028 - Say “Yes, And!” to Creating the Impossible with Melissa Dinwiddie

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with creativity expert Melissa Dinwiddie. Melissa shares her journey from a Juilliard-trained dancer to a professional artist and creativity instigator. She introduces us to her Create the Impossible framework, which helps individuals and teams harness the power of play, take risks, and learn from failure to spark innovation. Melissa emphasizes that it’s not about making things perfect but making things, experimenting, and allowing space for mistakes. We dive into how leaders can foster creativity and encourage their teams to take playful risks to solve complex problems.

Key Takeaways:

• Play Hard: Embrace your inner child by experimenting, exploring, and being curious.
  
  

• Make Crap: It’s okay to fail! Making mistakes is a crucial part of the creative process.
  
  

• Learn Fast: Turn every failure into valuable data. Rapid feedback loops drive innovation.
  
  

• Practical Tips: Start with small, playful actions like asking creative questions in meetings or implementing “wild idea Wednesdays.”
  
  

• Gremlins: Recognize the self-doubt voices in your head and replace them with a playful, “Yes, And” mindset to keep moving forward.
  
  

Relevant Links:

• Melissa Dinwiddie’s website: MelissaDinwiddie.com
  
  

• Get the first 50 pages of Melissa’s book The Creative Sandbox Way: Download Here
  
  

• Follow Melissa on LinkedIn: Melissa Dinwiddie on LinkedIn
  
  

• Melissa’s YouTube channel: Melissa Dinwiddie on YouTube