Training Forum March

‘Do I Have the Skills to be Creative?’: Accessing the creativity you were born with.

Creativity is fun! We need to shift what gets in the way of our natural ability to be creative so we can enjoy the riches it brings. It’s a little different for each of us but our access to creativity is inbuilt in each of us. It is relevant to our work and productivity, and to our identity and happiness. It is our vitality, and not only are we entitled to it, but we are already gifted with it. We need it - and so do our companies.

If we are born with the skills to be creative, why do we doubt it? And what can we do about removing things that might be getting in the way? There are internal and external factors that interrupt what should be an inspiring relationship to creative thinking, collaboration, and inspiration. It is an expansive conversation that can generate new ideas whilst increasing our confidence to express those ideas to others. It’s time to review the territory to see creativity - and ourselves - with fresh eyes.

During the session we will:

• Meet unexpected, and novel, creative approaches & projects,
• See how others have approached their creativity,
• Explore ways that we are already creative that we might have mis-identified,
• Become more familiar with key elements of creativity,
• Look at creative process,
• Discover how communication affects a creative brainstorming session,
• Explore implicit/explicit environmental issues that enhance or diminish our creativity,
• Learn ways to approach a creative exchange,
• Find fresh inspiration,
• Challenge ourselves to experience a new identity,
• Discuss what we would like to do with our creativity ‘if we really had it’!?!
• Get more relaxed and comfortable with being creative.

Key Areas Covered

• Creativity as a natural impulse that needs expression:
• Creative journey of a song… and a life.
• Environmental factors and their impact on creative possibilities. An exploration of our own
• creative enhancers and inhibitors:
• Internal/Implicit
• External/Explicit & Organizational
• Stages of creative process & Inviting in new ways to language creative ideas:
• Personal
• Collaborative
• Courting your creativity:
• Expectations and mood.

We will learn both perspectives and skills to see that we are already gifted with 'what it takes' to be creative - it’s just a matter of meeting it, naming it, and claiming it!

Clare Hedin

Clare Hedin has been a multi-disciplinary artist for 30+ years. With a BA in Fine Art, an MA in Consciousness Studies (emphasis creativity). Currently focused on music, photography, writing, and performing. She lives in San Francisco, California, and London, and performs in California, UK, & Europe. She taught Creativity & Innovation to Management Track BA Students @ San Francisco State University for 10 years, researching and developing a deeper understanding of how environments, attitudes, the right questions, and curiosity help us invite our creativity. She currently is an associate Lecturer at Central St. Martin’s in Applied Imagination.