Page 242 - THE DO-IT-YOURSELF LOBOTOMY Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking

Afterword

The Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy Early Years

In the spirit of 180° Thinking, I’d like to end this book at the beginning.
People often ask how long I’ve been practicing many of the habits
and tools covered in this book. To be honest, I don’t know.
I do know that I had some great early encouragement from my par-
ents, particularly my mother. One story you’ll like recalls the time my
mom let my brother and me create our own wallpaper.
Like lots of boys growing up in the 1950s, we had cowboy wallpa-
per. I can vividly recall the classic images of various cowpokes in their
leather chaps and broad-brimmed hats, alternating with images of
cacti, horses, and the occasional three-rail fence.
I can also recall the graffiti brother Mike and I festooned on these
innocent images. A wisecrack dialogue box here, an extra appendage
there. (Did I mention we were, like, 12 and 13 years old?)
Well, my mom did what any mom would have done. Any mom who
wanted to nurture the creativity in her children, that is. She said,
“Boys, I’d like to do your walls over. But since we can’t afford new
wallpaper, particularly if you’re going to continue defacing it, I’ll paint
the walls a neutral color and let you create your own wall covering.”
(Managers take note.)
So brother Mike and I went to town designing our own custom
wallpaper. Well, we didn’t design anything, really. In fact, this may
have been where I learned the lesson to actually think through what
you’re going to create before you create it.