Interview with Todd Henry, author of The Accidental Creative from Jennifer Lee on Vimeo.
Have too many ideas and not sure where to focus? My creative cohort Todd Henry, author of the new fabulous book The Accidental Creative, shares his tips with us on how to focus your energy in this video interview.
His book is full of such great suggestions for harnessing your creative genius.
Last week while I was at the CPSI Conference in Atlanta, I got to meet some really cool people doing creative and innovative work.
I sat in for a little bit of Dave Gray’s Gamestorming session and got inspired by how incorporates visuals and games into his work. He co-authored Gamestorming a book that contains 80 games to help you come up with new ideas, problem solve and more. You can also check out their Gamestorming site for more tips and tools.
I also met an International team of consultants, Jacquie Lloyd Smith, Katrin Elster, and Denise Meyerson, who work with companies to do creative problem solving and innovation using Lego® with their approach called Strategic Play®! How fun does that sound?
It’s hard to believe that June is almost over and that we’re halfway through the year! Have you reached your business goals so far? Are you on your way to achieving your targets for the rest of 2011?
Either way, now is a great time to review the first six months of your Right-Brain Business Plan® and make adjustments for the next six months and beyond.
Below are four simple steps for conducting a mid-year check-in:
1. Celebrate your accomplishments.
Ask yourself, “What’s working?” Whether you have a solid plan in place or not, I bet that you have made progress in your creative businesses. Perhaps you started blogging, posted new items to your Etsy store or landed new clients.
As you reflect back on your accomplishments, you might even notice that some of them weren’t in your original plan. That’s okay. Maybe you didn’t anticipate some great opportunities that have come your way. These could be valuable clues to where you want to go next. How do these successes align to your overall vision? How can you proactively invite more into your business in the future?
Now, if you’re saying things to yourself such as, “But I don’t even have a business plan” or “Ummm, I haven’t even finished anything I said I would,” I challenge you to write down at least one achievement per month for the past six months. I bet that you can find small things to celebrate! The more you acknowledge your forward movement, the more momentum and clarity you’ll gain.
2. Course correct, if needed.
Ask yourself, “What’s not working?” Don’t worry. Plans aren’t perfect. You don’t have a crystal ball (or if you do, I’d love to borrow it!). It’s totally reasonable that you didn’t take into account some unforeseen challenges. Maybe you need to adjust your marketing efforts. Or perhaps you need to look into updating your offerings or re-jigging your pricing structure.
What have you learned from what’s not working in your business? As you think about where you want to head, what will you shift or do differently? Yes, plans provide structure but they are not cast in stone. This is an opportunity to discover creative solutions and since you’re a right-brain entrepreneur, I know that you’re creative!
3. Go where there’s flow.
Ask yourself, “What brings me joy in my business?” If you’re enjoying yourself, having fun and following your passion, running your business will be a lot easier and fulfilling. Light-bulb moments often come when you’re in a creative flow, so feed your Inner Muse with inspiration and joy. After all, you started your business because you love what you do, so honor that!
And sure, running your business also includes some not-so-favorite tasks that you would rather avoid. But don’t wallow in the yucky stuckness and don’t bury your head in the sand. Both will just cause frustration. Instead, call upon your Inner Muse to help you move through the tough spots with grace and flow. What can you outsource or barter? Where can you ask for help? Having a support system in place can certainly help keep things moving forward.
4. Set an intention.
Ask yourself, “What do I want for my business in the next six months?” Whether you’re continuing to march down the path of your original vision or you’ve tweaked your plans, make sure that you’re explicit about your intention. Having a simple, clear focus will help you make authentic and aligned choices in your business.
May the next six months and beyond be filled with creative flow and business success!
If you’d like a simple tool to help you do your mid-year check-in, download the Stop, Start, Continue illustrated play sheet shown above along with eight other play sheets plus more free Right-Brain Business Plan® goodies.
I heard from so many of you during the Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit how much you got out of Todd Henry’s interview.
So you can bet how excited I am to share this super great news with you… Todd’s new book The Accidental Creative is coming out on July 7th AND he’s generously offered a few giveaways to our community (Thanks, Todd!).
Check out his special video message to us below for details.
Purchase The Accidental Creative between now and June 30th, forward your e-mail receipt to hello @ accidentalcreative.com by June 30th, and:
NOTE: Pre-orders also apply to e-Book versions (Kindle, iBook, etc.) and International orders.
Pretty awesome opportunities to get guidance first hand from Todd!
I’m reading an advanced copy of The Accidental Creative right now and I must say, this book rocks! It’s smart, practical, and much needed for us creative types who need tips for focusing our ideas and harnessing our creative energy. One of the tips I’ve already started practicing is his Big 3 technique to help me direct my attention to my top creative priorities. I can feel the juices flowing!
So, pre-order your copy now and get entered to win Todd’s brilliant giveaways. Good luck!!
And if you want a jolt of inspiration, Todd’s book trailer is a must see.
Earlier this week I did a call with Tina Forsyth and members of her Online Business Manager community, so I’ve got the idea of support on my mind. If you’re looking for some more left-brain help with details and implementation as you grow your already successful business, on Online Business Manager may be just the thing for you. I loved hearing Tina talk about how OBMs really partner with their clients to make their visions a reality.
If you’re not ready to invest in an OBM, I recommend hiring a Virtual Assistant. You can look for a potential VA at AssistU. I found my VA through this directory focused on Professional Virtual Authors Assistants.
And if you’re needing assistance with a one-time task, check out Fancy Hands, a personal online concierge service. I subscribed for a couple of months and delegated a few tasks to them. The more detailed you can be with your request the better the results.
I’ll be in Atlanta next week for the CPSI Conference leading a Right-Brain Business Plan® intensive and I’ll be doing a book signing at TahCha Teahouse on Tuesday June 21st at 7pm.
Name: Michelle Berlin
Company Name: Living Right Brain™
Website: http://www.livingrightbrain.com
Note from Jenn: Michelle Berlin of Living Right Brain participated in the Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit earlier this year and it’s so cool to see what she and her sister are launching now. You’ll be inspired by all of the goals they’ve already accomplished and how they’re infusing their intuition and passion for art into their creative business. Congrats! (All photos below courtesy of Deidre Lynn.)
What is your business and what makes your business unique?
Living Right Brain.
Daily Creativity.
Create Art – Create Dreams- One Step At A Time
We, my sister and I, are in the ‘reaching your goals through creativity’ business.
We are a source for downloadable art projects and creative coaching tools.
We have just launched our site (thanks to Jenn!) and we will be adding new items as fast as we can produce them!
View our first video Affirmation Celebration ‘Leaves’ and let us know what you think!
What makes us unique is that we are striving to create a line of projects that are designed to help move you closer to your dreams easily and with creativity, giving you a sense of satisfaction and clarity through art. It will be a beautiful site with daily inspirations, a community gallery, input and sharing.
How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?
Before I found Jenn and the RBBP I had no sense of direction.
I had way too many ideas and I thought every one of them was too good to let go.
I didn’t see any way to compile all of these ideas into something cohesive until I signed up for Jenns RBBP course and it changed everything for me! I found the tools I needed to see where my strengths were and what was okay to let go of.
What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?
Got our domain name!
Figured out our content!
Getting our name a trademark!
Made our first video!
Launching our site!
Getting my ARTbundance coaching certification!
Signed up for more Coachville courses!
Organizing my studio for more videos to come!
How do you use your creative intuition in your work?
My entire business is about creative intuition! My goal is to move your life forward with ease and grace through art and creativity. Part of what I learned in Jenn’s course is that you will move forward if you love what you do and I really love creating art with a purpose.
What’s your vision for your business?
To have a successful online business supplying creative coaching tools and projects that will help guide people to their goals through art. It will be so amazing to wake up every day knowing that my art is helping to make people happy and healthy
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
Listen to your heart, what do you really want to do? Put it down in black and white or pink and purple- just get it out there and start living it! Even if it’s just for tiny moments at a time- it will feed your soul!
Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan® in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?
‘Business plan’ isn’t a dirty word!
Creative Resources
Click here for more information about Michelle Berlin.
The Right-Brain Business Plan® Kit is available now.
Access a multimedia library of interviews and resources from the Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit and order the book The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success.
Last weekend I was in Portland for Chris Guillebeau’s inspiring World Domination Summit. One of my many highlights was getting to feast my eyes on Cynthia Morris’ totally right-brained illustrated notes from the event. Seriously, I wanted to steal her journal! Teehee! But now, Cynthia is posting up pics from her visual notes and insights from her experience over the next several days, so I can get my fix there.
Next Tuesday, I’ll be jumping on a call with Andy Hayes for a C-Booster Session. You can jump on for free and join the conversation about entrepreneurship, creativity, and confidence. Another highlight from my WDS weekend was getting to meet Andy and several other online friends in person for the first time.
Last night I gave a Right-Brain Business Plan® talk at the Fearless Women Entrepreneur Network in SF. My friend and colleague Starla Sireno and her team have built a super awesome and supportive community of business-minded people. They’re leading an in-person, multi-day workshop called Fearless Ideation starting July 16th. It’s perfect for women in the Bay Area who are thinking of starting a new business.
There are only a few more spots left in the upcoming Right-Brain Business Plan® e-Course that starts this Monday, June 13th. I’ve been having fun welcoming participants from around the world into our online private group. Would love to see you there before the course sells out!
