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.