Napkins at 35,000 feet

Delta airlines flight attendant Jewel Van Valin found a unique way to help passengers relax on long flights following the bleak days of 9-11. She gave them crayons and asked them to draw.

She found that the mood of passengers changed dramatically when they put crayon to paper. She's kept the drawing in flight tradition going ever since and now has 3,000 sketches created by her passengers. The Palm Springs Air Museum now has a show of Jewel's passengers' visual thinking.

Photographer Ricky Mia has taken excellent photos of Jewel and her passengers at work. He also links to this brief video documentary about Jewel.

The lesson for me? I spend most of my time showing businesspeople (who KNOW they can't draw) that creating simple pictures is an incredibly powerful way to discover ideas. Jewel's approach demonstrates one of the most important hidden aspects of this approach: when people think with a pen in hand, they relax. And when people relax they are able to think more openly than when stressed.

See those smiling passengers -- many of whom would rather be anyplace other than on an airplane? Now imagine what happens when you have a conference room full of smiling managers. Ideas flow. Decisions get made. Pictures work.

Thanks Damon for sending this link along.

Comments

[generic cialis]

First off, how can I delete my photos in my yahoo album? I clicked on delete, but my photos are still there. Secondly, how do I delete the photo from my profile page? Every time I click delete it sends me to my photo album. I don't know what to do from there. All I know is that I want everything deleted!!!

[generic valtrex]

Sorry, new TSA regulations forbid passengers from depicting any ideas, plans, or outcomes during flight. No pencils, pens, crayons, or other pointed objects may be present in hands, on laps, clutched between prehensile toes, or between jaws. Please confine all sketching to your mind from now on.

[Janet Napolitano]

Sorry, new TSA regulations forbid passengers from depicting any ideas, plans, or outcomes during flight. No pencils, pens, crayons, or other pointed objects may be present in hands, on laps, clutched between prehensile toes, or between jaws. Please confine all sketching to your mind from now on.

After all what if a Terrorist (TM) drew a weally weally scawwy picture and made evwybody sad?

[Tom Berarducci]

As with anything, getting the point across accurately and quickly is paramount. If you are a visual person [some are not] then this technique will work well. Even if you are not, sometimes trying something new will spur new ideas. So give it a whirl!

[Art Ignacio]

Thanks for passing this along. Heads up, though, on the timing of the post: the Christmas Delta Flight 253.