Even though the WCID April 21 celebration is relatively new, it’s growing, and people are learning about it now that it is a United Nations Day of Observance.
Do you think that feeling self-conscious may prevent people from celebrating their capacity to generate new ideas, make new decisions, take new actions and achieve new outcomes to make the world a better place and make their place in the world better too?
Think about it.
When it comes to creativity, many say they want to make sure they get it ‘right’ as if there is an external measure to meet, as if there is a perfection standard they must attain. There isn’t. Not where creativity is involved.*
Creativity is a natural process that results from a restlessness to change or improve the status quo. (Segal, 2001). We all feel that restlessness from time to time. We engage in new and different activities, use new patterns of thinking, perceive with new eyes, and/or seek new experiences. We might structure things differently, relate to others in new ways as a result. Examples: rearrange furniture; modify a recipe; take a new route to school; eat breakfast for dinner; hold meetings in a different location; invite unusual suspects to participate in the planning process.
Each these could be considered creative. American Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “In as much as someone has done something new for himself, he can be considered to have committed a creative act.” To which I like to add – whether other people consider it creative or not.
Moving forward There’s no turning back the clock. We moved forward. We are creating the future with today’s resources and ideas. The World Economic Forum predicts creativity to be one of the top three skills employees will need by 2020. Yes, we moved on.
Creativity is one of our resources. By celebrating it every year April 21 and during the week leading up to it beginning on Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday, April 15 we prepare for the future.
Thought catalysts For your WCID this year, and for every year moving forward consider these thought catalysts
- What is in your environment that can do with some improving?
Improve it. - What ordinary activity might you make more fun?
Make it more fun. - What efficiencies might you bring to a process? Bring them.
New ideas need a soft place to land. Remember there is balance in the universe. Every idea influences a reaction. Giving new ideas a soft place to land will be the focus of a future blog post.
Confusion about creativity The term creative can be confusing. Insert the term before each of the following as an example: economies, industries, advertising, agencies, media, digital, technology, sports plays, arts, commons, market, writing, images, resumes, ideas, photography, dance, quotes. In each instance, there’s a slightly different meaning.
A practical approach For our purposes, to enable everyone to celebrate WCID and WCIW here’s the understanding used: Generating new ideas, making new decisions, taking new actions and achieving new outcomes that make the world a better place and make your place in the world better too.
Remember to upload your WCID2018 and WCIW2018 actions to share with the world.
Segal, Marci (2001) Creativity and Personality Type: Tools for understanding and inspiring the many voices of creativity. Huntington Beach: Telos Publications.
