Creativity at Canada Post

Maybe it's not a new idea to you, a variation on a theme. Saw this while walking through a tougher neighbourhood of Toronto today.

Think the postal code decorations will keep the taggers at bay? Bets?

Desiderata

A friend recently told me her dad gave this to her when she was small; said she memorized the poem. Took a look at it tonight, thinking, how does this relate to creativity? Simple. Follow the suggestions for a couple of weeks. See how many new ideas transform into new actions that make a difference in your life, and in the lives of the people who matter most to you.



Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann c.1920

Extraordinary Simplicity

Street fish sculpture: transformed bicycle stands. With a little extra effort the usual can become intriguing. Seen in front of the ROM in Toronto.





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Signs of the times: Blue Banana Insights

Blue Banana in Toronto's Kensington Market is an artisan's fair filled with boutique kiosks, booths, selling funky bath salts, candles, t-shirts, posters, bed linens, toys, housewares; nifty artifacts not typically available for purchase in big-box stores presented for purchase. The holiday season evident at every turn. Interesting gift ideas beyond the 'normal', geared for those with an eclectic bent. A fascinating experience when looking through the eyes of a creativity specialist.

New ideas, interesting twists on common themes were everywhere. And underneath it all, evidence of the times we are living in. Like this first photo - recessionary swine flu times advice - available in posters, fridge magnets and mugs - Keep Calm and Carry on - a phrase used often in the UK during the last World War.

Here's another, juxtaposed. Not really sure what this is - perhaps a large fridge magnet. Imagine seeing this message everyday, or the one above. Think it would make a difference on your attitude toward your day ahead? Personally, if given a choice, my preference would be the keep calm one. Wonder what attitudes the masses are carrying more of and how that inspires them to work all our emerging changes.

Another juxtaposition - ready for this - Angel's and Devils. You can choose either of these magnets, or both, to affix to fridge, filing cabinet, whatever. FYI there were other ones too, of Spinoza, Jesus, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc. How we choose our influences, eh?

And what about Jesus and love? Are we so needy, driven for acceptance, recognition, affirmation that we put ourselves above others so we are blind to our humanness and the contributions others make? If you could give only one of these two t-shirts to others, or to yourself, as a gift, which one would it be?

Why a definition of creativity specialist?

I've been in the creativity business for 30 years, having graduated from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College in 1980 (BA - first minor in creative studies), 1983 (Graduate certificate) and 2001(Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership).

Over the years there have been tremendous changes in the field. The number of practitioners and books have been growing steadily since the early 1990's; some do a service to our profession, others not.

Creativity is becoming a professional competence - there are those that use it in their day to day work and others who specialize in supporting those individuals, and others, be at their best. What's missing from the creativity profession,though are ethics and competencies by which creativity professionals abide: what are the ethics creativity professionals follow? what beliefs do we have? what are our competencies? In a bottom line fashion the question is this: What are clients guaranteed of when they engage a creativity professional? Why would they engage one at all? What's the difference between a creative professional and a creativity professional?

I began looking into this in earnest during the summer of 2009, and presented my initial findings and thoughts at the Mindcamp just north of Toronto a few weeks ago. Reception was profound with tremendous encouragement to keep the conversation, newly opened, going. The earlier blog post contained some of my findings - there will be more to follow...

What is a creativity professional?

Creative professionals stimulate, generate, capture and implement novel and relevant solutions they help cultures, organizations, groups and individuals reach higher levels of productivity and satisfaction through productive use of knowledge, imagination and experience. They encourage and support new decisions in any field of discipline including: engineering, marketing, finance, operations, social work, medicine, real estate, transportation....

Creativity professionals extract skills for creative endeavours that impact society and as expression of the human spirit. They are called to service to manage creative thinking strategies to achieve satisfaction in response to challenges, initiate innovation and unleash creative expression.

* Creativity professionals operate from a knowledge base of research, experience, and discipline in their chosen field. They influence others to use their creativity to satisfy a need and modify conditions so that their creativity is available.
* Have a personal definition and understanding of creativity.
* Can articulate the difference between creativity and innovation.
* Can describe the nature and nurture of creativity, its experience, benefits and drawbacks.
* Can recommend of a variety of creative processes, highlight the benefits of each and articulate the rationale supporting use of a particular one in a situation.
* Facilitate a creative process or, will call upon trained facilitators to do so.
* Demonstrate a disciplined approach to their areas of performance.
* Seek and complete training to become competent in their areas of performance, e.g. Speaking, facilitating, consulting, research, project management, coaching.
* Are sensitive to the intended and unintended antecedents and consequences of their work.
* Are current with the research in their disciplines including the creativity literature.
* Seek and deliver affirming and corrective feedback.
* Are able to share examples of creative style, process, products, and environments.
* Use scientifically valid instruments for assessments of climate and style.
* Share learnings with other creative professionals.
* Can identify sources of creativity, authorities, and landmarks in the creativity field.
* Abide by a code of professional ethics.
* Contribute to and grow the field.
* Honour others’ contributions, giving attribution to influencers.
* Mentor others.
* Associate with other creative professionals and professionals in other areas of domain competence.
* Orient their work from a combined appreciation of productivity and the human spirit.
* Promote psychological safety in their interactions.
* Act in ways as to advance the standing of creative professionals.
* Advocate for creativity with sound rationale.
* Respect all people.
* Do no harm.

Richard Florida's views on creativity may be limiting (2)

Response to questions from another reader:

Samantha - thanks for your invitation to comment.

"What might you define as patently not creative, in terms of activity, participation, production, or otherwise?"

My point of view: creativity is an expression of the human spirit to improve the future. Accessing it may involve using knowledge, imagination and evaluation to generate new ideas and make new decisions that alter the status quo. To attribute activities as being creative or non-creative is besides the point because it is about the people involved in the activities, and the scope of options they access from which they make new decisions that matter in their context, and the processes, including production, used to actualize the desired future.

"And to expand on your quote: "What would be interesting to discuss is why creativity, a basic instinct has been held down for so long by those in power.""

Rather than having support and encouragement to engage one's natural energy, curiosity, tinkering, etc. many are dissuaded from accessing their creativity because it is perceived not to serve society. In my final undergraduate year, before entering the masters program in Creative Studies, I asked my anthropology professor to describe creativity from her perspective. Her response? Creativity is bad manners. Imagine doing something creative at the dinner table, she said, and what happens? You get your hand slapped. That's what creativity is.

Too many have been given the 'handslap' repeatedly throughout their lives. Rather than having their hands shaken with congratulations for experimenting with new ideas, notions, configurations, challenging the status quo even if the suggested change is incremental or revolutionary, the response is typically an automatic no. Wouldn't it be nice if instead, new suggestions were met with an Angel's advocate rather than a Devil's advocate approach as in, "What I like about the idea is..." followed by... "Here are some obstacles or challenges the idea presents..." followed by "How might we overcome those obstacles..." or "Here's another idea that springs from what you said..."

Today, creativity is being touted as a must-have skill or capacity. This notion flies in the face our enculturation as being good citizens who don't upset things. Many are confused as to when it's okay to 'be creative' and when it isn't. In organizations people want to advance new ideas and at the same time can fear putting those ideas forward lest they lose their job, lose face or become alienated from their peers.

So many believe that they (or their boss, local leader, etc) do not have a creative bone in their body. This is so untrue - we all do, and we express our creativity uniquely. We often say others aren't creative when they are not creative in our way, the way we would like.

There is very little general learning/knowledge/practice available to encourage engaging the energy, affirm its contribution, allow its expression that also provides structures, processes and avenues for refining raw ideas into value-laden worthwhile solutions that in turn become innovations.

Associating creativity with prosperity is a good beginning notion, and at the same time, it may be limiting. The purpose for getting new ideas, using imagination and making new decisions is to improve quality of life. Money is one aspect. There are others, depending for which need or needs an individual, group, team, business, organization, city, society, are seeking satisfaction. Improved communication, better relationships, peace at home, inspired leadership, beautiful environs, healthy food, air, water, etc provide examples. In today's recessionary times, we are all influenced to do more with less - and this requires creative thinking in many arenas.

"Has it been advanced that those who are regarded as creative might themselves actually have power -- perhaps more power than that which they may be aware? If no, then are creatives wholly powerless? If so, then is it possible that creatives have power over those who do not (whether those people are or are not creative)? If so, what pragmatic outcomes could be deduced from this power relationship?"

The relationship between creativity and power is a potent one, an new area that I have only begun to investigate. In short, yes, those who create are unleashing the power of their imagination. (I hesitate to affirm 'those who are regarded as creative' because in my worldview, everyone has the capacity and uses it to some extent.) Creativity belongs to us all, we share it, and when we use it, we do so to benefit the species, the planet, our collective quality of life.

Richard Florida's views on creativity may be limiting (1)

Wrote this in response to a review of Richard Florida and Sir Ken Robinson keynote review in Now Magazine, Nov 6, Richard Florida State of Mind

Mike - thanks for you review of The Creative Places and Spaces keynoters. Appreciate your perspective and insight. The message I would liked to have read about is how creativity is inherent in all of us, and that we express it uniquely - for purposes of self expression related to meeting a need to meet with satisfaction - subsistence, leisure, participation, identity, understanding, creation, protection, autonomy, affection. (FYI these human needs, articulated by Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef are replacing the Maslow hierarchy as a systems approach, in that they occur simultaneously, save subsistence.)

There are many different kinds of creativity - evolutionary and revolutionary; male and female; age-stage, etc. and we can all use it to make our lives better, in whichever way we want and for whatever purpose that suits us, all things considered.

Is everyone creative? Psychologist Carl Jung identified creativity as a prime human instinct among hunger, sexuality, activity and reflection. What would be interesting to discuss is why creativity, a basic instinct has been held down for so long by those in power.

When we started World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 - 21 back in 2001 (now celebrated in 40+ countries) our mission was to encourage people to and engage them in using their creativity to make the world a better place and to make their place in the world better too.

No agenda as to the content, just to unleash new thinking, new ideas and new decisions, simple and complex, whatever and at the same time do no harm. For everyone to rekindle their natural creative energy to reawaken their 'smarts' for working with all the changes we encounter daily and make a difference for the future.

Imagine our planet where everyone, during one week in April, is tuned into the creative vibe. A celebration not limited by sex, age, geopolitics, religion, education, vocation; one that is truly inclusive of all, for the purpose of making the world a better place and making our place in the world better too.

I believe it's possible, it's already underway.

Canada’s First Creativity Specialist Receives Award of Honours

Marci Segal, Creativityland Inc president and co-founder, World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 - 21 received Creative Studies Alumni Foundation Achievement Award from the International Center for Studies in Creativity for her work that continually expands the creativity field.

A little idea that could, received recognition from the International Center for Studies in Creativity. Creativity Specialist Marci Segal was lauded for opening the doors, and tirelessly striving to keeping them open, so that people all over the world can unleash their creativity to make the world a better place and to make their place in the world better too without doing harm. World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 - 21 began as a small idea among 4 Canadians in 2002 that has since grown to be celebrated in more than 40 countries in businesses, schools, communities and homes.

Marci Segal, of Toronto, Canada, one co-founder of the world event, received accolades from her peers at her alma mater on November 12, 2009 in recognition of her efforts to keep the creativity conversation going - and take it out of the realm of being considered only applicable to the arts and sciences.

"It's fascinating what happens in workplaces when the week is celebrated for the purpose of unleashing creative potential,' Segal says. "We continue to hear reports of how refreshed, motivated and inspired people become when they are given opportunity to express their creativity in ways that support and are not directly linked to a business outcome."

Segal is the first Canadian to hold both the undergraduate and graduate training accreditation from the ICSC which, twenty-five years ago, was considered a gaff. "When I'd tell people in Toronto about my education, they'd scoff. Potential employers often responded with "they'll give you a degree for anything in the United States, won't they?" After holding posts in the Canadian federal government, Goldfarb Consultants, Pollara Research and advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding, Segal opened her own creativity and innovation consultancy, now called creativityland inc. to work with people in organizations so that new ideas have a soft place to land before tools, strategies and techniques are shared to unleash the power of the creative imagination for the purpose of business growth.

World Creativity and Innovation Week is celebrated each April 15 - 21 and continues to grow in participation. Organizations allow employees an afternoon to decorate their offices, or bring in speakers, hold idea sessions, and contests that shake up normal thinking. While immediate results from participating may not be evident, reports from organizations like phd canada and Johnson and Johnson world wide report residual benefit through improved morale, and motivation to move new ideas forward.

Segal says she will continue to advocate for deliberate use of creativity and encourage people to participate until this celebration becomes an annual tradition world wide. "It's a truly human celebration when you think of it," she said. "WCIW is open to everyone with no limits to age, sex, country, religion, education, vocation, you name it. There is only one condition for participating though - do no harm."

The Alumni Award presented last week acknowledged her other contributions to the creativity field as well, including her books written relating creativity to personality style, dispelling the myth that only some people have creative capacity. Segal sits on the board of the American Creativity Association.