Art of Learning: Creativity, Innovation, and Getting Ideas

In this post, you'll find links to book summaries that focus on creativity, innovation and getting ideas. You'll learn top skills to thrive.

Have you ever had a burning desire, but didn’t act on it because something felt off? For many years I wanted to create book summaries for sale, but something held me back. I started the process by following the format I created, but I never offered them for sale. I remember a colleague telling me to get on with it. Over five years later, I created my membership site, The Art of Learning. And my first offering is a course on creativity, innovation and getting ideas.

Had I created the membership website when I first got the idea, it would have failed. There are many established book summary services. Since that time, I’ve gained experiences that enabled me to create something superior to what I first anticipated. One of these experiences was writing for the United Church of Canada and creating book and film study guides for their magazine, Mandate.

What I created for my membership site is different from the book study guides I did for the United Church. However, that experience influenced me.

The Art of Learning Membership Site

On the Art of Learning membership site, I offer courses. However, the courses are not like a typical course. I curate what I call Bookish Notes on a specific topic and turn them into a course on that topic. A Bookish Note is an extension of a book study guide. When you complete a course, you have a strong foundation of the topic, on which you can build. A Bookish Note includes a book summary, books I’ll group the book with to give you a more rounded perspective on the topic, my thoughts based on my experiences, discussion and study questions, a workbook when appropriate, big ideas from the book, and much more.

As an introvert, I held back in the section of the Bookish Note called Avil’s Musings. In this section, I share thoughts and related information about the book. What often happened was that people went to that section first because they cared about what I thought. Now I realize that I need to speak up more and say what I need to say, instead of staying silent. I need to share my knowledge, so others might benefit.

There are two complete courses on the membership site. One on getting ideas and the other on learning. There are two other courses that I’m currently working on, and will add more shortly. Though I have a plan in place based on the courses I want to offer, it’s slow-going until I find the right rhythm. One thing you can count on, the courses will cover soft skills you need to thrive. The courses on the membership site are a great way for professionals to consume content every day, so they can generate better ideas. I recommend that subscribers focus on one or two Bookish Note every day.

Creativity, Innovation, and Getting Ideas

I have two blogs, and on my other blog that I’ve had since 2009, I have many book summaries. I’ll be linking to many of the book summaries that are in the Bookish Notes on getting ideas. You may be thinking that if you get access to my book summaries, why should you invest in subscribing to my membership site. The answer is that I never include all the notes that I take in the book summaries that I publish. So you’ll get more when you subscribe to the site. Also, as I mentioned above, you’re subscribing to a collection of Bookish Notes in the form of a course, and not to individual book summaries. That’s a big difference.

Book Summaries to Help You Get Ideas

Summary Technique for Producing Ideas: Although A Technique for Producing Ideas outlines a creative process to teach you how to generate ideas, the method is good for learning creativity, problem-solving and decision-making. One book teaches three of the key skills needed for future jobs. A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young presents a formula that describes the creative process. An advertising executive, the author posed the question, “Is an idea the final result of a long series of unseen idea-building processes which go on beneath the surface of the conscious mind?” This book is the result of answering the question.

Summary: How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster: Jack Foster stood on the shoulders of James Webb Young, and turned A Technique for Producing Ideas into How to Get Ideas. When you read Jack Foster's book, you see James Webb Young's influence, but you will also see a new body of work. How to Get Ideas presents a 5-step process for producing ideas. Jack Foster points out that the creativity model for producing ideas leaves out something critical, and that is preparing your mind to produce ideas.

Summary: The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen: Creativity and the ability to find idea after idea will help you to grow in your career. Using creativity to produce original work will likely protect you from layoffs, if you’re doing work that matters in the world. Doing work that others find invaluable. What business are you in? What’s your gig? Your gig gives focus and direction to your learning and ideas hunting. Gigs have a future dimension. Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Summary: The MacGyver Secret by Lee David Zlotoff: The MacGyver Secret is a 3-step process to solve any problem you may have. You learn how to tap into your Inner Mac to find the best solution to your problem – you rely on yourself. A book such as The MacGyver Secret helps you to come up with unconventional problem solving strategies to pivot your business or career. Creativity, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking are related skills. And learning them together makes you a more valuable and marketable professional. These are soft skills that anyone can benefit from mastering.

Bright Idea Box by Jag Randhawa, Book Summary: Great ideas are currency for any individual and organization. As a small business owner, if you’re looking to innovate, give employees the opportunities to contribute ideas. Bright Idea Box shows you how to get started. Your customers have problems that they’re looking for services to solve them. Why not give your employees the opportunity to become problem solvers. Bright Idea Box is about creating a program that makes it easier for employees to suggest and develop ideas to improve business and value for customers.

The Business Idea Factory by Andrii Sedniev, Book Review: Some information in The Business Idea Factory by Andrii Sedniev you've seen before. But that's a very good thing. The ability to generate great ideas is a critical skill and you need frequent reminders. There was also a lot of information that was new to me. For instance, the author mentions that Walt Disney separated his thinking into 3 stages. One exercise in the book, which I thought is interesting, is to brainstorm for an hour, ways that you can make an extra $100, then follow through. Another point in the book, is that to generate ideas, constantly ask yourself questions.

Book Review – The Innovation Stack by Jim McKelvey: The book weaves in the story of Square and how it beat Amazon at its own game. When investigating how the giant couldn’t slay the little man, McKelvey realized that it was their innovation stack. They didn’t even know they had an innovation stack. An innovation stack is a series of reactions to existential threats. Square’s innovation stack resulted from their original decision to serve people outside the existing market.

Non-Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future by Rohit Bhargava: In the book, Non-Obvious Megatrends, Rohit Bhargava walks you through the process of curating trends. The author believes that “signs of the future are already here in the accelerated present.” This summary’s focus is on how to curate trends, so you too can learn how to do it for yourself. This ability can take your business into the stratosphere.

There are instances when you’ll find a Bookish Note that’s based on a book, however, a summary or review is not found on any of the blogs. And that’s the way it should be.

What’s Next

By clicking the links and reading the book summaries and reviews on my other blog, you’ll learn a lot about generating ideas. I believe in giving a lot of value to my subscribers. If you feel like you want more, then subscribe to the Art of Learning.

Subscribe to The Art of Learning Membership Site Today

Categories: : Reading, book summaries, personal development, creativity, getting ideas