Creativity Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Miranda van den Heuvel

Your annual personal review and preview in 3 simple questions

Miranda2022-05-31T14:00:59+02:00December 25th, 2020|

Today I would like to ask you just 3 questions. What 3 things are you proudest of accomplishing in 2020?They can be big things, small things. Things that are important just to you, that made a difference to your family or made the world a better place. What 1 new thing do you want to accomplish in 2021?This should be your number one priority, the one thing you focus on every day and that you want to have finished by the end of next year. It can of course be something intangible like being a goo [...]

How balanced are you?

Miranda2022-05-31T14:01:49+02:00December 18th, 2020|

Balance is the new buzzword. It's the state we all long to be in. For years now, we have been hearing that a work life balance is important for our well-being. That we can't just work-work-work because we need to play in order to stay sane. And that we can't just play all the time, because there is rent to pay. But what does work life balance really mean? From my experience there is no right answer here. Because my work life balance may look terrifying to you and I might not like the way you ha [...]

How a TO STOP list can improve your creativity

Miranda2022-06-01T10:59:52+02:00July 24th, 2020|

Do you have a TO DO list? I am sure you do. I generally have two. One for work and one for family/private things. Sometimes I have one per important project I am working on. We live in a multitasking work and our lists tends to get very long and often contain all sorts of things, big and small, ranging from 'call the dentist/mom/best friend' to 'create a website'. So having a TO DO List is a good thing to focus on what you need. But... Do you have a TO STOP List? Here's why you need a TO STOP l [...]

A Smart Woman’s (or man’s) Guide to the Universe

Miranda2022-06-01T13:23:30+02:00May 15th, 2020|

Have you ever read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It is safe to say that it's one of the funniest science fiction novels ever written. Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space. Trying to balance work, kids, partner, friends, parents and a gazillion other things, our lives on Earth are regularly de [...]

Can money buy happiness?

Miranda2022-06-01T11:04:17+02:00May 8th, 2020|

Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait for school to start? Or summer vacation? Or your birthday? Or Christmas Day? You felt butterflies in your stomach. You couldn't sleep at night. You talked about it all the time. You kept asking your parents how many more nights there were to sleep before it was finally there. All this anticipation is half the fun as they say, although you didn't understand it back then of course! And even as adults, we don't often consider anticipation as half [...]

Miranda’s favorite things – May 2020

Miranda2022-06-02T16:50:30+02:00May 1st, 2020|

I know we've only just had a favorite things post. But one can never have enough favorite things to share, right? AIRBNB's online experiences Airbnb is known as a travel platform that let's you stay in unique places. They already had a sidekick called 'Experiences' where you could book wine tastings or art making sessions with a local. Now that people are no longer able to travel, they have started offering those experiences as online sessions. Cooking pasta with granny, learning tango or [...]

11 awesome videos on the importance of creativity

Miranda2022-06-01T11:07:40+02:00April 24th, 2020|

Ken Robinson on how schools kill creativity: Tim Brown (Ideo) on Creativity and Play Ji Lee: The Transformative Power of Personal Projects How to add some fun to the things you need people to do John Cleese - Creativity in Management Don Norman on how happiness triggers creativity Stuart Brown: Why play is vital -- no matter your age Meet Jen Stark, a young artist who has found a way (by 'accident' or 'chance') to turn cheap paper into art. Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity Daniel Pin [...]

What matters now

Miranda2022-06-01T11:10:16+02:00April 17th, 2020|

Seth Godin, Purple Cow guru named 'America's greatest Marketer' (by American Way magazine), writes a very atypical blog. He writes a post almost every day. And from reading them you can just see him biking to work every morning (I don't know him well enough to know whether he does this or not but he seems that kind of guy to me) thinking about something someone said last night, or about the funny kid he sees in the street or the ad he saw on tv last night. Sometimes his posts are just that, tho [...]

Life is one big improvisation

Miranda2022-06-01T11:12:14+02:00April 10th, 2020|

If you have ever watched improvisational comedy, or have done creative brainstorming, you might know what the 'Yes, and...' principle is. "Yes, and...", also referred to as "Yes, and..." thinking is a rule-of-thumb in improvisational comedy that suggests that a participant should accept what another participant has stated ("yes") and then expand on that line of thinking ("and"). It is also used in business and other organizations as a principle that improves the effectiveness of the brainstormi [...]

Miranda’s favorite things – Spring 2020

Miranda2022-06-02T16:52:31+02:00March 20th, 2020|

It's almost spring! The weather is definitely gorgeous. So it's time for another post on my recently discovered favourite things. I thought I'd keep them all to the online category considering that most of the world is currently in lockdown. Also, if you have any tips that may fall into this category, I'd be happy if you could share them with me via email or in the comments below! Let's share our favorites! ART CLASSES Flora Bowley introduced me to intuitive painting. And it changed my art [...]