November 2024 Hardwood Stand : simplebooklet.com

2Q uote for the Month“Producvity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused eort." - Paul J. MeyerOutlookWest Coast forest products sources in California and Oregon reported a generally slow market, with occasional stronger weeks. A Washington lumber rep rated his market a "C-plus."An Oregon forest products source reported slower business compared to earlier in the year but expected growth over the next six months. Tightening regulaons have impacted supply, parcularly for White Oak, where high demand outpaces availability. He’s seen increased Ash orders, as customers remain cauous about market forecasts. A California lumber representave reported steady business over the past six months, with lile change In this issue:* Upcoming Events* Quote for the Month* Outlook* Manager Update* Hardwood Federaon Update* Member Highlight* News* MovaonNo. 668November 2024WHA Board of Directors - OcersTeana Larson PresidentLouie Guyee Vice PresidentVernadel Peterson TreasurerAaron Blumenkron Immediate Past PresidentWHA Board of Directors - Board MembersSco ClarkAdam DupliseaMarlin LangworthySco LeavengoodMike LipkeBrad MichaelRyan PetersonDennis SandersDavid SweitzerSecretary/ManagerPO Box 1894Bale Ground, WA 98604Ph: (360) 835-1600Web: www.westernhardwood.orgEmail: wha@westernhardwood.orgUpcoming Events November 13-15, 2024NAWLA Traders Markethttps://www.nawla.orgDecember 4, 2024WHA Board of Directors Meetingwha@westernhardwood.org

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3expected. His end-use manufacturer customers, however, faced inconsistent demand, buying only enough material for current jobs and oen uctuang week to week.A Washington lumber rep reported slower business than six months prior, hindered by economic uncertainty. Poplar led in sales volume, though White Oak, despite higher costs, generated more income. Limited Maple, Cherry, and Walnut supply aected market potenal. He voiced concern over White Oak protability and noted a ght labor market forcing some sawmills to relocate.Manager's MomentsDave SweitzerSecretary/Manager, WHAWhat's In It For Me? This is a queson oen asked by companies and individuals when considering membership in associaons. ChatGPT gave many of the standard reasons for joining and/or connuing to support an associaon. For example, networking opportunies, access to resources, professional development, advocacy and representaon, staying informed, increased visibility, credibility. All of these are very good reasons to get involved. But I believe we have addional and more compelling reasons. It's all about you and your company "buying in" to the many facets of the Western Hardwood Associaon. I don't believe you can receive the full benet of membership without acvely joining in to give you a return on your investment.WHA is an associaon with members represenng land managers, foresters, mills, wholesalers, manufacturers, transportaon, producon machinery, technology, and logiscs. You can help make an impact by joining (buying into) one of our commiees designed to realize our long-term vision - "The leading resource for the challenges and opportunies of the Western hardwood industry." There's a commiee for everyone wanng to capitalize your "Return On Investment".Membership Engagement/Networking Commiee - Develop strategies and plans to bring in members from various sectors of our industry and introduce them to a wide variety of networking opportunies. Government Aairs Commiee - Inuence legislaon and regulaon as the source of research and educaon of western state issues related to the hardwood market.Annual Convenon Commiee - Create a diverse Patrick Lumber CompanyOver 100 Years in Business---- Est 1915 ----Products:Doug FirWestern Red Cedar Southern Yellow Pine Western Hemlock Alaskan Yellow Cedar West Coast Softwoods West Coast HardwoodsServices:Remanufacturing Packaging & Transport Consultation Procurement33415 Noon Rd. Philomath, OR 97370503-222-9671sales@patlbr.comFollow us on Instagram @Patricklumberpatlbr.comPatrick Lumber Company is a secondary manufacturer and exporter of niche high-grade woodproducts sold to a network of worldwide distribution.

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5annual convenon that aracts all stakeholders for networking, informaon, and enjoyment.Educaon/Internships - Expand on the scholarship opportunies and the furniture design & producon program for forestry students. Create a symbioc relaonship between WHA member companies and forestry students.Markeng/Promoon/Social Media - Expand the visibility of the WHA and improve the eecveness of markeng tools.Revenue Streams - Increase revenue by enhancing programs that will help fund both an event budget and a budget for running commiee acvies.It’s easy, just contact the oce and we’ll put you in touch with the commiees!When you buy in to the WHA vision for the future, you create a posive one for you and the industry. And it answers, "What's In It For Me”. Update from Hardwood FederaonDana Cole, Execuve DirectorOctober 2024USFS Opens Funding Opportunity for Hardwoods - Although things tend to be quiet on Capitol Hill during the extended recess leading up to the November elecon, that doesn’t mean that the federal agencies stop working, occasionally for the good of the industry. On October 24, the U.S. Forest Service announced the availability of $34 million in grants through the Wood Innovaon Grant, Community Grant Wood and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance programs. The grants were announced as part of Naonal Forest Products Week, a week dedicated each year by the White House in the recognion of the economic and environmental benets of our naon’s forests and the role forest management plays in safeguarding forest health, while at the same me delivering sustainable wood products. Each of these grant programs has provided essenal funding to U.S. hardwood companies in past cycles, and we ancipate addional dollars will be allocated to the sector in this most recent round. If you’re interested in throwing your hat in the ring, make sure your organizaon is registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. To

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7help you navigate the process, here are some quick facts and links to government forms to get you started: • Wood Innovaon Grant Program –Applicaons are due December 11, 2024. WIG grants focus on projects that will grow markets for renewable wood energy and wood products, including mass mber. To view the applicaon, please click here. For instrucons on how to complete the applicaon, please click here.• Community Grant Wood Program – Applicaons are due December 18, 2024. The program places extra emphasis on assisng sawmills in economically challenged areas to retool or add advanced technology. To view the applicaon, please click here. For instrucons on how to complete the applicaon, click here.• Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Program – Applicaons are due December 18, 2024. The program focuses on improvements to a sawmill or other wood-processing facility in close proximity to federal lands that need ecosystem restoraon and will generate byproducts. To view the applicaon, please click here. For instrucons on how to complete the applicaon, click here.Hardwoods Fight for Tax Relief - On October 15, the Federaon submied comments to the Main Street Tax Team - a working group established by House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) back in April to idenfy key tax priories - to help assure that hardwoods benet from the investment certainty created by the 2017 tax law. While endorsing the House tax package that passed earlier this year, which restores 100% bonus depreciaon of equipment, the depreciaon and amorzaon (EBITDA) business interest deducon and an R&D tax credit, the leer urges Congress to address unnished business. Key items include connued estate tax exibility and making permanent the 20% small business deducon for pass-through enes. In addion to subming comments to the Main Street Tax Team, the Federaon joined more than 65 allies in a leer to House tax leaders urging outright repeal of the estate tax. The Federaon will keep you posted on developments. House Natural Resources Chair Westerman (R-AR) Takes on NEPA Reform - House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) has released a dra bill to reform the cumbersome Naonal Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) perming processes. Although originally focusing on the energy sector, the bill is evolving into a broader vehicle, reducing the me necessary to obtain a permit and requiring courts to conclude legal challenges related to NEPA permits within 120 days. According to Hill sta, the bill may move during the lame duck session following the elecon. The Federaon will keep you posted on developments. EUDR Flexibility, Suspension of Port Strike Deliver Good News to Hardwoods - During the rst week in October, U.S. hardwood companies breathed sighs of relief as reprieves were granted related to two issues of great concern. First, on October 1, the European Commission announced that it was proposing a 12-month delay for implementaon of the E.U. Deforestaon Regulaon (EUDR). This acon signals much needed exibility for a rule that the U.S. wood products industry and broader agriculture sector deem to be unworkable. The Hardwood Federaon has been working closely with the American Hardwood Export Council to educate U.S. government ocials about the seriously negave impacts of this regulaon on the industry. The implementaon delay will give us extra me to connue our eorts and allow AHEC me to further develop and nalize some potenal reporng soluons.In a second much welcome development on Friday, October 4, dockworkers on the Atlanc and Gulf coasts agreed to extend their exisng contract unl January 15, 2025, suspending the work stoppage that began midnight on September 30. With the Internaonal Longshoremen’s Associaon (ILA), represenng workers, and U.S. Marime Alliance (USMX), which represents the ports, returning to the bargaining table, the issue of automaon remains the most challenging issue to resolve. On October 25, the ILA and USMX issued a joint statement indicang that the pares will resume contract negoaons in November.On the advocacy front, the Federaon submied a dozen examples to the Department of Commerce of hardships caused by the strike, illustrang the necessity of bringing a quick end to the work stoppage. Also, the Federaon and its partners in the ocean shipping coalion Wood treatment plant manufacturing, worldwide since 1983.The most environmentally friendly wood treatment ever known!Hydro-Thermo Modication 1-877-785-0274 www.americanwoodtechnology.comAmerican Wood Technology AWT Options: design, fabrication, layouts & accessories• Smallest footprint & simplest installation• Most gentle process available• Most eective heat transfer• Fastest process time & better product quality• Lowest processing cost per board footOur thermo plant designs provide:

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9sent a leer to the President on October 2, urging the Administraon to use available tools to end the strike and “take immediate acon to resolve this situaon expediously.” The Federaon will keep you posted on developments. Make Your Voice Heard! Share Your Views on OSHA’s Proposed Heat Rule - The feds have proposed rst me ever workplace heat standards that would impose more red tape on sawmills and other manufacturers. The Federaon wants your feedback on the proposal so that we can strengthen the comments we plan to submit to the agency. Specically, how would a federal heat standard impact your operaons and your boom line? Here are three key take-aways from the proposal:It requires employers to dra a workplace Heat Injury and Illness Prevenon Plan (HIIPP) with site-specic informaon to control “heat hazards.” Implements control measures triggered by a heat index of 80 degrees that include cool drinking water and break areas, requiring a sawmill to monitor the temperature and heat index at various locaons during business hours. Requires more control measures when the heat index reaches 90 degrees, including mandatory rest breaks of 15 minutes every two hours. If you nd the above workplace rules burdensome, please share your stories with Bryan Brendle at Bryan.Brendle@hardwoodfederaon.com. To read more about OSHA’s proposal, click here. Member NewsDave Sweitzer, WHA and Je Maguire, Maguire Machinery Group Dave Sweitzer, WHA and Je Maguire, Maguire Machinery Group recently discussed the wood machinery industry’s current and future business climate, highlighng economic resilience and the value of personal customer relaonships. Je shares insights on key machinery lines, post-sale service, the impact of government tax deducons, and his company’s succession plan, underscoring a commitment to customer-driven soluons. Dave: How would you describe the current business climate?Je: A bit tricky- going into the elecons, many companies are playing the waing game. Quite a few though, have decided to move forward with improvements in their processing and are invesng in their businesses, so that when we come out of this cycle, they will be tooled up and ready for increased producon.Dave: What are your projecons for the future business climate?Je: Predicng future business has been and will connue to be a challenge. I started in Jan 1991 during an 8-month recession…I’ve been thru several recessions or slowdowns in my 30 plus years, and the good news is that we’ve always recovered. Even from the 2008 to 2009 big one.There might be two quesons here. One is “will we run out of wood to make furniture, doors and windows, cabinets, ooring, architectural millwork, etc…”The easy answer to that is no. Engineered wood, MDF, and other substrates have been adopted and put to great use, and the industry has really accepted those.The other queson that colleagues of mine are asking is “whether or not sales people will be replaced by the internet and computers.” That’s a trickier challenge. Call me “old school”, but we’ve really made our living by going to see our customers face to face. Somemes you feel like you’re bugging them by trying to get in front of them, but for the most part they’re appreciave of the fact that you’re making an eort to see them.So, we value our face-to-face relaonships. There will always be few people that want to cut out the middleman, but we feel like we have an important role in this industry.Dave: What companies do you represent?Je: Our main line we make our living with is Weinig/Holzher. As you know, they are both German companies, Holzher has a presence in Austria as well. They make some of the best machines in their categories and support the machines very well, which is a key to connued sales of the brand.Weinig is our “go-to” for solid wood machines, Rip saws, Chop saws, Opmizing Cut o saws, nger jointers. Moulders are the big thing for us and Weinig. Weinig probably has a 60% market share as far as the moulders go, and the technology they have created cause the machines to run faster, set up faster, and get a beer nish.Holzher makes outstanding panel processing machines. They are best known for edgebanders, but their CNC machines have developed into some of the best in the world, along with their panel saws, vercal panel saws. Something new in the last several years is our panel storage, inventory, and delivery systems. Not only do we deliver parts to the machine centers, but the system knows when to order more product.In addion to those, we also represent a Canadian built manufacturer, Doucet. They make great return conveyors, material handling, panel rip saws, clamping systems, infeeds and stackers. You’re going to see more of those in the next few years.Costa Sanders, Burkle for nishing, Stanza machinery for sanding and nishing. High Plains Automaon makes great material handling systems, Schmalz builds a vacuum

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10lier to take the strain out of moving panels and other heavy objects, Pillar is one of our US made machines for cabinet doors and cabinets.We have a wide range of machines and if I didn’t menon it and you need it, we can get it.Years ago, when the imported machines rst came in, they were looked down upon as “fairly cheap imitaons” of “real” machines. Over the years, however, the importers have done a great job of doing their own engineering, as well as servicing and supplying parts for their machines. The main ones there for us as import machine manufacturers are Northtech, Extrema, and Castaly.Dave: Aer the sale, what do you do to insure on me delivery, installaon, and tesng?Je: With Weinig and Holzher, they do the heavy liing on all those. We work with the customer prior to closing the sale to determine when the machine is requested to arrive. We pass that along to our Customer Excellence team in North Carolina and they do a really nice job of coordinang delivery, installaon, and training as well as trouble shoong and providing parts if necessary.With our other manufacturers, we keep the lines of communicaon open so that we can make all that happen.Most of the companies we represent are good at taking care of the customer. That’s a key for us to represent them.Dave: How could the prospect of government modicaon of Secon 179 aect your business?Je: A lot of our customers know about the Secon 179 benet to them. There are some that don’t, and we try to make sure we help them understand the benets of that.As the deducon limit goes up, it can help the business, and the opposite is true, if the deducon limit goes down, it doesn’t help them as much.I think we’re looking at a limit of 1.2 million now, and there’s only a handful of our customers that that big number will help, but for those it will help, it’s a great deduconDave: What is your company succession plan?Je: Well, for those members of the Western Hardwood Associaon who aended our convenon saw, our plan is in place. We are proud to announce that our son, Jacob Maguire, has joined the company and seems to really enjoy what he’s doing. Our mission is not to go sell something. We want to learn what our customer’s business is, and if there’s something keeping them from growing, or geng the producon they need to make a prot, we want to come alongside them and provide a soluon. Jacob has adopted that mission and is doing a great job!The Patrick Lumber Company Board of Directors recently announced the appointment of Natalie Heacock as the new president. (You may have met Natalie if you aended the WHA Annual Convenon in September.) Heacock brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of building strong teams within both Patrick’s trading and nance groups. Her dedicaon, experse and visionary leadership make her an excellent choice to guide the company through its next phase of growth and success.Heacock has been with Patrick Lumber Company since May 2014. As CFO since 2021, Heacock has ne-tuned nancial processes and ensured smooth operaons across the nance, accounng, IT and HR departments, according to a company representave. Addionally, she serves on the board of directors, contribung deeply to the company’s strategic direcon.“We are condent that Natalie’s leadership as President and CFO will drive our company to new heights,” said CEO Dave Halsey. “Her commitment to our core values and her innovave approach will connue to enhance our relaonships with customers, suppliers, employees and the communies we serve.”NewsEarnings for frontline employees ck up: Real average hourly earnings increased 0.1% over the month and 1.8% over the past year for producon and nonsupervisory employees in September. Before adjusng for inaon, average hourly earnings for manufacturing frontline workers rose 5.6% in September.Why it maers: Real average hourly earnings increased more for frontline employees than earnings for all employees, which grew 1.5% from last year. - excerpted from “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - October 15, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.Boeing strike makes an impact: Industrial producon fell 0.3% in September, and the decline was inuenced signicantly by the strike of Boeing workers and the eects of two hurricanes. Manufacturing output decreased 0.4%, with aerospace and miscellaneous transportaon

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12equipment dropping a dramac 8.3%.Why it maers: Given Boeing’s signicant impact in transit equipment producon, the strike will suppress industrial producon in October’s report, but the tentave deal could lead to a bounce back in November.Manufacturers’ sales fall, while inventories ck up: Manufacturers’ sales fell 0.5% in August but were 1.0% higher compared to August 2023. Manufacturers’ inventories inched up 0.1% in August and increased 0.6% from August 2023.What it means: Manufacturers’ inventories remain signicantly elevated compared to their pre-pandemic level, which could connue to suppress trucking demand. - excerpted from “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - October 21, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.Mount Baker School District to receive funding from controversial mber sale: A local school district may be receiving some necessary funding from a controversial mber sale in Whatcom County. On Oct. 1, the Washington State Board of Natural Resources approved the sale of mber from Lile Lilly. The property is a four-unit, 89-acre site located near the Van Zandt Dike. The Mount Baker School District is named by the state as one of the main beneciaries of the sale. District leaders wrote a leer to the Whatcom County Council in September explaining the signicance of mber revenue to the district in light of its current budget decit. It named recent delays in mber sales as a major contributor to the decit, which caused the district to lay o 23 teachers earlier this year. Read moreSan Group is curtailing operaons at its sawmill and value-added manufacturing plant in Port Alberni, BC. The company is seeking more raw materials in the hopes of resuming operaons by early November. The San Group is temporarily shung down its large-log sawmill and value-added manufacturing plant in Port Alberni, aecng about 75 workers, due to a shortage of logs.The company is seeking more supply in the hopes of resuming operaons by early November, Kevin Somerville, company vice-president of operaons, said Thursday. - Wilson, C. (2024, October 18). San Group is curtailing operaons at its sawmill and value-added manufacturing plant in Port Alberni. Times Colonist. hps://www.mescolonist.com/business/san-group-is-curtailing-operaons-at-its-sawmill-and-value-added-manufacturing-plant-in-port-alberni-9675481

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13Who Will Save the Forest Service? - A growing crisis is brewing for the U.S. Forest Service as it faces major budget cuts, forcing it to halt hiring of seasonal workers — those who are crucial for keeping forests safe, healthy, and accessible. These temporary sta members, who maintain trails, manage wildre risks, and protect endangered wildlife, are essenal to conservaon eorts. Without them, Vox reports, vital work could come to a standsll. Read moreSupreme Court NEPA case gets a calendar date - The Supreme Court will consider a closely watched challenge to the scope of agencies' Naonal Environmental Policy Act reviews before the end of this year. On Friday, the jusces scheduled oral arguments for Seven County Infrastructure Coalion v. Eagle County for Dec. 10. The case is the only environmental challenge added to the court's newly published December calendar. The case has important implicaons for how agencies weigh climate risks posed by major projects. It centers on whether agencies should be required to consider environmental eects that agencies do not have direct authority to regulate and that do not occur near the project itself. Read moreThe evoluon of the "Timber Capital of the World" - Douglas County and mber oen go hand in hand. An industry that gave Douglas County its name as the Timber Capitol of the World has changed. Once the catalyst for Douglas County and Oregon’s economy, the mber industry has been dominated by courts, legislaon and reform of land stewardship regulaons. These changes forced the industry to make necessary adjustments to stay viable. “Impact to the local industry came about in the ‘90s when you had the federal mber supply cratered with the spoed owl and the Northwest Forest Plan and those types of things,” said Douglas Timber Operators Execuve Director Ma Hill. “We lost half our mills then.” Read moreHurricane Helene traversed 8.9 million acres of Georgia’s forest land, and the Georgia Forest Commission esmates a total mber resource impact of $1.28 billion.GFC also said that they are working with state and federal partners to determine what resources might be available for impacted landowners.In 2023, when Hurricane Idalia hit Georgia, a total of 6.59 million acres were in the storm path, but only 116,526 acres were impacted. The GFC said that of the 116,526 acres impacted, 11,069 acres were damaged, causing $9.26 million in mber losses. Adams, L. (2024, October 14). Helene impact on mber resources expected to reach $1.28 billion. Woodworking Network. hps://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/helene-impact-mber-resources-expected-reach-128-billionInternaonal Paper will close facilies in 4 states and lay o hundreds. The recently disclosed layos will occur in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee in mid-December. These are in addion to 650 layos conrmed last week. I This follows the company last week conrming 650 layos across its headquarters and a separate manufacturing site in Texas, which are part of a “transformaonal journey” to become more protable. Pyzyk, K. (2024, October 21). Internaonal Paper to close facilies in 4 states, lay o hundreds. Packaging Dive. hps://www.packagingdive.com/news/internaonal-paper-closures-layos-kansas-city-cleveland-tennessee-statesville-north-carolina/730415/Conservaonists urge Ninth Circuit to nix federal forest-thinning project in California - A group of conservaon organizaons asked a Ninth Circuit panel on Monday to overturn a lower court judge and vacate the U.S. Forest Service's approval of forest thinning in Southern California. The Forest Service has violated the Naonal Environmental Policy Act by relying on so-called categorical exclusions to avoid compleng a standard environmental review for the logging project on Pine Mountain Ridge in Ventura County, Margaret Hall, an aorney for the organizaons, told the appellate panel in San Francisco. Read moreFor the last 30 years, shrub and grass res have burned far more acres and destroyed more property in the West than forest res, and the same was true this season. Sll, Republicans in the U.S. House – including Oregon’s two Republican representaves – are hoping Congress will pass a bill before year’s end that would tackle increasingly large wildres in the West by scaling back environmental regulaons to make it easier to log and cut vegetaon in federal forests, which account for more than 60% of the forests in Oregon. Proposed by Arkansas Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman and California Democrat Rep. Sco Peters, the “Fix Our Forests Act” passed the U.S. House on Sept. 24 with 268 representaves in favor and 151 opposed, including Oregon’s four Democrac representaves. It is expected to get a vote in the U.S. Senate aer the November general elecon, according to Hank Stern, a spokesperson for Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat. Baumhardt, A. (2024b, October 11). Sharp Divide in Oregon over Bill to step up logging to prevent wildres • Oregon Capital Chronicle. Oregon Capital Chronicle. hps://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/10/11/oregons-congressional-members-sharply-divided-over-bill-to-step-up-logging-to-prevent-wildres/Oregon struggles to recover more than $24 million from people responsible for wildres - Each year, the Oregon Department of Forestry responds to about 1,000 wildres across the 16 million acres of land it protects. It invesgates the cause of every re, and if a person or group is found to have been negligent or malicious in starng or spreading a signicant re, the agency pursues reimbursement for its reghng costs. The agency has not

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14been very successful in recouping those costs, according to a report discussed at a March meeng of the four-member Emergency Fire Cost Commiee. The report showed the forestry department spent at least $24 million to respond to 36 signicant res caused or spread negligently or maliciously by people or groups since 2004, and that in pursuing reimbursement, it has collected just $86,000 from “responsible pares.” Baumhardt, A. (2024, October 2). Oregon struggles to recover more than $24m from people responsible for wildres. oregonlive. hps://www.oregonlive.com/polics/2024/10/oregon-struggles-to-recover-more-than-24m-from-people-responsible-for-wildres.htmlFor the London Design Fesval 2024, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is presenng Vert, a sustainable engineered mber structure built to cool cies and increase biodiversity in urban environments.Designed by leading industrial design studio Diez Oce in collaboraon with urban greening specialists OMCºC, Vert showcases the potenal of two versale mber products – American Red Oak glued laminated mber and thermally modied mber (TMT) – while providing a calm, shaded space for visitors to enjoy.Over the past decade and a half, AHEC has presented a number of experimental structural projects showcasing innovaons in hardwood, such as glued cross-laminated mber (CLT). Vert connues with this important work, this me focusing on highlighng the potenal of American Red Oak glued laminated wood (glulam). - American hardwood export council newsleer. (2024, October 21).You can read more in the October Naonal Hardwood Magazine. MovateTaken from SURPRISE: Creavity is a Skill not a Gi! by Robert Evans Wilson, JrIn today’s fast-paced market, creavity is vital for businesses to stay compeve. Contrary to popular belief, creavity is not a rare gi but a skill anyone can develop, according to Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. While many think they lack creavity—oen due to a society that values conformity—innovaon is possible at any age. Culvang creavity starts by seeing familiar things in new ways. Nobel Laureate Albert Georgyi once said, “Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” This approach invites us to reexamine the ordinary and pursue dierent perspecves, especially when faced with problems that need soluons. As Wilson notes, frustraons can also be opportunies. Tasks we dislike may lead to creave improvements and even lucrave ideas.Wilson describes key traits of innovave thinkers that anyone can emulate. First, they believe they are creave, which fuels their condence. Second, they’re exible, readily abandoning tradional approaches and rules. He suggests praccing this by nding alternave uses for everyday items like paperclips or by combining two unrelated objects to spark new ideas. Another hallmark of creave thinkers is their exposure to diverse experiences, which builds new neural pathways in the brain. Despite our tendency to follow rounes, stepping out of comfort zones is essenal. Wilson encourages reading on unfamiliar topics or listening to new genres of radio as simple ways to invite fresh perspecves. These acvies broaden mental exibility, preparing us for unique soluons when problems arise.To spur creavity, Wilson introduces praccal methods, such as “Put It in Wring.” This involves lisng everything about a problem as if explaining it to someone unfamiliar, oen revealing new angles or soluons. For team sengs, he recommends brainstorming—an idea-generang method where all ideas are accepted, cricism is avoided, and quanty is encouraged over immediate quality. This helps ideas evolve through group feedback, leading to breakthrough insights.In embracing creavity, Wilson believes we not only handle challenges more eecvely but also enrich our lives through novel experiences and opportunies. He urges readers to pursue unconvenonal choices and new smuli, which can lead to surprising and valuable insights.Robert Evans Wilson, Jr., is an author and innovaon consultant who works with organizaons to foster compeve thinking and help individuals become innovators. He is also the author of The Annoying Ghost Kid. For more, visit www.jumpstartyourmeeng.com. Read the full arcle: Wilson, R. E. (2013, June 30). Surprise: Creavity is a skill not a gi!. Psychology Today. hps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-main-ingredient/201306/surprise-creavity-is-skill-not-gi

November 2024 Hardwood Stand

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