Pre-Ramble:  I usually like to stir up a couple of current topics into a snappy little blog post … but today, the stars aren’t lining up just right …

Because, ok, the featured fluff piece in today’s WSJ is about the resurgence of red lipstick … “Very Bright Lipstick, All the Time” …

“Many women are adopting a signature standout lipstick color — bright red, rich coral, vivid pink — to wear day or night with everything in their closet … Stay-at-home mom Kelli Ward recently went to a toddler’s afternoon birthday party wearing skinny jeans, a blazer and bright red lipstick.”

And,…… St. Patrick’s Day is a couple days away.

Yup, sure, I’m good with the new bright lipstick thing … And, while I’m not Irish, I can wear green and rally around a frothy mug O’tinted beer.

But, when you mix those vibes together …

Bright Lipstick Trend + St. Patrick’s Day …

The Take-Away:  You get the unfortunate outcome shown above.

Post-Note:  Under NO circumstances, does the blog post title used here insinuate that I am in any way rooting for the Michigan State Spartans in the pending March Madness follies!

Pre-Ramble: Self-appointed expert on creativity, Jonah Lehrer just wrote a book called “Imagine: How Creativity Works” (2012). The WSJ ran a great article about him/it over the weekend, and as a lifelong student of random stuff, I thought I’d pass some of the prime snippets along.

New research suggests that for prompting creativity, few things are as effective as “time devoted to cross-pollination with fields outside our areas of expertise.” Lehrer suggests that if you’re trying to be more creative, one of the most important things you can do is increase the volume and diversity of the information to which you are exposed … and that the best innovators seek out “diverse experiences” … collecting lots of dots that they later link together …

Voted Most Naive – One of my favorite findings in Lehrer’s work is the notion that a secret to creativity is “outsider thinking” …  that one’s ability to ask naive questions can be a huge advantage.  I am super good at this!

Apparently, creativity is a skill.  According to our man, Jonah, anyone can learn to be creative and to get better at it.  He offers 10 quick approaches to ”spark” creativity …  (Just for the record, as far as I can tell, no discussion of creativity can take place without involving the word “spark” … ) … So, Lehrer’s 10 ways to “hack” creativity are:

1. Sit in a blue room – the color leads to more relaxed, associative thinking
2. Be groggy – tackling creative challenges at your least productive point in the day leads to more random thought patterns
3. Daydream – duh
4. Think like a child – (seriously … ?)
5. Laugh – HA!
6. Work “outside the box” – According to a new study, subjects performed significantly better on a standard test of creativity when they were seated outside a 5-foot-square workspace … perhaps because they internalized the metaphor of thinking outside the box.  Personally, I find the phrase “think outside the box” to be so overused and hackneyed (second only to an image of a ”lightbulb”) that when I hear someone refer to ”thinking outside the box,” I automatically think that they are captain of Team Uncreative.
7. Be generic – thinking in terms of broad concepts rather than specific situations or actions can broaden thinking
8. Imagine that you are far away … (… from what? … I don’t get it … Should be very easy for me to play the “naive” card on this one …)
9. See the world – … “Fashion-house directors who have lived in many countries produce clothing that their peers rate as far more creative” … (Noted.)
10. Move to a Big City – moving from a small city to one that is twice as large leads inventors to produce @15% more patents — !
11. (Lehrer mentions drinking alcohol as another way to loosen up the creative juices, but it didn’t make the top 10 … Personally, I’d rather have a nice glass of Merlot than “be generic” …)

The Take-Away:  Back in the days of Enlightenment, being creative meant channeling the muses. Lehrer’s research casts doubt on that theory, but I have a bone to pick with him there. Some of my most creative moments have come about while channeling my muse and number one canine, Daisy. She was excellent at several of Lehrer’s suggested routes to creativity. Sitting on her doggie pillow in the corner behind my desk, she would fling over all sorts of observations and insights. I am sure that one of the reasons that I have written less truly inspired blog posts in the past two months is because Daisy is no longer here dogging me with her relentless glance and wry perspective.

Post-Note:  Besides sparks, discussions on creativity always bring up Post-it Notes (by Minnesota’s own beloved 3M), Velcro and Segue Scooters.  Two out of three isn’t bad … that Segue Scooter is ridiculous (which means “deserving of ridicule” – right?) … Daisy concurs, adding that it works as long as you’re on a smooth, flat surface 1,000 miles from any human being who would see you riding it and be compelled to roll on the floor laughing.

Pre-Ramble:  Each one of these current events would make a compelling blog topic … however, to actually write about them would dignify them with undeserved energy and meaningful thought.

Men behaving badly in the news … a big fat Dishonorable Mention goes to:

• NFL Bounty Hunters
• Those posturing around another show of military force in the Mideast
• “He-who-shall-remain-nameless” – and the pompous ass he rode in on

The Take-Away:  I’m so completely annoyed with these three unfortunate scenarios that I can’t even bring myself to write about them.

Pre-Ramble: One of my colleagues got a new pair of glasses (not them at right). I hadn’t seen her in a while and immediately commented on how good she looked and how much I liked her glasses (didn’t know they were just 2 days new).

She told me that she had gone out on a limb and picked out a more daring set of frames than usual. She went on to say that she had decided in that moment, that along with her new optical prescription, she was going to go for a new look as well. Shake it up a little.  In fact, … (she moved in a little bit closer to me and whispered) … beyond looks, she was actually going for a whole new life!

Yep - like many gals in their middle years, we gradually come to learn that there’s no time like the present to push back on the notion that being older represents limitations of some kind. On the contrary, being older means being wiser (hopefully … or at least some of the time), and being wiser means being smart enough to know when to stop trying to meet long worn expectations of who-even-knows-who, and start stepping into exactly what it is that we see for ourselves.

If we want to surround our progressive bifocals with some snappy cheetah-print frames — step aside!

The Take-Away: I love the analogy that this view on a new pair of glasses represents. I love the lens it creates for seeing things in a new way … both literally and figuratively. In addition to seeing the world around you more clearly, what better way to answer a call from the wild, than to frame up a whole new way of seeing yourself!

Post-Note: In case you’d like a pair for yourself, the miu-miu noir sunglasses shown above are designed by Miuccia Prada. They feature quirky pentagon leopard print frames, golden temples, and your choice of pink or blue lenses.

Pre-Ramble:  Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with a team of people who are working to develop an arts related philanthropic concept.

Still in the confidential developmental stage, the innovative, multi-faceted idea has been the focus of several brainstorm sessions. The group has come up with a long and growing list of possibilities.

I bring a couple of relevant experiences to the table — in my day job I specialize in concept development and strategic thinking; I have founded and run an arts-focused nonprofit organization; and I’ve even turned my hand as a starving artist for a little while back in the day.

Plus, as a certified “dreamer,” I love nothing more than kicking around do-good ventures and grand what-if’s.  The exercise of dreaming up big ideas is so fun and freeing and lofty … the sky’s the limit … It’s like parcour for the mind.  I’m sure there is some kind of dopamine receptor that is engaged in the brainstorming/dreamscaping process.

Well, so, the adage, “If you can dream it, you can do it” is inspiring and energizing, … and, as far as I have been able to tell, is totally misleading.  My (limited) experience tells me, if you can dream it, you can do it — IF you have a plan, the resources (relationships, knowledge, $$$, etc.), and the tenacity needed to carry it out.  Really big “if” there.

So, one of the notable things that came out of the abovementioned conversation was spurred by an off-hand exchange:

The guy with the original idea for the venture said:  “The thing is, I have this vision … and I know I need to know so much more about how to make it happen.”

I said:  “A vision isn’t a plan.”

His eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face … “Yes!” he exclaimed, “I need a plan – I need a plan!”

And he wrote, “A plan.” in his notebook.

Of course, … a plan!  I look forward to an opportunity to help this social entrepreneur and his team nail down this dream into a vision, so that they can ultimately formulate a workable plan.

The Take-Away:  Such a simple, but critical distinction and relationship there is between a dream, a vision and a plan. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, in business or in your personal life, you need all three …

1. …  A dream to draw upon the inner passion and motivation that can drive an idea along the long and winding road to reality …
2. … A vision of the idea, something more narrative and specific that can be seen clearly by yourself and/or team and communicated to others … and …
3. … A plan, … a logical series of concrete action steps that can interact with conditions in reality (context) to create desired outcomes.

Poof!

Pre-Ramble:  I just love it when my favorite things randomly intersect. In this case, my best skill set (developing concept maps that articulate the overarching dynamics of an organization, project or process) and my life-long love of bacon.

Concept Map + Bacon = The Bacon Matrix  (shown below)

Snap-shot – The Concept Maps that I create as part of my strategic planning and grantwriting work, take complex problems and dynamics, boil them down into their basic parts, and present them in the context of their primary influences … on one page. … It’s a super-relevant snap-shot of the “current state” nestled into the context of past and projected factors.

Bacon mania – According to wikipedia, “bacon is a cured meat usually made from side, back or belly cuts of pork.” It’s smoked, boiled, fried, baked or grilled, and frequently used as a minor ingredient to flavor other dishes. Novelty bacon dishes and other bacon related items have become very popular including chocolate-covered bacon, bacon ice cream, bacon bubble gum, bacon salt, maple bacon donuts, bacon soda, baconnaise, bacon band-aids, a bacon air-freshener (an oxymoron if there ever was one), and apparently, a bacon alarm clock that wakes people up with the smell of cooking bacon is in the works (cruel and unusual punishment, if there is, in fact, no actual warm, sizzily bacon to be had upon waking).

The Take-Away:  … Sure, it’s loaded with fat and sodium, but you have to admit that a little bit of bacon transforms pretty much anything into a yummy, high-quality experience. (Except for that new bacon soda, which I do not even want to read about, let alone sample.)

Well, and except for that divergent part about cooking bacon in no pants, it’s fun to refresh the bacon vibe with this little peek into the bacon decision-tree.  Note: This fun, cluttered graphic was not created by me (I’d give credit, if I could find it) … it’s purely tongue-in-cheek. (The Concept Maps that I develop for my clients are, of course, a concise, meaningful and invaluable tool.)

Pre-Ramble:  So, I was thinking that I would send my beloved readers some Valentine’s Day love …

Nothing says “I love you!” like a big, digital, sparkling, heart-shaped Ruby …

Well, okay, maybe a just-hot-out-of-the-oven molten lava chocolate cupcake and a dozen long-stemmed red roses, … but hey!

The Take-Away:  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pre-Ramble:  Scootch over Dave ‘n’ Jay … there’s a new kid in town.  Jimmy Fallon has been sitting behind the late night desk at NBC for a few years now and has been pretty good.  Over the past several weeks - particularly in his on-the-road Super Bowl shows - Jimmy has really stepped up his game.

As a sort-of-night-owl, I check in with the funny guys fairly often … hear their take on the day’s news, count down through the Top Ten, or to listen in on an interview with some actor types.  Fallon’s visit to the White House last week, to engage in some friendly competition with Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move campaign, was first rate – funny and heartfelt – a brilliant bit that showcases Jimmy’s new cred as a big time media utility player.

So, in case you aren’t up on Let’s Move,

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping kids become more physically active.

 Everyone has a role to play in reducing childhood obesity, including parents, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies. Your involvement is key to ensuring a healthy future for our children.

Bring it!  Mixed in with the spirited banter and hi-jinx were some real displays of athleticism.  In addition to some mean hoola-hooping, the First Lady can do a bunch of real push-ups – !  (For those of you who aren’t entirely impressed with this, drop and give me 10 … See?  Not so easy, eh?! … Check it out at this link.)

The Take-Away:  The Let’s Move campaign is a very important initiative, we need our kids to be healthy and fit. The best part of the fitness challenge though, was to see the First Lady of the United States all sneakered-up and playfully running around in the hallowed halls of the White House. And Fallon was an excellent foil, dropping to the ground in the final inches of a potato sack race in a tremendous act of sportsmanship (and photo-ops-manship).  The whole thing was just plain fun.

Parting Question:  If given the opportunity, could you hit the President of the United States with a dodge ball?

Pre-Ramble: Unless you’ve been sequestered in a media-proof bunker for the past several weeks, you are undoubtedly aware that Super Bowl XLVI is happening today … “The drama … The spectacle … The glory … The despair … “ … No shred of hype has been left unhurled.

In today’s contest, New England’s Tom Brady goes arm-to-arm with New York Giant’s QB Eli Manning … “offensive guru” Tom Coughlin and “defensive mastermind” Bill Belichick match wits … ” … the Giants must pressure Brady with a varied pass rush … Gronkowski is battling a high left ankle sprain … ” … blah, blah, blah, …

Beyond all of that stat-posturing is the important stuff:

• The Vince Lombardi Trophy (shown at right), which is awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl, was created by legendary jeweler Tiffany & Co.
• John Mara, co-owner of the NY Giants is the father of Rooney Mara, Academy Award nominee for Best Actress in the English language version of “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo“
• Laugh-out-loud-hilarious ads include a petty competition between Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno (Acura NSX), and, revive Baby-Boomer icon Matthew Broderick (Honda) as elusive high school slacker Ferris Bueller
• Middle-aged Material Girl, Madonna told an “assembled throng” in Indianapolis, ‘This is a Midwesterner girl’s dream to be performing at the Super Bowl half time show.”  Note: This has to be the only time in her life that this uber-arrogant singer has ever claimed any affiliation with/affection for her Midwestern roots … (she grew up 5 miles from my childhood hood in a suburb of Detriot)
• The Roman numbers that mark this year’s Super Bowl (XLVI) totally remind me of a sweet Louis Vuitton handbag

The Take-Away:  Please pass the chicken wings …

Pre-Ramble:  Step aside Super Bowl hotshots and prognosticating rodents, there’s a much bigger deal casting a shadow across the land today … Facebook Inc. has filed for an initial public offering that could value the social networking company at between $75 billion and $100 billion ( … that’s billion with a “b”).

Facebook has grown 88% since 2010 and currently has a staggering 845 million users worldwide — !  Twenty-seven-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, part of the elite upper echelon of hoodies-n-flip-flops tech-start-up moguls, could personally rake in over $28 billion on the deal.

The Take-Away:  For those of you playing at home, that could buy more than Punxsutawney’s weight (4-9 lbs.) in Super Bowl rings with ample money left over for shagbark hickory (a woodchuck favorite) and beer.

Post-Note:  Facebook has its own Facebook page on Facebook … It currently features a ranking of the site’s most talked about topics for 2011 and has 60,353,196 “likes.”

Post-Post-Note:  Mark and Phil - separated at birth?