Originally printed in HOW Magazine, June, 1999

According to Tom Monahan, we're all born with creativity but are eventually conditioned not to use it. This guru of imaginative thinking reveals his strategy for accessing and unleashing your creative prowess.

A few years ago, Tom Monahan was a key player in the advertising world, a respected copywriter turned creative director. He was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as an innovative leader whose work for major accounts such s Lotus Software, Keds and Polaroid earned him many prestigious awards. But 15 years into running his own hot-shot New England-based advertising agency, an oversight caused him to take a hard look at himself. The result? A sharp right turn in his career.

"About five years ago," Monahan recalls, "I found myself in Iceland doing a two-day program on creativity. I realized I had booked the trip, but it conflicted with the biggest award show in New England. The show was very important for our agency, but I had completely forgotten about it. I realized my priorities had shifted. Once I realized that, I got out of the ad business."

Instead, Monahan turned to what he loves best: teaching people how to expand and exploit their own creativity. Through his company, Before & After in Tiverton, RI, Monahan helps companies, professional organizations and individuals learn how to "grease their minds." Before & After has reached more than 50,000 people working for clients ranging from Hewlett-Packard and Hasbro to ABC Sports, The Washington Post and Tommy Hilfiger.

Monahan will share his insight into applied creativity with attendees of the 1999 HOW  Conference in Dallas, May 23-26. HOW  recently asked the maestro of imaginative thinking to explain his thoughts on creativity.