This Week In Creativity

I read an interesting article in the latest issue of Alberta Venture magazine this week on stimulating innovation and creativity in the workplace. The article point out some truths about the conditions required for the creativity that stimulates innovation: the absence of fear, and the presence of humour. Both of these lead to inspiring the courage to fail – something I know I need to work on…a lot…

You can find the full issue on newstands, at the Red Arrow bus stop in downtown Edmonton, or if you have a library card, through the Edmonton Public Library’s on-line Zinio magazine service (one of the coolest ways to access magazines, in my opinion).

It was good food for thought and dovetailed with something I’d watched and read about earlier in the year: John Cleese’s thoughts on stimulating creativity and the 5 things that are needed to do that:

1. Space (an “oasis” for creativity)
2. Time (Cleese feels you need about 90 minutes, so that there’s time for any distractions to disappear and for what he terms “open” mode to occur)
3. Time (to ponder ideas and question them)
4. Confidence (which in my mind can also be thought of as the courage to fail – nothing is a mistake when you are in “open” mode)
5. Humor (as in, allow it – in fact, go for it)

You can find his talk here. It’s worth the time. There are also excerpts on YouTube, but I recommend the whole thing.

…and then there was the coolest example of creativity I saw this week: The Beer Mitt, in the Deep Fall issue of Knitty magazine. I can see many of these in my knitting future. They would make outstanding gifts.

Finally, in support of creativity and the arts, the #yegvotesarts campaign is heating up. Get your button by emailing admin AT pacedmonton DOT com, follow the campaign on twitter, facebook or tumblr, and see which candidates support creativity and the arts in the upcoming Edmonton municipal election. There are also questions you can ask candidates in your ward – wherever you are in the province of Alberta, which has municipal elections throughout this year – or at public all-candidates forum or even on your doorstep.