Hamlet, A Creative Thinking Cautionary Tale
Wittenburg, Hamlet’s forward thinking university, has instilled in its student all the promise of the Renaissance, but has not equipped him to navigate the old system it opposes.
In this parable there is a cautionary tale. for those of us so dedicated to “creative thought and action” (R. A. Beghetto and J. Kaufman, personal communication, November 16, 2016) that we pursue it via higher education. We, like Hamlet, stand for a body of knowledge and collection of perspectives that have begun transforming our culture. We, like Hamlet, have had the luxury of exploring that knowledge and our relationship to it in the safety and seclusion of higher education. And at some point, after departing our programs, likely when our resolve or judgment seem as frayed as Hamlet’s, we will inevitably encounter the ghosts of old commanding us to oblige.
Read More
5 Enduring Truths about Creativity from Jay Z
You could take the slow road, as I did. Matriculate through the Creative Problem Solving Institute. Complete a Master of Science degree in Creativity and Innovation. Gain certifications in Change Leadership and deliberate creativity methods such as LEGO Serious Play, CPS, FourSight, Design Thinking and others. Or, you could listen closely to key lyrics by Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz from their 2009 hit “On to the Next One.” Both routes will lead you to five enduring truths when it comes to creativity.
Read More
Creative Problem Solving: Innovation for the "Rest of Us"
I think of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) as a kind of Festivus to experience breakthrough thinking. Glory be to the Creativity gods for giving the likes of da Vinci, Disney, and Jobs enough genius and chutzpah to bring forth the great objects they effortlessly dreamed up. The rest of us, however, often need a deliberate process for innovative thinking.
https://youtu.be/HX55AzGku5Y
Read More
Six Creative Thinking Tools In Search of A User
Pirandello's 1921 play, Six Characters In Search of An Author, disrupted Western theater by messing with conventions, challenging assumptions and re-framing possibilities. Intended to be an allegory of the theater, it serves, nearly a century later, as an allegory for innovation. More specifically, innovative thinking and the cognitive processes that can lead to disruptive innovation, incremental change and major transformation.
Read More
