The Creativity Triad

By Craig Miyamoto, APR, Fellow PRSA

(This is an expanded version of the 2003 First Quarter issue of Public Relations Strategies, a quarterly publication of Miyamoto Strategic Counsel)

When faced with creative tasks, both orthodox and unorthodox methods can be utilized in order to get the brain moving and the creative juices flowing. Over the years, this is the personal formula that I have developed � it�s a mixture of science, cuisine, and music.

SCIENCE

Boyle's Law: PV = k. That is, the product changes as pressure and volume fluctuate. Pressure and volume are inversely proportional. If pressure increases, volume decreases � and vice versa. But although volume decreases, its density increases. Therefore, the more pressure on you, the greater your focus and the better the product. Personally, I procrastinate.

Newton�s First Law: Inertia. An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an outside force. Therefore, you need something to help you get started. Deadlines help, and in a perverse way, so does procrastination. For me, cuisine and music are quite effective. More on these later.

Newton�s Second Law: Acceleration. The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. In other words, the greater the outside force, the faster something will move. But the heavier the object, the more force it takes to move it. Therefore, to increase the pace of your work, utilize tools that will accelerate your thinking � e.g., brainstorming to produce synergistic results.

Newton�s Third Law: Reaction. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The way you react to situations and pressures will determine how well you perform. You can use incentives. For example, strive for excellence by deciding ahead of time that you will submit your work for awards. Or, get someone to tell you the job is impossible and you can�t do it. This will work if you have a stubborn nature and can rise to the challenge.

Bernoulli�s Principle: Lift. Straight and flat is good, if you want to stay earthbound. But to fly, you need a curved surface. Air flowing over a curve in an airplane wing flows faster than the air flowing under the flat bottom of a wing. To be creative, to become airborne, look for curves in your life and work. Utilize the experiences you�ve had in other fields. After all, everything you�ve done, every fork in the road that you�ve taken, adds to your basic frame of reference. Don�t always walk the straight and narrow � see what�s just over the hill to the right, don�t be afraid of left field. Think �funny kind.�

CUISINE

The Beef Stew Method. When you cook a stew, the ingredients are separate and unequal, but in measured quantity � meat, flour, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, daikon (a personal favorite), water and seasonings, plus an application of heat over a measured period of time. Separately, they taste like raw meat, dusty flour, raw and crunchy potatoes, pungent onions, snappy crunchy carrots, juicy celery, raw daikon (yikes!), plain old tap water, and salt, pepper, rosemary, whatever.

But, cut �em up, brown the meat, add the water and other ingredients at the proper time, put it all on the back burner on medium-low heat, forget about for a few hours and when you come back � voila! Scrumptious beef stew.

It�s the same thing with creative writing. Get the ingredients. Research, read, experience, remember, forget, connect, disconnect � then let them simmer on the back burner of your brain until you�ve procrastinated enough and are motivated to begin (see �Science� section above).

Everything will fall into place. Visualize, and then describe your vision. It�s easier to write about beef stew if you�ve experienced it, if you can recall the flavors and aromas. Make everything you write about remind you of something.

MUSIC

Rock And Roll. Many people listen to music when they�re creating. I for one love to create to rock and roll � loud, deep-beat, tummy-thumping music that emphasizes the �roll� part of rock and roll. It�s like going to a rock concert � the music stirs your very soul, it vibrates through your innards, it puts your brain in motion and closes you off to the outside world.

There is a special rhythm that one can develop � the music permeates, flavors the beef stew even further, accelerates your thinking, moves you from point to point, and your fingers fly across the keyboard in direct correlation and reaction to the electrical storm that courses through your brain and body.

Music � use it to be creative. It�s good stuff; better than drugs, and it�ll get your innards functioning better.

Caveat 1: Privatize it. Not everyone appreciates it. I�ve had people come to my office and close my door. I�ve had people in neighboring offices complain because the loud music is flowing through the air conditioning ducts. Thank god for those small earpieces.

Caveat 2: Don�t force it. It�s not for everyone. If you can�t stand rock and roll, listen to something else � John Philip Sousa marches, symphonic music (e.g., �Ride of the Valkyries,� �William Tell Overture�). Or, if it totally distracts you, play something softer and in the background. The point is, utilizing the sense of hearing helps stimulate the brain. But it only works if you don�t concentrate on doing it.

Caveat 3: Don�t sing along. You�ll end up concentrating on the words and music, and you�ll defeat the whole purpose of utilizing music.