About creativity--From Fast Company– “Can Creativity Really be Taught?“:

But what’s all this hoopla about creativity about? Can it really be learned? Gerard Puccio, chairman of the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College seems to think so. “You are seeing more attention to creativity at universities,” according to Puccio. “The marketplace is demanding it.”

A partner at the publishing company FourSight, Puccio has created a four-prong method used by businesses and in classrooms to help promote and demystify the creative process. According to FourSight, individuals each tend to gravitate toward one of four of these steps as their primary mode of thinking. Understanding which one of these four steps you most gravitate toward, according to them, can help you and your team strike a better balance:

1. FIRST, CLARIFY.

This involves identifying the problem or challenge at hand. Knowing what question to ask is key so that you know what problem you’re addressing. “If you don’t have the right frame for the situation, it’s difficult to come up with a breakthrough,” says Puccio

2. BEFORE YOU CREATE, IDEATE.

“Ideating” is just a bit of puffery for what’s essentially brainstorming or throwing ideas out there.

3. BEGIN TO DEVELOP.

When you enter the stage of developing, you’re building out potential solutions. Part of this process may very well involve failing and having to start from square one. Be prepared.

4. IMPLEMENT IT.

Convincing others that your idea is worth its salt is where implementing comes into play.

While creativity itself can’t be taught, proponents of creative studies programs believe they can offer techniques that get you thinking in new and exciting ways.

About branding–From Entrepreneur-“The Pitfalls of Personal Branding” by Steve Tobak:

One of the key tenets of personal branding is to build an identity that stands out and gets noticed. At least, that’s the theory. The problem is that the pursuit of attention can be a slippery slope that ends with your virtual persona doing serious damage to your real reputation.

Here are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t end up making the biggest mistake of your life without even realizing it:

The internet is forever. I just don’t know how else to say this in a way that really gets through to people. If you wouldn’t want it to show up anytime someone Googles your name between now and the end of time, don’t say it, do it, or post it.

Not all PR is good PR. Not only is the age-old rule “any PR is good PR” not true, it’s even less true today than it’s ever been. Don’t believe me? Some day I’ll have to tell you how I once got Bill Gates really POed and nearly destroyed a key relationship with Microsoft.

Keep your dysfunctions where they belong … buried in your subconscious. We all have issues, but some people insist on taking them out and displaying them to everyone wherever they go. Don’t be your own worst enemy.

Promote your genuine talents, not your delusions of grandeur. One of the Vanderpump Rules people gets up on tables and sings every chance she gets. The only problem is she has a terrible voice, at least in my opinion. It’s great to have aspirations, but there are smarter ways to explore your potential than doing it in front of a million viewers.

Try not to be ludicrous. You can proclaim yourself a social media guru (like you’re the only one), the CEO of a one-person company, or an entrepreneur because you once sold a comic book on eBay. It’s annoying, but not career-threatening.

About working from home–From the home page of Workshifting:

• Work is no longer tied to an office or a cubicle. We are more connected than ever. It’s just as common to work from coffee shops, hotels, airports and home, as it is to work from the office. We are here to provide you with the tools, tricks and tips to effectively work from anywhere.

  Over 80% of employees say they maintain a better work-life balance by telecommuting. We know we do!

  By encouraging workshifting, employers can lower real estate, turnover and absenteeism costs, while increasing employee productivity. Employers can reduce their carbon footprint and fuel usage, saving employees thousands of dollars every year in commuting costs while attracting the best and the brightest, regardless of where they live.

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