Podcast: Overcoming the Mid-project Blues
Podcast | philmckinney | October 1, 2007 at 12:06 am
Segment 1: Overcoming the Mid-Project Blues
- Project go through three phases
- Start-up Enthusiasm
- Mid-Project Blues
- End-of-Project Euphoria (blog entry on recent launch)
- How do you overcome?
- Remind yourself why you started the project (e.g. go back to you notebooks and re-live the start)
- Take break … go on vacation
- Come up with new ideas for the project (e.g. develop the plans for after launch)
Segment 2: Listener Question
"I’m a creative person. How do I get a job that is a better fit?"
Segment 3: Creativity Exercise
For this exercise, you will need:
- - Paper or something else to write on (e.g. index cards)
- - Pen or pencil
- - A stop watch or egg timer
Exercise:
- - imagine you were just given a pen made of clear plastic
- - There is one issue – it has no ink.
- - In one minute, how many ideas can you come up with?
The most I’ve seen is about a dozen or so ….. all in one minute.
MP3 of the September 30th Podcast
Flick photo by Violator3
Tags: creative person, egg timer, euphoria, exercise, index cards, launch, mid project, notebooks, one minute, pencil, stop watch



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Possible uses for a pen with no ink ….
* straw
* whistle
* drink stirrer
* hole puncher
* weapon
How many more can you come up with?? Add your list to the comments section ….
-Stylus for passive screen
-hair stick
-dart blowpipe
-emergency phlebotomy
-pipette
-spit wad shooter
-stamping perfect circles
-rolling paper
-paperclip
-carve name into a tree
-poke holes
-muscle massager
-finger strengthening with the spring
* add lenses – telescope
* why not refill the pen?
* small rolling pin
* toy for small child (better than my cell phone)
* soil tester
In one minute i came up with the following:
-Straw
-Snorkle
-Tracheotomy tube
-Toy rocket (launch the end from the spring)
-Awl/hole punch
-Stylus for PDA
-Small pill container
I came up with these:
perfume container
single flower preserver-holder.
ultracool minimalist sculpture
caligraphy pen
stylus
-PDA stylus
-Carving tool
-Pointer for blackboard presentations
-Drumming tool
-Scratch your back with it
Good Exercise!!
I can only add two more:
* Toothpick Dispenser
* Wire Straightener
- dip in ink
- draw in sand
- send back for refill
- use as low-tech/low-battery laser pointer
- wear behind ear
- give away to police officer/parking control
- use as reason to move to paperless office
- use to explain your wife why you had to buy that new PDA…
- Crsush and glue together to make shiny beads
- Melt it
- Use as a blower – to clean your laptop
- Use as a prism (make rainbows)
- Suck onto something (make a vacuum)
- Dip it in soap and blow bubbles