Blog - Melissa Dinwiddie | Create the Impossible™ | Innovation Keynote Speaker & Consultant -

How Playfulness Boosts Adaptability In Tech Teams

Click to watch (9:03) Or scroll down to read Hey there, innovation champions! Let me ask you something: In a world where tech evolves at lightning speed, how do you keep your team not just afloat, but thriving? If you’re like most leaders I work with, you’re probably thinking about Agile methodologies, cutting-edge tools, or maybe even AI. […]

The Surprising Link Between Playfulness & Adaptability

Click to watch (3:45) Or scroll down to read Hey there, innovation champions! In today’s fast-paced tech world, adaptability isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a must-have. But here’s a twist: the secret to being more adaptable might just be… more play! 🎭 Think about it. When we play, we:

The #1 Habit Of Successful Innovators

Click to watch (4:58)Or scroll down to read Hey there, innovation champions! Have you ever found yourself stuck in the quicksand of analysis paralysis? You know, that state where you’re so busy planning, researching, and perfecting that you never actually get started? Well, I’ve got news for you: in the fast-paced world of tech innovation, perfect is the […]

Why Focusing On Your Product Is Killing Your Innovation

Click to watch (4:58)Or scroll down to read Hey there, innovation champions! Let’s talk about a mindset shift that’s causing big waves in the tech world: focusing on process over product. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But Melissa, isn’t the product everything? Isn’t that what we’re here to create?”

Making Art In Bed..?!

COVID is no fun, but while I was in bed during the worst of it last week, I was able to make this card for my husband’s birthday, so that was a win. 🤩 There’s something especially delightful about making art in bed. I first got into the habit back in 2015/2016, when I realized that I wasn’t […]

The Latest Pattern I’ve Been Wrangling

Here’s the pattern I’ve been wrangling with lately — tell me if you relate: I have an idea for something I’d like to share / try / do. For example:

The strangest gift I’ve received from the pandemic

It’s a discussion topic you can’t miss these days: gifts from the pandemic. Silver linings from this disaster that’s befallen us. Like weekly Zoom calls with my nephew, who lives in London (and has my hair!). Those never happened before COVID. Some people are learning to bake bread. Others are getting more time in their gardens (goodness knows, […]

My experiment with NOT meditating

Back in May, I got a gift subscription to the Calm app — a little perk of being a Kaiser-Permanente member. For about five weeks I used it (almost) every day to do a 10-minute meditation. I “discovered” meditation years ago, thanks to Susan Piver’s Open Heart Project. I’ve fallen off the wagon, and gotten back on, many […]

Let me introduce you to Griselda

I’ve been doing something lately that stirs up my discomfort in a big way. I’ve been being a beginner again. Figure drawing. There are some great websites, like Line of Action and Quickposes, where you can set up timed practice sessions. 60-second poses of nude figures, for example. I took figure drawing classes way back in… 1995, I […]

Snapshot from My Studio: April 26, 2020 at 11:59AM

View this post on Instagram This doodle appears to be some sort of bipedal vehicle. Or perhaps a critter with elaborate acoutrement? What’s very clear is that a cup holder is involved. And a teeny-tiny banner (presumably to alert cars if one’s presence), along with a larger banner-thingy, waving/pointing forward. 🖍 One never knows what will emerge in […]

Snapshot from My Studio: April 23, 2020 at 08:25AM

View this post on Instagram Abstract surreal doodle. Just because. 🖍 Seriously, doodling is so therapeutic. I let my inner 4-year-old inhabit the tip of the pen and give her free rein to go wherever she wants. Weird shapes and characters often emerge, like this bizarre creature here, who seems to be one-foot hopping toward some kind of […]

Snapshot from My Studio: January 27, 2020 at 09:00AM

How do you deal with fear of the blank page? Simple: Make it un-blank! In other words, just make a mark! Do ANYTHING! ✏️ Creative Sandbox Way™ guidepost number 5: “Just start. Anywhere.” ✏️ Once you’ve made a mark, you can no longer have fear of the blank page, because it isn’t blank anymore! 😊 Now your job […]

Creative Sandbox Solutions™ – Team Development Case Study with Next Door Solutions

Creative Sandbox Solutions™ – Team Development Case Study with Ecumenical Hunger Program

Snapshot from My Studio: January 10, 2020 at 09:41AM

Another morning doodle to start the day. . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Innovation Insights: Where Play Powers Breakthroughs

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