Fear, Failure, & Creativity: Daring Greatly in the
Workplace

The Plan
Introduction
Recap from Last Year’s Presentation
Poll: How creative is your daily work?
Play with Possibility
Make Space for Creative Work
When Does Failing Become Unproductive?
Discussion

Samantha Martin
CEO & Co-Founder, Via TRM
And before…
Study Abroad Advisor, SUNY New Paltz
Youth Exchange Officer, Rotary International
N. Ireland Country Coordinator, Educational Cultural Exchanges
Program Coordinator, Int’l Ed. Programs @ Jacksonville U.
Introduction

Natalie M. Garrett
Director of Marketing & Customer Experience
And before…
Internship Team, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad
University Relations, EUSA Academic Internships
MA in Higher Ed & Org Change UCLA GSE
Undergraduate Admissions: Northeastern University, Marymount College, Prescott College
Introduction

Recap from Last Year- Failure is not the other ‘F’ word.

Recap from Last Year- Failure is not the other ‘F’ word.
What does it look
like to learn from
failure instead of run
from it?
Failure is private to
me. I learn a lot from
failure on my own.
I don’t feel
comfortable or safe
talking about failure
in my professional
life.
I have some great
failure stories. My
friends & colleagues
know them too!

How to stifle your creativity in 10 easy steps
1. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
2. Remind yourself of all the times that you failed in the past.
3. Never waste time. Stay constantly busy.
4. Always try to fit in.
5. Stick to what you know.
6. Always defer to authority.
7. Don’t ask stupid questions.
8. Always listen to your Inner Critic. It’s there to stop you making a fool of yourself.
9. Leave thinking to the experts.
10. Keep it simple, stupid.

Poll: How creative is your daily work?

Play with Possibility
Creativity Blocks
• “I’m not a creative person”
• “I have to get it right the first time….or else [fill in the blank]”
• “I don’t have time for creativity”

Make Space for Creative Work
Cultivate creativity. Think of it as a muscle you can use every day! Ideas…
• Sensory experience
• Spontaneous decision making
• Getting “lost”
• Unplug. No screens allowed during this time or in this space!
• Curiosity through questions
• Read something off the wall
• Write
• Move that body!
• Debate
• Gratitude practice

When Does Failing Become Unproductive?

When Does Failing Become Unproductive?
The Bright Side of a Terrible Job- Opportunities to Dare Greatly
• What do you have to lose?
• Risks- Take them all, you’ll learn a lot.
• Be as creative as possible.
• Boundaries: Make them and practice them- The right people will respect you for them.
• Speak your truth, even if it sounds ridiculous in your head.
• Use non-work hours to explore your passions and do the things that light you up.
• Reflect on your values: How much more of this are you willing to take?
• Learn what NOT to do.
Watch for our blog in July:
Trying & Failing? When Learning From Failure Becomes Unproductive

Discussion: How can you bring creativity into YOUR
daily life & work?
Don’t forget to rate our presentation on the NAFSA app!
Samantha Martin
CEO & Co-Founder
samantha@via-trm.com
Natalie M. Garrett
Director of Marketing & Customer Experience
natalie@via-trm.com
Want to continue the conversation?
Let’s take a walk to our booth: 2305