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Do you need something sexy to listen to this weekend? A few weeks ago Jamal Cynthia Abilmona sent me a message... "I saw one of your videos on #creativity and watched your web series and knew I wanted to have you on the podcast, but I never get around to it"... Well, she finally got around to it. This is a long-form chat where Jamal and I dive into my model of the Six Creative Skill Sets, how they're applied and what they mean for the organisations I work with. We also chat a

About a month ago I was interviewed for a national government project. They asked for my opinion on #innovation... I told them... Later, I discovered they had put the project on ice... and I had inadvertently advised my way OUT of a decent contract. You can read the original story here: https://buff.ly/3l4UGv8 So what did I learn? Some people in the comments joked I should charge a consultation fee... Had it not been for my advice, this organisation most likely would have rol

Some people read a post they disagree with... and they move along. Some people read a post they disagree with... and they may comment with their opinion. I read a post I disagreed with, which prompted a rant... which prompted a demonstration... which prompted this video... which prompted a days worth of editing... I submit to you... the jury... my case for Originality. . . . Every fortnight I hold a free, 90min MASTER(CLASS) on creative thinking + skills + process + outcomes.

This week during a LinkedIn live, I was offered a psychologists definition of creativity... 'The production of something new, that has value'. Basically three conditions define something as 'creative'. Production... it must come into the world, not just live in your head. New... new/original in some way. Value... ? There is a real issue with definitions like this... not because they exist or that I disagree with them... but that because an 'Academic' said so... so it must be.

What I've always loved about Theatre, is for all the rhetoric, philosophy, theory and debate... At the end of the day, you need to stand before a room full of strangers and deliver. A bare, naked audience is a most accurate acid test. However it goes... silence or applause... a professional shows up to do it all again tomorrow. Social media platforms are a little similar... (but not really)... We sit behind the screen... there are many filters between 'us' and 'them'... We ca

"Can't you just be happy"...? For anyone that's tasted depression, you might have heard this phrase. My answer was usually... "I'm trying... that's the f#cking point". My symptoms weren't typical. I had no energy... I could barely focus... it was affecting my relationships. Once, after a seven month wait to be evaluated by a major research institute, I was misdiagnosed so badly that I demanded a refund... they offered me a second consult... to reach an opposite diagnosis. I f

Creativity is my job. It is my passion, my pursuit and my occupation. It is not my hobby... although it is sometimes. I'm paid to assess creative intelligence. I'm paid to solve impossible problems. I'm paid to design original concepts. Before any of this I have to prove - comprehensively - why and how this new way is better. This is always harder than the actual project. People say they want creative solutions - then panic at new process. People say that want new ideas - the

Ok... get your scuba gear on, it's time for a deep dive. I'm going to break down the three most common issues with #problemsolving and why #creativity is critical in complex conditions. Let's go... Problem solving and innovation often go hand in hand; we commonly need to fix something in order to improve it or vice versa. Mechanics problem solve on a daily basis. “My car won’t start, it makes funny sound but won’t turn over”… From this information a skilled Mechanic may narro

Explore. Play. Tilt your perspective. 'untitled' - Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2019 B&W Street - monochrome * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #creativity #innovation #creativeproblemsolving #designthinking #innovationconsultant #sixcreativeskillsets Christopher. S. Sellers is Australia's Leading Expert on Creativity + Creative Skill Sets Founder + Director of Black

'Graduation' - Town Hall, Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2018 monochrome * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #creativity #innovation #creativeproblemsolving #designthinking #innovationconsultant #sixcreativeskillsets Christopher. S. Sellers is Australia's Leading Expert on Creativity + Creative Skill Sets Founder + Director of Black Bulb Creative

Here's an image from my B-sides, for me, it's not 'quite there'... I see what I was going for; the dominating industrial structure looks like a conveyor belt, shuffling humans up one side, with nothing returning on the other. We see a few people caged in the lift. There is contrast in the people being conveyed out of the darkness below, up into light. There is contrast of themes: man vs machine, the human in their environment etc... but something is missing... I'm not quite s

Street photography develops CREATIVE skill sets such as composition, originality, innovation, adaptability and emotional intelligence. How do you develop your CREATIVE skill sets? 'Confiding' - Martin Pl. Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2014 monochrome * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #streetphotography #creativity #candid #photography #innovation #creativeproblemsolv

This image was captured as two trains passed each other while crossing the Sydney Harbour bridge at sunset. Sunset Commute - Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2014 monochrome * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #rebelcreative #streetphotography #creativity #candid #photography #innovation #creativeproblemsolving #designthinking #innovationconsultant Christopher. S. Sellers

Creatively, photography is an exercise in composition + originality; a craft of framing elements to most effectively tell a story... create an impression... or convey a mood. To become competent, you need to engage in play; exploration without attachment to outcome. My particular style is street photography since it's dynamic, candid and forces me to adapt to the conditions, people and environment around me. I prefer monochrome images; I feel a lot can be achieved with less.

Locals - Darlinghurst, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2021 monochrome A nostalgic throwback to a warmer time... and a gentle reminder that it's the people, not the things and places, that make our lives worthwhile. #appliedcreativity #rebelcreative #streetphotography #creativity #candid #photography #innovation #creativeproblemsolving #designthinking Christopher. S. Sellers is an Expert on Creativity + Creative Skill Sets Founder + Director of Black Bulb Creative

Blur- Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2017 monochrome CREATIVITY is a verb... a 'doing' word... You might understand the recipe, it's another thing to cook the meal and in the end the proof may (literally) be in the pudding. To be a good chef, you need to cook a lot. To employ CREATIVITY reliably and effectively, you need to exercise it - not just in theory - not just on paper - in practice. The first step of training your creativity is engaging your sense of PLAY: exp

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life". - William Morris untitled- Sydney, Australia [taken by me] circa. 2016 monochrome * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #rebelcreative #streetphotography #creativity #candid #photography #innovation #creativeproblemsolving Christopher. S. Sellers is an Expert on Creativity + Innovat

This is personally one of my favourite shots. I captured this one winter evening as an older gentleman jogged alone...

Every morning when I visit my local café, I expect to receive the same thing I did yesterday... clean, strong espresso, served in a small ceramic cup, with a glass of water. Like many professions, consistency is key. On the surface, making coffee appears as a rather simple manual task... however, over the last 10-15 years you may have observed a trend within cafés for more digital and automated tools - wholly automated grinders, digital scales, electric tampers, thermometers

In one frame... tell a story. untitled - Sydney to Newcastle line. [taken by me] circa. 2003 Bluetone negative. * * * * * I only have three rules for my photography: 1. It must be candid 2. I prefer monochrome 3. Avoid photoshop #appliedcreativity #rebelcreative #streetphotography #creativity #candid #photography #innovation #creativeproblemsolving Christopher. S. Sellers is an Expert on Creativity + Innovation Founder + Director of Black Bulb Creative