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We'll examine creativity this time in Think, PR pro - and old friend - Chris Kuechenmeister from Hill and Knowlton gives us tips on developing sound bites, and we have a wide range of useful links, too. Let's get started.

All humans have the potential for creativity. But like any other skill, it requires some work to get good. Let's examine the five steps to creativity.

First on the list: opportunities. You must look for chances to be creative and you can't let old friend fear of failure get in your way. Take risks instead of settling for the status quo. Examine your daily routine. List all the things you do by rote and look for ways to improve them.

Training is our next step. Whether you seek out classes, or you go the DIY route, there is plenty of material available to you. Read How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, or Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono. Pick up the Creative Whack Pack by Roger von Oech or Michael Machalko's ThinkPak.

The creative process requires encouragement. Seek out creative mentors. Hang out with other creative people who have positive attitudes. Negative nannies suck the creativity right out of you. Avoid them.

Practice your newfound creativity. Remember, ideas can come from both success and failure. Thomas Edison learned 1,800 ways not to build a light bulb before he found his first way that produced light.

Finally, our most important step: belief that you are creative. A quick story to illustrate: A New York publisher was concerned about the lack of creativity among his editorial and marketing staff. He hired psychologists to try to determine what differentiated the creative employees from the others. After a year of study, the psychologists discovered that there was only one difference between creative and non-creative employees: belief in their creativity. Creative employees believed they were creative, and the non-creative ones believed they were not.

I believe that you are creative. Now, it's your turn. Here's a piece I wrote on creativity that contains some additional information to help sculpt the creative new you.

We've heard the good, the bad and the Johnnie Cochran quips in between, and as one of the most essential media relations tools, sound bites are an element that can make or break any story. We all have our favorites and the strong sound bites, like the one above, make a lasting impression. What many need to keep in mind is that these gems rarely appear out of the blue and usually are the result of careful planning and creativity.

We also need to remember that sound bites include much more than what we hear on the evening news. In fact, from the time you pick up the phone to pitch a story to the last question of your client's interview, it is the sound bite that opens the door and shows you in or slams the door and shuts the lights on your story. Sound bites are as important in our interaction with the media behind the scenes, as they are with our clients in front of a reporter.

While preparing pitches, interviews, media training or message development, there are a few ideas to keep in mind as you craft your sound bites:

• KISS - the old PR rule still applies, as you should try to keep your sound bite to three thoughts or less. As always, simplicity sells.
• People respond to emotional versus factual - unfortunately...or fortunately, the ability to touch someone personally many times goes further than the most detailed of statistics.
• Alliteration and rhyme work all the time - these communication kick-starts are a great way to ingrain your sound bites in the minds of your audience. "If it does not fit, you must acquit." - enough said.
• Imagery and action words bring sound bites to life -- instead of "looking forward to a recovering economy by the end of the year," it is much more effective if we are "shooting for an economic jump-start by the fourth quarter."
• Analogies and metaphors -- allow you to use common denominators from pop culture, sports, food or the weather to give your sound bites a creative edge that will stick with your audience. Lack of creativity leaves your sound bites as memorable as Tom Arnold's acting career.

Regardless of the person, product or pitch, an effective sound bite can grab the attention of any audience - journalists included. From "read my lips, no new taxes," to "I'll be floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee," well-thought-out sound bites have established their place in our profession and will continue to play a crucial role in everything we do.