by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

A simple yet powerful statement that shapes the way we see and interact with the world around us. What does it take to shift that conversation from “I am not creative” to “I am creative.”

We’ve all looked at paintings in art museums and been moved by their beauty, or watched a gifted musician play and been inspired by their performance, or been enthralled by a scientific breakthrough. Being creative is part of our humanity and whether we consider ourselves to be creative or not, creativity nonetheless makes up who we are.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Consider what might be possible if a Chief Creative Officer (CCO) occupied the C-suite of all organizations. Imagine having a CCO of the Los Angeles Police Department, Ralph’s Grocery Stores, The Department of Homeland Security or American Airlines. Bringing creativity into non-creative company cultures is a game changer and executive leaders should be forewarned, it is only a matter of time before creativity and creative leadership will be part of your C-suite.

by Anne-Marie Cziko, Ph.D. Neuroscientist

The brain you use at home or on vacation is the same one you use at work.  As a neuroscientist, I encourage you to think about how to optimize yours and those you are responsible for at work. A fully unplugged and immersive vacation is one way.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

The notion of hemispheric dominance; being a left-brain or right-brain thinker, is an illusion built on a platform of misguided assumptions and perpetuated through popular culture. 

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

What if you were able to create game plans that gave you an advantage in accomplishing your goals? Create being the operative word here. Imagine applying the same principles that are applied to designing products, web sites and logos to personal and business-related issues like weight gain or employee performance.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Walk into a space where creativity is the natural expression of the people who work there and you immediately sense the presence of something special. No one has to tell you creativity is present, you just know it. It might be the way people are interacting with each other or the physical layout. It might be artwork on the walls or a shift in your mood. One thing is sure, with creativity comes a kind of energy that touches the creative spirit within all of us.

by Ed Barguiarena, Creative Director

It takes courage and vulnerability to be creative—to open yourself up to creative risk. I see it all the time in interviews and master classes with my creative heroes.

by Anne-Marie Cziko, Ph.D. Neuroscientist

When do most of you experience your best ideas? Almost without fail people say: in the shower, before falling asleep, driving a well-known route, folding laundry or doing dishes. A busy office is rarely on the list—ironic, right?

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Google the word creative and you’ll get 598 million hits. Take the time to read all the pages and watch all the videos and you'll become an authority on creativity. Unfortunately, the one thing you won't be is more creative. Being creative is not about how much knowledge you have or something to attain, being creative is a place one comes from. It’s an internal conversation you and I have about ourselves that says I am creative or I am not creative.  

by Ed Barguiarena, Creative Director

Have you ever examined something, I mean really examined it? Listened, looked, read, experienced, immersed yourself. It could be something based in the arts or based somewhere else. Exploring with curiosity and opening yourself up to the questions and concepts that arise can open new pathways to enhancing your own projects.

by Anne-Marie Cziko, Ph.D. Neuroscientist

Scientists have long puzzled over what makes humans driven to do things. Are we motivated by fear, money, love, approval of others? Especially perplexing is why people would take on immense, labor-intensive and likely to fail projects when there is little to no monetary or other evident gain.

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 is the 2018 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Short. The film was written and directed by Frank Stiefel. It's a 40-minute portrait of 57-year-old Mindy Alper, a talented Los Angeles artist who has lived with depression and anxiety most of her life.

by Anne-Marie Cziko, Ph.D. Neuroscientist and Kelly Kent, Ph.D. Neuroscientist

Elizah arrives to work and walks down the hall. She sees Ali lying on the floor with his golden retriever, Darryl, completely in the zone, working on a still-life drawing; and Shari sitting in her office recliner staring at the ceiling. This is the kind of productivity that Elizah had learned to recognize, a kind that primes her team for creative insight.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

I am no longer the President of Ryder Communications Group. I no longer have to make payroll every 14 days. I no longer cut my prices to bring in work. I no longer wait 120 days to get paid. I no longer give my expertise away for free. I no longer work with clients I’ve kept for far too long. I no longer get my six-figure salary or my fancy car paid for, or any of the other perks that come with being the owner of a small design firm.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

My dad chopped his index finger off in a metal bending machine when I was eight. He was a blue collar guy and worked in a factory. His job was cutting and bending sheet metal that would end up in box folding machines. It was hard, messy, dangerous work.

by Julian Ryder, Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Your brain is fully connected. And although each side of your brain does have some specific attributes: the right side of your brain is imaginative, artistic and visual, while the left side is logical, analytical and linear.