How to Cultivate Imagination and Promote Creativity?
What Is the Human Imagination?
The Merriam Webster definition is :the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality
2a: creative ability
b: ability to confront and deal with a problem
It has allowed us to create, experience and feel art, music, science and human compassion. When we did not have the comfort of our homes, our imagination is what saved us from the dangers of the wild. It is what is saving us today from sinking into despair over social isolation and covid restrictions. We have had to think outside the box, create new work environments and find ways to keep us healthy.
I found these wonderful quotes in one of my favorite newsletters The Marginalian by Maria Popova. I love how she draws links between various lives in a brilliant and creative way!
“The role of the imagination is to create new meanings and to discover connections that, even if obvious, seem to escape detection,” graphic designer Paul Rand
“Originality often consists in linking up ideas whose connection was not previously suspected,” wrote W. I. B. Beveridge in the fantastic 1957 tome The Art of Scientific Investigation.
How do we Cultivate Creativity?
If we take a deep dive into the above quotes, we will come to the understanding that what happens in our art practice is exactly that: Finding new connections, fresh perspectives on our drawing, painting or whatever our creative endeavor is. That is why I always provide a challenge in our art classes: Either with new or limited materials, sometimes trying an old idea in a new way. The goal is to keep those creative pathways as open as possible so that we do not go down the same tracks in the snow that we have ridden down for years!
How to Promote Creativity in the Workplace?
This one I LOVE! Creativity in the workplace is incredibly valuable when it comes to problem solving. The best solutions have come from making unlikely connections and trying out new solutions.
In my previous BLOG on Art Workshops for Businesses I speak about a recent art workshop that I did with a google group. Research suggests that the most effective way to uncover the best solution is to allow as many ideas as possible to be thrown into the hat with no judgment attached to them. This is called brainstorming! The key is to experiment with as many different ideas as possible. Each experiment opens the door for a new idea. Think of it as a pathway being lit as you go. It’s dark before an idea bursts forth and that spark ignites the next one.
