This is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read, for me. It’s directed, the audience, is others like me – those dreamers out there. The people that have problems getting things excited because new ideas come so fast, they derail your energy.

One aspect that I’m big on is community, because I’ve not had that. So the concepts about community presented were particularly impacted me.  One of the most important figures cited was: an MIT Study stated employees with the most extensive social networks are 7% more productive, and those with the most cohesive face-to-face networks were 30% more productive.

   

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Making_Ideas_Happen_by_Scott_B.zip (117 KB)

The book also presents the idea that there are three types of creative people:

• The Doer: These people are obsessed with the logistics of execution and they immerse themselves in the next steps until they love it, or discount it.

• The Dreamer: These people have eternal creativity, and are eternally challenged by it. Dreamers are fun to be around, but might forget the details of the project.

• The Instrumentalist: these people can play the role of both the doer and the dreamer. They can bask in idea generation, distill the action steps, and then push the idea into action with tenacity. They also tend to conceive and execute on too many ideas, because they can. Their projects are seldom pushed to realization, because they move on to another one and never get buy in from the community.

An effective team needs both a Dreamer and a Doer. “Developing meaningful partnerships will make you more effective.”

Another key idea from the book, is seeing your ideas executed for the benefit of the good of the community. If you have an idea that will save people time or make their lives easier or better, and you don’t have the resources or discipline to execute the idea, then not sharing that idea, so others might execute it can be seen as an integrity violation (if you value the greater good). By not sharing the idea, you are denying people access to it, and not seeking the betterment of the idea.

Ideas are quickly realized, and die quickly, unless they are kept at the top of the mind by something external – like community involvement. The book also presents the idea that you, as the ideator, have a responsibility to inform and engage those people who can play a crucial role in executing your ideas. If no one understands what you are doing, what you need to succeed or the value of your idea, then you will fail to execute the idea. If your community isn’t interested in your idea, you will fail.

Many of the concepts in this book have been presented in other books, blogs and even conversations I've had with other creatives. This book presents it the best, and it's high on my recomended non-fiction book list.

What a night. A friend and I had arranged to meet each other at Ramsi's on Bardstown Road, and while standing out front, I decided to move it on over to Le Gallo Rosa. What a great decision.

It was the night before they opened their expansion into the front rooms, and Joe took care of us, as he does everyone. The conversation with Angela flowed before the wine could start, and was better than the wine. Was it better than the food? Answering that question might hurt someone's feelings, so I'll leave that as rhetorical.

Angela hadn't had scallops since she was a kid, nor calamari. So in true 'Paul' fashion, I pushed her to try them. Not many better places to try them - Scallops on a bed of figs sprinkled with prosciutto. Amazing! The portions are so huge, we decided to share a main entrée - chicken breast stuffed with a cherry cream sauce. Again, crazy good. Nothing more can be said.

The best of the night, as far as food goes, was the cannoli. She makes the shells, need I say more? Srsly? After desert, we took a quick tour of the renovations, and I can't wait to go back.

               

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Angela-Burton.zip (1891 KB)

A little while back, someone, via Facebook, asked me to write 25 things about me, so I wrote 25 random things, well, more 25 things in a stream of though. This not only tells specifics about me, but can give you, as the reader, a good feel how my mind works. It's a bit unconventional. 

1) I flew to New York to see Madeline Peyroux because I missed her when she was in Louisville, my home town. The regret of not seeing her amplified in my mind, until I broke down and went to see her. http://www.madeleinepeyroux.com/
2) While in New York for a Madeline Peyroux show, I saw a 400% Evil Devil Robots kubrick be@rbrick at Toy Tokyo. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen. 
3) The regret of not buying that Devil Robot amplified in my mind until I ordered it online, along with two to-fu bobble heads. 
4) When I got the Devil Robot, I put in on a shelf in my dining room next to my autographed Mr Potato Head. Yes, I have an autographed Mr Potato Head. It's Way Cool.
5) I got the Potato Head from a dear friend, we came close to dating, she was my first relationship after my divorce. 
6) My divorce was the hardest thing I've ever been through. It tore me up, and completely changed my life. 
7) After the divorce, I owned a bakery. I even baked a gluten free cake for a friend's son. 
8) I was in a stay-at-home dad group with the gluten-fee kid and his dad, the Louisville Lads. 
9) While doing dad stuff with my kids, we threw our jack-o-lanterns off the Second Street Bridge in Louisville (very close to the the same spot Muhammad Ali threw his gold metal off the bridge after not being served in a Louisville Restaurant). 
10) My boys and I built a 1 foot tall trebuchet out of legos, and wanted to build a larger one to launch pumpkins into the river. 
11) The best theme park I've been to was Legoland in San Diego. 
12) My two sons and I have had season passes to Holiday World, in Santa Clause, Indiana.
13) While in college at University of Evansville, my Japanese girlfriend persuaded me to drive her to Santa Clause, IN so her Christmas Cards could be postmarked from Santa Clause. 
14) I was the founding president of Japan Club at Ball State University. 
15) I was president of the Amnesty International Chapter at Ball State University.
16) While at Ball State I locked my bike to a small tree before a night class, and the lock froze up in the freezing rain. So, I happened to have a swiss army knife that had a saw on it; yes, I sawed down the tree in order to ride my bike home. 
17) I rode UP steps on my mountain bike in a feeble attempt to impress a girl. The steps in front of the library on the Ball State Campus. I didn't wreck that time.
18) While in a riding class in college, I was drafting, and the guy in front stopped pedaling to get a drink of water, and then he hit a pothole, then I hit his back wheel, then I went down and broke my helmet into five pieces. It's the only time I've broke a helmet. 
19) During Thunder Over Louisville, Bobby K. and a few other people went riding along the river. About ten miles from home, we took a break. I decided to ride through some water, so I got up as much speed as I could, and hit the water. It was then that I found out it was silt, I slid about thirty feet in mud. I was covered in mud at points an inch thick for the ride home. Thus, a new nick name,  'Dirty Bear.'
20) Bobby K. and I would rage sometimes, and stay up 'till morning drinking and having a great time. We would usher in the sunrise at the cemetery with benignes 
21) When Bobby K. went away to Law School, I threw her a huge party. The Bobby Falk Group came and played in the street; it was one of the best times I've had on the block. 
22) When I'm away from Louisville I miss the music scene: Relic Bluegrass, Say Darling, Say, Ben Sollee, Bobby Falk, but not Harry Pickens. Relic was playing at the Rudyard Kipling on the night I was there with a new girl friend. I was so scared one of my ex-girlfriends were going to show up. 
23) Dating is tuff sometimes, but fun. A bad series of dates ended with out first kiss, and she's know as the 'bad kisser'. Ask me in person, maybe over a beer, and I'll tell you about it. 
24) My first kiss, in seventh grade, was with Lia, and it was after a movie, Purple Rain. My first kiss after my marriage was with Susan, a lesbian, in front of Bobby K's house. 
25) In seventh grade, I transferred from a private Baptist school to a public school, and it was one of the most liberating times of my life.