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I think this course has strengthened my creative confidence in that I now have the tools to push forward on creative projects when I would have maybe given them up in the past. It’s nice to be able to draw from a “bag of tricks” when things aren’t going according to plan on a project.

The biggest area of growth for me is in the actual design thinking process. When we started I wouldn’t have known how to define design thinking at all and now I have all the tools to start and finish a project with this method. It’s also nice to put names to parts of this process that we had already been doing as well as being cognizant of those parts being part of a larger process and continuing on with the next step.

My appreciation for design thinking has gone from zero to sixty in eight weeks. I will now be utilizing this process in all major projects and areas that need problems solved. I’m excited to keep going and to hopefully teach my coworkers about this idea and the value of implementing it.

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Using a direct analogy, my learning in this course has been like painting a canvas. I started out completely blank. I had no idea what creative confidence or design thinking were or that these concepts existed at all. And then week by week, brush stroke by brush stroke, the tenets of this course were painted on and began to form a picture. Every article and exercise is a new stroke and eventually it will create something I would be proud to frame and hang up in my bedroom. I may never be an expert on the subject, but I can say confidently that I understand the process of design thinking and I’m excited to implement it and paint pictures in my life and in my job.

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Week 4 September 28, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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Week 4 September 28, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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I think two major things have emerged because of this class with regard to my personal creative confidence. First, I'm going to be more open to sharing my ideas, even the ones that aren't the "right" ones. Second, I'm going to start acting with more of a Do Something mindset. In fact, I've already taken steps to implement one of the ideas that came to me during the Idea Generation creative exercise.

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Monday:
-Book about faking death to get away from student loans
-Board game rental business
-Mistake-proof order completion software for my mistake-prone vendors
-Branding for park cafe
-Guide to starting rec soccer teams for new teams to our league
-Jersey design ideas for rec ultimate team
-Renaissance Fest but for fans of Elder Scrolls games
-Website where I sell Dungeons and Dragons maps
-Ways to group invoices at work
-Cat bed cat will actually sleep in (catnip?)

Tuesday:
-Book based on Beastie Boys song
-DoorDash for fans at sporting events
-Cheap campsite reservation software so that you don't have to call it in
-Dropshipping t-shirts for bands so they aren't as expensive
-Feature for scheduling software that shows if all shifts are covered
-School assignment scheduling software with estimated time of completion/progress reports and reminders
-Forwarding emails from my boss to an account I only look at when I'm at work
-Personal database to keep track of all the books and music albums I own/where they are
-Skate boots with interchangeable wheels and metal blades for summer and winter
-Candle that smells like mom's house

Wednesday:
-Digital readout for Nalgene water bottles that shows how many plastic bottles weren't used every time it gets filled
-App that lets you pool cost of season tickets/passes to things with other people and claim tickets when you want
-Show about airline employees
-Bike helmet that doesn't mess up hair
-Smudge-free glasses lenses
-Foreign language lessons while you sleep
-Cheap/free ways to advertise park
-Soundproof tent to practice drums in an apartment
-Backpack with solar panel for phone/tablet/laptop
-Pollinator gardens on top of apartment buildings

Thursday:
-Walking route along entire shore of Lake Superior
-Coffee shop food truck
-Camping equipment rental
-Site/app that helps organize large group trips
-High-speed train to North Shore
-Movie about Indian history re: British rule
-Brewery that only does non-alcoholic beer
-Socks with arch support
-App that funnels all communication app messages into one feed
-Mood lightbulbs

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Week 1 September 15, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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Week 1 September 15, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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This was a fun little assignment. I love drawing, and it was a challenge to keep coming up with things that were round or that I could show in circle form. I feel like this helps me more fully understand the creative constraints that are necessary to early design thinking processes. Lots of ideas in a short amount of time. There are no bad ideas, but getting everything out of your head is important.

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Week 1 September 7, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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Week 1 September 7, 2019 Creative Confidence Self Assessment

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I think my creative confidence outside of work is fairly high. I take on a lot of creative projects including writing and different forms of art and I don't usually have  trouble with my confidence.

What's more difficult is finding that confidence at work, especially at one of my jobs. I have a hard time taking any risks at this job because I'm being micromanaged and it's a small business where mistakes can be huge with regard to profit margins. I would love to be able to change my mindset and allow myself room for failure, at least mentally.