, and support the client as they take action. All in a day's work!

Creating Challenge Day 16 - Checking In

Creating Challenge Day 15 - Vulcan Mind Meld

Creating Challenge Day 14 - Coaching Culture

Creating Challenge Day 13 - Perfect Fit

Creating Challenge Day 12 - Community of Practice

Creating Challenge Day 11 - Time to Presence

Creating Challenge Day 10 - Half Smile or No Smile?

Found this on my car windshield after my morning walk with Kristin Sauer...a gift from her dad, Howard, based on a running joke we all have that a half smile is better than no smile. This half smile is rather scary looking...I think most of them are. What do you think? 

We had a full house today at the ICF Chicago Coach Cafe at the Schaumburg Library.  We discussed this month's core coaching competency and then had an opportunity for everyone to share/receive input as desired. Great time! Looks like a new Coach Cafe will be starting up in Geneva, IL soon!

Creating Challenge Day 9 - Website Updates

Creating Challenge Day 8 - Influence

Creating Challenge Day 7 - Intentional Community

I am having so much fun with these sketches that I created this one in anticipation for my upcoming programming meeting on Tuesday. I'm a day ahead of schedule.  

Creating Challenge Day 6 - Goodbye Bro!

Creating Challenge Day 5 - Don't Become a Boiled Frog

Today's movement towards creating companies of people was to read pages 30-31 of Gutsche's book Exploiting Chaos. The first page made the bold statement:

Our generation is fundamentally reinventing the way human beings interact.

The second page had this illustration:

If you place a frog into a pot of boiling water, he'll immediately hop out. And he'll be pissed off. If you place a frog into a pot of lukewarm water and slowly dial up the heat, he will keep swimming until he's boiled alive.
Like us, the frog is more sensitive to shocking change. If change is moderate, urgency becomes less apparent. Before we know it--hey, what's that smell?--we're cooked.                 Exploiting Chaos by Jeremy Gutsche 

What happens when you put both concepts together? I wonder what "moderate" changes are happening in the US culture right now that will have a huge impact in the near future?

I am encouraged to keep taking the consistent steps, however small, in the direction of my goals and desired future. It matters.

Creating Challenge Day 4 - Effortless Alignment

One of my favorite values is called "Effortless Alignment." I experienced this today! I co-led a one day training with a team of 4 people where it felt effortless, easy, joy-filled, and rich with meaning and content.  As a team we were aligned about the content, the process and the delivery. Wow! I'll take 361 more days of  "Effortless Alignment", Jack!

Creating Challenge Day 3 - Behind the Scenes

Creating Challenge Day 2 - The Longest Lunch of the Year

 

Lunch with James & Iris Lemmer and Donna Lemmer turned from 1 hour to 7 hrs! This sketch represents our conversation about the Lemmer's 3231 Creatives social enterprise in Everett, WA. 

Creating Challenge Day 1 - WENDY, BREAK RULES!

Inside Cover of "Exploiting Chaos"

Today I picked up a book I had "won" at the Talent & Organization Development Summit in Chicago in June 2012. When I say "won", what I really mean is that Jeremy Gutsche, author of the book Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change, was the keynote speaker on day one of the summit and when he offered to give a copy of his book away to the crowd I waved my hand wildly and got the book!

I had been struggling about what to name this blog site and what domain address to use for my 365 day creating challenge. Jeremy's book was the perfect remedy. As I read the first few pages, I was reminded (again) that I didn't have to figure out and align all of my online strategy for the year before I started this blog. Simple enough. I named this blog what it was: creating challenge...a 365 day experiment.

I opened the book back up and noticed the inside cover I had gotten autographed after the session. Oh yeah...what an invitation!!! It read: "WENDY, BREAK RULES!" (Yes to that! To me this means thinking outside the box and breaking out of patterns of unconscious living.) and "Chaos is the uncertainty sparked by uncharted territory, economic recession, and bubbles of opportunity." I'm going in! Want to come?

[If you are interested in reading Jeremy Gutsche's book Exploiting Chaos, click HERE to read it online or download it for free from his website.]

Creating Challenge 2013 | 365 Days of Creating

As co-founder and co-host with Lisa Lauffer of Brilliant Chaos, a virtual community of creators, 2013 has ushered in a most exciting creating challenge. Below is the introduction posted on Brilliant Chaos' blog and Facebook group that describes Brilliant Chaos' 2013 Creating Challenge and my CHAOS goal for 2013...starting NOW!

2013 Brilliant Chaos Creating Challenge

The new year approaches, and at this time of year, many people create goals. Perhaps you’ve heard of SMART goals? Well, on Planet Chaos (the home of Brilliant Chaos), SMART goals are sooooo early-2000s. No, on Planet Chaos, we ask ourselves “What CHAOS do we want to create in the coming year?” This is our way of inviting you to develop your own Creating Challenge for 2013.

What exactly do we mean by CHAOS? Well, let us tell you:

C-Creation:What exactly do you want to love into existence?

H-How:How will you know you’ve accomplished it? What kind of parameters do you need to complete your creation?

A-Achievable:Can you realistically complete this creation in the time alloted? What resources do you need to do so?

O-OMG (Oh.My.Geefwidiousness!*):On a scale from 1 to 10, how geefwidious* is this creation for you?

S-Schedule:How long do you want to take to achieve this creation? How often do you want to work toward it? 

*Geefwidious®: A word of Brilliant Chaos’ Chaotish Language®, meaning full of wonder and discovery with a sense of satisfaction.

Here, at Brilliant Chaos, we will be creating our own CHAOS around the world. And you know what? We’ll be doing it brilliantly.  

What constitutes CHAOS? Here are some broad categories:

Project: What does not exist now that you want to have exist by the end of 2013? (Example: book, business, website, painting, building, etc.)

Time: How often do you want to create? For what duration? (Example: one project a day for the first week of the month.)

Learning: What new skills are acquired and/or needed? (Example: mastering watercolor painting or developing your website-building skills.) A mixture of all of the above.

So, in the coming weeks, consider what kind of CHAOS you’d like to bring to the planet. If you would like, post your commitment to CHAOS on this Facebook page along with any requests for support you’d like. We will host regular check-ins. As well, each of you may create a separate document (see “Files” tab and then click “+Create Doc”) that can list your individual commitments and requests for ready reference.

*****

Wendy’s CHAOS:

C-Creation: 365 Days of Creating: Designing and creating companies of people.

H-How: Daily activities to include one or more of the following: movement towards create companies of people - could be short-term, long-term, project based, relationship based, with/for creatives, healers and leaders; creating structures; prophetic art; watch videos; read books; experiment; prototype; research; relationship building; daily activities to include something visible to the naked eye, in plain sight; post it on personal blog daily; post link from personal blog to Brilliant Chaos FB page daily; be fully present when creating.

A-Achievable: Part of the daily process will be to determine the specific project goals that I’ll pursue throughout 2013.

O-OMG (Oh.My.Geefwidiousness!*): On a scale from 1 to 10, how geefwidious* is this creation for you? 10!!! I feel VERY challenged and excited by this creating challenge. Way out of my comfort zone!

S-Schedule: Every day in 2013, small steps, may take 5 minutes up to an hour or two.