MEMES IN YOUR MAP Why does or doesn't drawing pictures of the things you want more of, help you manifest them in your life, AND how can you accelerate that process? This is my ultimate quest: make change easier.  I downloaded Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's new book Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention and he is examining what creativity is and how you can enhance it in yourself and your workplace. In the early part of his book he talks about memes and how they influence and alter a domain (like music, science, art) and subsequently shift culture. He writes, "Creativity is any act, idea, or product that changes an existing domain, or that transforms an existing domain into a new one. And the definition of a creative person is: someone whose thoughts or actions change a domain, or establish a new domain. It is important to remember, however, that a domain cannot be changed without the explicit or implicit consent of a field responsible for it."  His theory is that new ideas change and alter the environment in which they are created, but only if they are adopted by that domain's field. I became fascinated with this idea when applying his theory to the Vision to Reality maps you and I have been drawing to help us make change. In my most recent TEDxRainier salon talk, an audience member asked, "You talk about the things that do change, but what about the ones that you want to happen, that don't?" I started thinking... what if your brain is one of these "domains" that Mihaly is describing?  If your brain isn't tricked into adopting that new reality you want, it won't embed itself into the culture. On a recent map I drew after I had landed in Portland, in my desired new reality side, there were "new partners" & "keynotes in EU, China or exotica" (aka exotic places).  I also wrote and drew a "new studio person", because I left my secret weapon, Scott Ward, in Seattle. ;-( and he's pretty busy now with his new store, so I have to face the fact that I need someone local. Let's talk about the results, just two weeks later. Speaking in exotic places? New Zealand emailed (CHECK!) and Francine Read here in Oregon has out of the blue started beating the bushes for local and national speaking work. Someone turned me on to OYF, an awesome interactive training company here, so looks like I'll be meetings some potential new partners. (CHECK!) That brings us to the studio artist. I have complete interference here. So this meme is not yet being adopted by the culture of my brain. DO YOU have things you say you want in your life or your work, that you haven't firmly adopted?  I thought so.  SO..What NOW? Unpack that meme.  On a new piece of paper, look at this one element.  Look at what's happening now (in words and pictures on the left side of your paper) what's challenging, what's going well with your progress with it. Then ask yourself, "How do I want this to be different 3 months from today, best case scenario?"  Draw and write it out on the right side of that paper.  Then close your eyes and ask, "What's the boldest step I can take to get myself from here to there?"  See what you learn.  Send me YOUR RESULTS! "Today many American corporations spend a great deal of money and time trying to increase the originality of their employees, hoping thereby to get a competitive edge in the marketplace. But such programs make no difference unless management also learns to recognize the valuable ideas among the many novel ones, and then finds ways of implementing them." - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Uh yah.  I'm guessing the same goes for your work world.  HAPPY AUTUMN!     ICE BREAKER DRAW YOUR AVATAR Tired of same old introductions? Ask that group of people to draw their avatar and add a super power or stupor power (something that in a facilitated session puts them into a stupor) as their opening check in.  #superfun TEDXRAINIER SALON ULTIMATE VOLUNTEERISM Just a big shout out to Andre Golard & TEAM! The TEDx events are a fantastic way to find out about new ideas and people like Andre put in dedicated hours to make these rock. #thanksvolunteers! SHOUT OUT CORNER THANKS FOR COMING Without an audience...it would be one hand clapping Thanks for coming toTEDxRainier Salon