Creative Places

'

There is something about being in the right place at the right time - and the breakthroughs that often happen there. To some, this statement is all about chance. Others know that it is a lot about how you position yourself.  

One strategy to position yourself for breakthrough while putting the pieces of your dream together is creative places. It is really easy to act on this strategy. It simply involves spending time in a place that you enjoy... a place that encourages you to get out of routine and think differently. 

It should be no surprise that what we see and hear and think is influenced by our routine. One of the primary functions of our mind is to block unnecessary information so we can pay attention to what is important at the time. When we are in our routine, our mind and perceptions have a well rehearsed part to play, and we often play it automatically. 

When we choose to go to a creative place, a few things can happen that make breakthroughs more likely. Our minds may wander, which is the state that most breakthrough ideas happen in. We may get in back in touch with our higher purpose which is a good foundation for making difficult or complex decisions. Or the rich environment may facilitate association - where previously unrelated ideas unexpectedly combine to produce something unique and inspired. 

Creative places, not surprisingly, are different for different people. If you are not sure what your creative places are, read on and then start exploring. 

Here are my top three creative places:

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. The collection of natural and cultural artifacts stretching back through history for me forms a rich environment for association and an expectation that anything is possible. The ROM also has an incredible mosaic ceiling that adds to the experience. Photo credit: www.daniel-libeskind.com.

The Aurora Public Library. For some reason, sitting in the atrium of my local library, in a comfy chair, surrounded by books and the pursuit of learning, draws me back time and time again to higher purpose. The idea for this blog, and other ideas that I still have to act on, emerged in that setting a couple of years ago. 

Coffee shops. My current favourite one is The Second Cup sitting in a comfy chair by the fire, but just about any quirky place will do. For me, this is a creative place that needs at least one other person, preferably my wife, or a close friend. I always expect unexpected solutions to emerge. Even if they don't, I still expect it the next time and my heart leaps whenever I make plans to meet someone for coffee.  

Why not make a date with yourself to visit a creative place in the next couple of weeks or so and see what happens. I would love to hear where you visited and what  you learned...

Centrepiece of ceiling mosaic at the ROM.  Photo credit: www.rom.on.ca