The official letter from The Innovation Doctor. Your weekly prescription of practical creativity to get your ideas unstuck.
🎙️ Is your 'dormant' skill the key?
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Hey Reader, This week, a creative practice I learned 20 years ago and left behind came roaring back to life. It arrived at the exact moment I needed it most. More in this week's lab notes. Dear Creativity, About 20 years ago, I fell in love with digital storytelling. I learned the craft—the voiceover, the photos, the magic of the Ken Burns effect—and brought it into my classroom, where it built a powerful sense of community. But when I left that school, that beautiful art form went dormant. Over the years, I could feel you nudging me back toward it, but it never quite clicked. Until this week. As I was working on a new offer, struggling to connect with its soul, Creativity, you whispered: create a digital story. And just like that, the dormant skill woke up. It was the key. I created the story, and I can't wait to bring this classic medium back to others. It’s a beautiful reminder that no creative skill is ever truly wasted. It’s just waiting for the right season to be called upon again. What dormant skill from your past is waiting to be the key to your present? Innovatively yours, “From the Studio” is where The Innovation Doctor shares her weekly lab notes. The call-in lines are always open. If you have a question or a story for the Doctor, you can leave a message for her right here. |
The Doctor Is in // Lab Notes From the Studio
The official letter from The Innovation Doctor. Your weekly prescription of practical creativity to get your ideas unstuck.
Hey Reader, As I sealed and signed my election ballot, a tiny detail stopped me in my tracks. It wasn't the candidates or the measures—it was the sticker waiting inside. More in this week’s lab notes from the studio. The moment before my "I voted" sticker moves from the ballot to my journal. Dear Creativity, When I peeled open my ballot envelope, I expected the usual patriotic flag sticker. Instead, I was greeted by a white egret standing among reeds, catching a fish in the wetlands of Santa...
Hey Reader, I just wrapped up teaching a two-week class. It was my third time running it, and while almost the entire curriculum evolved, one cherished activity stayed the same. More in this week’s lab notes from the studio. Data mapping activity from my Data Story Design for Influence course Dear Creativity, Every time I run this class, you show up through my students' hands the moment I take away the easy answers. The assignment is simple in structure, but demanding in practice: each team...
Hey Reader, There's a singing bowl that sits on my desk. I look at it every day, but only play it when the spirit moves me. The other day, something different happened. More in this week's lab notes. A view from my desk. Look right toward the singing bowl. Dear Creativity, I remember the day I bought this singing bowl. The seller explained that to make the tone last, you have to be completely relaxed. For a long time, I struggled. My notes were always short-lived. Then, the other day, it...