The most inspiring book – which one?


During my inspiration workshops people often note that the most inspiring book they have read is Antoine de Saint Exupery´s Little Prince. It´s a deep story made simple. It encourages us to challenge our assumptions and bring more creativity into our lives.

If you haven´t read it or you simply want to refresh your memory, then you can also read the “Little Prince” online.

Share your opinion: which book has inspired you the most?

I´ll start with some of the books and lessons that have had a great positive impact of my life:

The most important resource is not time, it is energy.
Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz: “The Power of Full Engagement”

Automate your work and live your life the way you really want to.
Timothy Ferriss: “4 Hour Workweek”

Focus your energy on what you want in your life. And that´s what you get in your life. The law of attraction.
Rhonda Byrne: “The Secret”

It´s not about what happened, it´s not about what will happen. It´s about what you are experiencing now. Being in the now – wow.
Eckhart Tolle: “The Power of Now”

Achieve the state of being totally committed to the work at hand. Let it flow.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: “Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience”


Back to you: peek at your bookshelf and share the name of your favorite book.

Best videos on creativity

I worked my way through youtube and other video streaming websites seeking for the best videos on creativity. Here are the results:

Where do good ideas come from?

Steven Johnson unravels a story of idea generation.

The surprising truth about what motivates us

Dan Pink invites us to discover 3 key components that shape our actions.

Tony Buzan on how to improve your creative thinking

Am I creative? How the brain works? How to think out of the box?

Edward De Bono on creative thinking

Is every novel idea creative? Provides a good framework for understanding creativity.

Tim Brown: The powerful link between creativity and play

Good involving lecture on creativity with many practical examples. Make sure you do all the excercises he asks you to 😉

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Entertaining and profoundly moving speech on creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

What happens if we ignore creativity?

How can you encourage a child? Use your imagination.


Have you seen any other good videos on creativity that are publicly available? Let everyone know by adding their links as comments.

The very best of creativity links

We possess a powerful tool – the internet connection. All the secrets, knowledge and perhaps even the truth can be found in there. But the main question is:”What do you type in after starting your web-browser?”.

I´ll make it easier for you – all the best stuff about creativity can be found using these links on creativity.

 

Use online tools and creativity techniques to ignite your thinking

www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques – large database of creativity techniques.
www.creax.com – big database of creativity links.
www.virtualsalt.com/crebook2.htm – creative thinking techniques and about creativity.
www.infinn.com/innovationhouse.html – tools for creative thinking.
www.creatingminds.org/ – creativity tools, techniques and methods.
www.thinksmart.com/ – creativity tests and entrepreneurial creativity.
www.kennieting.com/mousebrains/ – very cool tool for developing advertisements.
www.gocreate.com/tools/ – loads of creativity tools.
www.thinkature.com/ – thinking visually online.
www.mindmeister.com – team mindmapping online.
100 Excellent Online Tools to Feed Your Creativity

Get inspired by great thinkers

www.ted.com – Ideas worth spreading.
www.poptech.org – leaders of thought on making the world a better place.
www.dailyroutines.typepad.com/daily_routines/ – how artists, writers and other creative people organize their daily activities.
sethgodin.typepad.com/ – Seth Godin´s marketing blog.
www.einsteinpicasso.com/7.html – Big link database on creativity and innovation compiled by Peter Fisk.
www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_creativity.html – quotes on creativity.

Use connections and search-engines

www.soople.com – searching from different mediums.
www.slideshare.net – PowerPoint slides online.
www.visualthesaurus.com – displays connections between words.
www.kartoo.com – visual search engine.
www.pdf-search-engine.com – find pdf documents.

Get inspired by pictures

www.panimages.org – search engine that is independent from search-engines.
www.worth1000.com – Pictures with a little Photoshop touch
www.adsoftheworld.com – good ads.
www.quasimondo.com/tagnautica.php – animated Flickr photo search.
www.creativity-online.com/ – digital creativity, advertisement and design.
FFFFound image bookmarking – browse through bookmarked pictures.

Investigate what is happening at idea contests and idea-banks

www.moreinspiration.com – interesting innovations for inspiring you.
www.inewidea.com – inventions and innovative products.
www.designboom.com – industrial design competitions.
www.globalideasbank.org – global ideas bank.
www.halfbakery.com – ideas to be developed further.
www.dellideastorm.com – Dell getting ideas for product development.
www.inventnow.org – for young inventors.
www.fastcompany.com/100 – 100 most creative people in business.

Peek in the blogs

www.blogsearch.google.com – search from blogs.
www.technorati.com – blog network.

Use checklists

www.7ideas.be/7-letters-van-scamper.html – 700 idea stimulators for product development.

Keep your eye on trends

www.trendwatching.com – trends in world.
www.trendhunter.com – differentiating trends.

Give the right fuel for your brain

20 Super Brain Foods

Any good links missing? Let us know by adding them as comments.