Creativity in Action

Grifen Hope - a kiwi - and Javiera Carrión discuss the planning and transition of El Manzano, Chile into a sustainable future. Lessons for all of us.

More here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr0pet1K3ag&feature=player_embedded#

Is creativity the No.1 skill for the 21st century?

This from Mark Batey:

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, economic turmoil and unprecedented change a new picture is emerging of the skills and traits for success (and perhaps even simply survival) in the modern era.

At the heart of this essential skillset for the future lies… creativity.

A raft of recent research studies demonstrates that creativity is vital from the shopfloor to the boardroom and at the level of the individual to the organisation as a whole. What is more… our economic fortunes at a societal level probably rest on creativity too.

He explains 7 (magnificent!) themes and some research studies that convinced him. I wonder if they will convince you of of the cruciality of creativity too.

More here:
http://batey.tm.mbs.ac.uk/leadership/is-creativity-the-number-1-skill-for-the-21st-century/

Education for the Real World

“I have come to a frightening conclusion,” writes Haim Ginott, in his book Between Parent and Child: The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication (Three Rivers Press, 2003). “I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child de-humanized or humanized.”

More here: http://brainworldmagazine.com/?p=934

No right brain left behind

No Right Brain Left Behind is a speed innovation challenge, calling on the creative industries to concept ideas that can help the creativity crisis happening in U.S. schools today. In collaboration with Social Media Week 2011, teams from creative industries will have 5 days to concept ideas. On the last day of the week, ideas will be submitted virtually to this site, and an expert panel will pick 3 winning ideas that are to be featured by our media partners. The best ideas are to be piloted in 2011 and 2012.

We are inviting teams of various sizes from advertising agencies, innovation companies, design consultancies, and communication schools. Ideas can be in form of tools, applications, or products, or whatever else we have not thought of.

If adapted, this will be a yearly challenge where creative industries will spend one week out of the year, responding to a burning crisis.

The power of an idea can transcend wars, politics, races, and economies. We hope that this collaboration will demonstrate the ability of our leading creative minds to step up to the challenges where conventional thinking fails.

It is not about creating more artists. It’s about giving the students tools to solve 21st century problems. We must understand that creativity is a key constituent that can no longer be neglected in the school systems.

Do we need the same in New Zealand?

More here: http://rightbrainsare.us/theidea/

Gumboot Tango at Waitangi Celebrations

On the 6th of February New Zealand celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. It is New Zealand's National Day. More about the Treaty here:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133

Despite the foggy weather it was a great day.

We - Gumboot Tango - were invited to play at the celebrations at Ngamotu Beach in my home town of New Plymouth.

The festival atmosphere was enahnced by the many hand painted flags placed thtoughout the site.

Liquid Creativity

On Saturday the 5th of February a creative event took place that changed people's lives in ways they couldn't imagine.

Held in a small hall in back-country Taranaki [that's in New Zealand] a crowd gathered to take part in the Inaugural Huinga Home Brew Festival - a home brew tasting competition, feasting on great Kiwi food, and listening to music from 3 bands - gypsy, appalachian and kiwi [that was us - Gumboot Tango].

One lucky punter [William] was the recipient of one of Woodsy's rocking chairs which will no doubt be put ot good use.

A great time was had by all.

Recovery is expected within 3 days!

The Whole Child Blog

A blog to keep an eye on
http://whatworks.wholechildeducation.org/blog/the-brain-learns-creatively-when-arts-are-in-the-picture/

Using Improv in Business

Free e-book here:
http://bizimprovlab.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/using-improv-in-business-final-edition-1-02.pdf

The Creative Edge Workshop

Give yourself a Creative Edge:
learn what creativity is
learn about the ways you are already creative [and expand them]
learn how to make your life more creative
learn how to identify and strengthen aspects of your creative character
learn what creative people do [habits] that makes them creative
learn how you can expand your creativity by applying the six habits of creative people to your life
do practical activities to grow your creativity
do it all in your own time and at your own pace.

After years of spending time with creative people, academic research and running creativity workshops in New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa, Wayne Morris has published The Creative Edge Workshop.

It is a 150 page workbook for the person who wants to “put more creativity into their life – put more life into their creativity.’

The book is designed to help people reclaim their imagination and creativity. It is the culmination of years of working with creative people.

What others have said about Wayne’s work:

"Wayne did a great job of creating a supportive space for the creative process and then did a great job of not getting in the way of it! I had great fun playing with my creativity and the creativity of others. Everyone should do this!"

“Your facilitation; It was ‘just right’ for me. I enjoyed the quotes, background theory, your insight and personal passion that set the scene and kept pulling us back to the purpose through out the weekend. I enjoyed the varied activities that made you think – e.g. draw using only 7 lines… and found the ‘visualisation’ exercises you talked us through very useful for me. I liked the balance with freedom to choose and no requirements to perform or share if you didn’t want to (we’re perverse beings. – when you don’t have to you usually do!)”

In New Zealand from wayne@future-edge.co.nz $NZ30 plus postage and packaging
Overseas from Publish Me:
http://www.publishme.co.nz/shop/ search for Creative Edge

We Are All Makers

Dale Dougherty co-founded O'Reilly Media, a technical publisher and conference organizer known for its advocacy of Open Source and the Web. He coined the term "Web 2.0" while developing the Web 2.0 Conference. Dougherty started MAKE magazine, which brings the do-it-yourself mindset to everyday technology -- celebrating the right to tweak, hack and bend any technology to your own will.

Dougherty is the creator of Maker Faire, which leads a growing maker movement in New York, Detroit and the Bay Area. An early Web pioneer, Dougherty was the developer of Global Network Navigator (GNN), the first commercial Web site launched in 1993. He's a former publisher of Web Review, the online magazine for Web designers. Dougherty developed the Hacks series of books to "reclaim the term 'hacking' for the good guys," and he's the author of Sed & Awk.

More from TED here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-02-01&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email