CREATIVE CONVERGENCE: MAKING SPACE FOR WELLNESS

By: Jennifer Quarrie

Have you ever hit one of those points in your life when you’re ready to move in a healthier direction?  Whether its getting better sleep, moving more throughout the day or walking away from junk food, the realization dawns that now is the time.  New Years’ resolutions come to mind.  Well, not long ago I reached that point … and what I learned on my journey towards wellness reflected many of the critical tenets of creativity.

Pursuing wellness can be a beautiful, creative process.  Inviting new ideas into your life often feels invigorating and meaningful.  Yet since wellness is a holistic balance across many life areas - physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, occupational, financial, and environmental - achieving full wellness takes significant attention in each individual area, in addition to the effort involved in balancing all of them.  It’s an investment, but the outcome is worth the effort.

I was motivated!  Not only did I want to improve bad habits (like not getting enough sleep), I also wanted to improve even those I felt were pretty good (like nutrition).  It was time for a whole new look at what it meant to be well.  Research and insights abounded!  My free time was filled with everything from recipe searches to athletic classes to insightful chats with friends about their own wellness journeys.  I used Creative Problem Solving (CPS) to identify, select, develop and implement new habits.  I was on my way with immediate positive results!  Nothing could stop me now!

Insight through Illness

“Let go or be dragged.”  - Zen Proverb

Except … for illness.  Only a few weeks in and my body called a time out.  Sidelined by a nasty cold, I knew it was not just the fact that it was going around.  Intuitively I understood my decisions had played a role in compromising my immune system.  How had I gone the opposite direction from my intention?  Had I failed at wellness by getting sick?  And so soon at that?

Upon reflection, I realized that in the process of attempting holistic wellness, I had diverged brilliantly, but had not held true to the principles of convergence in CPS.  While I had converged on which new habits to add to my life, when it came to implementing, I had not converged on which elements would stay in my overall calendar.  I had taken an already busy schedule and added to it until there was not a moment free. I even started cutting back on my already meager sleep schedule to fit it all in.  And when my sleep habits faltered, not even all of the other positive physical benefits of nutrition, exercise, and meditation could compensate.

Luckily, in this instance being physically unwell did not reduce my wellness in any other area; in fact, it fostered greater wellness in certain ways.  I had more time for phone calls, increasing social wellness.  I spent more time reading and improving my intellectual wellness.  The reduction in responsibilities lowered my stress levels and increased emotional wellness.  It was a fantastic insight to realize that despite a rough cold I was really still mostly well! 

Permission

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”  - Lao Tzu

It was also surprising to realize that during my illness, I treated myself far better than I did on any normal day, even during a deliberate exploration of wellness behaviors.  More startling still was the insight that illness is one of the few socially acceptable reasons to throttle back in our modern, fast-paced society.  It takes significant courage and insight to prioritize personal needs and values over social expectations.  This means saying ‘no’ even when it might feel uncomfortable.  It was easy for me to diverge and say ‘yes’ to all of the new wellness habits, but it was much more difficult to converge and say ‘no’ and choose between the things I valued.  That kind of everyday creativity takes courage.  We are accustomed to asking for permission when we go against expectations.   ‘May I please stay home from work for a few days because I am sick?’  ‘May I please substitute another option in my meal? I have an allergy.’  Yet the truth is that we need permission from ourselves to make self-supporting, affirmative choices - in any area of creative problem solving, wellness or not.

Creating Space

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.”  - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

In truth, we are only able to enjoy the things we create when we have the time and space to do so.  Wellness practices do not create wellness if they exceed your available resources.  Experiences and information do not provide as much value without the time to synthesize and reflect on them.  In wellness, as in all creative change, we require space to rest, incubate, and simply be. 

One of the most critical aspects of wellness and creative change is building different types of free space.  Space in schedules, space from demands, physical space, personal space, social space, and even mental space where you are not required to think about anything specific, or perhaps instead where you are required to deliberately think of nothing at all.

Letting Go

“Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn't you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are.” - Rachel Naomi Remen

In order to make space in our lives, we must let go of some things.  As they say, we can have it all, just not at the same time.  By embracing the power of the polarity between creating and letting go, we are more likely to have a successful outcome.  Wellness practices exemplify this concept.

•     Meditation and sleep, two habits that empower all areas of wellness, exemplify the fact that rest is productive in and of itself, and is required to make waking hours productive.

•     In the realm of nutrition, fasting (according to medical guidelines) is a very beneficial practice for the metabolism and immune system.

•     Breathing, a critical practice to physical and mental wellness, demonstrates that every inhalation requires a balancing (and ideally longer) exhale.

•     In mindfulness, three primary pillars are defusion (letting go of unhelpful thoughts), acceptance (making room for uncomfortable feelings), and contact with the present moment in a curious and open way.

Some wellness literature calls this type of letting go decluttering.  While on the surface the concept of decluttering might seem to pale in comparison to something like proper nutrition, the greater mindset is critical to wellness in every realm because it helps to create and protect space in life.  In the realm of creativity, we frequently refer to this idea as convergence or prioritization.  We empower ourselves to succeed by providing the resources we need to do so. 

As we journey toward self-actualization, becoming our complete selves, fulfilling our true potentials, and letting go of the inauthentic pieces of ourselves allows for space to accept and embrace our true selves.  As part of that greater effort, we must discern why we are wedded to certain expectations and whether they are worth retaining in our lives.  Creativity and wellness are important tools to assist in doing so.    

It is here along my wellness journey that I’ve hit one of those points yet again.  I made some space and healed from illness.  I made some more space and was able to permanently institute several new wellness practices.  I felt the power of letting go.  The impact of such simplification became apparent.  Through it all, it became clearer that there is still more to let go and now is the time to do so.

References:

Davis, G. A. (1998). Creativity is forever. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.

Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House.

 Kashdan, T. B., & Ciarrochi, J. (Eds.). (2013). Mindfulness, acceptance, and positive psychology: The seven foundations of well-being. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

 Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

 Robin, M. (2010). Wellness on a shoestring: Seven habits for a healthy life. Unity Village, MO: Unity House.

 Rogers, C. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

 Ross, S., & Rosewood, O. (2003). Happy yoga: 7 Reasons why there's nothing to worry about. New York, NY: Regan Books.

Wellness model image source: http://www.fitnessforlifecoaching.com/Blank.html

Balloon image source: http://theidproject.org/blog/nancy-thompson/2014/08/23/metta-month-i-cant-make-you-be-happy

Bio: Jennifer Quarrie is a dynamic innovation strategist and creativity expert with a visionary outlook and a knack for metacognition, facilitation and listening. With a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia and an MSc in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) at SUNY Buffalo State, she incorporates budding areas of mind and creativity research into all of her work. As a leader and speaker she inspires wellness, fosters transformation and emboldens self-actualization.

BREAK YOUR MIND: CREATING CONFERENCE

By: Jennifer Quarrie

“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”

- Rumi

 Spring is in the air!  ’Tis the season… of creativity!  While creative thinking is an everyday affair, springtime boasts many of the world’s top creativity conferences.  The creative community is abuzz with events that are blooming with new ideas, and people turning over new leaves. 

What is it that makes creativity conferences especially vibrant?  It could be the extensive cross-pollination of domains, or the way that creative problem solving produces such impactful results in a brief time.  Yet from my recent experience at CREA in beautiful Sestri Levante, Italy, it largely stemmed from the way the conference was created.  Participants were not simply invited to attend and listen, but to bring their most valuable experiences forward to apply and share.  Participants joined with facilitators to combine compelling concepts with galvanizing experiences in ways specifically intended to break open their minds to think in entirely new ways. 

It takes a special climate and set of conference-goers for such groundbreaking work to occur, but when it does, they create a type of conference that lasts well beyond those five days on the Riviera.  This type of conference sows creative seeds that continue to bloom for years to come.  Looking to experience just such an event?  Here are five ways you can create a conference that will break your mind.

Set Intentions

Why attend a creativity conference?  There are hundreds of reasons under the sun, from absorbing new thinking skills, to solving a tough problem, to making connections.  No matter what it is, the intention you set will gear your experience.  Be courageous.  Look to find what you need.  The more you invest, the more you and your fellow participants will get out of it.

Connect Beyond Networking

A creativity conference is truly a meeting of the minds.  The experience begins with the beauty of assemblage; new colleagues from across the globe mix and build connections with wildly different backgrounds, yet amazingly similar passions.  By the end of a few days, participants have witnessed personal growth in one another that exceeds what most see in work colleagues over the span of twenty years.  Those in and of themselves are rare and valuable connections.

Learn Beyond Limits

 On top of those dopamine blasts you will get from absorbing blazing new concepts, there is far more opportunity for learning.  Inherent to the topic of creativity, you will likely swim in a metacognitive state much of the day.  Yet beyond thinking about concepts and thinking about thinking, you will escape the cognitive realm altogether.  It is the same science that brought foosball tables into Google: kinesthetics and play are incredible pathways to learning and creativity.  The added bonus?  You may learn a lot about yourself in the process.

Break Your Mind

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” - Erich Fromm

While certainties make very efficient operating guidelines, they can also act as unnecessary limitations.  To see or create things in a novel way depends upon breaking down barriers that may prevent insight.  Bringing in the new often requires letting go of the old when it is no longer helpful, and that takes courage.  Once you experience the freedom and creativity that can stem from letting go, approaching life in a way that deliberately seeks new mind-shattering viewpoints is the next step.  This is an incredible way to live and the perfect mindset to get the most out of a creativity conference.

Become Yourself

When do you most deeply feel like yourself?  Chances are it’s not when you are sitting at the office

or picking up groceries.  At a basic level, attending a conference helps you to passively escape the weight of the daily grind.  Attending a creativity conference invites you to actively engage and share your viewpoints in ways that help you realize, express and be accepted for who you are.  As a result, it becomes easier to live mindfully and behave ways that are authentic to yourself.

The age of unprecedented digital connection has made in-person conferences that much more valuable.  Global resources are at your fingertips to build a personalized path toward finding your tribe and actualizing yourself along the way.  Looking for your next big step?  There are a few more creativity conferences coming up in June and August – Creativity Experts Exchange (CEE), CreativityProblem Solving Institute (CPSI), and Mindcamp.  Take a chance and create true conference through creativity.  And while you’re at it, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to break your mind.

References

 Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York, NY: Hyperion.

Meier, D. (2000). The accelerated learning handbook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Bio: Jennifer Quarrie is a dynamic innovation strategist and creativity expert with a visionary outlook and a knack for metacognition, facilitation and listening. With a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia and an MSc in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) at SUNY Buffalo State, she incorporates budding areas of mind and creativity research into all of her work. As a leader and speaker she inspires wellness, fosters transformation and emboldens self-actualization. 

CREATIVE SURVIVAL: WELLNESS BEYOND WORK

By: Jennifer Quarrie

Living to Work

We are modern.  Fast, sleek, streamlined.  We are edgy.  Steel?  Try titanium.  We are competitors.  Giving yesterday a run for its money, leaving last month knocked out cold.  We are machines.  Producing, churning, calculating in nanoseconds.  You can keep up, can’t you?  It’s sink or swim.  Run or die.  Sprint.  Faster.  FASTER.  Anyone who believes this is a marathon might as well leave now.

Sound familiar?  Pervasive modern messaging beaming through Western media is now permeating global culture.  If it hasn’t already taken over your company, don’t worry; it’s coming to a supervisor near you.  And if you’re not willing to work 24/7, there is a long line of folks waiting for your job who will. 

What does it feel like to move at the speed of terabytes per second?  Even the hardiest among us struggle to breathe when this much G-force bears down.  For most of us it’s an unending dance, trying to maintain some semblance of balance between the breakneck world pace and our own private needs.  When things begin to feel unstable we kick it into emergency gear to ensure things don’t spin out of control.  Problem solving at this point is pure triage.  There is no time to think.  Just stop the bleeding.  Re-stabilize and keep moving forward.  No time for retrospection to truly decipher what got us into that jam, we think we know and that’s good enough.  Just keep moving.  Health?  Sure, its steadily decreasing, but I’m fine for now.  I can take it.  Happiness?  No one has that anymore, why would I delude myself into expecting anything else?  Focus?  What did you say?  Oh, yeah, sure … just a minute …

Facing Karōshi  

Then from somewhere in the chaos comes silence.  The realization that makes your world upend.  Thudding so hard it knocks the wind out of you.  You find yourself alone amongst archaic digital devices, drained of battery, and a flurry of papers.  What happened?  No matter what it was that knocked you out of orbit, it’s a game-changer.  There really was a limit and you tumbled past.  It will be a long journey back. 

Yet after the shock passes, as you survey the damage and look at things anew, you feel that pang … you don’t want to go back to living that way.  Does that mean you’ve lost your edge?  Lost your guts?  The machine may continue to tell you that.  Yet you know that it means just the opposite – there is a difference between giving up and saying ‘that’s enough’ – this is a new level of courage.  Many others in your position limp back into the fray to take hit after hit.  But you’ve realized the truth.  The better you are, the better your work will be.  And while you’re at it, why not make your work YOUR work?  Why give up so much of your time pursuing someone else’s dreams?  You need to pursue your own purpose.  You need a change.  But what are the right changes?  And how might you make those changes in the face of so many others going another direction? 

Working to Live

Time to muster your courage and begin building a richer, more balanced life.  The first step?  Prepare for the journey by healing.  Wellness is a baseline from which all other functions come.  To pursue wellness is to pursue the foundation of self-actualization, upon which creativity and other human needs rely.  Without wellness, other pursuits quickly falter. 

The tough question becomes how to achieve wellness when old habits are entrenched, social convention directly opposes your personal needs and support is scarce.  If wellness were easy, we would certainly have achieved it by now.  The answer?  Creativity.

Kaizen

Wellness, like creativity, is highly personalized.  Just as there is no single sleep schedule or menu that fits everyone, each individual’s path toward understanding and utilizing their own creativity is also unique.  What is right for you may not be right for others.  This empowers you to customize your life to your personal needs with the ultimate understanding that when you are at your best you are able to contribute far more. 

Approaching wellness with a creative mindset helps convert the work of achieving wellness from a ‘should’ (meeting the expectations/ideals of others) to a ‘want’ (fulfilling your own fundamental needs).  Applying creativity tools and processes such as those in Creative Problem Solving (CPS) can be very effective at pinpointing the most critical challenges to personal wellness, as well as working towards more novel, personalized solutions.  On a larger scale, approaching wellness from a creative mindset of openness to novelty, ability to build on others’ solutions, willingness to defer judgment, mindfulness, and commitment to investing resources greatly improves the likelihood of uncovering an enjoyable and permanent set of changes.

  

In essence, applying creative thinking fosters wellness, and in turn, a state of wellness promotes the strength and impact of personal creativity. 

Both creativity and wellness are cornerstones to self-actualization, fulfilling one’s potential and becoming the best possible version of one’s self.  Both creativity and wellness also act as optimizers to set you into more ideal conditions for success in other pursuits.

Whether work is overshadowing the finer aspects of life, or another form of imbalance currently drains your resources, wellness is achievable right now in small steps.  Using creativity, you can design a holistic approach to wellness that is manageable yet effective.  You are worth your time.  No one else will do it for you.  This isn’t a sprint.  And it doesn’t have to be a marathon.  Call it a hike in the woods or a frolic in the meadow - either way, don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

* Karōshi is translated from Japanese as "death from overwork”

** Kaizen is translated from Japanese as “continuous improvement”

References:

Kashdan, T. B., & Ciarrochi, J. (Eds.). (2013). Mindfulness, acceptance, and positive psychology: The seven foundations of well-being. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Rogers, C. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

University of California Davis. (2015). What is wellness?  Retrieved from https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/#.VNjt4CmQaFI

Bio: Jennifer Quarrie is a dynamic innovation strategist and creativity expert with a visionary outlook and a knack for metacognition, facilitation and listening. With a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia and an MSc in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) at SUNY Buffalo State, she incorporates budding areas of mind and creativity research into all of her work. As a leader and speaker she inspires wellness, fosters transformation and emboldens self-actualization.

Enjoying the Exhale: Breathing in Creativity & Wellness

By: Jennifer Quarrie

“Breathe with unconditional breath the unconditional air.”  - Wendall Berry, Given

Life hangs on every breath we take; yet when was the last time you consciously thought about your breathing?  Within every activity you do, breathing plays a critical role - from speaking and exercise to sleeping and nutrition.  What is there to really think about?  The body takes care of breathing through some ancient autonomic system, so why use precious, limited thought resources on it when you could spend your energy on more important cognitive pursuits? 

Beyond the life-saving qualities of a good breathing habit, there is much more at work.  It turns out that breathing is foundational to overall wellness in ways we may not have previously understood.  Not only that, but deliberate, deep breathing also fosters creativity, decision making and other key cognitive and affective functions.  Simply put, improving your breathing is one of the single best practices you can develop to foster your health and creativity – and here is why.

 Body

“It is a common belief that we breathe with our lungs alone, but in point of fact, the work of breathing is done by the whole body.” ― Alexander Lowen, The Voice of the Body

•     Increased Oxygen - On the most basic level, deep breathing increases oxygen levels in the blood stream, helping to raise energy, cell survival and brain function, all of which support creativity.  The way we exhale is actually more critical to getting the oxygen we need and should generally last longer than the inhale.

•     Metabolism - Oxygen is fuel.  By taking in greater amounts, it charges your cells to function more effectively, improves digestion, and thus improves your metabolism.  Increased overall energy means more resources can be directed towards creative endeavors.

•     Sleep Quality - Deeper, healthful breathing while awake helps keep us alert and focused on important tasks.  During sleep it significantly improves sleep quality, extends dreaming brain states, supports neural connections, and facilitates the clean up of toxins in the brain, bringing clarity to waking cognition and creativity.

•     Relaxation & Stress Reduction - Deep breathing lowers cortisol levels, normalizes blood pressure and stabilizes body rhythms, all of which foster mental clarity, relax your body, and prime you for creative insight.

•     Immune Function - Breathing is the best way to change the pH of your body toward an alkaline state that helps prevent large-scale disease.  By expelling carbon dioxide from your lungs and breaking down salts, breathing is one of the most affective ways to eliminate extra harmful acids.  Every exhale removes toxins from your body, just one of the many reasons yogis consider breathing a path to purification.

Mind

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”  ― Thích Nhất Hạnh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

•     Focus - Breathing is the primary mode of mental focus in meditation.  By calming the body, breathing can increase the ability to focus attention, which is critical to successful problem solving and ideation.

•     Awareness - Deliberate, deep breathing can also take focus a step further and assist the mind in expanding your awareness of yourself and your surroundings.  Developing this new consciousness helps you take in new stimuli, clarify needs, and highlight priorities, all critical to creative thinking and problem solving.

•     Managing Emotions - Our emotional states may be partially predicated on our proactive breathing patterns.  Breathing is more shallow when anxious or depressed.  Deeper breathing promotes positive emotional states and a greater sense of calm, both of which empower creative thinking through finding the value in ideas and focusing energy toward problem solving.

•     Motivation - Increased energy from deep breathing directly impacts motivation levels.  Motivation is considered one of the only commonalities across all eminent creators.

 Connection

“I am never alone wherever I am. The air itself supplies me with a century of love. When I breathe in, I am breathing in the laughter, tears, victories, passions, thoughts, memories, existence, joys, moments, and the hues of the sunlight on many tones of skin; I am breathing in the same air that was exhaled by many before me. The air that bore them life. And so how can I ever say that I am alone?” ― C. JoyBell C.

Taking in the World - Breathing is a very physical way of connecting with both our environment and others in it.  As Alexander Lowen says, “we live in an ocean of air,” and so to breath deeply we immerse ourselves in our environment.  Taking this mindful vantage point prompts us to immerse ourselves more deeply in our surroundings in other ways as well: noticing things we normally overlook, taking in more information, and making new connections that prompt creative ideas. 

Social Connection - Given that our emotions build on our breathing patterns, deliberate deep breathing may increase how positively we experience social interactions, therein leading to a more positive and less anxious mental state.  An affirmative mindset is crucial to the ability to build on ideas and find creative solutions to problems.  The social aspect of our environment is also especially stimulating and can serve as a wellspring for novel connections. Further, an increase in positive experiences may lead to an increase of social interaction over time, therein increasing personal longevity and lifespan.

Breath of Fresh air

Breathing pervades every moment of every day and is an incredibly healthful habit to consciously develop.  Likewise, creativity is omnipresent throughout each day, and actively fostering the creative mindset expands the quality of each experience.  Weaving these two deliberate practices together promotes personal wellness on a grander scale.  The bottom line, in both breathing and creativity, is to stay out of the shallow end - there is benefit to getting in deep. 

And the next time you find yourself waiting for inspiration?  Don’t hold your breath.

References:

Broad, W. J. (2012). The science of yoga: The risks and the rewards. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Gates, R., & Kenison, K. (2010). Meditations from the mat: Daily reflections on the path of yoga. New York, NY: Anchor.

Grof, S., & Grof, C. (2010). Holotropic breathwork: A new approach to self-exploration and therapy. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Robin, M. (2010). Wellness on a shoestring: Seven habits for a healthy life. Unity Village, MO: Unity House.

Ross, S., & Rosewood, O. (2003). Happy yoga: 7 Reasons why there's nothing to worry about. New York, NY: Regan Books.

Bio: Jennifer Quarrie is a dynamic innovation strategist and creativity expert with a visionary outlook and a knack for metacognition, facilitation and listening.  With a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia and an MSc in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) at SUNY Buffalo State, she incorporates budding areas of mind and creativity research into all of her work.  As a leader and speaker she inspires wellness, fosters transformation and emboldens self-actualization.