The event is a home-coming for me because the ICSC is my alma mater, and as well as extending a welcome to alumni and other creativity experts, it also provided tremendous refreshment in thought and connection making.
Here’s what I learned and relearned at this year’s Creativity Expert Exchange (CEE).
- The spread of ICSC’s discipline is extending into China in a variety of ways
- Online collaborative environments for teaching creativity-thinking related courses is working
- Frameworks for using technology to teach students about creativity is being explored
- Educational cultures at schools are being transformed so that students and teachers leverage creativity thinking to deepen learning and vary learning experiences
- People are curious to know what people do with a degree in creativity
- Research is being conducted to see if there’s anything behind the assertion that undergraduate students who take creative studies courses are more likely to graduate than are those who do not
- Modeling how children explore and learn provides adults with insights into expanding expectations and understanding of the creativity process overall
- ICSC students, faculty and alum are producing meaningful products in creative process, experience and knowledge for students, parents and teachers that are showing remarkable positive effect
- We are leaving linear thinking behind and moving forward with relational learning and decision-making
- Interpersonal ‘frequencies’ that is, the energy patterns of people, can influence the nature of their interactions and decisions
- It’s great to be in an environment in which people know that questions are welcome, new ideas are welcome, and feedback for actions is the norm
One topic which wasn’t on the agenda, though was discussed during meals and breaks was that of professional ethics in the creativity field. One morning I woke up with this upsetting bumper sticker image in my brain, “Just because I am a creativity professional doesn’t mean I’m ethical.” I kind of wish it were true though – that creativity professionals could be trusted for their practice.
Events such as these where creativity professionals gather trigger my wonder about the growth of the creativity field
- what can people expect from creativity professionals, experts, and practitioners?
- is it important to have a consistent understanding of their roles, responsibilities, scope, behaviors and deliverables?
Do you think it’s important? Do you feel that every creativity professional should share the same basic knowledge and fundamental practice? Accountants, for example, all know about balance sheets; engineers, about the laws of physics, teachers know about pedagogy. Regardless of the school one attends, there are certain ‘professional’ standard courses people take in their own discipline. I’m not sure if that exists in the creativity field, do you?
- What do you suppose all creativity professionals would know of they all shared a disciplinary core?
- What assumptions do you suppose they all might operate from?
- What do you suppose their motto or code might be?
]]>
Oh, Mabel Behave (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Every so often for a break I clean out files. Here’s today’s find, a gem. Questions for people in helping roles to consider (adapted from Fundamentals of Counseling Shertzer and Stone, 1974 p.8).
What if these are questions are for creativity facilitators as well. You think? Should they be?
- Can I behave in some way which will be perceived by the other person as trustworthy, dependable, or consistent?
- Can I be expressive enough so that I will communicate unambiguously?
- Can I let myself experience positive attitudes towards the people I’m working with – warmth, caring, liking, interest and respect?
- Can I be strong enough as a person to be separate from the group and not own their content?
- Am I secure enough to permit others’ their unique identities and not try to force my will on them?
- Can I let myself enter fully into the world of the others’ feelings and personal meanings and see them as they do?
- Can I receive people as they are? Can I communicate this attitude?
- Can I act with sufficient sensitivity in the relationship that my behaviour will not be perceived of as a threat?
- Can I free others from the threat of external evaluation?
- Can I meet this group or person as people who are in the process of creating something new and not be bound by their past and by my past?
Do you feel it’s important for creativity facilitators to ascribe to a code of behaviour? Just wondering…
Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership; Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures; Founder and Steward, World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – 21. Speaker, facilitator, author. Executive team building, innovation programs.
]]>
Failure is a positive act of creativity,” Katie Salen said. Scientists, artists, engineers, and even entrepreneurs can advance their learning through having fun.
See on blogs.kqed.org
Marci Segal, MS. Creativity and Change Leadership. Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.
]]>
What if….
You used these questions, modified as needed, to interview idea candidates for your next great idea. That’s right, pretend your short list of ideas are people.
What do you suppose would happen if you asked each idea the questions that follow?
What kind of responses might you get?
What might you learn to help you decide on the best option for now?
What new thinking might emerge, what new perspectives?
Wondering…Do you think doing this exercise of interviewing your ideas is a waste of time?
The Questions
If we’re sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it’s been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?
When have you been most satisfied in your life?
If you got hired, loved everything about this job, and are paid the salary you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
Who is your role model, and why?
What things do you not like to do?
Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
Tell me how…
What’s your superpower, or what’s your spirit animal?
Why have you had x amount of jobs in y years?
We’re constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to do more–with less. Tell me about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.
Discuss a specific accomplishment you’ve achieved in a previous position that indicates you will thrive in this position.
So, (insert name), what’s your story?
What questions do you have for me?
Tell us about a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted– like a promotion you wanted and didn’t get, or a project that didn’t turn out how you had hoped.
For full text see 14 Revealing Interview Questions by Jeff Haden in Inc.com in their Managing Process Innovation Tab.
Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.
Related articles
]]>
Even though it’s stacked with truisms, its eight minutes give pause for reflecting about the confusion of our times. Watching it enables you to forgive everyone else (what are also experiencing this confusion and likely not talking about it) who seem to be standing in your way.
One of my take aways is that creativity and innovation involves randomness and many organizations manage any chance of randomness away. Curious to know your comments.
I wonder what latent idea you have for celebrating World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15- 21, 2013 will surface as a result of watching this film.
Marci Segal, MS. Creativity and Change Leadership: Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.
Related articles
]]>
C=ƒa {K I E}
Creativity equals the function of an attitude multiplied by knowledge, imagination and evaluation.
Makes sense, no?
Here are two thought journeys for you. What outcomes might you expect from both?
You are faced with a challenge to solve and:
- You are in a positive, open-minded inquisitively curious mood.
- You are in a grumpy, stubborn, anxious, disappointed mood.
How might your experience and outcome be different in one mood scenario to the next?
For references and research findings on attitude and creativity, check out the Broaden and Build Theory by Frederickson; Dan Pink’s Drive and Teresa Amabile‘s work. Feel free to suggest other resources, so we can add them.
Marci Segal, MS, Creativity and Change Leadership; Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures
Related articles
]]>A New Year Exercise to Pave the Way for Galloping Synchronicities
The New Year is a great time to reflect. This exercise comes from Jean Houston. If you do the steps be ready to experience strange and wonderful coincidences because it sets a powerful and clear intention and allows your creative and ‘deep mind’ to begin working.
To fully engage, it’s important to play the role of someone who is fully receptive to honouring thoughts, ideas, images and memories as they appear as if out of nowhere. Honouring them means to write them down without prejudging; to go with the flow, as it were.
Step 1
Divide a piece of paper in three columns
- At the top of the first column write, What do I want from the universe? Allow yourself to write whatever comes.
- At the top of the second column, What does the universe want from me? Allow yourself to write whatever comes.
- At the top of the third column, What do we want together? What do the universe and I want? Allow yourself to write whatever comes.
Step 2: When you have completed the first set, put the paper aside for a few hours.
Come back to it in a few hours with this adaptation to the previous questions; the 1st column, deeper still, what do I want from the universe?, the 2nd column, deeper still, what does the universe want from me?, and the 3rd column, deeper still, what do we (myself and the universe) want together?
Step 3: Let the questions and your responses gestate for a few days.
Come back to this exercise when you are feeling in a particularly receptive or spiritual mindset. Return to the three questions with this adaptation; deepest yet, what do I want from the universe?, deepest yet, what does the universe want from me?, and deepest yet, what do we want together? After writing your additional and deeper responses, continue.
Step 4: Ask yourself these questions to instill the journey
- What talents are available?
- What are the support and resources available?
- What needs to be added?
- What is this looking like?
- What do we need to work together?
Step 5: Finally, ask the universe…
Go back to the universe and say – okay universe – this is what we need. What else is missing? Write down everything that comes.
This exercise sets a powerful and clear intention and allows your creative and ‘deep mind’ to begin working on it. I’d love to hear about your experience with this method. Mine has been profound repeatedly over the years. Thanks to Marcy Nelson-Garrison of Coaching Toys for re-sending this classic.
Marci Segal, MS, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.
Related articles
]]>The rules for filing a US patent will change this spring. They will honour inventors who are first to file, rather than those first to invent. see Leahy-Smith America Invents Act Implementation.
Today’s Questions
- What do you like about this change?
- What future positive potentials are presented because of this?
- In what ways might this will influence the creativity of big business or/and entrepreneurs?
- What does each industry stand to gain and lose? Tech, pharma, consumer goods, etc?
- What effect might this have on business schools? Science schools?
- Do you feel that entrepreneurship will take on a new flavour, direction? How so?
- What new business ideas emerge for you knowing these rules are about to change?
Marci Segal, Freeing leaders’ thinking so they can create new futures.
Related articles
The New Patent Law: End of Entrepreneurship? Forbes, Robert Jordan
]]>The invention process began with the idea originator asking, “What would happen if… I crashed and no one I knew was close by?”
Looking for an innovation opportunity? Asking What if… might give you a leg up too.
Marci Segal
Related articles
]]>Greetings all. A few quick questions.
Do people ask for a call with you, by phone or Skype and then either
- call much later than planned, or
- change the time/date just on the cusp of the call occurring?
- Does this happen to you too? Are people calling you later than planned or asking to reschedule meetings last-minute? If yes, are you noticing this happening more often than in the past? Do you foresee tardiness for meetings increasing or decreasing in the future?
- Are you someone who asks to change meeting plans last-minute? If yes, do you notice doing this more often than in the past? Any insights in terms of what might be driving the behaviour? Do you foresee this behaviour changing in the future?
Many people talk about losing control these days as conditions continue to erupt and change. This tiny repeated last-minute-meeting-changing behaviour might show how uncertainty is a part of our day-to-day lives if my theory holds.
Where does innovation and creativity fit into this picture? Creativity involves using new ideas and making new decisions brought about by tapping the imagination and challenging assumptions. What can we assume about meeting times, and how best to manage the expectations of when they will start and stop?
What if, eh?
]]>