Being Creative - Organically!

by Danny Summers

Sometimes, great ideas begin... Organically.

And by "organically" I don't mean our first reaction of thinking about your favorite compost or plant nutrient. Instead, I am thinking about an idea that arrives "naturally" or without great effort to create a wonderful new idea.

What begins as something small, results in a chain reaction and grows naturally... organically.

The idea for this message came more than a week or so ago when I first saw Forest Lake Greenhouses’ email inviting their audience to “Celebrate Earth Day all week with Us”. In the message, they introduced everyone to “The Garden Goddess” and invited them to have their picture taken with her on Saturday just prior to Earth Day Monday.

I sent Laura Venable, Forest Lake’s Marketing Director, a message of congrats on the idea and asking about "The Garden Goddess” concept. Laura said, 

"We can't claim the Garden Goddess, it was all Katie's concept. She is a former employee of the greenhouses, but she has been working on this project for a while. Her retiring high school art teacher hosted a fashion show every year hailing outfits made from uncommon materials.

Katie saved nursery pots and plant tags for some time to put together her dress for the exhibit! We thought it would be fun to have her in on Earth Day weekend to take photos with kiddos.”

I asked Laura to share details from the Saturday event and the reaction  to “The Garden Goddess” over the weekend. Laura sent some additional photos and even a link to a video. And she said,

"Here are some of the photos with Katie the Garden Goddess, people loved it! The little boy in the photo is Luke and my son. Kids loved it, Katie had pollinator-themed key chains to give out too."

Here's a short video they created and posted on Earth Day:

Sometimes, Being Creative - Organically happens without having the marketing team assembled and all working feverishly to create a great new program. Or at the marketing desk with a deadline staring down at you.

It just happens... sorta organically.

As in this case, the idea for The Garden Goddess started out just being an art project for school and Katie's creativity resulted in something totally unexpected.

At this point in this blog message, I am suddenly thinking about the time we spent with Maggie Nichols of Eureka! Ranch at The Fall Event 2023 in Cincinnati. Katie's ideas are exactly the type of creative new ideas that Maggie wants your Center's team to be dreaming up. To be able to do this without typical time restraints or pressures of a deadline.

If you were not with us for Maggie's presentation last September, or if you want to revisit it, simply login to The Group WebSystem, go to the CLIENTS-ONLY pull-down menu, and then down to Training - Eureka! Ranch - Keys to Innovation Success. There you can watch Maggie's full presentation!

Here's a message for you or a challenge:

• What ideas can you share about Earth Day from your Center?
• What has received the most positive reactions to your Center's recent efforts (Earth Day or others)?
• Watch for ideas and happenings that can grow organically into something amazing!
• Share any ideas on The Group's Marketing eList!

Need help to subscribe to The Group's Marketing eList? From your landing page, where you see "Welcome back (your name), click on the MY PROFILE link. Then on MY PROFILE, then hover over MY FEATURES and scroll down to eLists. There you will see all available eLists for you, such as Marketing. Simply click on the OFF Button to turn ON to any eList you wish to subscribe. You will see a subscription confirmation email shortly thereafter. That's it!

Sharing is in the DNA of The Group. And what better way to share than to inspire peer Centers through Being Creative... Organically!

And finally... Congrats Forest Lake Greenhouses (Katie and Laura) for creating The Garden Goddess and sharing their creativity with us!

Let's all strive to Be Creative... Organically!

 https://youtu.be/I1kHnDNoa18?si=DMELaJA7tjzeYdq0