QUOTES OF THE DAY
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination" - Albert Einstein"
"It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull." - H.L. Mencken
"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage." - Victor Kiam
"Creativity requires breaking established patterns in order to look at thinks in a different way." - Edward de Bono
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams
SUMMARY
While the 20th century (often called the information age) belonged to knowledge workers, we now live in the conceptual age that belongs to creators, makers, and empathizers [read here].
Of course, creativity is critical to business success. In fact, the vast majority of CEO's believe that creativity is the most important leadership quality--a skill that is even more valuable in helping them deal with a complex and constantly changing world than hard work, managing others, or integrity. Creative people are also perceived to be more attractive [read here].
Despite that, the vast majority of people feel that they are not living up to their creative potential. So, can you take steps to become more creative? Where do breakthrough ideas come from? Are "eureka moments" born overnight? What stifles your creativity? Are people born creative or is this a skill that anyone can develop with practice? Is IQ related to creativity? And, is creativity only for extreme risk-takers? These are only a few of the questions that we will explore in this section.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU DO THE READINGS
1. What is creativity and why is it important to entrepreneurs?
2. What is the difference between imagination, creativity and innovation?
3. Can you manufacture "eureka moments" and creative genius on demand? If so, how?
4. What are three components of individual creativity?
5. How can you create an environment that promotes creativity?
6. What are three strategies for improving your personal creativity?
7. What is the difference between divergent and convergent thinking? Which is more important when it comes to running and managing your business?
8. When do people come with their most creative ideas?
9. Is there a link between creativity and mental illness?
10. Why is creativity so important to companies in the 21st century and what kind of strategies are they using to promote it in the workplace?
11. What triggers your creativity and how can you become more creative (give at least three examples from the readings/videos)?
12. Are constraints good or bad when it comes to innovation? Why or why not? Give an example.
13. Does school kill creativity? Why?
14. Why is play more than just fun?
15. Take a newly launched product (you can use new TV commercials as your source) and evaluate where it is placed on the Idea Classification Matrix.
16. What did Bob McKim's experiments showed about creativity?
17. What did research by George Land in the 60s showed about creativity?
REQUIRED READINGS/VIDEOS
- Melissa Schilling (2018). Quirky: The Remarkable Story of the Traits, Foibles, and Genius of Breakthrough Innovators. (read only ch. 3 on the Creative Mind)
- (11 pages) (2009) Human Creativity [download here]
- Amabile, Hadley, and Kramer (2002). Creativity Under the Gun. Harvard Business Review [read here] [alternative link]
- Reclaim Your Creative Confidence [read here]
- (26:31 mins) Play is more than just fun [watch here]
- (19:22mins) Does school kill creativity [watch here]
- (5 mins) The Power of Creative Constraints [watch here]
OPTIONAL RESOURCES
- Design Thinking Crash Course by the Board of Innovation [download here]
- The Struggle to Create Creativity [read here]
- Boredom Is Terrible, Right? Wrong [read here]
- Secrets of the Creative Mind [read here]
- Is Creative Genius On-Demand a Real Thing? [read here]
- Robert Sutton (2001). The Weird Rules of Creativity. Harvard Business Review [read here]
- Thinking big on a budget [read here]
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Take Quiz 3: Creativity (due Sep 13 at noon on Canvas)
2. Classroom Discussion: Creating a Culture of Creativity
Creativity is one of the most crucial skills for business success. In fact, the vast majority of CEOs believe that creativity is the most important leadership quality—a skill that is more valuable than hard work, managing others, integrity, or even vision.
Creative people are also perceived to be more attractive [read here]. While the 20th century (often called the information age) belonged to knowledge workers, we now live in the conceptual age that belongs to creators and empathizers [read here]. In other words, creativity is becoming increasingly more important in a rapidly changing and complex world.
Despite that, the vast majority of people feel that they are not living up to their creative potential. Even though 99% of kids are extremely creative, by the time they finish high school or college, the vast majority of people lose their capacity to be creative and lose their capacity for divergent thinking.
First, watch the following TED talks [watch here] [and here]. Then, read the following article [read here]. Answer the following question:
(1) Does school kill creativity? Why or why not?
(2) If so, why are so many people compelled to complete their higher education? Do you think that college pays off in 2020?
(3) Should we value creativity as much as we value other educational outcomes such as standardized test scores?
(4) What can we do to promote a culture of creativity in higher education (and in your future business)?