Be a creativity superhero

Years ago, one of Ripley's famous "Believe It or Not!" comics pictured a plain bar of iron worth $5 and pointed out that if you forged the iron into horseshoes, it would then be worth $10.50. If you used the iron for making needles, it would then be worth $3,285. And if you turned the iron into watch springs, the value would soar to $250,000. There's a big difference between $5 and $250,000. The difference is applied creativity.

Since January is International Creativity Month, I'd like to tell you about one of the most creative people I know and how he uses his creativity to offer an incredible experience to children battling catastrophic illnesses.

Steve Schussler and his wife, Sunhi, invited me to participate in one of their extraordinary events last fall. I will never forget it. It's called Super Heroes with Super Kids, an IRS 501c(3) nonprofit charitable foundation. What kid doesn't like superheroes?

The Super Heroes with Super Kids Foundation partners with Wishes & More of Minnesota. Its president, Karla Blomberg, a past president of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, vets the children. Together they've done half a dozen of these events a year for the last four years.

In this case, the Super Kid arrived with his family and toured Schussler Creative in the Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley, which houses Steve's latest restaurant concept called Gizmos, Gadgets & Gears. Steve Schussler is the founder of Rainforest Cafe and has five themed restaurants at Walt Disney World in Florida. He also created the Hot Dog Hall of Fame at Universal Studios in Orlando.

As we were sitting down eating pizza, three superheroes arrived — Batman, Thor and Wonder Woman — to interact and have fun with our Super Kid and his family. After lunch and a lengthy visit with his new best friends, the Super Kid is taken to a bust of Shakespeare where he flips back his head and presses a secret button. A brick wall slides open, revealing an eye-popping superhero command center filled with 22 life-size superheroes, memorabilia, murals of Gotham City and an iconic 1994 Batmobile. The Super Kid is then ushered into a changing room where he can pick from dozens of superhero costumes in various sizes.

After all the excitement, the Super Kid is escorted to another door, and Thor tells him to press another button. When the door opens, many members of the St. Louis Park police and fire departments are there to welcome him. With lights and sirens blaring from several fire engines, rescue squads and police cars, the Super Kid is driven in the Batmobile to the Park Tavern Restaurant for delicious desserts, special prizes and a superhero trophy that states "You are our Super Hero." 

The entire event is captured by an award-winning photographer, and the photos are put in a book for the family to remember their superhero day. What an unforgettable experience!

Let me tell you, that experience had a major impact on all the adults present, as well as the lucky recipient. We were in awe not only of Steve's creativity but also how he combines it with his overwhelming generosity and genuine empathy. And even though he isn't wearing a costume, I think this makes Steve a superhero too!

And in my amateur psychologist mind, I think I know what drives him.

Steve is a kid at heart! I've never seen Steve without a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. You can almost see the gears spinning in his head, observing the world around him and figuring out how to make it more amazing.  

Kids tend to think that way, too. Rather than dismissing ideas because they probably won't work, they keep imagining uninhibited. Don't tell them they can't; tell them how to make something a reality. Don't stifle their creativity; think about the merits of their plans. Don't discourage them from dreaming big; let them know the sky's the limit.

In other words, kids have this figured out. Creativity is fun. It produces so many benefits: It can make things better, it can make people happy, it can lead to bigger and more exciting ideas. Whether used for profit, for innovation, for growth, for good or for all the above, there is no downside to creativity!

Mackay's Moral: Creativity can turn the ordinary into extraordinary.

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Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing harvey@mackay.com or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.