The Innovise Guys

Julia Cameron and Emma Lively Talk About Their New Musical, The Medium At Large

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:12:00 +0000

Putting the Muse in Musical The Innovise Guys are once again talking to The Artist's Way author Julia Cameron. This time it's about her new musical, The Medium at Large, written in collaboration with Emma Lively, her long-time creative collaborator. Emma, the Guys, and Julia talk about the show, set to open in previews October 17 and run October 19 through November 16 at the Village Players Performing Arts Center in Oak Park, Illinois at 1010 Madison Street. The spiritually inspired musical comedy deals with ghosts, romance, and mischief in New York City in 1938. The topic of the play was suggested at a dinner party by a grieving friend, features a medium character inspired by long-time friend and mentor Max Showalter, and stars renowned Chicago and Tony nominated actor John Herrara. Emma Lively observed, "The idea of the ghosts is incredibly rich -- leaving much room for mystery, inspiration, and humor. Our goal with this unusual love story is to remind the audience that we're never a lone, and those who have passed on are still with us." In the interview, the nature of inspiration is explored – "Many songs came to me complete with words and music", said Julia. Adds Emma, "Yes, we believe that creativity is out there and artists are those who tap into that source and bring it into being." The playwrights and composers speak of the nature of collaboration, creative process, development, and of the fun, the play, and the humor that inspires their work. They also invoked the spirits of Rogers and Hammerstein. Artist's Way devotees may find the play especially appealing, but it is a truly human play with universal themes of loss, love, connection and coping – with a lightening comfort – about those we hold dear who have passed on. The artists acknowledge that their blithe sense of humor infuses the work – so it should leave the audience "inspired and hopeful". For more information and tickets, find it at www.village-players.org or by calling 866-764-1010. Sample video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lSoeETp3U

Pine and Gilmore Have An Authentic Experience With The Innovise Guys

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:06:00 +0000

Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore are at it again -- Breaking old paradigms and defining the next big thing. First, it was in their groundbreaking book The Experience Economy, which, nearly a decade ago, redefined the marketing landscape. Now it is with their new best-selling book Authenticity. This dynamic duo of "must do & must read" are featured in the March TIME Magazine issue on "10 Ideas that are Changing the World". It seems that in the realm of paradigm shifting, Joe and Jim only do heavy lifting. In this Innovise Guys' interview, the authors themselves tell all -- oh, well almost all -- so you still have to buy the book. Pine and Gilmore also offer a life-transforming event annually in the fall, which they call "Think About". For more information on that, go to: http://www.strategichorizons.com/SHthinkAbout.html. Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore can be reached at Strategic Horizons, LLP and at Pine&Gilmore@StrategicHorizons.com; 330-995-4680. You should find this interview, well, "authentic", if nothing else. Suffice to say, if these guys have an idea that is changing the world, you want to know about it. To link to more about their new book go to: http://authenticitybook.com/

Verbal Gusto with Jim Kelly and The Innovise Guys

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:10:00 +0000

Gushing with Gusto! To our Innovise Guys podcast listeners: "You are an immeasurable life force, saturated with infinite creative potential at this very moment ... From Siberia to the Serengetti, you are the ne plus ultra, the instantaneous creative, the best of the best at your best ... All of you --precedent- setting and paradigm shattering, bold and clever Argonauts tastefully continuing through the space-time continuum ..." How does that feel? Good, huh? These are but a few of compliments gleaned "Wickhead's Guide to Verbal Gusto" by JK (Jim Kelly) -- with whom we discuss the art of "dishing the upper" to one another, by finding the perfect compliment. JK is a former advertising copywriter turned author and a creative juggernaut and good-will ambassador who never travels life's highway without a Motherload of positive vibes and oodles of inventive energy. In the book he quotes Booker T. Washington -- "If you want to lift yourself, lift up someone else" and Bill & Ted -- "Be excellent to one another." And JK shows us how. In this interview, the author guides us through his motivations, the creative process and the uplifting content of his book. (Groundbreaking Press 2007) When he is not "dishing compliments" with the panache and flourish of "surf-speak" versions of Jame T. Kirk or Ace Ventura, Jim Kelly is an "Irishman at Large", stationed outside of Petaluma, California -- near Sonoma Creek -- at the Larson Family Winery. If you consider yourself even remotely "A deftly-skilled professional, thinking outside the box -- The Commissioner of Can-do", then this podcast is for you. For more information go to: www.groundbreaking.com, www.amazon.com and www.larsonfamilywinery.com.

Plato and Platypus Authors Walk Into an Interview with the Innovise Guys

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein first met as Harvard freshman in 1957. Their book, "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes" (2007) is presently a best seller in both the humor and philosophy categories. Not bad for a couple of philosophy majors who tried on various careers after graduation. Tom worked with street gangs in Chicago, doctors at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and dropped in and out of divinity schools. Dan has written jokes for various comedians, including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin. Tom lives on Cape Cod with his wife. Dan lives in the Berkshires with his wife. Together, they are also authors of the politically incorrect book of daily affirmations, "Macho Meditations". This interview is littered with jokes (WARNING: some are PG-13) with illustrative examples of how jokes are able to connect to a better understanding of philosophers and their philosophies. Of course, humor is an essential ingredient of creativity and old friends Dan and Tom briskly banter back and forth on their collaboration and also tell the story of their "Aha! Moment" -- that spawned the book idea. Not surprisingly, that moment took place in a light-hearted conversation over a couple of pints in a pub. So successful is this book that their publisher demanded an encore -- the newly published "Aristotle and an Aardvark go to Washington" -- offering humorous insights into political jargon employed by the real jokers in DC. The Innovise Guys assume you will guffaw, chortle, howl, abstractly "he-haw!" and even titter as much as did we through this rousing romp through the thoughtfully theoretical and silly cerebral philosophical phootnotes from Plato to modernity. You'll laugh 'til you think! www.platoandaplatypus.com

Tim Hurson, author of Think Better, an Innovators Guide to Productive Thinking, talks to the Innovise Guys

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:48:00 +0000

Tim Hurson is one of the class acts in the creativity and innovation field. In this interview with The Innovise Guys he provides real insights into creative thinking and you get a slice of one of the best "thinkers about thinking? providing innovation services today. He has a lot going on, he's written a fabulous new book -- Think Better, an Innovators Guide to Productive Thinking, he's also the prime mover behind the MindCamp conference in Toronto (http://www.thinkxic.com/mindcamp/tastings.php), and Facilitators Without Borders, a group that provide pro bono facilitation services for communities in need. Tim talks about all these things, but mostly about how to "think better,? the challenges of writing and publishing, and the responses he's received so far to his book. Tim is a founder of ThinkX Intellectual Capital (www.thinkxic.com) and an in-demand innovation consultant and public speaker. He is also is a great story teller with a great sense of humor, so this interview goes by in a flash.

Author of Innovate Like Edison, Sarah Miller Caldicott, talks to the Guys

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:07:00 +0000

This is an interesting and informationally dense interview, be prepared to take notes! Over 70 books have been written about Thomas Edison, "Innovate Like Edison" is different, it's the first to elucidate how Edison did Innovation. This book puts forward more detail about how he worked and his methods with teams, research, and more. This is a book that we can learn from and adopt. The Innovise Guys talk to the great grand niece of Edison, Sarah Miller Caldicott, an innovator in her own right, and co-author of this important new book about innovation process. As usual the Guys have fun with serious content and they explore the books ideas with Sarah. Included are a review of Edison's "five competencies of innovation," his innovation and problem solving assessments (that you can access in the book), various other Innovation tools and techniques, and what it was like to work with illustrious co-author Michael Gelb. For more information about Sarah and the book, visit www.sarahcaldicott.com.

This Is Not the Life I Ordered Authors talk to the Innovise Guys

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:13:00 +0000

Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, had this to say about the authors of This Is Not the Life I Ordered: "Kudos to the amazing strength of these women! This book is the needed inspiration to survive the worst luck and circumstances that catch women unexpectedly. Stories of almost unimaginable pain and tragedy: the death of loved ones, being witness to mass murder, the loss of an esteemed job after years of loyalty, and the reversal of fortunes. But more importantly, these are stories of individual strength to transform shock, despair, and paralysis into sheer will and guts. It contains the innate resources we have to climb out of the abyss and into a new life with unexpected happiness." In this podcast, The Innovise Guys talk to two of the authors, Deborah Collins Stephens and Michealene Cristini Risley about their book which celebrates sisterhood, community and creative re-framing of lives gone horribly awry -- and how hope, optimism, humor and acceptance can open the way to gratitude and acceptance of what life deals you. The guys want to also mention that they think, on top of everything else, these brainy, resilient, funny women are "major babes".

Disney Innovation Maven Marty Sklar Talks to The Innovise Guys

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:58:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Times – once wrote, "Fresh out of college, Marty Sklar was overwhelmed to find himself as Walt Disney's newest writer.? Sklar, in awe, dutifully followed Disney around, scribbling down Disney's orders, ideas and, occasionally, one-line gems. Many years after Walt's death, Sklar recognized this treasure-trove of wisdom and created "Mickey's Ten Commandments?, one of the most widely circulated creeds and a bible of the theme park industry."The lessons became a cornerstone of Sklar's own iconic reputation at Walt Disney Co., where he is among the last of a generation of creative minds who worked with the founder--so closely in his case that he became known as the Sorcerer's Apprentice?. "When people see Marty, they see Walt," says a former colleague. "When Marty says something is good, it's almost like Walt says it's good." He has also been called "the Jiminy Cricket? of Disney. Sklar led Disney Imagineering for over three decades. The Innovise Guys tracked down Marty at the ACA conference in Austin this past spring where he keynoted (American Creativity Association meeting). In this short but sweet interview, we learn of brainstorming and creativity Disney-style and about some of the methods behind the fairy dust. "There are two ways to look at a blank piece of paper," says Sklar, "One way is to see it as the most frightening thing in the world because there is nothing on it, and you have to make the first mark. The other way is to see the blank sheet as the greatest opportunity in the world.... You can let your imagination fly in any direction." Let's "Wish upon a star …?, shall we?

Bijoy Goswami, an interview with the author of The Human Fabric

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:36:00 +0000

Bijoy Goswami is an interesting man. He's the author of The Human Fabric, CEO of Aviri Corporation, and a founder of the Austin Boostrap Network. He's well educated of course -- Stanford -- but what makes him interesting is his diverse background and his ability to blend eastern and western concepts into new ways of being effective in the business world. A highly creative individiual Bijoy is very articulate when it comes to talking about start-ups, and creativity and innovation. Gregg caught up with Bijoy at Cafe Caffeine in Austin, Texas while there on his own book tour for Jack's Notebook. This is a concise and information packed interview, for more about Bijoy see: www.http://www.aviri.com/bijoy.htm and for more about the Austin Boostrap Network, see: http://www.bootstrapaustin.org/.

Gerard Puccio talks Thinking Styles with The Innovise Guys

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:07:00 +0000

Are you a Clarifier, an Ideator, a Developer, an Implementer, or a Driver? In this instructive podcast, Dr. Gerard Puccio discusses FourSight, the breakthrough creative thinking style preference assessment which he developed through years of field testing and comparative research. The simple, user-friendly 34 question self-assessment tool is deceptive in it's simplicity, because it yields profound insights with far-reaching implications for personal development and how we work together as teams to accomplish complex objectives. Gerard keeps the Innovise Guys on their toes in this informative and jocular interview, wherein he sometimes upstages the Guys with some subtle and some not-so-subtle one-liners. Anyone who is involved with creative process, change management, team building, organizational development or dating will find this interview useful.

Authors of Creative Leadership, Gerard Puccio and Mary Murdock talk to The Innovise Guys

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:59:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys recently caught up with Dr. Gerard Puccio, program chair at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College (SUNY) and his faculty colleague Dr. Mary Murdock at the American Creativity Association Conference. Together, with Marie Mance, they have just published a brilliant book, entitled Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change. In this fast-paced, fun and substantive interview, Puccio and Murdock discuss the connection between leadership and creativity. As the introduction to the book explains: "Change originates in creative thought, and the ability to engage in creative thinking or foster it in others is a skill that separates those who lead from those who follow … Creative thinking is the fuel that makes leadership work.? Leveraging more than 50 years of research in characteristically thorough fashion, the authors have written this book from the perspective of creativity as a core leadership competence. This is an informative and fun interview – at some points our affable guests even "out goof? The Guys, while covering the breadth, scope and seminal thinking behind the book, sharing their insights with aplomb. They also weigh in some of the challenges of the collaborative effort it took to write the book and fusing three authors into one, authentic voice. In the end, Puccio, Murdock and Mance have produced a book that is at once an extremely accessible, eminently readable, while a thorough, detailed academic resource for the latest thinking on Creative Problem Solving and Leadership – a hot topic du jour. Also discussed is their substantive reframing of the always resilient CPS process model. This is an engaging an informative interview that's right for anyone facing the challenges of change, leading others through it and who want access to lucid, straight forward, state-of-the art thinking on the Creative Problem Solving model. For more information on the Buffalo State program see: www.buffalostate.edu/centers/creativity

Creative PR and Arts Leadership, an interview with Tamara Saviano

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:47:00 +0000

Tamara Saviano is a creative publicist and the organizer of a non-profit called American Roots Publishing, which is dedicated to the preservation of American culture through music, literature, and art. Beneath her mild-mannered exterior lies a bit of a firebrand and a devout defender of free speech. That's one reason why Kris Kristofferson hired her – her guts to speak out. We would call her a genuine Creative Leader, entrepreneur, and arts advocate. The Innovise Guys are delighted to feature this interview Tamara did with Gregg Fraley as she passed through Chicago on her way back to Nashville. She's a classic creative in her own right as a Producer – her first CD won a Grammy in 2005 for Best Traditional Folk Album. That album, named Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, is just one of the first projects slated for publication at American Roots Publishing. Her new media company, Ellis Communications will take her PR and media expertise up yet another level – we only wish we could afford her! Learn how this Nashville rebel unleashes her creativity on behalf of musical artists and in the cause of preserving American arts in this sparkling interview. For more information about American Roots Publishing see: http://www.americanrootspublishing.org/, for more about her publicity services see: http://www.savianomedia.com/index.html.

Creative Management of Volunteer Programs

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:35:00 +0000

Sewonderful Quilts is an amazing volunteer program to create quilts for critically ill children. They take material destined for the landfill and turn it into an object of love for the people who need it most. Francine Spacek, an interior designer in Chicago manages a volunteer network of quilters that have created almost 1000 of these works of art. Francine talks to the Innovise Guys about how she got the idea, how she recruits volunteers, how she gets tons of fabric samples, distributes them, and collects finished quilts which she gives to several hospitals in the Chicago area. She's looking to do more to expand this win-win-win idea, and needs quilters, sewing machines, fabric, and -- money -- to do more. It's hard to imagine a creative project more deserving of help, it's green, it distributes objects of art, it cares for people, and it creates communities of self expression. See www.sewonderfulquilts.com for more information. Tell people about this project please!

Michelle James of The Center for Creative Emergence

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:58:00 +0000

Michelle James is a creativty consultant from the Washington DC area and is the CEO of the Center for Creative Emergence (www.creativeemergence.com). Michelle is also a practiced improvisational actor who plays with Precipice Improv Theater Company (www.precipiceimprov.com) where she does long-format improv scenes. The Innovise Guys had a particular interest in Michelle because she actively uses improv tools in her business consulting, sometimes on the quiet, but many times she's brought in by her clients to teach improv. This is a fun and wide ranging discussion and the trio have a few laughs while talking about use of improv concepts like YES + AND, and Michelle's twist on that concept, YES = AND, Because. Michelle is also a key player/organizer in the Capitol Creativity Network (www.capitolcreativitynetwork.com). Tune into this pithy and upbeat interview with a leading creativity practitioner.

Doug Hall of Eureka Ranch talks to the Innovise Guys

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:32:00 +0000

Pre-ACA Conference (March 21-23) Interview with Creativity's Garrulous Guru, Doug Hall: The Innovise Guys interview the guy dubbed "America's #1 Idea Guru" by Inc. Magazine. Doug Hall began his inventing career at the age of 12 by inventing and selling a line of magic and juggling kits. After graduating from the University of Maine with an engineering degree, Doug went to work with P&G, where he rose meteorically to Master Marketing Inventor by developing and implementing 9 innovations in 12 months. You may also know Doug for his appearances on TV's "The American Inventor" or for his "Brain Brew Radio" show on PRI or as CEO and founder of the Eureka! Ranch, described as an "invention & research think tank". The Innovise Guys match minds with this Mensan and marketing maven, who is a playful, peripatetic and a sometimes pugnacious proponent of his proprietary innovation system, which prognosticates and evaluates ideas based on a replicable, end-to-end, data-driven system. Hall speaks with some specificity about the American Creativity Association and its distinct value and mission, his soon-to-be-launched nationwide creative facilitation effort (in collaboration with the federal government) and forcefully shares his roguish views on the primacy of "left brain divergence". Tailor-made for the exigencies of today's business enterprises, Hall's system focuses on measurability and projectability based on a large data base and scaleable metrics to provide reliable degrees of confidence around new ideas in the largely uncertain world of new product development. Hall no longer believes that "fun is fundamental" and vows to rewrite his seminal book "Jump Start Your Brain" to reflect his new philosophy. No warm & fuzzies here. Art and play are out! This notwithstanding, this interview is full of fun and provocative insight that will get your synapses jumping, your blood surging and maybe your dander up! For more information see: www.amcreativityassoc.org, www.doughall.com, www.eurekaranch.com.

Joe Pine, author of The Experience Economy talks to The Innovise Guys

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:13:00 +0000

The Experience Economy & Innovation: The Innovise Guys Interview with Joe Pine. In 1999 Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore turned the marketing world on it's ear with the publication of their groundbreaking book, "The Experience Economy." Pine, formerly an innovator at IBM and a graduate of MIT's Sloan Graduate School of Business in Management Technology, met Jim Gilmore shortly after the publication of his first book, Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition. It turns out that Gilmore had author's envy -- He had been thinking along the same lines. They soon became friends, collaborators and ultimately partners in Strategic Horizons LLP. In this "experiential interview" Joe explains the basic precepts of the Experience Economy, the evolution of the concept, its application today and its relationship to innovation. The interview is true to the spirit of The Experience Economy's subtitle: "Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage" as Joe indulges Gregg and Doug and joins in the fun. For their part, as "The Guys" ham it up, they lend considerable credence to Oscar Wilde's Observation that "The World is a Stage, but the Play Badly Cast". (But you knew that.) In this interview Joe Pine also affords a glimpse of the soon-to-be-published Pine-Gilmore collaboration, "Authenticity." Each year, Pine & Gilmore design and direct a two-day experience called thinkAbout -- a series of staged events that foster creativity, innovation, and learning. The thinkAbout is a high-energy, high-impact event available to a limited number of participants each year. For more information on this and other offerings, visit www.StrategicHorizons.com or call Doug Parker at 330-995-4680.

Da Bears Tribute Podcast, with Skip and Lou

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:15:00 +0000

Da Bears. Da Super Bowl. Da Innovise Guys. We simply could not resist talking Bears football at this momentous time. And we make a true attempt to connect it all to Innovation -- After all, we all remember how the Bears 'thrilled the nation with their T-formation' -- or so the Bears fight song goes. And that's not all -- Papa Bear Halas created the professional National Football League -- an innovator for sure. In this interview, The Guys speak with sports geeks and clairvoyant cliches Skip Castro and Lou Scorpini, formerly the bombastic baseball announcers for the fictitious Beloit Bee Keepers Triple-A baseball franchise on WXRT and the SCORE radio in Chicago. Skip and Lou (actually screenwriter/sitcom executive producer Tom Wolfe and awarding-winning playwright, Hollywood sitcom actor and Second City alumnus Kevin Crowley) have at Da Bears of 2007 and Bears lore, as they prognosticate, play and replay with the connection of Bears football and innovation, as well as ruminate on Scorpini's incarceration in a federal penitentiary which effectively separated the delightfully unselfconscious, dunderheaded duo until this very special reunion. In this podcast, the Guys have their game faces on and give Skip and Lou room to connect on the bombs, keep the tape rolling and let their garrulous guests riff, diverge and converge on the Monsters of the Midway. There are a lot of 'forced connections' here, some fumbles and many takeaways -- all true to the Bears' football tradition.

Gregg Fraley, author of Jack's Notebook, talks to Innovise Guy Doug Stevenson

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:52:00 +0000

This podcast is a break with tradition for the Innovise Guys. Here, Doug interviews Gregg about the publication of Jack's Notebook, a business fable about creative problem solving. It's a fun interview -- some improvised songs, jokes, and accents happen as they manage to find out why Gregg wrote the book, who it's for, and to discuss some of the aspects of deliberate creativity as they progress. Jack's Notebook could be the first "break out" book that takes the concept of CPS and deliberate creativity to a much broader audience. For more information about Jack's Notebook, go to Gregg's website: www.greggfraley.com, or order it on Amazon.

Creative Leadership & Design

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:00:00 +0000

David Horth, author of The Leaders Edge, creativity and leadership expert, is with the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensborough, NC (www.ccl.org). In this wide-ranging and eclectic interview the Innovise Guys and David cover a wide range of topics, but with a central connection to creative leadership and design. They talk about design as a unifying concept of creativity, innovation, and quality. It's good fun and as usual the Guys talk about seemingly non-related stuff as well, like David's playing of a didgeridoo. David recites lines from Robert Frost and runs through the "six creative competencies" of an innovative leader that he amplifies in his book. David also talks about the goals of, and his role with, the Creative Education Foundation (www.creativeeducationfoundation.org). Check out this lively and content-rich chat.

Creative Environment: The Innovise Guys talk to Eva Niewiadomski of Catalyst Ranch

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:01:00 +0000

Eva Niewiadomski is the founder and owner of Catalyst Ranch in Chicago. Catalyst Ranch is a highly successful and innovative venue for creative meetings of all kinds. It really has to be seen to be believed; it's possibly the most creative meeting space in the USA. Eva, formerly with Quaker, is a real creative environment expert and an inspiring entrepreneur. Here she talks with The Innovise Guys about how she got Catalyst off the ground and she shares her views and ideas about creative meetings and designing creative environments. For more about Eva and Catalyst Ranch, visit their web site: www.catalystranch.com.

Greater Possibilities -- The Guys Talk with InterPlay's Nika Quirk

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:03:00 +0000

Nika Quirk, AKA Princess Succulenta (don't ask) crossed the path of The Innovise Guys at the AIN conference in San Francisco (AIN is the Applied Improvisation Network, see: www.appliedimprov.net). Nika was a keynoter and did an amazing plenary session that involved a group of about 80 people in creating music. We were impressed with her facilitation skill and we had to get her thoughts on tape for our podcast. Nika is a lot of fun, and, a real expert at applied improvisation. She uses her tools and techniques with her coaching and corporate clients. Nika is a co-creator and co-leader of TelePlay, an innovative group coaching seminar utilizing the principles and tools of InterPlay, a philosophy and practice focused on creativity, community, and change (for more information see: http://www.thegreaterpossibility.com/). She's also doing some interesting work as part of her PhD. The Guys and Nika have a bit of fun in this interview, it might have been the wine, but this is a fun interview with great content for anyone interested in the connection of play and fun with business productivity. Stay tuned!

Pamela Meyer & The Innovise Guys Talk Organizational Improvisation

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:59:00 +0000

Pamela Meyer is a consultant, author, and teacher. In this fast moving and lighthearted interview with the Innovise Guys she talks about her deep dive into the idea of organizational improvisation and the related topics of creativity training and appreciative inquiry. Pam has a deep background in the theater arts and she discovered the value of improvisation when casting plays. She's learned over time the value that improv has to build responsiveness to changing conditions in the market place, and an ability to adapt quickly to change. She's also learned how to introduce improvisation to organizations in a way that takes the emphasis off performance and back to awareness, appreciation, and ultimately improved ability to interact and innovate. She teaches these things to her corporate clients and students at DePaul University. She's the author of Quantum Creativity. For more about Pam visit her web site: www.meyercreativity.com.

Julia Cameron Talks to The Innovise Guys

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:43:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys do an inspiring interview with creativity icon and author of "The Artists Way", Julia Cameron about her new memoir "Floor Sample". Julia is best known for her seminal book on unblocking creativity (The Artists Way) and Gregg and Doug talk with Julia about both books in this lively chat. The topics bounce around all things creativity. Julia talks about how her sobriety caused the invention of her creativity tools, and how her upbringing in a big family led to her teaching these tools and sharing with others. An overview of the "Artists Way" is given, including the concepts of Morning Pages and an Artist's Date. She also talks about how to train your inner critic and finally her current project with collaborator Emma Lively -- a Broadway musical (their third!). This is a fascinating talk with a very interesting person and all in less than 24 minutes!

Tama Kieves of "This Time I Dance!" talks to the Innovise Guys from Transitions Bookplace in Chicago

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:32:00 +0000

Tama J. Kieves, Harvard Law School cum laude graduate abruptly left the legal profession to write. Her book "This Time I Dance!" is all about doing what you love and more generally Career Transitions. She talks with Gregg and Doug in front on a live audience at Transitions Bookplace in Chicago. It's an entertaining interview -- Tama has fun with Da Guys -- that gets to the heart of why 3 of 5 people are unhappy with what they do. She suggests practical remedies to that sad situation. For more information about Tama visit www.AwakeningArtistry.com.

Paint On Water

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 08:55:00 +0000

Amy Lee, aka Segami (the word Images backwards) is that rare combination of scientist and artist. Segami literally paints on water -- she talks about that process here -- and gives dynamic keynote speeches about Seeing the Impossible. Segami is also involved in an international entrepreneurial business venture in the recycled waste for energy arena. Listen to this interesting interview with the Innovise Guys, the talk is about art, innovation, business, creativity, and more. For more information about Segami and her art, visit: www.segami.com

Ralph Kerle on the Arts in Business Leadership Training

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 05:17:00 +0000

Ralph Kerle, of The Creative Leadership Forum of Asia Pacific and Australia is a leading creativity expert and a pioneer in the use of the arts in business leadership training. A former theater director, he has a lot of insight on the value of creative training at all levels of management. His wry sense of humor blends well with the Innovise Guys and they have a great discussion about...getting into the moment, acting and authenticity, status in business transactions, and much more. Tune in for an amusing interview! Check out Ralph at: www.thecreativeleadershipforum.com.

Linda Yaven on Design Thinking, Visual Thinking & More

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 19:05:00 +0000

Linda Yaven is a communication designer and invention coach with a unique appraoch to creativity. The Innovise Guys interviewed her at the Creative Problem Solving Insitute -- and it's a light hearted and yet rich in content discussion. Linda provides clients with services and trainings, based on emerging methods from the design studio - for making thinking visible and qualitative assessment. Linda recently completed a project for The Department of Defense on creative thinking and assessment. She is on the Graduate Design Faculty of California College of the Arts, and is a public speaker on innovation design. She has been an advisor/documenter for The Making Learning Visible Institute at Harvard. She will present "Fast and Light: Making Thinking Visible" at The Innovation Immersion Conference for Fortune 500, San Diego, CA. in October. She is completing a one hour documentary "Teach Us Something in 7 Minutes". To subscribe to her newsletter, called work-in-progress, please visit www.lindayaven.com

Jon Pearson on Creativity, Innovation, Visual Exploration, and Knowing

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 18:36:00 +0000

Hear Jon Pearson and believe in yourself as an artist! Jon is a font of knowledge and inspiration on creative process. A former political cartoonist, and now an educator, consultant, and speaker, he's profound, funny, interesting, and full of content -- all at once. In this highly improvised and humorous interview Jon speaks about using drawing to explore challenges, how anybody can draw using his famous Moodgie technique, being in the present and "Not Knowing. He links Not Knowing to better learning, thinking, seeing, experiencing -- and gratitude. Take the time and listen to a creative master riffing his heart out. You won't be disappointed.

Gayle Seminara of Transitions Bookplace, Inspirational Interview

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 20:22:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys interview Transitions Bookplace owner, Gayle Seminara-Mandel. Gayle talks about how she came to start Chicago's premier bookstore and also about the context of her own spiritual transformation. Gayle's turning point came when she was involved in a near fatal car accident, and she tells that story here. She also relates how serendipity saved the store from financial disaster. Her real life stories of inspiration mark this podcast as one of the more serious and spiritually oriented programs the Guys have done to date, certainly the most inspirational. For more information on Transitions Bookplace, go to: http://www.transitionsbookplace.com/.

Creative Leadership, and interview with Blair Miller, Part 1

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 16:15:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys Interview innovation expert Blair Miller (of Blair Miller & Associates). As usual it's a combination of solid creative thinking and innovation content with a dash of fun from Fraley and Stevenson. Miller shares insights on creative environment, assessment, leadership, and more in this informal interview with a leading innovation practitioner.

Live Podcast from Apple Store Chicago, Part Two

Thu, 04 May 2006 22:37:00 +0000

In the second half of the live podcast Doug, Gregg, Megon, and Jill have a wide ranging discussion on many aspects of creativity -- and the fun continues as well. Megon does several hilarious musical impressions, including a terriffic version of Patsy Cline's "Crazy," and snippets of Doris Day, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Edith Piaf. The serious topics include: getting into action, the value of audacity, the virtue of persistence, and overcoming procrastination and the fear factors in problem solving. The show ends with an inspirational song about Dreams by Megon. The Innovise Guys are appreciative of their guests -- thank you to Megon McDonough and Jill Badonsky.

Live Podcast from Apple Store Chicago, Part One

Thu, 04 May 2006 22:11:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys host a lively live podcast at the North Michigan Avenue Apple Store in Chicago. Guests Megon McDonough, a singer/songwriter, and Jill Badonsky, author of "The Nine Modern Day Creative Muses...and a Bodyguard" join Gregg Fraley and Doug Stevenson in an explosive two part show. In Part One, Gregg and Doug improv on "My Kind of Town", Megon McDongough sings an inspirational song about finding one's creative soul, and Jill Badonsky does some cool and spiritual beatnikesque poetry. The discussion gets serious when the crew talks about how to find your creativity and how spirituality connects with...business results! Megon shares some hilarious stories about illegal driving at the age of 15, and Jill explores how your use of language can have you thinking differently and more creatively, all the time. This and much more in Part One, enjoy.

Chief Innovation Officer of Greenhouse Dan Greenberger

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:14:00 +0000

Dan Greenberger is the Chief Innovation Officer of Greenhouse, an innovative advertising company in Chicago. He talks with the Innovise guys about the value of creative problem solving training in his agency and also about the value of understanding creative style. This is a real world interview with a working creative professional who doesn't stand pat but instead increases his creativity and the creativity of his people to provide better value for his customers. As usual The Innovise Guys have some fun riffing on Thelonius Monk, zen jokes, and more.

Part II: Interview of Stephen M. Shapiro, author of "Goal Free Living"

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 17:34:00 +0000

In part two of the interview with Stephen M. Shapiro, author of "Goal Free Living," Doug and Gregg riff on Shaprio's 8 secrets. The energy is high and the content is dense and fascinating. All lightened by humorous Shapiro anecdotes and improvised sidetrips to connect the 8 secrets to creativity and innovation. This might be the funniest -- and most relevant -- interview the Innovise Guys have done to date.

"Goal Free Living" Author Stephen Shapiro - Part 1

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:54:00 +0000

Author of "Goal Free Living" -- Stephen M. Shapiro is interviewed on this edition of The Innovise Guys. In part one of this two part podcast, Stephen talks about how he intended to write a book about creativity --but took a left turn into something much different and more powerful on a nationwide interviewing tour. The guys have fun singing snatches of "Goal Free" -- a parody of the old chesnut "Born Free". Some typical Innovise Guys improvisational tangents and funny stories with profound points from Stephen punctuate this lively interview.

Qualitative Research Show

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 02:26:00 +0000

The Innovise Guys talk with Jean Bystedt, one of the authors of "Moderating to the Max" a seminal book on the field of Qualitative Research. Jean and the guys explore the relationship of qualitative research to innovation, and debunk some common myths. Jean does some actual research techniques and advises small business people on ways to do better research on the cheap. As usual the guys have some fun and Jean and Gregg do a singing duet only to be "raided" by an ASCAP-BMI agent (Doug).

Inventive Behavior Show - The Innovise Guys

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 06:10:00 +0000

Inventive Behavior is the theme this week on The Innovise Guys. They interview Paula Rosch, inventor of Huggies Little Swimmers, and talk to her about her unique theory of predicting consumer markets. She's identified "Scouts" -- consumers whose behavior gives clues as to where the market is going years ahead of the pack. As always, the innovise guys have some fun -- Gregg and Doug do some scat singing, play drums, and the lively talk with Paula encompasses related innovation subjects like change agents, "floaters," the value of incubation, observational research, and the creation of tools to help you invent and innovate. Scouts is a registered trademark of Paula Rosch.

The Innovise Guys: Innovation and Creative Problem Solving

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 20:46:00 +0000

In the third edition of The Innovise Guys, Stevenson and Fraley disucss a tool for idea evaluation and refinement called "PPCo" or Positives, Potentials, Concerns, and Overcoming concerns. They get off on some humorous tangents related to Doug's Christmas tree which is still up on February 7th. Listen for their improvised version of "O Christmas Tree," Gregg's John Wayne impression, and more fun as they explain and demonstrate the PPCo tool.

Da InnoviseGuys Show #2

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 16:41:00 +0000

In their second show Da Creative Guys become Da Innovise Guys -- combining innovation and improvisation to create a new identity. They talk about the Four P's of creativity: Process, People, Product, and something called "Press". Discussion included information about the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), the Creative Education Foundation (CEF), and the March public seminar the InnoviseGuys are conducting in Chicago

Da Innoviseguys creative problem solving show

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:11:00 +0000

Gregg Fraley and Doug Stevenson do for creativity and innovation what the car guys did for auto repair. Both are experienced corporate innovators who also have experience in the world of improvisation, giving us Da Innoviseguys. They talk about creative problem solving, innovation, and the tools and techniques to become more creative. They have a good deal of fun along the way. This is their first podcast.