I live on Planet Creativity where the air is fresh, minds are joyful and bodies are moving. On this planet, the peak creativity moment is during summer, when days are longer (and nights are longer too, which is a paradox, I know), water is warmer, drinks are colder, music is louder, skin is darker and life is generally better!

Every summer, there is a must on my planet that you live it at its full and use it to get inspired and inspire the others.

My 5 creative ideas for this summer are:

A. at least one crazy outfit that would represent the fun out of you. Don’t tell me you are a Finance Director, a mother/father, a generation X or anybody else that potentially stops you from having a hell of a summer. Last summer my creative outfit was a 12 year old pink mermaid costume that I received as a present for my 40 year old anniversary. I took it on a boat trip and I felt like the modern Ariel without a proper voice and swimming skills. This summer I am thinking of some business meme-ification on T-shirts like P& L, S&OP backed by cool visuals. 

B. one spontaneous short holiday, with extensive meaning of spontaneity to the group participants. Haven’t you got bored of the same group with the same routine over the years? Last summer I tried Lefkada in Greece in a group of 4 girls. I knew relatively well only one, but we have never been in any holiday together, I met the second one just couple of months before on a flight and she became my dentist and I was introduced to the fourth one month before the holiday. It was the same situation for all of us four, but I can guarantee the fun. First, because you set your expectations lower than in a group of known people and second because each of you is curious to discover the others. Don’t make this exercise with children if you are obsessed with your holiday tranquility.

C. strange reading mixes, from beach lit to business, from long novels to short stories. Let your brain feel the summer, with its intensity and relaxation at the same time. My plans for this summer reading: Sun Tzu - The Art of War (currently reading), Elena Ferrante - My genius friend, Amos Oz - Soumchi, Mark Schaefer - Known (building and unleashing your personal branding in the digital age), Monocle magazine - hard to find in hard copy (In Bucharest you can find it at Frudisiac) and Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game (a good friend recommended it couple of years ago as the best strategy book and I can’t dissapoint her anymore:)

D. start keeping a journal and if you have kids above 10 recommed them to practise creative writing. I have my “Friendship affairs” agenda - a special collection from a dear friend and I take it as my true companion, together with my pink or blue feather shaped pen to write down about memories, feelings, people and places. When I am going out in the park with my 10 year old son, I am using a nice exercise book on creative writing which is fun for both. Imagine that you are opening a restaurant, give it a name and write about its menu. If you have to eat the same thing all your life, what would this be? Choose the vegetable that you hate the most and write a TV commercial about it, so people would buy it. Kids will be delighted and you will discover a whole new world!

E. bury the fear of anything: cellulite and light bank accounts, extra weight and minus love, comfort loss and pain gain, being ridiculous and being mocked on being ridiculous, not having time and having unfulfilled dreams. As long as you and you family are in good health, leave the fear away. Oh, Gosh, I am not a life coach, but on my planet Creativity there is no fear during summer…

The cricket was playing his guitar all during summer, while the ant was storing food for the coming winter. When the summer was over and the bad weather came, the cricket was hungry and cold, so he knocked at his neighbouring ant asking for help. 

- What the hell have you been doing all summer, when I was preparing for winter? asked the furious ant

- I was going to my shrink to get rid of all these childhood memes, answered the cricked, so I could start living a proper summer on Planet Creativity.