Island Reflections. (The Creativity Explorer. Episode 113)
For the last six months this island has been my home.
(Sitting on a private island in the archipelago of Stockholm in summer is, arguably, the best way to rid out the end of a pandemic.)
My strongest insights was:Isolating ourselves in paradise for a full six months gave me plenty of time and space to reflect.
You do not need a lot, if you make sure that what you have is what you need.
The island has solar cells generating just enough power to distill our drinking water, charge our computers/phones, light our lamps and run a dishwasher.
Our boat is a small rowing boat – large enough to bring us the 250 meters to shore for when we we need to get food.
Most of our days have been spent watching the wildlife (there are 100 nesting birds on the tiny island), swimming in the sea and having friends over for “fika”.
Sometimes it seems that we use our creative powers to invent elaborate, technologically advanced, innovation.
Nothing wrong with advanced technology, of course.
But could it be that we at times forget to look for the simple solutions for making our lives better?
My message today is: Do not forget to use your creative skills to optimise the simple joys of your life.
Optimising the simple joys in your life, might just be the most effective way to rapidly improve your quality of life.
That is my reflection as I prepare to leave the island for this season.
What simple joy do you need to optimise right now?
Stay creative and keep exploring.
Fredrik Haren – The Creativity Explorer.
ps. This island is also the inspiration for Ideas Island (www.ideasisland.com) my other island that I lend out to creative people from around the world – the batch of guests for 2022 summer season will be selected in January 2022. If you are interested in spending a week on Ideas Island, for free, do apply.
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Nov