Evaluating Your Creativity - Building 21st Century Skills

Hello and Welcome to Evaluating Your Creativity!

Watch:

Welcome to Evaluating Your Creativity Video

I am happy and grateful that you signed up for this course. It will be a fun and exciting bootcamp. Different than any other you have ever taken.

This bootcamp is designed to introduce you to creative thinking and to help you become more aware of your creativity through a four-pillar framework. Like anything in life, the more you put into it, the more you will get out.

We all have some experience with creativity. We had it as kids and somehow have lost that skill. This course is meant to help reconnect with that past and to learn about the foundations of your creative ability so you can build that creative muscle as you would to become better at any skill. If we view ourselves as creative already, then we will learn how to not be so critical, to turn down that critic in our head, or the self-sabotaging that inhibits us to level up.

This is one of many bootcamps offered at the School of Creativity and Innovation. More are being launched as you read this.

Watch:

How to Complete the Evaluating Your Creativity Book?

Here is the Book:

Digital Copy of the Evaluating Your Creativity Book

The bootcamp has three main components for learning.

Your learning journey will include:

1. Content - learn by readings and tutorial videos
2. Practice - learn by doing in the book and projects
3. Share - learn through others by sharing your work and commenting on others work. Be positive and encouraging. We are on this together.

The bootcamp is broken down into modules where you will find the steps to complete this training. Within each module, there are content, exercises, and reflection. Exercises and assessments are embedded in the digital workbook for this bootcamp. The workbook is titled Evaluating Your Creativity. The workbook is included as part of your enrollment in this bootcamp, which takes time to complete. Please make time in your week to complete the exercises and review the content and projects. All modules will open over the first couple of days. You are to manage your own time to complete them over the two-week course. Everyone has different schedules so some people will work ahead and some will follow a week 1 and week 2 approach to completing the bootcamp. It's up to you and your learning needs.

The bootcamp is made up of five modules and four corresponding workbook exercises. The modules are as follows:

• Module 1 Demystifying Creativity! Grounding What is Creativity?
• Module 2 Finding Your Flow: Evidence for the Creative Person
• Module 3 Assessing Your Creative Environment: Building A Creative System
• Module 4 Assessing Your Creative Process: Building Your Creative Skills
• Module 5 Assessing Creative Products and Services: What Makes Then Unique 

The workbook Evaluating Your Creativity: Assessment and Exercise (digital) (9781649504845) can be downloaded here. We recommend you review Pages 1-6 at this time.

How often do we meet over the two weeks?

• We will be meeting 1x a week. (All will be recorded and shared)

When do we meet virtually?

• First (Kickoff) and Second (Midway) Saturday of the Bootcamp (Bootcamp is 2weeks)

What time do we meet virtually?

• Saturdays 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST — 9:00 am -10:00PT

Where is the link to meet virtually?

• Click this link to be taken to the virtual meeting (insert link)

Complete the Projects, Assessments, and Exercises Below

How to Stay Connected: I am available to help guide you through the time we have together. I'm committed to you. I've set up a GroupMe for our bootcamp. It's basically a group chat. This will be the fastest way to contact me.

You're invited to my new group 'Maven Evaluating Your Creative Cohort' on Group Chat. Click here to join: (add link)

I look forward to taking this journey with you!

Your Co-Pilot on this journey,

Steve

What this Module is About:

Creativity is an essential skill and arguably one of the central focuses of what humans do. With the rapid change in society and business, creativity is innate in all people and can be nurtured, however, translating this to how we as individuals can unlock our creative ability poses its own challenges. New and better ideas are constantly needed for almost every aspect of our professional and personal lives. The goal of this bootcamp is to help you recognize, develop, and act upon the creativity that you already possess so you can meet the goals and desires you seek.

We will accomplish this using a series of methods.

By the end of this module you should be able to:

1. Identify the characteristics of creativity, the creative environment, the creative person, and the creative product.
2. Discuss the importance of creativity to your current and/or future career.
3. Develop creative problem-solving skills using the basic elements of the creative process.
4. Synthesize the concepts and characteristics of creativity to evaluate ideas and creative elements.
5. Examine the concepts and characteristics of creativity as they apply to your personal experiences with the creative environment, the creative person, and the creative product.

Watch: Ground Creativity and What Makes Us Human?

Why Study or Learn About Creativity? and How it will help you in Your Future Job or in Life?

According to the recent World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report

 " proficiency in new technologies is only one part of the 2022 skills equation, however, as ‘human’ skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion, and negotiation will likewise retain or increase their value, as will attention to detail, resilience, flexibility, and complex problem-solving. Emotional intelligence, leadership, and social influence, as well as service orientation, also see an outsized increase in demand relative to their current prominence."

Moreover, growing evidence suggests businesses and organizations are looking for creative people regardless of their industry, role, or profession. A recent IBM study of 1,500 CEOs revealed that creativity is the single most important skill for leaders. In a workforce preparedness study conducted by the Conference Board, 97% of employers said that creativity is of increasing importance.

The Educational System Does Not Support Creativity

WEF report states that "many of today’s education systems are already disconnected from the skills needed to function in today’s labor markets".

It goes on to underline how schools tend to focus primarily on developing our cognitive skills – or skills within more traditional subjects – rather than fostering skills like problem-solving, creativity, or collaboration from an early age. We have focused on teaching to the test and learning factual knowledge but the skills needed to adapt to an increasingly complex and changing work environment. 

Why Build Our Creative Thinking Muscle? 

The demand for creativity and innovation courses has accelerated in recent years, reflecting their disillusionment with a world created by others. We are at a time when we question organizations and institutions and if they have the best interest in mind for their employees. Job for life doesn't exist as it did for our grandparents. Instead of relying on others to give you a paycheck, millennials, Gen Z's want to shape their own future and not hope there are jobs or careers that others define. Creativity and Innovation break that cycle so students and individuals can define careers and paths that they define not what others define for them. 

What it Means to be Creative: Ability to Solve Problems with Relevance and Novelty

When many people think of creativity, they think of artists, graphic designers, writers, painters, etc. We have all heard stories of genius and creative people. We praise companies like Apple, Tesla, and Facebook because of their creativity.

But that’s not what it means to be creative, because creativity doesn’t mean artistry or being tied to a specific industry, job, role, or position. Yes, an artist could be creative, but so could a software engineer, a mathematician, a salesperson, or a CEO. This means YOU. Yes, YOU! are CREATIVE. This class will help you explore that creativity and help you analyze how you can be more creative. 

What Does Creativity Mean? What does it actually mean to be Creative?

Short History:

The concept of creativity has been of interest in the Western world for a long time. Initially, it was associated with religious creation, but during the Romantic era, the focus shifted toward individual creativity. However, individual creativity hasn't always been highly valued in society, as technical skill mastery was seen as more imitative than creative. The novel "My Name is Red" by Pamuk highlights that excellence in imitation requires a level of creativity that only experts can recognize. While creativity has been studied from various perspectives, psychology has played a significant role in current research.

There are many definitions of creativity, but they generally agree on its main features. Creativity is often examined in terms of the person, product, and process, and different theoretical lenses are used to study it. The social environment and context in which creativity occurs also receive varying emphasis. According to Sternberg and Lubart, creativity can be defined as the ability to produce work that is both novel and appropriate, considering the constraints of the task. Creativity is not solely about novelty, but about making the novelty emerge from an established system or context.

Creativity is often associated with thinking outside the box, where ideas or actions are evaluated against existing boundaries. It may involve stretching or even violating the system in an appropriate manner, either by changing its borders or creating a new system. While some define creativity as the production of something novel and valuable, using the term "appropriate" or "effective" helps distinguish it from innovation. Innovation refers to the introduction of a creative product or process with market value, contributing to economic performance. Creativity requires social confirmation, while innovation requires market viability.

Defining Creativity: (the definition we will use for the BootCamp)

Creativity can be defined in many ways (person, product, service, process, mindset, etc..) and we will explore them based on context and what we are viewing and how we are interpreting. For this class and to build a common understanding in relation to our jobs and work Stefan Mumaw suggests “Creativity is problem-solving with relevance and novelty.”

Let’s break that definition down into two parts:

• Relevancy: Relevancy means actually solving the problem. As in, it was relevant to the problem at hand and provided an actual solution to it. A solution without relevancy is no solution at all.
• Novelty: Novelty is harder to judge, but it’s when you are able to solve a problem in an original way. A way that isn’t what’s expected or has been done before. 

Putting it together, creativity is about solving problems in an original way. This also highlights the importance of context (i.e. relevance and novelty) because without those requirements creativity out of context or having no relevance has limited or no value in solving the problem. 

Back to Why Creativity is Important?

Using this definition of what creativity is, why is it the most important skill for professionals today?

It really comes down to commoditization. Anything (almost) that can be automated has been automated or soon will be automated, which cuts down on a lot of process-orientated tasks.

Example:

Use the example of the news industry. In the old days of newspapers, it took teams of people to set the layout of the paper, create the printing press, print the paper, and then deliver it to subscribers. Today, with most news dispersed electronically, virtually all of that process-driven work is automated.

What’s left? Journalists who can tell news stories that cut through the noise and connect with people. That takes creativity; i.e. a relevant and novel solution – what are the stories that aren’t being told already that people want to hear?

That same phenomenon is happening across every industry and every function. Software companies don’t just want someone who can write code, they want someone who can dream up new software to fix old problems.

Companies don't want business analysts or accountants who just crunch numbers; they want analysts who can think of creative solutions based on what the numbers are telling them. (You also saw in the jobs report some of these skills are becoming less important). It is also connected to the quality of life and job.

Do you really want to do the same thing over and only talk to your spreadsheets? (yes it's true people can be difficult but that is the future and it's here right now!!)

Myths of Creativity:

There is a long list of myths that we are trained to believe about creativity. This has influenced how we see our own creativity and how we see others. 

Watch:

The Great Hoax of Creativity the Other Dirty C Word

Listen:

The Creative Life Podcast: Creativity, Innovation and Inspiring Ideas | James Taylor : 

CL091: David Burkus on the myths of creativity

Complete:

Complete the Projects, Assessments, and Exercises Below

**Check out our new bootcamps coming soon on Maven**

“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Watch:

Embracing Reflective Creativity Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci

What is Creative Thinking?

While there is no unified theory of creativity, research highlights creativity can be learned and one can improve their mindset to be more creative. The cognitive view frames this mindset as creative thinking. 

Creative thinking is the process that enables people to produce novel and useful responses to open-ended challenges (meaning the answer isn't so clear) and opportunities. It is a cognitive, metacognitive, and affective skill set that is based on a higher order of thinking.  

What is Flow? and Why is it relevant?

Watch:

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Book Review

Defining Flow:

According to Csikszentmihalyi (1990) (flow is) “A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

Flow can be the state of this higher-order of thinking as Mihaly describes. 

New Research on Flow: A Modern View of Flow: Unpacking Flow 

Watch:

Moving our lives from Languishing to Flow

Breaking Creative Thinking Down:

Many approaches and thought processes have been developed but two common views of creative thinking are broken down: (must be a balance of both)

Divergent Thinking- a broad search for many diverse and novel alternatives.  These are creative options without evaluating them. (Brainstorming)

Convergent Thinking- a focused and affirmative evaluation of novel alternatives. It is "applying judgment to determine which of the options we generated are the most appealing."

This is the part that we are narrowing down to select options, ideas, and solutions. (Evaluation)

Watch:

Convergent Thinking Versus Divergent Thinking

Connecting to Play:

The creative process is made up of cycles of divergence (where we entertain widely different ideas) as well as moments of convergence (where we align on a shared vision or path forward). While we often associate play with divergence, play can also bring optimism, unity, and even clarification to the process of converging and decision-making.

Problem-Solving and Idea Generation:

Idea generation is described as the process of creating, developing, and communicating abstract, concrete, or visual ideas.

Using both divergent and convergent thinking and following the key principles of:

• Seek diverse inputs
• Defer judgment
• Go for quantity
• Make connections
• Seek Novelty

Watch:

Three Cognitive Tools to Adopt in Your Creative Practice

Inputs to be Creative:

6-Steps to take to help you be more creative (on top of journaling)

Creativity Assumes Change:

Without change, there would be only the same. The same food, same service, same products. There would be no progress. A systems approach to understanding creativity identifies the factors that influence change.

A Systems Approach and The Four Factors Influencing Change are:

1. Persons- people involved in the process. They bring their experience, knowledge, and imagination or are the end-user who is to enact the change.
2. Process- the phases and methods individuals and teams use to develop creative ideas or solutions. 
3. Environment- the setting and factors outside the individuals that play a part in impacting the process and creative behavior of individuals. 
4. Product- the end tangible or intangible outcome that influences the change.

Watch:

Check-In and Reminder Video 

Complete:

Complete the Projects, Assessments, and Exercises Below

**Check out our new bootcamps coming soon on Maven**

Bootcamp Marker:

At this point in the course you should have completed the Welcome Module, Module 1, Module 2, and this Module in preparation for our live session this Saturday. I look forward to hearing about the progress you have made.

Assessing Your Creative Environment:

Being and expanding your creativity is a powerful keystone habit you can acquire. If done correctly, you will show up better in every area of your life -- every area! Creativity does not happen in a vacuum. It must be nurtured. We will build that environment so creativity can be cared for.

Watch:

The Importance of Creative Spaces and Environments

Reminder: We will be meeting this Saturday (2nd Saturday for the midpoint)

Here is what you need to know and how to get there.

When do we meet virtually?

• First (Kickoff) and Second (Midway) Saturday of the Bootcamp (Bootcamp is 2weeks)

What time do we meet virtually?

• Saturdays 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST — 9:00 am -10:00PT

Where is the link to meet virtually?

• Click this link to be taken to the virtual meeting (insert link)

Complete:

Complete the Projects, Assessments, and Exercises Below

**Check out our new bootcamps coming soon on Maven**