The Library
EVERY single person can develop their creative muscles. Our virtual CREATIVE GYM houses 50 bite-sized learning gems, 10 for each of the 5 creative behaviours. The video TUTORIALS, led by Mark Simmonds, Mike Barrett and Sam Ellis, provide practical, step by step guidance for carrying out a number of creative tools and techniques. The MINDSTRETCH videos provide examples of best practice taken from around the world and will expand your creative thinking further still. The BOOSTER BLOGS describe what highly successful individuals from all walks of life have done to demonstrate creative excellence.
Explorer, Detective, Architect, Judge, Conductor.
This 3 ½-minute tutorial, led by Sam Ellis, shows you how to extract initial ideas from your own head at the beginning of any creative task.
Mark Simmonds leads this 4-minute tutorial which shows you how to extract the maximum value from Google Images.
In this 4-minute tutorial, Mike Barrett provides you with a great technique for really stretching your horizons to find inspiration.
This imaginative 4-minute mindstretch video by The School of Life explains why stress is often the enemy of creative thought.
This 4½-minute mindstretch video from BBC Ideas presents the somewhat counterintuitive argument that limitations inspire creativity.
This 3½-minute mindstretch video, produced by Investis Digital, provides you with six more practical techniques for generating new ideas!
Read the passage to find out how Albert Einstein used unconnected activities to stimulate his creative brain.
Read the passage to find out how an archaeologist’s persistence uncovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
This 3½-minute mindstretch video by Tech Insider describes a creative solution for using up the soaps left behind by hotel guests.
This 4-minute tutorial, led by Mark Simmonds, demonstrates the skill of sifting through data to find golden nuggets of potential.
In this 4-minute tutorial, Mike Barrett demonstrates the skill of clustering and theming data.
Sam Ellis leads this 4-minute tutorial, which demonstrates how you can use language to clearly articulate the essence of any new idea.
This 5-minute mindstretch video by Alex Lyon, a communication coach, provides you with six ways of becoming an expert listener.
This intriguing 11-minute mindstretch video identifies the three core competencies that made this fictional detective so effective.
This 6-minute mindstretch video identifies the skills needed by an air traffic controller, highly relevant in the business world.
Read this passage to find out how America's first female detective foiled the plot of an assassination attempt.
Read this short passage to find out how a top investor uses checklists to ensure financial success.
In this 4-minute mindstretch video, Steven Johnson demonstrates that big innovations often result from connecting smaller hunches.
Mike Barrett leads this practical, 3-minute video which shows you how to paint the BIG PICTURE at the beginning of any project.
This 3 ½-minute Tutorial, led by Sam Ellis, shows how to move from the skeleton you sketched in the first workout to something more tangible.
In this 3½-minute tutorial, Mark Simmonds demonstrates how to bring an idea to life using words, images, fonts and colour.
This 2½-minute mindstretch video by the BBC reveals how Dame Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi born architect, combined the old with the new.
This really interesting 10-minute mindstretch video by 30X40 Design Workshop describes 8 competencies of an architect.
This insightful 5-minute mindstretch video by Epic Light Media shows us how Spielberg captivates his audience through storytelling.
Read this passage to find out an award-winning architect's philosophy, using a simple sandcastle analogy.
Read this short passage to find out how a fashion icon paved her own path by staying true to her purpose.
This 4-minute mindstretch video by Derek Thompson explains how to sell concepts by making the familiar look new and surprising.
This 3-minute tutorial, led by Sam Ellis, explains why it's so important to rely on your gut instinct and not just your head.
In this 3½-minute tutorial, Mike Barrett explains the steps you need to take when establishing the criteria for any kind of decision.
Mark Simmonds leads this 4-minute tutorial which provides you with some clear guidance on using weighted criteria.
This mindstretch video is a short, well-illustrated TED-Ed film that provides a simple, yet powerful framework for all decision-making.
This 3½-minute mindstretch video is an extract from an interview with Steve Jobs, highlighting the importance of being able to say ‘no!’.
This mindstretch video is a 75 second extract from a talk given by Warren Buffett, the investment guru, on selecting the winners.
Read the short passage to find out how Simon Cowell consistently spots the future stars from the thousands of young hopefuls he sees.
This mindstretch video by Tom Griffiths, explains how the principles of computer science can help you make better decisions.
This mindstretch video from the School of Life explains the five factors you should take into account when making any decision.
This 4-minute tutorial, led by Sam Ellis, explains why it is so important to agree concrete objectives and outcomes.
Mike Barrett leads this 3-minute tutorial, which provides you with guidelines for designing an effective session for a meeting or workshop.
In this 5½-minute tutorial, Mark Simmonds provides you with clear guidance on how to facilitate a session skilfully.
In this 3-minute mindstretch video, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, outlines the five core characteristics of great conductors of people.
Read the passage to find out how the CEO of General Motors aligns her 180,000 employees towards the same purpose.
In this 4½-minute mindstretch video by Vox, James Gaffigan explains how conductors use communicative body language.
This mindstretch video is a TED talk by Simon Sinek, where he explains how to gain trust, cooperation, and commitment as a leader.
This mindstretch video by AsapSCIENCE, clearly demonstrates the contrasting motivations of introverts, extroverts and ambiverts.
In this excellent 3½-minute mindstretch video, Alex Lyon explains the “Web Pattern”, an effective technique for group participation.