So this Saturday I attended my second MindCamp Idea Tasting. Just like the first one part of the reason for the event was to support Facilitators Without Borders – “Bringing people to solutions, not solutions to people”. Tim & Kristen put on a great event with some interesting workshops and the ones that I took were Brain Gym and How to turn a braindrizzle into a brainstorm.
The Opening circle was very cool, Tim asked us two questions that he wanted us to write out three answers for: What did I bring with me today to MindCamp? and What I want to take with me when I leave?
Here is what I wrote down. Some of these answers make me feel like a bit of a BarCamp Wonk but whatever.
What did I bring with me today to MindCamp
- An open mind
- A willingness to participate
- A lack of shame
What I want to take with me when I leave
- Unlock hidden creativity
- Hone my facilitation skills
- Make Friends
Brain Gym
Brain Gym is kinda cool. The concept is that people develop and shape their neural pathways through the movement of their bodies. So our leader Elizabeth “Buffi” Huggins took us through a number of exercises in a process called PACE.
Getting in PACE will help you to focus your mind in order to comprehend new learning material, center the mind-body system for easily organizing new information, and integrate the right and left hemispheres of your brain for greater communication ability.
The one thing I noticed while we were doing the exercises is that my “enhanced” brain activity made me curious about what else was going on; so as an experienced Open Spacer I left and went to check out other stuff. So I wandered around Verity (WARNING Flashtastrophe – Thanks Jay), an awesome facility, and eventually made my way back into the “gym”… the brain gym. So some people kinda looked at me like I was a bit rude and one nice guy tried to catch me up like I was going to be tested on this or I would get kicked out of school for non-participation.
I was just into the ideas and I was moving and doing the exercises I just was enjoying the thinking time and riffing of the energy in the room. I learned that was ok when my friend Liesa and took this class at OCAD and she didn’t participate in an exercise. She just went off into a corner to work on her jewelry design project and feed off the energy in the room. At the time I remember thinking she was rude but now I get it you don’t always have to follow the herd.
How to turn a braindrizzle into a brainstorm
Tim ran this session and I found it really helpful. He showed us how to structure a brainstorming session, encourage the participants and block the haters and gave use a framework for refining ideas call POWER.
- Positives
- Objections
- What Else
- Enhancements
- Remedies
POWER is seems to be a much better framework then SWOT. I hope that I can put it to good use someday.
So at the end of the day we had a closing circle and Tim asked us to see if what we are taking with us when we leave is what we wrote down from the opening circle.
I think that what I found most interesting about the day was how quiet i was. I really didn’t participate that actively (don’t get me wrong I’m never a wallflower or tourist) but I did get a lot from the workshops. I learned that I value participation but I value my individuality more when the mood strikes me. It’s not like they are exclusive but it’s nice to know that I don’t need to be “ON” all the time and can riff on my own ideas being quiet in a corner and be cool with that.
[tags]MindCamp, facilitation, brainstorming, braingym[/tags]
