Creativity | Bryan Clifton

From the Blog

Dec

Logical Letter to Santa

Posted by Bryan Clifton at 11:19 am

A few years ago, my brother and a friend of his wrote a letter to Santa.

This was not your ordinary letter. It was the original “Santa Letter from a Realist“.

Their wit got me thinking. What would a logical letter to Santa look like?

My brother and I cowrote a letter.

Here it is.

Dear Santa,

Have you thought of outsourcing your delivery of gifts? There are much more efficient methods of delivery now than a sleigh and reindeer that never seem to age. Seriously, how old are they? USPS has flat rate boxes that work well. If it fits, it ships.

Speaking of shipping, do you ever screw up and accidentally deliver gifts to the wrong person? Oh and what do you do about communist countries such as North Korea or Cuba? Do they let you through immigration or deny you access? Are you required to fill out customs declaration forms? Please tell me.

I would also like to ask if the world’s population nearing the 7 billion mark is a major concern to you? Will you be strained to get your job done in the given time frame with that ridiculous quantity of people to serve? Do the math.

In your opinion, is outsourcing the toy making to China and other countries wrong? Why do the toys that I supposedly got from you last Christmas say, “Made in China”. Are you deceiving the people of the world with your claims that the elves make the toys at the North Pole? I believe so.

Is it wrong to just ask you for money? I mean, America is in an economic recession now and some extra dough would definitely come in handy. Some people say it is rude, but I don’t think so.

Do you have a contract with Betty Crocker? A lot of people buy her products simply to bake cookies for you. She is making a lot of money from your eating habits. Maybe you should negotiate a kickback program. Just saying. It could help reduce your travel expenses with the high prices of gas and all.

Speaking of high-priced gas, that is what I want for Christmas. An unlimited amount of gas. Maybe you could use some of your magical powers to make that happen. Then I could resell the gas for 100% profit to friends.

Also, are your reindeer’s emissions contributing to global warming? Are you working to make them more eco-friendly? When should we expect the début of Hybrid Rudolph? Ask Al Gore if you need ideas about this. Supposedly he has all the answers, but I’m sure you knew that already.

Here is my last question. How do you fit down the chimney? Seriously. I tried it once. The emergency room doctor looked at me like I was idiot. Please fill me in on your secrets.

Now for my wish list.

A puppy. I can’t think of a better “gift” than something that will need me to clean up after it and cost me money in the future.

Don’t forget the unlimited supply of free gas!

Sincerely,

Bryan & Justin Clifton

Nov

Embracing Creativity

Posted by Bryan Clifton at 3:22 pm

I never thought of myself as a creative person. My degree is in accounting. I am not allowed to be creative. Creative accountants get sent to prison for fraud.

The word creativity was a synonym for artistic in my mind, and I am not an artist. If you do not believe me, just look at any painting I have completed. They will be hard to find. My mom threw them out years ago. Probably sitting in a landfill somewhere.

I had a disconnect in my mind of what it meant to be creative. To use the cliché yet appropriate phrase, I was not allowing myself to “think outside the box.”

I saw a barrier not an opportunity. Creative thinking was not comfortable to me.

I had accepted it as a fact. I was not a creative person because I did not allow myself to be.

What I failed to recognize was why creativity is necessary to excel in life and business. Creative thinking is integral if you want to succeed and be more than just an employee making widgets. It is the catalyst for new product ideas, new ways to reach customers, and new markets to capitalize upon.

Over the past year, I have discovered creativity is a mindset that can exist within everyone. You must choose to allow your creative energy to roam free and try new things. The alternative is internal frustration revolving around a lack of outlets for ideas.

We all have the creative spark inside just waiting to get out. Some do better jobs of letting this happen than others, but we all have the capability. We must make the choice to let it out and then follow its direction.

Apr

How to Steal Like an Artist

Posted by Bryan Clifton at 8:01 pm

As I read through the article How to Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, I realized that points he was making were the textual imprints of thoughts I could not complete in my head.

I am not an artist. Last time I checked, accountants were not allowed to be creative. Creative accountants get put in prison. The points made in his analysis and self-realization stretch boundaries far outside traditional arts.

The second point he made, “Don’t wait until you know who you are to make things” hit me in the face. The only way to get to know who you are is to make things. Not the other way around. We discover who we are by telling our story, leading projects, sharing ideas, personal reflection and the feedback that is generated by these means and others.

I could go through and summarize the points he makes and how they affected me, but you will enjoy reading it yourself more and find your own conclusions. Do yourself a favor, read the article. You will be glad you did.

Dec

Santa Letter from a Realist

Posted by Bryan Clifton at 8:20 am

Last year my brother and a friend of his wrote this letter as a class assignment. I think it sums up what all Type A, logical people have felt for a long time.

Dear Santa,

I’m beginning to question your existence. Last year, I found a receipt on the counter for the same exact thing that you got me. Maybe it is just me, but that seems a little to coincidental.

If you are real, I wish for the recession to end and that the Health Care Reform bill will not pass.

Are my letters even getting to you? I am currently shipping UPS Ground. Is FedEx the better choice? What do you ship with? I would pay for 2nd Day Air, but I can’t afford it due to the afore mentioned recession.

Oh by the way, how do you afford all your toys with the down economy? Do you shop at Wal-Mart? I have one more grinding question on my mind. How do your reindeer defy the laws of physics?

Sincerely,
Justin