Using Lookwide, I recently posted a new micro-podcast on how using the technique of extrapolation allowed me to turbo-boost creativity.  It has also had significant impact in other areas of my life.

Trim-Tab-Powerful

Buckminster Fuller was a brilliant man, and used to discuss the importance of the trim tab on an ocean liner.

For those of you who know, just skip down to the next paragraph, but for those who don’t, it’s a fascinating concept.  Basically, the rudder on the back of a large ocean liner, which is the huge flap of metal that is used to steer the boat can be difficult to move or be kept in place with all the water pressure pushing against it.

So the idea was to put a mini-rudder on the back edge of the big rudder and turn it opposite to the direction you want to turn the big rudder, and let the water pressure rushing against the trim tab push the big rudder in the direction you want it to go.  Can you envision that?  Can you imagine how brilliant it was to use a small, easily-made adjustment to a trim tab to facilitate a huge swing in the rudder?

Can you also imagine extrapolating the idea of the trim tab to other areas of your life?  Making small, strategic changes to effect more monumental ones?  It requires imagination and creativity to come up with ways and for me it demands a certain disciplined study, but the most recent example was with making a small, exacting change in the way I observe others.  I started being a “curious observer” of peoples’ behavior, rather than an involved participant and that seemingly minor change has allowed me to both be more present and connected with people and and to not be emotionally hijacked by their actions.

I’m looking for strategic ways of swaying opinions on race/ethnicity, transgender people and the environment in case anyone has found some innovative ways of making this a more loving, accepting and responsible country and World.

Current Knitting

First of all, one of the baby blankets I knit a little while ago finally got used by the intended recipient.

Meet Audrey Kathryn.  She is perfect and beautiful and her mother (my niece) was amazingly thoughtful for sending this photo the day after she gave birth.  Both the mother and daughter are truly awesome!

In much less important news, I also worked some additional inches onto the Tutti Frutti Stole in the last couple of days.