Sometimes making choices in our career paths is difficult. Wouldn't it be helpful to have guidelines to help us make decisions that open up your options rather than shut them down? Discover how choosing creativity, a growth mindset, finding your Flow, and being a Maker puts you on the path of having infinite possibilities in your career, creating a clear path to a future where you can not only be awesome, but also do meaningful work.

1. Possibilities
Infinite
Denise R. Jacobs
STC Summit | Columbus, OH
24 June 2015

2. @denisejacobs
@STC_Summit #stc15
#infinitepossible

3. Get the slides here:
Creativedo.se/stcsummit-ip

4. Here we are!

5. One of the best groups of folks

6. Best shoes!

7. Best compliments!

8. Photo by Derek Kearney
From dev & tech writer à Creativity Evangelist

9. à Founder + Chief Creativity Evangelist
http://TheCreativeDose.com/

10. 1,1,2,3…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdunnette/143567420

11. It’s the new Black
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

12. IBM CEO Study, 2010
https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/31670.wss

13. Time Magazine Creativity Poll, 2013
http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/

14. Survey of 684 Developers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/8812567121

15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
We have it. Then (somehow) we lose it.

16. This is Water.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seotaro/2101165162

17. “In the beginning, there was the
word…”
– The Bible, Genesis 1:1

18. Truth.
http://www.wordstream.com/images/persuasive-landing-pages-words-have-power.jpg

19. Words have Resonance
Photo: Denise Jacobs

20. You are Torchbearers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmcnabb3/2397614214/

21. “Communicators change the world.”
– Nancy Duarte, STC Summit 2015 opening keynote “Resonate”

22. Rampant curiosity
Passion for accuracy
Analytical
Critical thinking
Learn quickly
Can distill complex information & data
Gifts of technical communicators

23. “Technical communicators touch every
product, process, and service on this
planet….”
– Kit Brown-Hoekstra, former STC President, STC Summit
2015 Opening Address

24. Now it’s time to value yourself
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgraths/3277839203

25. “The new scarcity: the time, energy,
and brainpower of bright, creative
people.”
- Mary Poppendieck, “Think For Yourself”

26. How to move forward?

27. The Dark or the Light

28. It starts with One
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/

29. The pattern of nature

30. We are part of this pattern
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124263610@N08/14201837570/

31. The Golden Ratio
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdvan/14910785913

32. Everything comes from this divine unfolding
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rammorrison/2718543921

33. Constantly moving forward & reinventing

34. What direction should you go?

35. Making one solid choice is the beginning

36. The paradox of choice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/

37. CHOOSE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

38. Non-Creative or Creative?

39. http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
Who here is creative?

40. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kosmotesto/3794445313/
“Creativity is all about making connections
and seeing patterns.”
Bruce Nussbaum, Creative Intelligence

41. Child, please.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahalie/276780530/

42. My response:

43. Internal fears = Inner Critic
Photo: Denise Jacobs

44. In Tibetan, creative = “Natural”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/norte_it/2340805781

45. Creativity ≠ Trying to be Creative
http://www.theprofessionalcreative.com/take-the-first-step-to-become-creative/

46. Trying ≠ Practicing

47. http://www.wallpaper4me.com/images/wallpapers/do_or_do_not_w1.jpeg
“Try not.
Do, or do not.
There is no try.”
– Yoda

48. “If I try to be creative, rather than just
accepting that I am creative, I fail.”
Andrew J. Epstein

49. Not about effort

50. More like breathing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/

51. Like breathing, you can build
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/

52. Get in tune with the process
https://www.flickr.com/photos/flavijus/566174947

53. What’s your creative frequency?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sine_waves_different_frequencies.svg

54. Listen/tune in

55. Filter out the background noise
Photo: Denise Jacobs

56. Tune into resonance
Photo: Denise Jacobs

57. Frequency: Occurence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/367425390

58. Frequency: Practice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/275200051/

59. Challenge/Homework: Ten Ideas a day
https://www.flickr.com/photos/evaekeblad/15294401442

60. “Deciding for creativity does not
guarantee that creativity will emerge,
but without the decision, it certainly
will not.”
– Robert Sternberg

61. Decide upon Creativity –
Choose it.
Then, amplify your creative
frequency.

62. Fixed or Growth Mindset?

63. Mindset, by Carol Dweck
http://mindsetonline.com

64. Which looks more familiar?

65. Fixed mindset
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/7328405210

66. Perfection
Talent
Ability
Accomplishment
Comparison
Fixed Mindset focused on

67. “Maybe I don’t have enough talent.”
“What if I fail?”
“If I don’t try, I can protect my dignity.”
“It’s not my fault. It’s something/someone
else’s.”

68. (Sounds an awful lot like the Inner Critic, no?)

69. Perfectionist?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

70. Growth Mindset

71. Learning
Willingness to fail
Curiosity
Expansion
Being self-referential
Growth Mindset focused on

72. Based on love of learning

73. How do you change from Fixed to Growth?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f-oxymoron/5005673112/

74. 1) Listen for your Fixed Mindset voice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684632/

75. 2) Recognize that you have a choice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjsmithphotography/6804513809

76. 3) Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice

77. “I can learn to do this with time & effort.”
“Most successful people have had failure
along the way.”
“If I don’t try, I automatically fail.”
“If I don’t take responsibility, I can’t fix it.”

78. 4) Take growth mindset action

79. Growth Mindset actions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onegiantleap/4124211492/

80. http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959867550/ &http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/
Adopt a beginner’s mind

81. Release the Tyranny of the Expert
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64540855@N07/5878418781

82. Rediscover the familiar
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77654185@N07/8428225936

83. Re-learn something from a friend
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ribbitvoice/2339351666

84. Learn something entirely new
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13723940@N04/2648317554/

85. In my own life: learning Improv
Photo: Denise Jacobs

86. Learning from experience is key

87. “I don’t divide the world into the weak
and the strong, or the successes and
the failures…Idividetheworldintothe
learnersandnonlearners.”
– Benjamin Barber, Sociologist

88. Approach everything with
openness and eagerness.
Increase your knowledge
and expand yourself.

89. Blocked or in Flow?

90. Creative blocks?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99301367@N00/8497106802/

91. Fears
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_lin/3193080175/

92. Creative Flow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730492@N03/4958540694/

93. Is @ the Sweet Spot

94. Enjoy + Good at + Feeling Empowered
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/

95. = Empowered Play (aka Flow)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/

96. Your brain on Flow
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/13994747444

97. Flow banishes the inner critic

98. How do you reach Flow?

99. Get in touch with your brilliance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_hamner/3386076488/

100. Clear goals

101. Uninterrupted, focused time

102. My Father built airplanes in his spare time
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

103. (Instill the Headphones Rule)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/9824922293

104. Helps create space for ideas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/creativedc/2939649520

105. Risk/Challenge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/

106. Balance between skill and challenge

107. Immediate feedback
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8124124586/

108. Find your Flow to dispel
fears and experience
continuous creative growth.

109. Taker or Maker?

110. …Has little regard for
their potential to
shape the future or
ability to take action
on issues that truly
motivate them.
A Taker…

111. …A maker’s work is
characterized by morality,
creativity, craftsmanship,
and purposed problem
solving. They view their
work through the lens of
service.
A Maker…

112. “….Makers choose their work based on
impact and happiness.”
– Jason Cavnar, "Why developers should start
choosing conscience over profit"
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/18/developers-choosing-conscience-over-profit/

113. Become a passionate problem-solver
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4435608143/

114. Make “Bug” Lists
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acerriteno/3484407240/

115. Cultivate a healthy disregard for the impossible

116. Be clear on your “Why”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zlz212/198759134/

117. Whom are you helping?
http://www.codefevermiami.com/

118. Infuse meaning
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/5932362950

119. Choose bigger, more creative problems to solve

120. Cultivate a culture of creativity around you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters,_Inc.

121. Like folks at Pixar

122. Make things that matter –
to both you and others.

123. PROGRESS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harryharris/381154280/

124. What do you get?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlaughland/3475448568/

125. Life is complex and so are decisions

126. Two tracks

127. CREATIVITY
GROWTH MIND
FIND FLOW
BE A MAKER

128. Guidelines; stars to navigate by
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/9255191990/

129. “Clarity brings about purpose,
purpose brings about action,
action brings about change.”
Joel Yeo

130. CREATE
LEARN
FLOW
CONTRIBUTE

131. Mobilize a dormant creative confidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/4179773749/

132. Realize that we are Master Creators

133. While we can’t predict the future
http://fusible.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/crystal-ball.jpg

134. Because of the unknown
http://hub.salford.ac.uk/energymonitoring/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/01/known-knowns1.jpg

135. “We are the creators of the future.”
Umair Haque, “How to Have a Year That Matters”

136. And if predicting the future is a comfort

137. Making them should be easier
http://www.cdmdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Choices.jpg

138. Critical

139. Not creative
Fixed mindset
Blocked
Taking what you can get
All too familiar with this

140. Love is the compass

141. Creativity is your True North

142. CREATIVITY
GROWTH MIND
FIND FLOW
BE A MAKER

143. All of space-time started with a singularity

144. Just as the Universe is expanding, so are we

145. We are constantly reinventing ourselves

146. Now you have more tools to help

147. Remember: Words have POWER

148. THIS.
Photo: Denise Jacobs

149. Move beyond
Photo: Denise Jacobs

150. “Technical communicators build a
better world. ”
– Kit Brown-Hoekstra, former STC President, STC Summit
2015 Opening Address

151. “The Fierce Urgency of Now”

152. The choice is clear
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matias3000/253871344/

153. Claim your power. Choose
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

154. Get the slides, y’all!
Creativedo.se/stcsummit-ip

155. My upcoming book!
Banish Your Inner
Critic
DeniseJacobs.com/InnerCritic
26 Effective Techniques for
Unleashing Productive
Creativity

156. Please take the Creative Blocks Survey
Creativedo.se/creative-blocks-survey

157. THE CREATIVE DOSE
A Creativity + Innovation Collective
Work Better. Create More. Create Betterness.
Creative Thinking & Problem-solving
Applying an Innovation Mindset
Creative Collaboration
Team Communication & Cohesion
TheCreativeDose.com
@thecreativedose
“Untitled” by Americo Morales

158. Photos: Deloria Jacobs
My posse’s in Columbus!

159. Photos: Deloria Jacobs
My posse’s in Columbus!

160. DeniseJacobs.com
 Sign up on my mailing list here!
denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
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Connect with me!
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

161. And finally…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27620885@N02/2609974180/