After all, you generally have a set amount of tasks you need to accomplish, and you’d rather not try something new when it comes to completing them, right? In the natural world, in politics, in business, the only thing … I realized artist was a very broad term. The traditional office life–what many of us see as the 9-to-5 grind at a cubicle, endlessly dreaming about Fridays and weekends–doesn’t always leave a lot of space for creativity. I spoke to Erik Wahl, author of The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity, about the environment that brings out his creativity, how he got started with graffiti art, his biggest creative inspirations, how he turned his art into a big business and his best career advice. Erik Wahl Profile Erik Wahl is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, best selling author and graffiti artist. You may opt-out by. For more inspiration visit www.theartofvision.com. I will schedule a massage and center my mind into the quietness of a creative sanctuary and then ramp up to take the stage for a live performance. This Forbes article puts it plainly: “True business and marketing leaders embrace uncertainty and complexity as creative catalysts that invite and, in fact, demand innovation. Sometimes it has to start from the top! We must push ourselves to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you’re a manager and you can’t shake the feeling that your staff is uninspired and relying on the same old concepts and solutions, then it’s time to start fostering creativity. I structure my day by interspersing these calm moments with periods that demand creative output. The world is filled with dreamers and doers—but the only way things happen are … Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I know this sounds a bit strange, but hear me out: creative thinkers know that one’s talents are best used to make results that might come from unordinary circumstances or out-of-the-box methods. Think about a place where creativity would be encouraged and nurtured. When my mind is fully present and grateful to be in the expansiveness of the current moment, I am free to create without anxiety. His message is that disruption is the new normal and businesses must embrace creativity in a wholesale fashion, or risk being left behind. In the tradition of "A Whole New Mind and The War of Art," graffiti artist and corporate thought leader, Erik Wahl explores the power of creativity to achieve superior performance. Author, Artist, Creativity Expert Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, top TED speaker, and No. I will meditate and expand my mind and then contract and focus and write. foster and nurture creative thinking in your employees, The Complete 35-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business, 16 Key Issues in Negotiating an Employment Severance Package, 10 Expert Social Media Tips to Help Your Small Business Succeed, 5 Steps to Building a Million-Dollar Business With No Employees. But the way I humanize the message and activate the content with art, music, emotional connections, and stories, is where my presentation is different. Now Erik Wahl, a visual artist, speaker, and entre-preneur, helps us unite the yin and yang of creativity– the dynamic new ideas with the dogged effort. In 2012, I was named to the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 List. Lean Startup Plan: Which Is Best When Starting Your New Business. 1 bestselling author. 3. Creativity and its importance in business points to four main creative strengths that can be taught: As the leader of the group, you can foster and nurture creative thinking in your employees, but it’s also good to remember to recognize and praise it. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. “Erik Wahl was the highlight of our entire conference. 1 best-selling business author, Erik Wahl redefines the term “keynote speaker.” Pulling from his history as both a business strategist and an artist, he has grown to become one of the most sought-after corporate speakers available today. Then I share it and ride the wave of momentum of trending events on social media. Wahl has also been described as the Picasso of Productivity, the Warhol of Wall Street and the Renoir of ROI. Off the stage I study global events and pop culture to inspire my next potential artwork. Sign up here to get top career advice delivered straight to your inbox every week. Instead, there are two main ways that creativity is absolutely needed in the workplace: creative thinking and creative problem solving. But when you start thinking creatively and getting a little daring, you may be surprised at what your brain can come up with. I perform as much as I paint. Erik Wahl, creative genius and graffiti artist, combines art with business to make the world a better place. Erik Wahl: I am the most creative when I am calm. Erik dedicated his books Unthink and The Spark & … An additional bonus to being a creative thinker is that you understand the success in failure. The book is about using creativity to achieve better performance as well as “unleashing and unlocking the mind to come up with boundless, innovative solutions,” an idea that is explored within his keynotes speeches. I also wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Promote Yourself, and Me 2.0. I thought that creativity was just for hipsters sipping espressos, chasing sparks of inspiration. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation with Forbes Insights, Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter. They Rattle Cages. You have to be disciplined. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Graffiti has a long history. It’s easy to come up with the same rote concepts for a project or a new campaign, especially if you’ve used them before. Creative problem solving comes into play when trying to fix an issue that has many possible resolutions. Internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and bestselling author, Erik Wahl's keynote experience creates a dynamic, multi-dimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk. It also includes my writing and most importantly, my live performances. I was a “graffiti artist” who travelled around the world consulting for Fortune 500 organizations on how to innovate. Complacency breeds conformity. If you can apply creative thinking to your everyday work life, you’ll find that not only will the day stop feeling like drudgery, but you’ll be unlocking more meaningful results. Graffiti embodied everything that’s interesting and new about my business. Change is a constant. Being creative at work generally means taking risks, which might make you hesitate. Anytime I feel anxious, or when I’m not paying enough attention to giving myself space to create. When I had to start a new career, I realized that that stereotype of creativity was false. You’ll be using your creativity in ways that guarantee safe and secure results, and that’s not what creative thinking is for. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His breakthrough experience as an artist and entrepreneur has translated into making him into one of the most sought-after corporate speakers on the circuit today. But I’ve built a brand around my own kind of graffiti. Basically, if you’re a creative thinker, it means that you come up with ideas that are entirely unique. Creative leaders should view constraints at every level as exciting challenges that release–not restrict–creative responses. How to think like an artist but act like an entrepreneur. What were the obstacles and what are your typical speaking points when I present to a crowd. In 2011, Wahl created a 10,000 square … I attended my first Erik Wahl presentation, or better described as my first Erik Wahl experience, in 2007 and have been a believer in Wahl's creativity philosophies ever since. Erik Wahl’s entertaining and invigorating Art of Leadership presentation paints a compelling new portrait for what the successful leaders of tomorrow will look like. This can also be a bit scary, because it means you might fail. Think different, performed different. What do you do? I had a good career, and worked hard grinding it out. He captured everyone’s imagination with his creativity and added a whole new dimension to the usual motivational message. All those places come to mind pretty easily, but I’m willing to bet there’s one place that didn’t, and that’s the workplace. Erik Wahl Keynote Speaker: Graffiti artist, author and speaker who inspires professionals to achieve greater levels of performance. In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast I talk with Erik Wahl, a graffiti artist, cr… Let’s take a look at why creativity is necessary for optimal work, and how managers can foster this spirit within the workplace and its people. In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast I talk with Erik Wahl, a graffiti artist, creativity speaker, entrepreneur, and author of the bestselling book UNthink. It will inspire everyone to realize that we are capable of so much more than we Even though I was then exploring landscapes, abstract and photorealistic figure study paintings, photography, sculpture, writing and music, none of them captured how I felt about art. Genius and visionary could be used to describe any one of the artists above. And then came the disconnect. Somehow we’ve come to believe that creativity is reserved for the chosen few: the poets, the painters, the writers. As an internationally recognized graffiti artist, and a no. In the tradition of A Whole New Mind and The War of Art, graffiti artist and corporate thought leader, Erik Wahl explores the power of creativity to achieve superior performance. It pays to stray off the beaten path. Wahl is an American graffiti artist, speed painter, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur who owns the Wahl Group, consultancy firm and has spoken at conventions by Microsoft, Disney, NBC and Honda. The art that I personally liked the best was street art. Additionally, creative leadership recognizes the risk in trying new things and doesn’t fear failure.”. Creativity is more than just leaning on your talent. I was inspired deeply by the clever multidimensional applications and the cheeky messaging behind street art—and the raw talent of these artists. It’s no joke that both employees and managers should be using creativity to come up with new, brilliant ways to view projects and problems. As the best-selling author of The Spark and The Grind, his inspiring perspective on creativity resonates with audiences, teaching them the power of innovation.A personality that exudes a passion for his work, Erik’s anecdotes are as colourful as his art. Follow Erik at www.TheArtofVision.com; Demarius “found” Erik’s first geo-cached painting. Erik is a believer that creativity is not just the reserve of a chosen few; the poets, the painters, the writers. It’s not just the employees who shouldn’t be afraid to try new things and possibly fail–it can be the managers as well. While a lot of problems in the workplace have one or two clear solutions, creative people have the ability to look at all sides of the issues, and many times can come up with solutions that might be completely new and interesting. After reading a bound galley copy of Erik's new book UnThink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius, the reasons for my devoted following of Wahl's teachings were quickly reinforced. Unthink pushes us beyond our traditional thought patterns. Buy Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius by Erik Wahl (ISBN: 9780770434007) from Amazon's Book Store. For a long time, I didn’t feel creative at all, and I actually didn’t feel that I needed creativity. It brings my message to life by fascinating and engaging large crowds. I would answer, I am an artist. It was cool. Shaking up the status quo is the modus operandi of creative thinkers, and is one of the biggest reasons why creative thinkers are valued in the workplace. Wahl: When random people on planes would ask me the age-old question. If you’re forever trying for success (because failure is not an option), then you’ll be reticent to step out of your bubble. That was what excited me about the potential of street art. To get these results, you may need to take a risk–something that can be frowned upon in the workplace. Wahl: Banksy, Kobra, Madsteez, Picasso, Renoir, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Bono, Bob Dylan, Einstein, Edison, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., St. Francis of Asissi, Hans Zimmer, Steven Spielberg, Hemingway, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, just to name a few. You must be mentally, physically and spiritually prepared when opportunity knocks or knocks you down. Whether staff or boss, once you learn to embrace the fear of failure and the joy of stepping out of your tried-and-true methods, you’ll find that a whole avenue of creative ideas and solutions will become open to you. Wahl: I’m an artist, but I see my art as only one part of the brand that I built. Company: The Art of Vision It is an attention getter. And this doesn’t just go for employees, but for managers as well–in fact, managers have the ability to be the conductors of creativity in their staff. Excerpted from The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity by Erik Wahl, in agreement with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a … When my mind is fully present and grateful to be in the expansiveness of the current moment, I am free to … The message of my presentation is built around inspiring individuals to “think different,” as the iconic Apple ad suggests. They would respond, oh my grandmother is an artist, she paints bunnies. Employees and managers benefit from creative problem solving because it can take them–and sometimes the company itself–in a whole new direction. His new book and presentation, THE SPARK AND THE GRIND: IGNITE THE POWER OF DISCIPLINED CREATIVITY, presents the yin and the yang of the creative process: How to create and maintain the flow of ideas, and how to execute them. How to differentiate. To truly Spark yourself, your company and your children, you must reimagine and reinvent yourself. Those who have the tendency to feel stagnant and bored in their work will benefit deeply from learning how to think creatively. The article goes on to emphasize that true leaders ought to recognize the “dreamers” and creative people within the workplace and, rather than ostracize them, celebrate the unique ways that they come up with ideas and solutions. Quick! If the world is watching the Olympics I am preparing to create an Olympic icon. How did I differentiate? Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius by Erik Wahl The truth is creativity is in all of us and re-discovering it is the key to unlocking your fullest potential. Creative thinking is pretty simple to define, but a bit harder to implement. From the stage, my art is a hook. I will run and release endorphins and then paint. Being creative in the workplace goes far beyond making the prettiest spreadsheet or the most colorful PowerPoint presentation. These days, creativity has become more important than ever in insuring that a workplace runs happily and produces innovative concepts. 2. Somehow we’ve come to believe that creativity is reserved for the chosen few: the poets, the painters, the writers. Creativity is a muscle that grows in the face of resistance. It was meant for everyone, not for highbrow museums or art critics. CL083: Erik Wahl on creativity hacking and being a creativity speaker from The Creative Life Podcast: Creativity, Innovation and Inspiring Ideas | James Taylor on Podchaser, aired Thursday, 24th November 2016. It can be all too easy to turn down an idea because you think it won’t work, but muffling the creative thinkers in your workplace means that innovation will be stifled, and they’ll be less likely to keep coming up with new and smart solutions. Embrace the choice to be creative like you embrace doing other difficult things. In the tradition of A Whole New Mind and The War of Art, graffiti artist and corporate thought leader, Erik Wahl explores the power of creativity to achieve superior performance. I'm a partner and research director at Future Workplace, an executive development firm dedicated to rethinking and reimagining the workplace. 1. Cave art is graffiti; graffiti has always been how we etched and scratched our legacy into our landscapes to record our culture. His personal insight of how creativity is not a one hour inspirational moment. Copyright © 2020 AllBusiness.com All Rights Reserved. When am I the least creative? It’s this “throw everything to the wall and see what sticks” method that creative thinkers truly shine at. Schawbel: How did I turn my art into a business? Schawbel: Can you name a few artists, or business people, that inspire my art? Erik Wahl's list of ideas presents several steps we can take to unleash the power of creativity ranging from trusting the process, attaching yourself to the work you do, keeping your day job, embracing a routine to defamiliarizing the ordinary, staying foolish, and falling in … Did you envision an art studio, a theatre, or maybe a child’s playroom? Become aware of and build your personal brand regardless what business or industry you are in. He owns The Wahl Group, a consultancy firm, and has spoken at conventions by Microsoft, Disney, NBC and Honda. It fascinated me and I loved it, so I became what I loved. It was the people’s art. Wahl wrote UNthink, which was honored by the Business book powerhouse CEO Read as the #1 Business “Book of the Year.” "It’s not courage, but creativity and intelligence that will enable us to keep ahead of the crowd, stay nimble and inspire others," argues artist, author, entrepreneur and charismatic speaker Erik Wahl, who will be opening the ISBN conference at Bonita Spring, FL, on May 5th. I intentionally catch audiences off guard from what they thought they were expecting to surprise them with an entirely different point of view. Erik C. Wahl is an American graffiti artist, speed-painter, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur based in San Diego. Erik Wahl: I am the most creative when I am calm. Schawbel: What are my top three pieces of career advice? I create a painting in 3 minutes choreographed to music and video. Also an author, Erik published his number one business best-seller, Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius in 2013. How Erik Wahl lost everything in the dot-com crash, then rebuilt his life around art; Which 3 mental skills are the new Holy Grail of finding success; How the education system squelches our creativity (and how to find it again) Erik Wahl I also wrote the New York…. Your leadership, your talents, and your communication medium are all part of your brand. Erik has been a featured speaker at TED2012 and his previous book is called Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius, which was named CEO Reads book of the year in 2013. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Fear of the unknown is a powerful thing, especially when it means you might fail. During his presentations, Wahl speaks about personal creativity while painting stylized portraits of iconic figures, leaders and cultural icons such as the Statue of Liberty, Michael Jordan, Bono and Steve Jobs. He shows why we won’t get far if we rely on the spark without the grind, or the grind without the spark. Explore. As an internationally recognized graffiti artist, and a no. It elevated our brand by provoking thought about what art is, and I’ve seen that people respond profoundly to the paradox of a corporate speaker and businessman making graffiti. Growth and comfort cannot co-exist. He inspires audiences to shed old ways of thinking and “business as usual” processes that are outdated, inefficient and detrimental to productivity. Wahl makes paintings of thinkers, leaders and cultural icons such as Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, and Bono during his presentations. We all need creativity, and we all need to know how to hold the spark of creativity in balance with the grind of execution. Dan Schawbel: In what environment are you most creative? My art is about connecting with people and the movements that matter to them in the present day. 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