Work In Colour - Work. Think. Live. In Colour
Tuesday 17th August 2010 | 5 comments
I had a presentation at a boardroom lunch in Brisbane last Friday, on creative thinking as your career edge. I did all my prep, all good, then a couple of days before the event I just thought I'd better check what AV setup they had.
Disaster, no slides, no video, nothing allowed. I went into a bit of a spin, as my colourful visuals are an integral part of this presentation, and of my branding. What was I to do?
My mind went into that most un-useful of states - total lockdown - and I contemplated a hissy fit. I felt really trapped, boxed in.
But here's the thing: until about 3 years ago, I refused to use slides at all. I loathed (and still do) Powerpoints full of bulletpoint info in small print, and I prided myself on being different, creative, having a fresh approach. I was a slide-free zone. The truth is, of course, I wasn't confident with either preparing or using slides well, so I just didn't.
Until I came across Garr Reynold's book Presentation Zen. That changed everything. I could see how to make beautiful, image-rich slides that told a story without much text at all - and not a bulletpoint in sight. I was hooked, and my passion for playing with slides was born.
(You can see some of them here.)
So, though the idea of having an uncontrolled tantrum was strangely appealing, I chose to see the 'no AV' rule as a creative opportunity, a chance to re-engineer my presentation so it would work just as effectively without visuals.
Once I got the look, it was fun. I 'cheated' by making a mindmap with all the images from my slideshow as my presenter notes, because that gave me a quick reminder of the flow of the thing. Otherwise, I created little cards to pass around for one process, and printed a sample mindmap for each participant for another process. I resisted the temptation to say 'if I had my slides, you would now be viewing a picture of...' because that would have been truly cheating (and, I imagine, truly irritiating..). I had fun with it all.
And tonight I am giving the same presentation again, at a function for Business and Professional Women (BPW) in Sydney. This time I can and will use my slides, but I am betting that it will not detract from the effectiveness of my slide-free version last week.
Through all this, I realised that I had become just as dependent on my slide-rich presentation as I had been on my slide-free zone stance. But now I have choice - and a whole new way of seeing what I do.
So, maybe necessity is the mother of invention, just as my grandmother said it was, and maybe it is a great aid to creativity after all.
Tight framework versus blank canvas - what do you think?
Tag: creativity
I think you're VERY brave, Joanna. And that it's no accident you're so good at what you do. I would've gone straight through the window.
The best stories are true, and this has been one of them! Many thanks for another fascinating insight into your world! P. :)
Thanks Paul, high praise coming from you, who throws yourself heart and soul into your own work!
:) :) :)
With a child in the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick for about 3 weeks and another one to organise with various babysitters, I've had a very tight framework. Travel was hour each way and I visited her every day. Last week I had 7 appointments, including 2 for me at Gladesville and Westmead.
With so little time or energy I had to be very focused and my 'to do' list was no longer than 3 items as the first one took so much time, seeing my daughter.
Not knowing how long my daughter would be in hospital basic housework still needed to be done. It can't be left forever. We still needed clean clothes.
I found I was able to get the basics done in 5 hours on a Saturday, or spread throughout the week. 'A little and often' as my lecturer used to say.
The shortened time frame gave me a different perspective and working within it I achieved more than I thought I could.
The attitude I did it in was also really important, if I rushed about in a flurry of activity I burnt out quicker. If I just focused on the job I was doing, and if it was mindless, thought of things I loved, then gradually, one after another the jobs were completed, and my head was still above water.
This is not a story about business, but the principles still apply.
Leanne
Leanne, thank you for this story - as you say it's exactly the same principles. And thank you for taking time from your busy day to share this with us all, it's certainly appreciated. I hope all works out OK for you and your family.