March is an amazing month for me, as I’ll be doing lots of traveling, and speaking. I have to say, it will be nice to ‘hit the road,’ and I’m looking forward to seeing places that are not covered in snow! I’ve got engagements in Reno, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii; then it’s back to Illinois and finally, Mississippi. Talk about “hitting the road!”
Such new places, with their new sights, sounds and smells (not to mention the new people I’ll be meeting), serve to boost my creativity. And creativity is the focus for this month’s Inspirer.
This is why I’ve included a well-known Ghana folktale about the origins of kente cloth.

For those of you who do not know about kente cloth, I’ll refer you to the GhanaWeb article, found here.

The authors of the 2006 article claim that “kente is the best known of all African textiles. Its renown has spread internationally, so that it is now one of the most admired of all fabrics in many parts of the world. Its colorfulness makes it stands out wherever.”

I chose this folktale because it describes how we can take things, ideas, and forms in our reality, and apply them to better our lives. It’s a story of awareness, creativity, and hope.

These are the things I hope for you. That you can cultivate a keen awareness of your environment, and your inner life (emotions, thoughts, and patterns – both bad and good); and that you can apply creative solutions to problems you face today, all with a hopeful heart. These are the tools you can use to ‘stand out’ wherever you are, and in whatever you do!

I’ve included this folktale in my newest book, Wake Up!, simply because it is a beautiful allegory of human ingenuity. I believe that when we’re faced with ‘tough times,’ we forget the amazing power we have within us to change our lives for the better, and just want to gently remind you of your inner qualities!

Feel free to write me with your comments, at: albert@albertmensah.com.

Until next month,

The Weavers with Vision…and a Brilliant Teacher

Once upon a time (these stories always begin that way, don’t they?) there were two weavers, living in the village of Bonwire, in the countryside of Ghana. They wove simple cloth, called nwen-ntoma, and it was worn by all. It was sturdy, but rather boring; without dramatic color and texture, nwen-ntoma did little to nourish the spirit of those who wore it.

These two weavers discovered the handiwork of a beautiful yellow-and-black spider; a web of many colors and complex design. They sat and watched the spider dance and weave. Twist. Turn. Glide. Dip! The spider made her way across the web, moving as if directed by God to create a masterpiece.

And, when finished, the web was a masterpiece. The two weavers left their teacher in the forest, and returned to the village to recreate what they had seen, from native fibers. At first, the intricate design she taught them, was recreated only woven in black and white; but over time, they learned to dye their threads in bright new colors. They even learned to tap into their own inspiration, to create fundamentally new patterns – because their teacher had shown them a versatility and willingness to improvise.

Now, thousands of people in Ghana (and around the world) wear kente-nwen-ntoma; commonly called kente cloth.
That glorious day, in the forest of Ghana, near the village of Bonwire, a small spider literally changed the world. Made it brighter; more colorful, and certainly more inspired.

You too, are learning to weave a more inspired life. Through the exercises in this book, you’re literally re-creating your life; bringing beauty, peace-of-mind, and greater abundance into each and every day.

The Lesson within the Tale

Seek creative solutions, based on examples in your environment. Nature is full of ingenuity; plants, trees, and the creatures that inhabit them all seek survival, in the best possible conditions. This means that the natural world is full of elegant solutions: trees that stretch and bend to find the sunlight; spiders (as in our story) which have learned to weave more enticing webs.

Getting Creative

Here are some great tips I’ve applied in my own life and recommended to coaching clients. Give one or more of them a try!
Brainstorm. If properly carried out, brainstorming can help you not only come up with sacks full of new ideas, but can help you decide which is best. Click here for more information on brainstorming.
Always carry a small notebook and a pen or pencil around with you. That way, if you are struck by an idea, you can quickly note it down. Upon rereading your notes, you may discover about 90% of your ideas are daft. Don't worry, that's normal. What's important are the 10% that are brilliant.

If you're stuck for an idea, open a dictionary, randomly select a word and then try to formulate ideas incorporating this word. You'd be surprised how well this works. The concept is based on a simple but little known truth: freedom inhibits creativity. There are nothing like restrictions to get you thinking!

Define your problem. Grab a sheet of paper, electronic notebook, computer or whatever you use to make notes, and define your problem in detail. You'll probably find ideas positively spewing out once you've done this.

If you can't think, go for a walk. A change of atmosphere is good for you and gentle exercise helps shake up the brain cells.
Don't watch TV. Watching television is a passive exercise. A study performed by the JPB Creative Laboratory showed that while watching TV, you often let things slip by and don't think about what you're seeing. Note: research has shown that listening to music while exercising not only improves your mood, but it may also boost cognitive levels. So turn off that television!

Don't do drugs. People on drugs think they are creative, but they’re not. And that’s the honest truth.

Read as much as you can about everything possible. Books exercise your brain, provide inspiration and fill you with information that allows you to make creative connections easily.

Exercise your brain. Brains, like bodies, need exercise to keep fit. If you don't exercise your brain, it will get flabby and useless. Exercise your brain by reading, talking to clever people and disagreeing with people - arguing can be a terrific way to give your brain cells a workout. But note, arguing about politics or film directors is good for you; bickering over who should clean the dishes is not.

Take notes. On all you read and from conversations with those clever people you’re connecting with!

Follow your interests. Instead of staying focused on what you “ought” to be doing, allow yourself to wander into new book topics, and new places.

Allow yourself the “fun of failure.” Maybe you’re like me, and want to succeed at everything you try. But that makes for anxiety—which isn’t a creative frame of mind. Tell yourself that you can enjoy the “fun of failure.” I promise it will make you more light-hearted about taking risks.

Buy supplies. Encourage yourself to make an occasional creativity-supporting purchase. A beautiful set of magic markers, a new journal, or an oversized pad of drawing paper.

Idea-mapping. This is a process of writing down ideas in a way that helps you see new relationships and possibilities. That’s where those magic markers come in!

Read random magazines. Pick up several magazines that you would never ordinarily read. Naturally you’ll select ones with enticing covers and article titles; I have yet to pick up a Golf Digest, or a magazine about hunting. But the ones I do pick up (recently, National Geographic, Esquire, and Entrepreneur) have been surprisingly interesting and useful.

Gather ideas. If you're beginning a new project, start a cardboard file box to collect all the materials that inspired you. The first thing to include is a slip of paper with a stated goal for the project—something like “keep it simple” or “something perfect” or “tell a story.” Everything is raw material, relevant and usable.

Coaching Services

Are you ready to change the rest of your tomorrows? Then let’s have a conversation.
 
I offer one-on-one coaching exclusively, because I feel it’s the most effective. Whether in-person and/or by phone, this coaching enables you to identify and develop skills, strengths, resources, abilities, and strategies that they never realized they possessed.

Our first conversation won’t cost you one thin dime – yet it will have more value and impact than you could imagine. Even though I’ll be traveling, I’ll have access to my email, so please contact me via albert@albertmensah.com, to arrange a complimentary half-hour consultation.

A Happiness Post-Script

Just a reminder that, sometimes, having more fun and being happier comes from looking for each in crazy, new places. Having fun and being happier are both essential creativity boosters.

Instead of waiting for them to come from where you've found them before or where others are now finding them, choose to stretch, reach, and grow. Accept new responsibility for your own happiness, and don’t neglect to spread happiness wherever you go. Like Johnny Appleseed, spread those happiness seeds around – you’ll never know where those seeds will sprout, and take root. Have a wonderfully happy March!