{"id":625,"date":"2013-09-08T22:20:46","date_gmt":"2013-09-09T05:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/?p=625"},"modified":"2013-09-08T22:50:55","modified_gmt":"2013-09-09T05:50:55","slug":"creative-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/creative-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative are you? But what’s your style?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"colored_pencils\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Creative Diversity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I’ve started taking this Coursera course ambitiously called Creativity, Innovation and Change<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As part of the first class, Dr. Kathryn W. Jablokow<\/a> (Penn State University) introduced us to the concept of Creative Diversity<\/a> and more specifically Creative Style.<\/p>\n

The good news according to Jablokow is that EVERYBODY is creative and she goes on to dispel 2 myths:<\/p>\n

\n

Two Myths about creativity<\/h2>\n
\n

Myth #1: Only some people are creative<\/b> (this is at the core of this whole blog!).<\/p>\n

We need to dispel the myth that “only some people are creative” where people are classified as creative and non-creative typically based on one’s main occupation.<\/p>\n

Artists, musicians, writers? Creative!<\/p>\n

Engineers, accountants, plumbers, science teachers? Non creative!<\/p>\n

If we define creativity as ” bringing something into existence that wasn’t there before”, then why would the domain in which the idea came into being matter?<\/p>\n

Anyone can show creativity in art but also engineering, plumbing or gardening.<\/p>\n

Myth #2: Only certain kinds of ideas are creative.<\/b><\/p>\n

We often think of “creative ideas” as breakthrough ideas, revolutionary inspirations, out-of-the box strikes of genius.<\/p>\n

But there’s another kind of creativity; one that is more evolutionary (vs. revolutionary). The kind that comes out of refining\/combining previous ideas or digging deeper into a problem. Out of it comes from new insights.<\/p>\n

One is not better than the other and in fact we need both because they are interrelated. Both evolutionary and \u00a0revolutionary ideas feed each other into a never-ending vortex of creativity.
\nIn the second part of the class, Jablokow describes the “Creative Diversity Model”, which is based on the research of important scholars like Michael Kirton<\/a>, Robert Sternberg<\/a>, and Teresa Amabile<\/a>. The model’s view on creativity is more inclusive and more precise.<\/p>\n

\n

Four Creative Diversity Principles<\/h2>\n
\n

It starts with the first four principles<\/strong>: (reproduced verbatim from first week’s class lecture<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Creative Diversity Principle #1: All people are creative.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Everyone, of every age and profession, from birth until death \u2013 everyone is creative. The source of creativity is in every individual, whether they are working alone or in a small group or in a large organization. They may have a few ideas or a lot of them; those ideas may be revolutionary or evolutionary, simple or complex. The only people who are not creative are, well \u2026 dead.<\/p>\n

Creative Diversity Principle #2: Creativity is diverse.<\/b>
\nIn other words, we recognize that while all people are creative, they are NOT creative in the same way. There are many different versions or \u201cflavors\u201d of creativity. There isn\u2019t just one kind of idea or one approach to solving problems, but many \u2013 a wide range of possibilities across the human race. So, how do we describe this creative diversity?<\/p>\n

Creative Diversity Principle #3: Creative diversity is described by four key variables:<\/b>
\nGiven our assumption that creativity is different across individuals, we need a way to describe those differences. Michael Kirton, a British psychologist, has come up with an elegant way to do this. We\u2019re going to use four variables<\/b>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Creative level<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Creative level is related to your mental capacity . In other words, it\u2019s related to the size and the shape of the \u201cmental bucket\u201d you have between your ears \u2013and what you have stored in that bucket at any particular time! You are filling up your mental bucket from the moment you are born until the moment you die. We measure creative level using things like intelligence, aptitude, knowledge, skill, and experience . \u00a0So, you may have a special talent for music, or you may have a strong aptitude for math. You may be skilled in drawing, while your friend has experience in computer programming. All these differences will affect your creativity: we tend to be creative in proportion to our creative level.<\/li>\n
  2. Creative style<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Creative style is your preferred way of managing and using all the creative level you have acquired. In other words, it\u2019s your preference for how you go about solving problems and bringing about change. Like other cognitive preferences, you are born with your creative style; it doesn\u2019t change over time, although you can do things in ways that don\u2019t match up with your style. \u00a0Some people have a more structured creative style, while others prefer a less structured approach to change. It\u2019s actually measured across a wide spectrum. People with a more structured creative style are more likely to offer evolutionary ideas, while people with a less structured creative style are more likely to offer revolutionary ideas. All of them are creative \u2013 but in different ways!<\/li>\n
  3. Motive\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Motive is what channels our energy as we move through life. Our creativity is affected by what motivates us and whether that motivation is present. People are motivated by different things, like money, or helping others, or achieving recognition. Depending on what motivates you, you\u2019ll put more or less energy into what you do, and that will affect your creative contributions.<\/li>\n
  4. Opportunity\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Finally, opportunity is the availability of a problem to solve and how we perceive it. Sometimes we have access to an opportunity that others don\u2019t, or we recognize a situation as an opportunity when others think it isn\u2019t interesting. Those perceptions also affect our creativity and how we think about the environment around us.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Creative Diversity Principle #4: There is no ideal kind of creativity.\u00a0<\/b>
    \nIn other words, no particular creative level, or creative style, or motive, or view of opportunity is better than any other in general. The kind of creativity that\u2019s most appropriate or most effective depends on the situation \u2013 that is, on the current problem you are trying to solve.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes you need a radical idea \u2013 but not always. Sometimes you need an evolutionary idea \u2013 but not always. Sometimes you need an idea that has elements of both revolutionary and evolutionary thinking! Sometimes you need a certain type of knowledge, skill or talent \u2013 perhaps at a high level, perhaps at a low level. Motives change depending on the situation, and you may have different opinions about the importance of an opportunity.<\/p>\n

    All of these options lead to change. All of them represent some form of creativity, and in some combination, they represent YOU.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Creative Types: adaptive \/ innovative<\/h2>\n
    \n

    Later during the class we were invited to fill out a survey in order to determine where we fit on the adaptor\/innovator continuum scale<\/a>. On one side of the scale, the label adaptive<\/i><\/b> given to those who have the ability to “do things better” and on the opposite side the label innovative<\/i><\/b> for the ability to “do things differently”. Here’s more information excerpted from http:\/\/www.kaicentre.com\/OK.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Adaptor<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Innovator<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    Safe, reliable, methodical Disciplined and efficient
    \nMasters detail
    \nPrefers defined problems
    \nRarely challenges the rules; solves probles by use of rule
    \nSeeks consensus, values group cohesion
    \nDoes things better
    \nProvides balance when working with innovator<\/td>\n    		Thinks in risky, unexpected ways
    \nLittle respect for past custom – seen as irrelevant
    \nTrades off detail for over-view
    \nQuestions definition of problem
    \nOften challenges the rules; solves probles despite\u00a0 rule
    \nCan appear insensitive, even abrasive, to group cohesion
    \nDoes things differently
    \nProvides dynamics for radical change<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I found out that I was more or less in the middle of the scale. See below:<\/p>\n

    \"cic-images-KAI<\/a><\/p>\n

    For more information on the topic check out M.J. Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation: In the Context of Diversity and Change<\/a> or visit: http:\/\/www.kaicentre.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    As the course progresses, I will report in this blog if I run into a topic worthy of a LightBulbBite!<\/p>\n

    In the meantime, let me ask you a question. Where do you see yourself as a creative person? More on the adaptor or innovator side?<\/p>\n

    [Photo credits:\u00a0Darren Harvey<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Creative Diversity I’ve started taking this Coursera course ambitiously called Creativity, Innovation and Change. As part of the first class, Dr. Kathryn W. Jablokow (Penn State University) introduced us to the concept of Creative Diversity and more specifically Creative Style. The good news according to Jablokow is that EVERYBODY is creative and she goes on […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"3","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"3","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,4,38,3,6,1],"tags":[176,173,174,177,178,175],"class_list":["post-625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book","category-creativity","category-goals","category-innovation","category-leadership","category-uncategorized","tag-adaptive-creativity","tag-coursera","tag-dr-kathryn-w-jablokow","tag-innovative-creativity","tag-kai-centre","tag-michael-kirton","category-84-id","category-4-id","category-38-id","category-3-id","category-6-id","category-1-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":651,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625\/revisions\/651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provensal.com\/lbb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}