Biomimicry: A fresh palette for the creative sector
Biomimicry, the practice of learning from and emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies, is increasingly inspiring human innovation across various fields, including the arts and creative industries. This approach offers a unique lens that enables innovators in any field to infuse sustainable solutions from biology into their design process. Biomimicry, sometimes defined as the “conscious […]
Unveiling the Unconscious: Techniques for debiasing
Every day, we make countless decisions, from the mundane to the critical. These decisions, whether we realize it or not, are influenced by cognitive biases. Cognitive biases act as mental shortcuts or heuristics, helping our brains make decisions quickly and efficiently, and allowing us to navigate the complex world around us. Biases are a natural […]
Embracing the Blank Canvas: Overcoming fear in decision-making
Vincent van Gogh left behind not only a legacy of vibrant paintings, but also a fascinating glimpse into his life, thoughts, and artistic journey, captured in over 2,000 letters during his lifetime. Most of these letters were addressed to his brother, Theo. In one particular letter written in 1884, he offers a poignant reflection on […]
(Still) becoming what you want to be? The power of the Multipotentialite.
In a world where specialization and focus are often prized, many creatives may feel like square pegs trying to fit into round holes. Traditional workplace structures and processes can sometimes stifle imagination and innovation. However, there’s a term for those who thrive in multiple domains and embody versatility and adaptability. Enter the world of multipotentialites. […]
Boosting Creativity: Think ‘Outside the Brain’
Creativity is often seen as a gift, an elusive or mysterious quality that only some people are born with. But what if we were told that creativity can be enhanced by tapping into the intelligence that exists beyond our brain? In the book “The Extended Mind”, science writer Annie Murphy Paul argues that our thinking […]
Worlds Apart? Art-Making & Social Entrepreneurship
There is more common ground than one would expect between the artist’s process and the social entrepreneur’s. At heart, both are deeply concerned with creative problem-solving. Here are three steps that artists and entrepreneurs navigate in short iterative cycles to come up with innovative solutions — Step I: Test One of the hallmarks of both […]
5 Social Innovation Actions: The Stanford Approach
In Module 8 of the GLI Arts Innovation MBA, Stanford University’s Center for Social Innovation provides training to support Cohort Members in becoming more effective entrepreneurial problem-solvers. Here are five key features of the Stanford Innovation approach — Spend Time Framing the Challenge Effective problem-solving starts with creative problem-framing. Before starting to build a […]
How Glenn Gould Changed The Game: Three Innovation Lessons
Glenn Gould was a Canadian pianist and creative trailblazer who transformed the piano field in the mid-20th Century. Gould’s legacy serves as a perennial source of inspiration, fascination, and, at times, controversy for subsequent generations. Here are three lessons on innovation from Gould’s remarkable story — Lesson 1: Develop your own voice and style. Glenn […]
Sustained Growth: Three Economic Principles for Creatives
What does the creative sector have to learn from the world of economics? In a world where the cultural sector interacts with everyday economics, here are three economic principles artists and creatives — Paths for Generating Income: Doing and Owning In the 1867 documentary “The Bowler and The Bonnet,” director Sean Connery explores two fundamental […]
Creative Placemaking: Eight Tools to Strengthening Communities
What is Creative Placemaking? “Creative Placemaking” is a multi-disciplinary approach to community development that combines urban studies, environmental planning, sociology, architecture, design, and the arts to revitalize communities around vibrant gathering places. Placemaking revitalizes communities by addressing social challenges through inclusive spaces that provide a forum for gathering. It involves collaborating with artists, residents, local […]