Fueling Creativity Podcast Anniversary Episode
We’re celebrating one year of the Fueling Creativity podcast! We thought it would be fun to share this episode with you as an audio recording and a blog post, as it sheds light into the four themes that have emerged over the last year . The transcript has been modified for flow and reading ease […]
Pandemic Stories
In the very early days of the pandemic, writer and professor George Saunders sent out a beautiful, prescient email to his creative writing students. It begins: “Dear, [Syracuse University] writers — jeez, what a hard and depressing and scary time, so much suffering and anxiety everywhere. I saw this bee happily buzzing around a flower […]
Creativity, Courage, and Curiosity in the Classroom
Growing up, I didn’t think I was creative. I wasn’t good at traditional arts, and there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me—Asian American. Moreover, in school, I’d only seen arts, crafts, and music being celebrated as creative outlets, so how could I have understood that creativity is so much more? I didn’t […]
Copying for Creativity
We are taught from a young age not to copy…don’t copy the test answers from your neighbor…don’t copy your best friend’s homework…all valid instructions, and yet in the world of creativity, copying is a great place to start in building confidence and expanding boundaries. This is certainly true in art, but I think it can […]
A Catalyst for New Thinking: The Concert of Ideas
Thinking of Things as if They Could be Otherwise When my colleagues and I work with university faculty, business leaders, and other professionals, our goal is to help people think in new ways. Typically, they have a problem to solve or some big new idea to wrap their minds around, or maybe they’re confronting change […]
Using the Creative Operating System (COS) for Classroom Creativity Integration
“Creativity does not have to be sacrificed to meet educational standards.” ~Frazier/ Walker The importance of helping students discover their creativity and providing them with the skills to become creative problem solvers is evident in the Future of Jobs Report presented by the World Economic Forum. The report states that in 2020, the top three […]
Creativity is Everywhere, You Just Have to Look for It
When people hear the term creativity, they typically associate it with artistic ability. As my younger daughter tells me, “Daddy, you are not creative because you cannot paint pictures like Mommy and me.” I plead with her (I know. Pleading with a middle schooler is a sure sign of insanity.) that I have written over […]
The Real Reason You Should Invest in Your Creativity
Your Investment in Creative Thinking Have you ever invested in a creative thinking course? What was your primary reason for investing in this course? When I started to invest in creativity, my motivation originated from my wish to improve my mental well-being. Although I felt that creativity was what I needed, I did not, at […]
Creativity and the Well-Being of Educators
As we approach the tail end of the winter months, cooped up in our houses, and feeling a general sense of isolation and fatigue, our resourcefulness to maintain our well-being is key. Right now, there is really nothing more important than care for our well-being and the well-being of others, because, of course, the two […]
Tools, Tips, & Tricks for Teaching Creative Problem Solving Virtually
Tools, Tips, & Tricks for Teaching Creative Problem Solving Virtually Register for this event here. Invest in Yourself: $25 This workshop will be highly interactive as attendees participate in a virtual creative problem-solving facilitation session using Zoom, Mural, and Google. We will demonstrate the best practices for using those technologies and provide participants with resources they […]
Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship:
The Difference and Why it Matters in Education
According to LinkedIn, creativity is the number one skill desired by employers. Companies like McKinsey, for example, seek creative thinkers and problem solvers, and many universities now offer courses that teach creativity. Examples of university courses include: Creativity, Innovation, and Vision Debunking Myths and Enhancing Creativity Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Thinking Creative Approaches to Problem […]
The Five Pillars of Creative Problem Solving
Introduction Over the last 40 years, I have taught more people to lead the Creative Problem-Solving process than anyone else in the world. When I step back and view the field from this perspective, I have observed that there are five “pillars” that support the successful use and implementation of the creative behaviors embedded in […]
Ten TED Talks to Teach Your Students About Creativity
Why Creativity? Creativity is more important now than ever before. In recent years, reports such as The Future of Jobs, from the World Economic Forum, and the Workplace Learning, from Linkedin, emphasized that creativity is an essential skill in the workplace. However, the importance of creativity is not limited to the work environment. Throughout humanity’s […]
When Lightening Strikes: Brainstorming with Pa
Background When COVID 19 hit this Spring, my wife and I agreed to homeschool our ten and seven-year-old grandsons for two weeks. Those two weeks turned into nine, and they were weeks of pure joy for everyone involved. My wife, Judy, was an elementary teacher and reading specialist for over 40 years. In my first […]
The Most Important Thing to Put in Your School Backpack: A Letter to High Schoolers
Dear High Schooler, A new school year is starting. I know this is a weird one. You’ve probably already gathered the materials you will need this year in your backpack, or in your designated learning space if you’re doing virtual learning. But there’s one more important thing you’ll need, this year more than any other, […]
No Punishment
Part three of our Creative Parenting Series. Read the full series – links within article.
Seize the Day: An Alternative Approach to the First Day of Class
Imagine receiving an email from your professor that only contains a poem. The email you received has no introduction, no set-up or context. Nothing! Not only does it not contain any instructions, but the poem is also missing its title and the poet who wrote it, for crying out loud! Gather ye rosebuds while ye […]
Collaborative Parenting
This blog is part two of our Creative Parenting Series. To read part one, click this link: Show, Don’t Tell. Ismet: When I was 10 years old, I started writing about parenting. I felt that there was plenty of room for improvement in how I was being raised. I wanted to make sure that when I […]
A Beginner’s Guide to a Creativity Community of Practice
Forming a creativity community of practice is actually quite easy to do. With a little time, energy, and dedication, any elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school could have their own.
Create in a Flash
Are you looking for a complete curriculum that will help you teach a creative problem solving course? Then you need Create in a Flash! A Leader’s Recipe for Breakthrough Innovation. I’m Dr. Roger Firestien, and I’ve spent the last 42 years teaching, researching, and consulting in the field of Creative Problem-Solving (CPS). I have written […]