Creative Think

Crowne Plaza Innovator Series

Some of you have asked me what I was doing for Crowne Plaza in London.

I was chosen as a "Crowne Plaza Innovator for 2008." That essentially means I was a paid spokesman for their brand. This is part of Crowne Plaza's ongoing "Innovator" series (for the 82 European Crowne Plaza properties).

I ended up doing 22 radio, magazine, and newspaper interviews, and also two seminars for several of their clients.

Here's a link to one of my favorite interviews that came out of this: from the Times (of London).

My main message is that when you plan a meeting, in addition to the space, Audio-visual and catering requirements, you should also be thinking about how engaged your meeting participants are. To help you, Crowne Plaza has created the "Think Box" which has a set of tools (including the Creative Whack Pack  and Ball of Whacks) to stimulate creativity for meetings.

It was fun talking about creativity and innovation!

[Photo by Ash Knotek]

Virtual Book Tour

Many thanks to Paul Williams at Idea Sandbox who put together a "Virtual Tour" for the new 25th Edition of A Whack on the Side of the Head this past week.

Paul enlisted the following four creativity bloggers who each did a review and/or a Q&A with me: Katie Konrath Get Fresh Minds, Jeff Brainard at Catch Your Limit, John Chandler at Creativityist, and Joyce Wycoff at ThinkSmart

Here's one of the questions Katie Konrath asked me in our interview (her entire post can be found here).

Katie: What's an example of where failure has led you in a different direction?

Roger: My third book, "Expect the Unexpected or You Won't Find It" was published several days before September 11, 2001. (This book is about the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus whom I consider to be the world's first "creativity teacher.")

The book came out and it was an exciting time. Things were going well and the book got up to #69 on the Amazon list on September 10.

Then 9/11 happened. As a result, most of the media and promotional stuff for the book got washed away. The few interviews I did do had questions such as: "How does your book relate to Al Qaeda?" and "What should we be doing about anthrax terrorist attacks?"

Post 9/11 was a very strange time. And of course, the world didn't feel like hearing about 2,500 year old creativity ideas. I learned that you can have the greatest idea in the world, but if the timing's not right, there's very little you can do.

So, I picked up the pieces in 2002. I found a new publisher for a soft cover version of the book. In 2003, I created a new card deck with some of Heraclitus' basic ideas (this became the "Innovative Whack Pack").

And I was able to incorporate some of my favorite Heraclitus' ideas and stories in the new 25th Anniversary Edition of "Whack." Things worked out okay, just not the way I had expected. Which is fitting considering the title of the book ("Expect the Unexpected").

Doing Media in London

I'm in London this week as the guest of the European division of the Crowne Plaza hotel chain. Crowne Plaza is positioning itself as the place where savvy business travelers have their meetings. They've created something called the "Think Box" which contains several of my products including the Creative Whack Pack and the Ball of Whacks. Meeting participants can use these to energize their thinking. It's quite a nice package. Check it out here.

[At left, in the studio.] I did a number of interviews (17) today to promote the Crowne Plaza meeting concept including several with the BBC, The Times, and WebChats.TV. Today was a fun day, and I got to to meet some interesting people.

New York Times Praises New Whack Edition

This put a big smile on my face.

It's from today's New York Times. It's from a review in their business section:

Let’s start with the best: A Whack on the Side of the Head (Business Plus), a book about increasing creativity, has just been reissued to celebrate its 25th anniversary and it is easy to understand its lasting appeal.

The author, Roger von Oech, a consultant, has taken an abstract subject — how to think differently — and made it concrete by asking a series of questions, all of which involve breaking what he calls the mental locks that bind our thinking.

He suggests  breaking the locks by acknowledging that they are there and forcing yourself to pry them open.

We are typically taught, for example, that there is one right answer to a problem. But, he says, keep searching even after you find it. After all, as Linus Pauling, winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize in chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize,  put it, “The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.”

—The New York Times,
   Business Section,
   May 27, 2008

The whole article is here. It is from Paul Brown's Small Business column, and is entitled "Small-Business Books that Break the Mold." Thanks Paul! I'm delighted, naturally!

Guy Kawasaki's Interview With Me

Recently, I did an interview with Guy Kawasaki, the popular entrepreneur, author, venture capitalist, and blogger.

He was kind enough to help promote the new 25th Anniversary Edition of A Whack on the Side of the Head. Many thanks, Guy!

To read the complete interview go here: Roger von Oech interview with Guy Kawasaki.

Here are some of the highlights:

Guy: What's changed about creativity in the last twenty-five years?

Roger: When I started doing "creativity consulting" in 1977, there were probably only four or five other people who were doing creative seminars for companies. It was a difficult sell. Now, there are thousands--if not more--creative consultants, and business seems receptive to the idea of innovation. I'd like to think that my seminars, workshops, books, and other products have played a small role in this changing creative landscape.

Guy: Generally speaking, have companies gotten more creative?

Roger: Yes. I think that the "most admired companies" of just about any age have excelled at creativity and innovation. What's changed today compared to twenty-five years ago is there's an greater expectation that a higher percentage of a company's employees should be using their creative abilities. It's gone from maybe 5% of the work force to 35%. This is a very good thing.

Guy: Can companies conduct team creativity activities over the Internet?

Roger: It depends what you mean by "creativity activities." If you mean product design, no doubt about it. I'm currently developing a successor product to the "Ball of Whacks." I have an engineer in Portland. We can shoot ProCad files over to my manufacturer's engineers in Hong Kong. Ten minutes later we're discussing design revisions. It really shortens product cycle times.

If you mean social media such as blogs and company Wikis, these can be quite useful in terms of gathering opinions and refining points of view. And some of what's said can be a beneficial prod to the creative process.

But if you mean, can you get the electricity, dynamism, and productivity that can result from some "in-person" creative and brainstorming sessions, I haven't experienced that yet.

Guy: What kind of computer do you use?

Roger: I've been an Apple user since 1981. I'm currently working with a MacBook Pro 15", a 30" monitor, and an iPhone. My relationship with Apple started in 1980 when I did my first creative session with a group of engineers--this was before they were a public company. Over the years, I've done creative sessions with various Apple marketing, engineering, and design groups.

Also, Steve Jobs was a speaker at the first "Innovation in Industry" conference I produced. I still remember his words "You make what you want for yourself." That's what motivated him to start Apple. I've found that most of what I've created is the result of something I've personally wanted or desired. And I imagine that's true for most of your readers.

Guy: What's the most important advice that you could give these newfangled "Web 2.0" companies?

Roger: This too shall pass, or to say it another way: "Every right idea eventually becomes the wrong idea." I'm not saying social media are going away; no, they're here to stay. But they will morph and turn into something else. So it's important to be flexible in your approach to your business.

I guess the best advice I would give them is "Don't fall in love with ideas." By ideas I mean: systems, marketing approaches, technologies, partnerships, whatever. Because as soon as you as you fall in love with one approach, you lose sight of other possibilities.

By the way, I hope many of these Web 2.0 companies are successful. Both my children work in the industry: my daughter Athena runs customer support at Ning, and my son Alex is in marketing at Uptake, the travel information site formerly known as Kango.

Guy: Is there a digital equivalent to your Creative Whack Pack?

Roger:  Yes! All your readers have to do is go to the Creative Think web site and click on my photograph at the top. They will receive a "Creative Whack," which is a nice pithy creative thinking strategy complete with a story, some examples, and an illustration. Each click gives you a new message. I use it myself.

To read the complete interview go here: Roger von Oech interview with Guy Kawasaki.

Roger von Oech: "Whack-25" Interview

The 25th Anniversary Edition of the book "A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative" will be published by Business Plus on May 5, 2008. It should be in stores next week, and is currently shipping from Amazon. The retail price is $16.99 ($11.55 at Amazon).

Recently I did an interview with Andrew Mercer about the new edition. Here is part of the conversation.

Could you compare the climate for creative thinking in the early 1980s with today?
Roger: Back then, there was much less of an expectation for people to be creative — especially in their work situations. That has changed significantly. Nowadays, creative thinking is regarded as a vital survival skill. I’d like to think that “Whack,” in its own small way, was one of things that helped ignite and fuel this creative revolution.

Why do you think this book has been such a consistent strong seller over the years?
Roger: “Whack” is a fun, friendly, and interactive approach to using your creative abilities more effectively. I’ve tried to create a book that a person can open anywhere and find some inspiration. There’s some weird stuff in it, some mind-stretching stuff, but also a lot of good practical tips and strategies that readers find value in. Plus, the illustrations by George Willett are a treasure.

What are your feelings about the new 25th Anniversary Edition?
Roger: I’m thrilled! I can’t believe that it’s been a quarter century since “Whack” first came out. And, of course, I’m delighted that it’s available to a new generation of creative thinkers.

How different is it from previous editions?
Roger: The core ideas of “mental locks” and my discussion of the creative process are the same. As are a number of stories and exercises. I’ve kept the old favorites. But I’ve also been able to add a number of new anecdotes, provocations, and strategies. Plus, this one has a “Breaktime” in the middle for the reader to stretch out.

How has your thinking on creativity changed over the past twenty-five years?
Roger: Well, I’ve come to appreciate more the value and importance of constraints and limits in stimulating the creative process. And I’ve added a new section on this topic. Several other areas I’ve expanded include: “Seeing the Obvious,” “Expecting the Unexpected,” and the “Thuban Phenomenon.”

Who are your readers?
Roger: They’re from all walks of life — and from all over the world. Over the years, I’ve heard from business people, ministers, teachers, coaches, nurses, people in prison, entrepreneurs, and students. They’ve sent me a lot of interesting stuff!

When you were creating this new edition, what resource did you employ that was previously unavailable to you?
Roger: One big thing is blogging (which I’ve been doing since 2006). It’s been a great way to get and share ideas with a wide variety of people. It’s also been a good way to get feedback on my new ideas.

Any final thoughts about this new edition?
Roger: I thoroughly enjoyed working on the project — everything from doing the design and layout to adding new material. It’s been like getting to play with an old friend. I feel fortunate! Oh yeah, one more thing: give your friends a “whack on the side of the head.” They’ll thank you for your thoughtfulness!

The 25th Anniversary Whack!

I'm proud and pleased to announce that the 25th Anniversary Edition of my book "A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative" will be published by Business Plus on May 5, 2008. It should be in stores next week, and is currently shipping from Amazon. The retail price is $16.99 ($11.55 at Amazon).

This is the fourth edition of Whack. The first came out in 1983, the second in 1990, and the third in 1998.

I've completely updated, revised, and re-designed this new edition.

Business Plus—an imprint of Grand Central—is the same publisher as always (my long-standing publisher Warner Books had to change its name after it was sold by Time-Warner to Hachette).

Over the years, Whack has reached a wide audience of business people, students, coaches, ministers, teachers, artists, and entrepreneurs. It's my hope that this new edition will find a new generation of creative thinkers and innovators—in a variety of different disciplines!

I'm excited!

Postcard from Laos

We're in Laos, a country about the size of Great Britain but with a population of only six million. It's one of the world's most undeveloped countries.

Above is a section on the Mekong river east of Pakbeng.

Four days ago, we crossed over from Chiang Kong in Thailand to Houeisay, Laos. We hired a private boat and spent the next two days leisurely traveling 400 kilometers down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang (where we are now).

The high point of the river trip was visiting various hill tribe villages (that are only accessible from the river, i.e., there are no roads). Shown above is a Hmong village. The woman (a mother of thirteen children) is grinding corn for animal feed. She had a strong right arm.

Above, Wendy and I are inside a Hmong home with some of its eight residents. The cooking area consisted of two fire pits, one for human food and one for livestock food. The house had no windows.

At a Khmu village, we met with a group of boys under a house (the houses are on stilts there). It was mid-day and this was the coolest place. We asked them where their fathers were, and they said, "In the rice fields, a hour's walk away."

Here is a hopeful Khmu man prospecting for gold in the Mekong. If he's lucky, he'll find enough gold in a week to earn about $6 for his efforts.

For the past two days, we've been enjoying our time in Luang Prabang (a UNESCO World Heritage city). Here I am with six Buddhist monks (they live at the Wat Visounalat temple monastery). These boys were 16-17 years old and will spend anywhere between six months and two years as monks (this is something most young men here do).

We consider ourselves very fortunate to have visited Laos.

Postcard from the Golden Triangle

For the past three days, Wendy and I have been in northern Thailand in the "Golden Triangle" area, (where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet, and home to the formerly quite lucrative opium trade).

This is our second trip to Thailand, and again we've been impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the Thai people. Shown below are some two-year olds eating chocolate and bread sticks.

We stayed at Anantara, which has an elephant training camp (the elephants were domesticated and used in the now illegal logging industry). A high point was riding the elephants at sunrise, and also watching them bath in the river, and then feeding them. What personalities these gals have!

One day we toured a number of hill tribe villages where things have changed significantly in the last 15 years with the arrival electricity and good paved roads. Below is an Akha woman with her five month old baby (in front of her house). She seemed very happy.

We also toured Doi Tung, a mountain with spectacular views of the surrounding hillside. Most impressive was the extensive Mae Fah Luang flower gardens with floral species from the world over. These were built by the Thai Princess Mother to create economic opportunities (jobs) for the hill tribes. I've never anything quite like these gardens (this photo shows just a very small portion of the grounds).

We also visited the Opium Museum (Hall of Opium built for the Thai royal family) which graphically details the history, benefits, and horrors of opium use from the ancients on through to today. Especially moving is the long semi-darkened cave-like entry way which is filled with bas-reliefs depicting the agonies and hallucinations of the opium experience.

One of the most peaceful hours we spent was at this Buddhist temple in a forest monastery near the historic old city of Chiang Saen.

Turning 60

I turn 60 in a few days (on the 16th).

I'm grateful to be still kicking after all of these years (especially to have survived the 1960s and early 70s). I'm fortunate to have had the love and support of my wife Wendy for over 33 years. And together we've raised two children, Athena and Alex (who are now out working in the world).

In doing my own work, I've learned that people enjoy having their minds stimulated, and that a "whack on the side of the head" can be a positive experience. Having my own business has given me the opportunity to present my material and meet people on six continents. It has also allowed me to try a variety of things — some successful, others less so.

I’m sometimes asked what my favorites are, so here are a few of them.

• Favorite pieces of music: Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite.
• Favorite modern novelist: Paul Auster.
• Favorite painting that I’ve actually seen: Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (hanging in the Prado, Madrid).
• Favorite film directors: Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and Stanley Kubrick.
• Favorite creative thinking “thinker”: Arthur Koestler.
• Favorite classical play: Euripides’ The Bacchae.
• Favorite vegetable: habanero chili peppers.
• Favorite places that I’ve visited just before sunrise: Varanasi (on the Ganges), Karnak Temple (Egypt), Machu Picchu (Peru), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes (Sahara Desert, Morocco), and the Temple of Concord (Agrigento, Sicily).

For inspiration, this morning I looked at card #60 of my Innovative Whack Pack (a deck which deals with the ideas of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus). Heraclitus' message here is:

 "The sun is new each day."

I believe that Heraclitus' advice to me on the eve on my sixtieth is:

"Keep an open mind and think again. Life will continually surprise you. Nothing is permanent and you shouldn't be a slave to your assumptions."

I look forward to being surprised at what comes my way in the coming years.

So, what am I doing on my birthday? I plan to go swimming. My wife and I will then take our dogs (Razzbo, Zack, and Wally) to the beach (Mavericks), then meet up with my family and see an old Hitchcock movie at the Stanford Theatre (complete with a live organist on the Wurlitzer), and then out to dinner. Should be fun!

Next week, Wendy and I are off to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and then business in Hong Kong.