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Skillfluence Downloadable Handbook of Creative & Group Thinking Techniques

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Skillfluence Downloadable Handbook of Creative & Group Thinking Techniques

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A handbook of useful tips, tools and techniques for thinking creatively on your own and in groups.

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Prosper Creative Thinking Tools Handbook CC License

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Revisit your learning journey!

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30 of the best TED talks to inspire creativity

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30 of the best TED talks to inspire creativity

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A curated list from My Modern Met

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Held annually since 1990, TED Talks have become a go-to source for those looking to learn and be inspired. Creative TED Talks have become a staple of the conferences, with world-renowned artists, photographers, authors, and creative thinkers sharing the secrets of their success.

By showcasing their ideas in 18 minutes or less, the most interesting TED Talk speakers are pushed to open up and let us into their processes. Who wouldn't want to know what makes performance artist Marina Abramović tick or what motivates war photographer James Nachtwey to put his life on the line in the name of photojournalism?

These TED Talks are also an incredible way to get new ideas on the creative process and learn how you can change your mentality to get inspired and invigorated. By seeing how others are using their art to create positive change in the world, one can't help be pushed into action.

With this in mind, we've curated our list of the 30 best TED Talks about art, inspiration, and creativity. Whether you're an artist yourself or simply interested in the creative world, you won't want to miss these thought-provoking talks.

Best TED Talks On Creativity and Imagination

Next: Watch more TED Talks on how art can spark positive change.

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30 of the Best TED Talks to Inspire Creativity

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Held annually since 1990, TED Talks have become a go-to source for those looking to learn and be inspired. Creative TED Talks have become a staple of the conferences, with world-renowned artists, photographers, authors, and creative thinkers sharing the secrets of their success.

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You can choose a template from their extensive collection of mind map examples, more information here: https://www.canva.com/graphs/mind-maps/

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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A crash course in creativity from the  Executive Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program

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inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity Tina Seelig
216 pages, HarperOne, 2012
Buy the book "
Provocative. Just one word ... provocative.

Until recently, prospective students at All Soul's College, at Oxford University, took a "one-word exam." The Essay, as it was called, was both anticipated and feared by applicants. They each flipped over a piece of paper at the same time to reveal a single word. The word might have been "innocence" or "miracles" or "water" or "provocative." Their challenge was to craft an essay in three hours inspired by that single word.

There were no right answers to this exam. However, each applicant's response provided insights into the student's wealth of knowledge and ability to generate creative connections. The New York Times quotes one Oxford professor as saying, "The unveiling of the word was once an event of such excitement that even nonapplicants reportedly gathered outside the college each year, waiting for news to waft out." This challenge reinforces the fact that everything- every single word -provides an opportunity to leverage what you know to stretch your imagination.

For so many of us, this type of creativity hasn't been fostered. We don't look at everything in our environment as an opportunity for ingenuity. In fact, creativity should be an imperative. Creativity allows you to thrive in an ever changing world and unlocks a universe of possibilities. With enhanced creativity, instead of problems you see potential, instead of obstacles you see opportunities, and instead of challenges you see a chance to create breakthrough solutions. Look around and it becomes clear that the innovators among us are the ones succeeding in every arena, from science and technology to education and the arts. Nevertheless, creative problem solving is rarely taught in school, or even considered a skill you can learn.

Sadly, there is also a common and often-repeated saying, "Ideas are cheap." This statement discounts the value of creativity and is utterly wrong. Ideas aren't cheap at all-they're free. And they're amazingly valuable. Ideas lead to innovations that fuel the economies of the world, and they prevent our lives from becoming repetitive and stagnant. They are the cranes that pull us out of well-worn ruts and put us on a path toward progress. Without creativity we are not just condemned to a life of repetition, but to a life that slips backward. In fact, the biggest failures of our lives are not those of execution, but failures of imagination. As the renowned American inventor Alan Kay famously said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." We are all inventors of our own future. And creativity is at the heart of invention.

As demonstrated so beautifully by the "one-word exam," every utterance, every object, every decision, and every action is an opportunity for creativity. This challenge, one of many tests given over several days at All Soul's College, has been called the hardest exam in the world. It required both a breadth of knowledge and a healthy dose of imagination. Matthew Edward Harris, who took the exam in 2007, was assigned the word "harmony." He wrote in the Daily Telegraph that he felt "like a chef rummaging through the recesses of his refrigerator for unlikely soup ingredients." This homey simile is a wonderful reminder that these are skills that we have an opportunity to call upon every day as we face challenges as simple as making soup and as monumental as solving the massive problems that face the world.

I teach a course on creativity and innovation at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, affectionately called the "d.school," at Stanford University. This complements my full-time job as Executive Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), in the Stanford School of Engineering. At STVP our mission is to provide students in all fields with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to seize opportunities and creatively solve major world problems.

On the first day of class, we start with a very simple challenge: redesigning a name tag. I tell the students that I don't like name tags at all. The text is too small to read. They don't include the information I want to know. And they're often hanging around the wearer's belt buckle, which is really awkward. The students laugh when they realize that they too have been frustrated by the same problems.

Within fifteen minutes the class has replaced the name tags hanging around their necks with beautifully decorated pieces of paper with their names in large text. And the new name tags are pinned neatly to their shirts. They're pleased they have successfully solved the problem and are ready to go on to the next one. But I have something else in mind... . I collect all of the new name tags and put them in the shredder. The students look at me as though I've gone nuts!

I then ask, "Why do we use name tags at all?" At first, the students think that this is a preposterous question. Isn't the answer obvious? Of course, we use name tags so that others can see our name. They quickly realize, however, that they've never thought about this question. After a short discussion, the students acknowledge that name tags serve a sophisticated set of functions, including stimulating conversations between people who don't know each other, helping to avoid the embarrassment of forgetting someone's name, and allowing you to quickly learn about the person with whom you are talking.

With this expanded appreciation for the role of a name tag, students interview one another to learn how they want to engage with new people and how they want others to engage with them. These interviews provide fresh insights that lead them to create inventive new solutions that push beyond the limitations of a traditional name tag.

One team broke free from the size constraints of a tiny name tag and designed custom T-shirts with a mix of information about the wearer in both words and pictures. Featured were the places they had lived, the sports they played, their favorite music, and members of their families. They vastly expanded the concept of a "name tag." Instead of wearing a tiny tag on their shirts, each shirt literally became a name tag, offering lots of topics to explore.

Another team realized that when you meet someone new, it would be helpful to have relevant information about that person fed to you on an as-needed basis to help keep the conversation going and to avoid embarrassing silences. They mocked up an earpiece that whispers information about the person with whom you are talking. It discreetly reveals helpful facts, such as how to pronounce the person's name, his or her place of employment, and the names of mutual friends.

Yet another team realized that in order to facilitate meaningful connections between people, it is often more important to know how the other person is feeling than it is to know a collection of facts about them. They designed a set of colored bracelets, each of which denotes a different mood. For example, a green ribbon means that you feel cheerful, a blue ribbon that you are melancholy, a red ribbon that you're stressed, and a purple ribbon that you feel fortunate. By combining the different colored ribbons, a wide range of emotions can be quickly communicated to others, facilitating a more meaningful first connection.

This assignment is designed to demonstrate an important point: there are opportunities for creative problem solving everywhere. Anything in the world can inspire ingenious ideas-even a simple name tag. Take a look around your office, your classroom, your bedroom, or your backyard. Everything you see is ripe for innovation.

Adapted from INGENIUS by Tina Seelig, Ph.D. Copyright © 2012 by Tina L. Seelig. Used with permission of HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

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inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity (SSIR)

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inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity Tina Seelig 216 pages, HarperOne, 2012 Buy the book " Provocative. Just one word ... provocative. Until recently, prospective students at All Soul's College, at Oxford University, took a "one-word exam." The Essay, as it was called, was both anticipated and feared by applicants.

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Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies for Creative Thinking

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Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies for Creative Thinking

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Obliques strategies is a concept developed to help overcome creative blocks through lateral thinking. It consists of a ‘deck of cards’, each one containing a vague or ambivalent phrase that can be used to solve a problem intuitively, by breaking conventional thinking patterns and interpreting it from a new perspective. This link provides you with access to a virtual deck of cards.

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Relax into creative thinking with the ambient sound of a cafe

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Relax into creative thinking with the ambient sound of a cafe

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If you do your best thinking in a coffee shop then this website is for you. According to a peer-reviewed study out of the University of Chicago, "A moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creative cognition."

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Cedric Villani RSA Talk - The 7 Ingredients of Creativity

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Cedric Villani RSA Talk - The 7 Ingredients of Creativity

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The key ingredients to come up with a new idea

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What does it take to come up with a new idea? In this beautifully illustrated RSA Short, award-winning mathematician Cédric Villani reveals the seven key ingredients that come together to create breakthrough moments in human knowledge and innovation.
View event information

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Cedric Villani on the 7 Ingredients of Creativity

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What does it take to come up with a new idea? In this beautifully illustrated RSA Short, award-winning mathematician Cédric Villani reveals the seven key ingredients that come together to create breakthrough moments in human knowledge and innovation. View event information

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Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences by Helen Kara

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Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences by Helen Kara

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Creative research methods in the social sciences: A practical guide

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With foreword by Kenneth J. Gergen and Mary M. Gergen. Creative research methods can help to answer complex contemporary questions, which are hard to answ...

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A list of creativity podcasts ranked by traffic rank, social media followers, domain authority & freshness

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Los Angeles, California, US
The Unmistakable Creative Podcast eliminates the feeling of being stuck in your life, blocked in your creativity, and discover higher levels of meaning and purpose in your life and career. Listen to deeply personal, insightful, and thought-provoking stories from the world's leading thinkers and doers including best-selling authors, artists.
unmistakablecreative.com/pod..
7.7K ⋅ 5.7K ⋅ 6 episodes / week ⋅ Avg Length 61 min ⋅ Jan 2014

Miami Beach, Florida, US
Creative Warriors is a podcast and community for entrepreneur, out-of-box thinkers, innovators and ambitious individuals that need creative solutions in the business. The podcast discusses marketing, branding, productivity, mindset, building meaningful relationships with customers and living a fulfilling life of purpose. Everything that it means to be a Creative Warrior.
creativewarriorsunite.com/#p..
74.3K ⋅ 3.1K ⋅ 2 episodes / week ⋅ Avg Length 36 min

US
In The Creative Life podcast, James Taylor interviews leading creatives and innovators and has them reveal their creativity and innovation strategies and techniques to help you unlock your creativity and live The Creative Life. As a leading creativity coach James teaches and interviews creative leaders on subjects including; how creativity works, the creative process, what is creativity, how to generate ideas, educational creativity, divergent thinking, organizational creativity, creative cultures, and innovation.
jamestaylor.me/podcast-episodes
7.8K ⋅ 18.8K ⋅ 4 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 18 min ⋅ May 2015

Columbus, Ohio, US
Creative Pep Talk helps you build a thriving creative career. Each week, host Andy J. Pizza serves up monologs and interviews chocked to the brim with creative performance hacks and fresh marketing tactics. Time to fill up your tank with a generous helping of PEP! Open up your ears and get that new perspective you need, the second you need it!
Also in Art Podcasts
creativepeptalk.com/episodes
4.1K ⋅ 16.1K ⋅ 65.4K ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 58 min ⋅ Aug 2015

Ithaca, New York, US
The Creativity Habit Podcast hosted by Daphne Cohn. The podcast is the practice behind the art and the story behind the artist. Listen to insight, advice, and stories of successful creative artists.
thecreativityhabit.com/podcasts
1.3K ⋅ 58 ⋅ 36 ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 67 min ⋅ Feb 2017

Chiswick, England, UK
A podcast for artists, aspiring creatives, and art lovers. Two artists share their thoughts on art, life and everything in between. Join Alice Sheridan and Louise Fletcher for honest, generous, and humorous conversations that will feed your creative soul and get you thinking.
alicesheridan.com/podcast
4.8K ⋅ 1.3K ⋅ 24.3K ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 58 min ⋅ Jan 2019

New York, US
Meet the Creatives podcast hosted by Rob Johnston, a designer, and photographer based in New York. The podcast that seeks to bridge the gap between entry-level creative professionals and the industry's best. Through the podcast, live events and various social platforms, He is building a community that connects thousands of entry-level creatives from around the world.
meetthecreatives.simplecast.com
709 ⋅ 3.5K ⋅ 15.4K ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 24 min ⋅ Jun 2017

New York, US
As an editor and writer for Fast Company magazine, KC Ifeanyi covers some of the most creative minds in film, television, business, and beyond. In this podcast, he unpacks the most frustrating parts of the creative process by talking to psychologists, scholars, and experts who are at the forefront of understanding creativity.
fastcompany.com/podcasts/cre..
1.3M ⋅ 2.3M ⋅ 1 episode / day ⋅ Avg Length 31 min ⋅ Jun 2018

United Arab Emirates
Creativity is like muscle and just like any muscle you got, the more you train it, the stronger it gets. It is something that we are all born with. A unique gift that the world provides us the moment we take our first breath. I interview Entrepreneurs in the fields of Personal Development, Relationships, Business, Holistic Health, and Finance. This will give you an insight into the mindset that goes behind their creativity, and you will have a better understanding of why they do what they do. You will leave every episode inspired, learning something new, or feeling unstuck.
anchor.fm/thecreativeminds
1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 28 min ⋅ Jul 2020

In this show we will be interviewing different creatives, showcasing how they got started in the creative field, tips and tricks, and advice in all different areas of creativity! Tune in to the best creative talk show in the 915!
anchor.fm/elpasocreatives
91 ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 44 min

Kansas City, Missouri, US
Welcome to my podcast where I help creative business owners, like you, build an online business using their God-given talents. Each week I share topics that will help you learn how to build an audience to sell your knowledge and creative products. I bring in business experts to share their invaluable insight, wisdom and best business tactics, and we talk about how to apply this to your creative business. We discuss how to overcome and be aware of mindset challenges that creative business owners usually face.
thejenniferallwoodshow.libsy..
366.8K ⋅ 32.7K ⋅ 2 episodes / week ⋅ Avg Length 22 min ⋅ Feb 2017

Join Meghan and Janelle as they talk creativity and interview creators. Cause and Creation is a podcast hosted by actor and producers, Meghan Martin and Janelle Meghan. They interview all types of creatives in industries from film to theater to gaming on what inspires them and motivates them to create and how they are having an impact on the industry they are in.
podbean.com/podcast-detail/f..
1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 64 min ⋅ Aug 2016

Seoul, South Korea
How She Creates Podcast hosted by Lauren Hooper. Learn to live a creative lifestyle, tell your story and explore your world through conversations with artists, adventurers, and people creating good in the world.
lauren-likes.com/podcast
6.3K ⋅ 1 episode / month ⋅ Avg Length 47 min

Boise, Idaho, US
On UNLOCKING YOUR WORLD OF CREATIVITY, best-selling author and global brand innovator, Mark Stinson introduces you to some of the world's leading creative talent from publishing, film, animation, music, restaurants, medical research, and more. Listen for the latest insights for creative people who want to stop questioning themselves and overcome obstacles to launch their creative endeavors out into the world.
listennotes.com/podcasts/unl..
129 ⋅ 576 ⋅ 3 episodes / week ⋅ Avg Length 29 min ⋅ Aug 2020

Savannah, Georgia, US
Introducing On Creativity, the first series of SCADcast, the podcast for creatives, by creatives. Hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) President and Founder Paula Wallace, SCADcast enthralls listeners through interviews with leading voices and some of the most prominent makers, thinkers, auteurs, and inventors of our time. Wherever you are, we've saved a seat for you.
on-creativity-a-scadcast-wit..
1.4K ⋅ 19 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 38 min ⋅ Oct 2019

US
In the SuperCreativity podcast, creativity expert and innovation keynote speaker James Taylor interviews leading thinkers, innovators and performers and has them reveal their strategies and techniques to help you unlock your own creative potential. If you enjoy listening to conversations with creative thinkers, innovators, entrepreneurs, then you've come to the right place. Each week we discuss their ideas, life, work, successes, failures, creative process and much more. James Taylor shows us how we can all learn to be more creative.
Also in Innovation Podcasts
jamestaylor.me/podcast-episodes
7.8K ⋅ 18.8K ⋅ 2 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 38 min ⋅ Mar 2016

US
Join Leya Van Doren every week as she sits down with multi-passionate creatives to talk about their creative process, routines & rituals, and explore the intersection of creativity, mindfulness, and spirituality. You'll hear from writers, actors, singers, dancers, painters, wellness professionals, and anyone else who considers themselves a creative soul.
redcircle.com/shows/the-crea..
64 ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 51 min ⋅ Sep 2020

Brighton, England, UK
The Creative Introvert Podcast is the podcast for creatives, makers, artists, and entrepreneurs who prefer to work solo. Cat Rose digs deep into the struggles creative introvert face and provides you with actionable tips every week. Topics tackled include battling fear, increasing confidence, self-promotion without feeling sleazy, and overcoming procrastination.
Also in Introvert Podcasts
thecreativeintrovert.com/blog
2.2K ⋅ 1.4K ⋅ 1.2K ⋅ 26 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 43 min ⋅ Jan 2017

Houston, Texas, US
Where does creativity fit into compliance? In more places than you think. Problem-solving, accountability, communication, and connection all take creativity. Join your hosts Tom Fox and Ronnie Feldman on Creativity and Compliance, part of the Compliance Podcast Network. In this show, we'll be exploring how creativity affects the world of compliance - the ways we use it, and the surprising impacts it can have on the work we do every day. From ethics to leadership, problem-solving to training creativity permeates what we do as compliance professionals.
corporatecomplianceinsights...
6.8K ⋅ 1 episode / month ⋅ Avg Length 22 min ⋅ Jul 2019

Pennsylvania, US
This podcast is full of creative teaching strategies, classroom ideas, and inspiration for middle and high school English teachers. Betsy Potash from Spark Creativity presents new ideas for immediate classroom use, making it that much easier for teachers to stay creative in the midst of their busy lives.
Also in Teacher Podcasts
nowsparkcreativity.com/p/pod..
2.8K ⋅ 537 ⋅ 2 episodes / month ⋅ Avg Length 21 min ⋅ Sep 2017

San Francisco, California, US
Remember that creativity matters - in whatever form it takes for you. That's the guiding premise of the CMP - Creativity Matters. The CMP is a podcast dedicated to nurturing and nourishing the creative process, to recognize the need for making space for our creative selves, and to find the time. amid busy lives. The CMP reflects the ins and outs of one person's creative journey in hopes that you will find footholds of similarity and inspiration to help you map, chart, and embrace your journey.
creativitymatterspodcast.com
189 ⋅ 779 ⋅ 1 episode / week ⋅ Avg Length 38 min ⋅ Jan 2006

Oxford, England, UK
Conversations with creatives who FOUND or re-found their CREATIVITY as adults. We'll explore their childhood experiences of the arts, discuss how they came to the artistic practices they now love, and consider the barriers to creativity that they experienced between the two. My guests are proponents of visual, written, and performing arts, with similarities and wild differences in their experiences. We'll explore what it is that people value and gain from their newfound artistic experiences, and how their creative lives enrich their practical, necessary, everyday lives.
openstagearts.co.uk/creativi..
114 ⋅ 335 ⋅ 9 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 25 min ⋅ Dec 2020

US
Three long-term friends plus guests explore all aspects of creativity and why having a creative outlet can be so rewarding.
creativityfreed.podbean.com
5 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 52 min ⋅ Oct 2020

Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Hosted by Moleskine Foundation CEO Adama Sanneh, CREATIVITY PIONEERS is a podcast that looks at the role of creativity as a tool for personal and social transformation. We engage in conversations with unique creative minds from all over the world - from Johannesburg to Paris, from Berlin to Milan, from Harare to New York City - to explore and expand our understanding of creativity and its transformative power. Exploring different realms of knowledge: philosophy, history, art, science, politics in search of new ways to navigate the world around us,
moleskinefoundation.org/init..
12.3K ⋅ 4 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 40 min ⋅ Feb 2021

Sacramento, California, US
Creativity Speaks explores the stories of Sacramento's creative community. In each episode, Sureena Johl and Phil Tretheway interview different members of the creative community.
convenethecreatives.org/podcast
980 ⋅ 2 episodes / month ⋅ Avg Length 33 min ⋅ Aug 2019

US
This podcast is about all aspects of creativity. It's about the process, our relationship to it, how it affects us, why it's needed, why it's not needed, how it affects the world, etc. I interview people of all ages and walks of life and hone in on their viewpoints about this subject which I happen to love talking about.
letcreativity.wordpress.com/..
10 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 3 episodes / month ⋅ Avg Length 53 min ⋅ Dec 2020

Maryland, US
Your creative push is the daily podcast that pushes you to pursue your creative passion. Every week, Youngman Brown interviews artists, musicians, writers, photographers, graphic designers, and other inspirational creative individuals in an attempt to get them to inspire you to put aside your excuses and start doing work. Each artist opens up to you, revealing the things that hold them back daily, and how they fight through it. they then give you one final push, in an attempt to motivate you to start doing work.
yourcreativepush.com
1.2K ⋅ 547 ⋅ 5.1K ⋅ 1 episode / year ⋅ Jan 2016

Manchester, England, UK
If you're an artist, graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, or filmmaker, whether emerging or established, The Creative Boom Podcast is full of fun and honest conversations with creative people that will inspire. Expect many laughs, a few tears but plenty of advice and insight to help you in your creative career. Hosted by Katy Cowan, founding editor of Creative Boom, a platform she launched in 2009 to celebrate, inspire and support the creative community.
creativeboom.com/podcast
92.8K ⋅ 98.7K ⋅ 4 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 61 min ⋅ Feb 2020

US
A light-hearted chat to people who are either in the creative industry for a long time or people who have discovered their creative gene through the lockdown. How it makes them feel and how it makes others feel. It's all about the positives.
anchor.fm/viviennemcwey
10 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 26 min ⋅ Jan 2021

US
Where we talk about creativity in a podcast! We talk about what we love, what we don't, and what creativity means to us!
anchor.fm/cip
537 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 24 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 53 min ⋅ Feb 2020

Berkeley, California, US
The Creative Superheroes podcast is a place to gather inspiration and learn from a wide range of Creative Superheroes. These are brilliant authors, artists, coaches and teachers who can help us cultivate more courage, more aliveness and more joy. Your host, Andrea Scher, is passionate about the sweet spot where creativity and personal growth intersect.
andreascher.com/category/pod..
4.5K ⋅ 6.2K ⋅ Feb 2017

Carpinteria, California, US
Samantha Bennett is the world's most innovative. Creativity/Productivity Expert and she'd like to have a word with you about the secret creative genius you've got hidden away. Don't think you're creative? Think again.
listennotes.com/podcasts/..
3.2K ⋅ 1.4K ⋅ 12 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 11 min ⋅ Feb 2021

UK
How does creativity shape our lives? Through interviews with artists, makers, creators, and general lovers of life, we will explore how creativity has helped them to carve out a unique and fulfilling life. This is a great resource for creatives in any field, of any ability, from professional to hobbyist. Ultimately though, this a life-affirming podcast that we hope will inspire you to pursue your own ideas and dreams, whatever they may be! We explore these people's personal paths to where they are now, the decisions made along the way, and how they made them.
creativeperspectives.libsyn...
7.8K ⋅ 2 episodes / quarter ⋅ Avg Length 61 min ⋅ Aug 2019

California, US
The Complete Creative delves deep into what it means to live a creative life by interviewing top creatives and learning their secrets.
thecompletecreative.com/podcast
1.2K ⋅ 25.6K ⋅ 11.5K ⋅ 5 episodes / year ⋅ Feb 2016

London, England, UK
Conversations with successful artists and entrepreneurs who offer new ideas and strategies to help you create the life you want. These intimate chats deliver what you need to know to take your creativity, life and business to the next level.
Also in Inspirational Podcasts, UK Inspirational Podcasts
inspirationalcreatives.com/p..
1.4K ⋅ 14 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 29 min ⋅ Nov 2014

Madison, Wisconsin, US
Chasing Creative is all about how everyday people can make creativity a priority in their daily lives. We're talking to regular people who have insights and action steps you can take today to make your creative plans happen. Whether you're squeezing creative pursuits into your kids' naptimes or in the evening after working a 9-5, we're here to give you the inside scoop on how regular people are chasing creative.
chasingcreative.simplecast.com
2K ⋅ 4 episodes / year ⋅ Avg Length 66 min ⋅ Jan 2016

London, England, UK
Welcome to Unlocking Creativity - a show all about ideas. How to have more of them, how to have better ones and how they can change our lives. My name's Daniel Brookes and by day I'm a Television Producer whose job it is to come up with brand new shows and generally obsess about all things creative.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas..
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Best 40 Creativity Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021

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Los Angeles, California, US The Unmistakable Creative Podcast eliminates the feeling of being stuck in your life, blocked in your creativity, and discover higher levels of meaning and purpose in your life and career. Listen to deeply personal, insightful, and thought-provoking stories from the world's leading thinkers and doers including best-selling authors, artists.

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Dr Helen Kara - Creative Research Methods Arts based methods (part 1 of 3)

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Dr Helen Kara - Creative Research Methods Arts based methods (part 1 of 3)

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This first video looks at creative research methods. You can search for the next sessions in the series on Youtube. Part 2 looks at research using technology and mixed methods research Part 3 looks at transformative frameworks and indiginous methodologies.

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Creative Research Methods - Arts based methods (part 1 of 3)

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Try out these puzzles to see how good you are at lateral thinking

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If you feel as if all the mindless TV watching you've done during lockdown has killed off a few brain cells, not to fear. We've prepared some brain training riddles to get you and your mates thinking during your next virtual pub quiz.

Whether you're taking to House Party, Google Hangouts, Zoom or Messenger, RadioTimes.com has you covered with questions and answers for when it's your time to write your group's pub quiz.

Once you're done with our riddles and puzzles round, check out our TV, film, music, sport, general knowledge and other pub quiz rounds many other quizzes to ensure you never run out of questions.

Questions:

1. Sam's mother has five children. March, April, May, June - what is the name of the fifth daughter?

2. What goes up but never comes down?

3. What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?

4. A farmer wants to get from river bank A to river bank B by crossing a river with his fox, chicken and bag of corn, but his boat is so small that he can only take one across at a time. He cannot leave the fox alone with the chicken and he cannot leave the chicken alone with corn. How does the farmer get all three across the river?

5. What has many keys but can't open a single lock?

6. I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even - what number am I?

7. What can fill a room but takes up no space?

8. Which is heavier: a tonne of bricks or a tonne of feathers?

9. What has a tail, a head, is brown, but has no legs?

10. What has 13 hearts, but no other organs?

11. What's the least number of chairs you would need at a table to sit four fathers, two grandfathers and four sons?

12. I'm a little man in a red coat, a staff in my hand and a stone in my throat. What am I?

13. Lose me once, I'll come back stronger. Lose me twice, I'll leave forever. What am I?

14. When you need me you throw me away, but when you are done with me you bring me back. What am I?

15. What can travel around the world but stays in one corner?

16. A red house is made of red bricks, and a yellow house is made of yellow bricks. What is a greenhouse made of?

17. You bought me for dinner but never eat me. What am I?

18. What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?

19. What question can you never answer yes to if it's true?

20. You stare at me but I don't blush, you switch me off when you're in a rush.

Answers:

1. Sam

2. Age

3. Queue

4. The farmer must take the chicken across first (leaving the fox and the corn on river bank A). He then takes the fox across second, but instead of leaving the fox with the chicken, he swaps the fox for the chicken (taking the chicken back to the river bank A). He then swaps the chicken out for the corn, bringing the corn over to be with the fox on river bank B. Lastly, he goes back for the chicken and brings it to river bank B.

5. A piano

6. Seven

7. Light

8. They both weigh the same

9. A penny

10. A pack of cards

11. Four - the four fathers could also be grandfathers and are already sons.

12. A cherry

13. Tooth

14. An anchor

15. A stamp

16. Glass - all greenhouses are made of glass.

17. Cutlery

18. Teapot

19. Are you asleep yet?

20. TV.

To find out what's on TV this week, take a look at our TV Guide.

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20 puzzles and riddle questions and answers for your virtual pub quiz

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If you feel as if all the mindless TV watching you've done during lockdown has killed off a few brain cells, not to fear. We've prepared some brain training riddles to get you and your mates thinking during your next virtual pub quiz.

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A downloadable toolkit to create a creative workshop to bring the people that are involve in your work together

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Skip to content

How can it help me?

A workshop provides the opportunity to bring people together to share experiences and expertise, and to come up with new solutions or ideas. Assembling and collaborating with people who have an interest in your work, such as partners, experts or potential users, can provide different perspectives on issues. You will need to design your workshop carefully to make sure it is appropriate for the participants. This worksheet will help you to do this effectively.

How do I use it?

Decide what the purpose of the workshop is. Examples include:

Idea generation

Selecting and developing ideas

Creating a vision for making the ideas a reality

Create a clear schedule of activities to support the purpose of the workshop. You should consider:

Who will participate in the workshop and what skills and knowledge they will bring

The location and length of the workshop

The schedule of the workshop

Relevant tools and materials for the workshop

Whether you'll work in groups, and how the groups will share ideas

Documenting the findings and ideas from the workshop

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Skip to content A workshop provides the opportunity to bring people together to share experiences and expertise, and to come up with new solutions or ideas. Assembling and collaborating with people who have an interest in your work, such as partners, experts or potential users, can provide different perspectives on issues.

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Executive Summary

When your team is given the task to generate ideas to solve a problem, it's a natural reaction to suggest a brainstorming session. But research shows that groups that use traditional brainstorming approaches come up with fewer ideas (and fewer good ideas) than the individuals would have developed had they worked alone. Instead of getting people in a room to toss around ideas, try to get people to brainstorm on their own first. For example, you can use a technique called 6-3-5, where you have six people sit around a table and write down three ideas. Then, they pass their stack of ideas to the person on the right to build on them. This passing is done five times until everyone has had the chance to build on each of the ideas. Afterward, the group can get together to evaluate the ideas generated. Techniques like this one slow the creative process down and they alert everyone in the group up front that evaluation isn't going to happen until everyone has generated ideas and has had a chance to build on them. As a result, even people who are anxious to get to an answer are forced to wait until the ideas are developed.

Jennifer Maravillas for HBR

When your team is tasked with generating ideas to solve a problem, suggesting a brainstorming session is a natural reaction. But does that approach actually work?

Although the term "brainstorming" is now used as a generic term for having groups develop ideas, it began as the name of a specific technique proposed by advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1950s. He codified the basic rules that many of us follow when getting people together to generate ideas: Toss out as many ideas as possible. Don't worry if they're too crazy. Build on the ideas people generate. Don't criticize initially.

These rules seem so obvious and clear that it's hard to believe they don't work. However, decades of studies demonstrate that groups that use Osborn's rules of brainstorming come up with fewer ideas (and fewer good ideas) than the individuals would have developed alone.

There are several reasons for this productivity loss, as academics call it. For one, when people work together, their ideas tend to converge. As soon as one person throws out an idea, it affects the memory of everyone in the group and makes them think a bit more similarly about the problem than they did before. In contrast, when people work alone, they tend to diverge in their thinking, because everyone takes a slightly different path to thinking about the problem.

You can harness the power of divergence and convergence to fix brainstorming, and several studies demonstrate that this works effectively. Here are some of the lessons from this research.

Let Individuals Work Alone First

Early in creative acts it's important to diverge, that is, to think about what you are doing in as many ways as possible. Later, you want to converge on a small number of paths to follow in more detail.

You and Your Team Series

Thinking Creatively

Many techniques use a structure like this. For example, in the 6-3-5 method, six people sit around a table and write down three ideas. They pass their stack of ideas to the person on their right, who builds on them. This passing is done five times, until everyone has had the chance to build on each of the ideas. Afterward, the group can get together to evaluate the ideas generated.

There are many variations of techniques like this. What they have in common is that they allow individual work during divergent phases of creativity and group work during convergent phases.

Techniques like this can be used in multiple rounds. For example, it is often important to spend time agreeing on the problem to be solved. A whole round of divergence and convergence on the problem statement can be done before giving people a chance to suggest solutions.

Take Your Time

Another difficulty with brainstorming is that there are often some people in the group who don't like uncertainty. They want to finish the process quickly and get on with implementing the new solution. These people are high in a personality characteristic called need for closure.

It's important that groups have time to explore enough ideas that they can consider more than just the first few possibilities that people generate. One reason why techniques like 6-3-5 are successful is that they slow the creative process down. They alert everyone in the group up front that evaluation isn't going to happen until everyone has generated ideas and has had a chance to build on them. As a result, even people high in need for closure are forced to wait until the ideas are developed.

Let People Draw

Many brainstorming sessions involve people talking about solutions. That biases people toward solutions that are easy to talk about. It may also lead to solutions that are abstract and may never work in practice.

As a result, many techniques (such as C-Sketching) require people to draw pictures rather than writing. Our studies suggest that a combination of drawing and writing is ideal for generating creative solutions to problems.

There are several reasons why drawing is helpful.

First, it's hard for people to describe spatial relationships, so any solution that requires a spatial layout is better described with pictures than with words. Second, a large amount of the brain is devoted to visual processing, so sketching and interpreting drawings increases the involvement of those brain regions in idea generation. Third, it is often difficult to describe processes purely in words, so diagrams are helpful.

One caution about drawing: People tend to sketch quickly, in ways that make their sketches hard to interpret, so it's useful to have words in the diagrams to help with the interpretation of these sketches. But haste may not be all bad. The same studies I referenced above also demonstrate that when other people look at crudely drawn sketches, they may misinterpret elements of the drawings in ways that serendipitously lead to new ideas.

One of the joys of the brainstorming session is you, as the group leader, don't need to spend that much time facilitating or preparing. You just get people in a room and go. But while this makes things easier for you, it's not good for the group. To develop stronger ideas, you need to manage the conversation so that the team doesn't converge on a solution before everyone hears what others are thinking. Until you develop some expertise in helping groups to develop ideas, use a technique like 6-3-5. It's often easier to follow a process and watch how it unfolds than to try to manage a group dynamically and sense when the group is ready to start working together.

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Executive Summary When your team is given the task to generate ideas to solve a problem, it's a natural reaction to suggest a brainstorming session. But research shows that groups that use traditional brainstorming approaches come up with fewer ideas (and fewer good ideas) than the individuals would have developed had they worked alone.

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Songs with a Creative Thinking Themed Title

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Songs with a Creative Thinking Themed Title

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Tunes for creative thinking

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Doodling can be a great way to generate ideas, you can use this tool to create your own Jackson Pollock

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Sougwen Chung TED Talk - Why I Draw With Robots

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Sougwen Chung TED Talk - Why I Draw With Robots

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Human and machine collaboration

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What happens when humans and robots make art together? In this awe-inspiring talk, artist Sougwen Chung shows how she "taught" her artistic style to a machine -- and shares the results of their collaboration after making an unexpected discovery: robots make mistakes, too.

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Janelle Ward Essay - How to boost creativity in academia

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Janelle Ward Essay - How to boost creativity in academia

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I'm going to teach the same class and write the same paper for the rest of my career.

I realized this about six years ago, as a tenure-track assistant professor. It was a morbid insight, considering I was just getting into the grove of the academic lifestyle, defined by a 60 percent teaching, 40 percent research contract.

The thought first came to me in a moment of teaching burnout. As lecturers, we know that the prep involved with teaching a class for the first time means exponentially more work. But if we continue to teach that class and claim it as "ours," we can ease up. We can cover the same material and grade the same papers year after year. I'd already reached the fifth repetition of a course that I'd developed during my Ph.D. days. I was bored but didn't feel the incentive to shake things up. I was overworked -- why add to my labor?

Around the same time, a research project I had recently completed was stuck in peer-review purgatory. I watched the months tick by as my socially relevant project sat unpublished and thought reckless thoughts about blogging it out. I'd started working on another article, but I found my initial enthusiasm damped as I applied the necessary academic filters to the idea. It struck me: whatever the topic, whatever insights they inspire or intellectual breakthroughs they provide, such an article always ends up spat out in precisely the same format: introduction, theory, method, results and conclusion.

Doing the same thing every day for the rest of my professional life? The thought was dark enough to spur a crisis. I had not been attracted to this career only to become an academic Sisyphus. Freshly back from maternity leave, full of grand thoughts about how to find meaningful work, I was ready to leave academe. I found Hillary Hutchinson, a career coach who specialized in angst-ridden academics, and began a search to find purpose that nearly led to the end of my academic aspirations.

What I've learned in the years since then, and what I will argue in this article, is that creativity is an essential part of academe. On the chance that I make my case, I'll provide suggestions of how you can apply techniques to rediscover and boost your creativity.
The Standardization of Academic Work
An academic is a scholar and a teacher who works in an institution of higher education. We scale the highest levels of study and complete Ph.D.s. If we are lucky enough to get jobs with research contracts, we pursue our own research agendas, seek funding and publish them in academic journals. We take on the task of teaching university students and use our research insights to educate them. We acquire knowledge and disseminate it to others, and we never have enough hours in the day to get it all done.

Due to increasingly intense demands on our time, academic culture encourages us to standardize. That has its benefits. Our students get template syllabi and know exactly what a course entails and how it is evaluated. They know every page they will read and receive detailed instructions on every assignment. They are viewed as consumers who need to know exactly what they're paying for.

The same holds for research. When we're keeping up with developments in our field or researching a new topic, we know which journals to check. When we've completed a project, we have an outline to follow to get credit for our newly acquired knowledge. But this standardization, which in many cases saves our sanity and allows us to keep our heads above water, is also killing our creativity.
A New Approach
What if we approached teaching and research in totally different ways? Author Peter Monaghan recently argued that academics need time "to choose which direction to take: for example, to pursue full professorhood, or to specialize in course restructuring, pedagogical reform or public scholarship, or even to switch to a new research specialization or department. Or to leave academe altogether." I would take this argument a step further: we don't just need to explore what kind of work we do within academe, but how we do the work. As Todd Henry, the host of the Accidental Creative podcast, has said, it's how you do your work -- not just the work you do -- that is an expression of your identity.

I am not an expert in creativity. But I've spent the last few years listening to the experts and incorporating their techniques, enough that I can now enthusiastically share some of their knowledge. I also see that it is possible to incorporate these techniques into any profession, even one as standardized as academe.

Incorporating creative outlets into the academic world is not new, but it is still uncommon. Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel have been doing so since 1993. With the aim of helping people reach their creative potential, they run the Creativity Workshop, based in New York, and hold workshops all over the globe. Before this, they both worked at the University of Iowa and were the first to structure a creativity workshop within the confines of higher education. They advertised the workshop for students from all different disciplines, from playwrights to biologists. And they were encouraged by the response: Ph.D. students, in particular, raved about the techniques they learned and how those techniques helped them explore their research in new ways.

How can we do this? Research innovation begins with a creative mind. But how can we tap into our creative instincts? How can we seek innovation if we're always following the same formula? Teaching and research do provide us with creative challenges. How can we encourage ourselves and our students to see things in different ways?
How We Can Help Ourselves
First, approach your writing in a completely different way. Develop a daily writing practice that involves no explicit connection to the academic world. One way is to write morning pages: three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing first thing in the morning. Berc is a firm believer in fragmented writing. She says, "We learn from images, ideas and pieces of things if we know how to value them." Writing without thinking will result in these fragments, and the more you do it, the more you will learn how to put those fragments together to form new insights.

Second, if you enjoy a creative endeavor like painting, playing an instrument or sketching, pick it up again. Keep in mind that writing, or making art or music, is a byproduct of creativity. Pursing such artistic skills will help the brain draw new connections. A brushstroke could lead to a new research insight, a short story to a new idea for teaching students. Einstein turned to his violin to get his ideas. (As a side note, Elsa Einstein confessed it was his playing, not his theoretical genius, that made her fall in love with him.) Leonard Shlain wrote a whole book on this topic, called Art and Physics, in which he argues that the visionary artist is often the first to view the world in an innovative way, followed shortly by accompanying scientific discoveries.

Third, look for inspiration outside your field. We are taught to be experts in our fields, and to present ourselves as all knowing. But certainty kills creativity. Your field is almost certainly not going to be the place you have your next insight. Read widely, and mingle with those from other disciplines for inspiration.

Berc and Fogel's creativity workshop attracts people from all different professions, who learn from each other. I can attest to this, having taken the workshop several times. Check the glowing testimonials from academics, who point to this diversity among other strengths that left them reconnected and inspired in their professional lives.

Even better, seek inspiration in your daily life. Fogel says, "Be aware of the texture of a tree, the shape of a window, the colors of the doors on your street ... No one else will experience these impressions the way you do, and you won't experience them the same way from day to day."

Fourth, don't be afraid to incorporate these techniques into your classrooms. Such tweaks to our own creative lives can also benefit our students. For me, using these techniques has given me a much-needed enthusiasm boost. I coordinate a research seminar called Interpersonal Relations Online, which focuses on how people manage impressions on dating apps. Last year, I asked my students to spend 20 minutes writing a short story, fiction or nonfiction, about a notable online dating experience. An unintended outcome of those creative short stories was that most students used them as inspiration for research topics.

Next year, I plan to send my students out of the classroom to explore and be inspired. Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in 1983 for her discovery of mobile genetic elements. She credits corn rather than theory for her ideas: "It might seem unfair, however, to reward a person for having so much pleasure over the years, asking the maize plant to solve specific problems and then watching its responses."

Fifth and finally, have fun. Creativity is play, and play isn't pointless leisure. Some of the most incredible human inventions have come from great minds who took time away from work to play. As Steven Johnson points out in his TED talk, "Necessity isn't always the mother of invention. The playful state of mind is fundamentally exploratory, seeking out new possibilities in the world around us. And that seeking is why so many experiences that started with simple delight and amusement eventually led us to profound breakthroughs."

Embracing creativity can allow academics, whether at the beginning or the more advanced stages of their careers, to find new meaning and purpose in their work. It can help us craft a playful, creative, inspiring persona both as a teacher and a writer. It's also essential for those with insecure futures in the academy: we know what a rough road it can be. Many of us won't stay -- not by choice, but because we see no chance of securing a stable career. Reconnecting with our innate creativity can also make a career transition easier.

Embracing creativity in my academic work has changed my life. Within academe I have turned to arts-based research and autoethnography to explore my research interests in more creative ways. My teaching is more inspiring with the adoption of these techniques. Outside of my work, I have prioritized creative writing and become a regular student at the Amsterdam-based International Writer's Collective. And I've also published a number of fictional short stories in the past few years, which makes me the happiest of all.

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How to boost creativity in academe (essay)

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I'm going to teach the same class and write the same paper for the rest of my career. I realized this about six years ago, as a tenure-track assistant professor. It was a morbid insight, considering I was just getting into the grove of the academic lifestyle, defined by a 60 percent teaching, 40 percent research contract.

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An illustrated guide to visual note taking. Learn more at https://rohdesign.com/handbook/

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Description

This gorgeous, fully illustrated handbook tells the story of sketchnotes--why and how you can use them to capture your thinking visually, remember key information more clearly, and share what you've captured with others. Author Mike Rohde shows you how to incorporate sketchnoting techniques into your note-taking process--regardless of your artistic abilities--to help you better process the information that you are hearing and seeing through drawing, and to actually have fun taking notes. The Sketchnote Handbook explains and illustrates practical sketchnote techniques for taking visual notes at your own pace as well as in real time during meetings and events. Rohde also addresses most people's fear of drawing by showing, step-by-step, how to quickly draw people, faces, type, and simple objects for effective and fast sketchnoting. The book looks like a peek into the author's private sketchnote journal, but it functions like a beginner's guide to sketchnoting with easy-to-follow instructions for drawing out your notes that will leave you itching to attend a meeting just so you can draw about it.

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Sketchnote Handbook, The: the illustrated guide to visual note taking a book by Mike Rohde.

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This gorgeous, fully illustrated handbook tells the story of sketchnotes--why and how you can use them to capture your thinking visually, remember key information more clearly, and share what you've captured with others.

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How a hobby can boost researchers' productivity and creativity

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Nature article on how researchers can boost creativity

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Nature article on how researchers can boost creativity

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When Audrey Kelly isn't catching toads and analysing their DNA to study how species hybridize, she makes bread. Kelly is a fifth-year PhD student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and she learnt to bake from her father before she moved away for her undergraduate programme. "It's kind of like a science experiment," she says, "but you get to eat it at the end."

As she does in the laboratory, Kelly records her methods and results in a notebook, but she doesn't take it too seriously: the hobby offers a break from the stress of doing science. "You're not as worried about screwing up," she says. "Your career's not on the line."

Many scientists struggle to take time away from the never-ending demands of research - and to flout the pervasive culture of overwork - to pursue personal interests. Kelly says that she sometimes feels guilty when elbow-deep in dough. "If you are not working yourself to the bone and crying yourself to sleep every night," she asks rhetorically, "are you working hard enough?" Many surveys reveal that academic scientists regularly put in overtime; one poll, conducted by Nature in 2016, found that more than one-third of early-career researchers worked for more than 60 hours a week (see Nature 538, 446-449; 2016).

But evidence suggests that hobbies such as Kelly's nourish more than just the belly. Research has linked participation in leisure activities to many measures of physical and mental well-being, from reduced blood pressure to a sense of belonging,. Many scientists say that their hobbies provide them with crucial opportunities to relax, to find satisfaction in completing small, defined projects and, occasionally, to make the kinds of insightful leaps that propel science forward.

The key is to stop feeling bad about having interests outside research, says Alex Clark, associate vice-president of research at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and co-author of a book called How to be a Happy Academic (2018). "We need to stop seeing hobbies and work as zero-sum games," he says.
Picking a pastime
The first step in cultivating a hobby is to deliberately set aside personal time in which to pursue it, says Bailey Sousa, Clark's co-author and director of the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology at the University of Alberta. "We have 1,440 minutes in a day, and if we don't have control of that time," she says, "someone else is going to."

Carving out free time can be challenging, but there are strategies for success. Jingmei Li, a cancer researcher at the Genome Institute of Singapore, uses most of her holiday time for diving trips. She had always feared swimming in the open ocean, but decided to face down her fear and got her scuba certificate ten years ago. Now, she's hooked and goes diving around the world.

Edward Davis, a palaeobiologist at the University of Oregon in Eugene, schedules time each week in which he tries not to work. He prefers to leave this time unstructured and follow his interests. His aim is "to not feel as though I have a bunch of additional goals I have to set for myself". He spends up to ten hours per week on hobbies, and explained in a 2013 blogpost that he found a good work-life balance when maintaining three extracurricular interests.

Jennifer Hertzberg, a palaeoceanographer at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, tries to do errands such as laundry and grocery shopping during the week. That way, she can keep the weekends free for her hobbies, which include doing jigsaw puzzles and assembling miniature Lego kits of birds and other animals. "I've amassed this whole collection; it's like a zoo," she says.

Hertzberg has enjoyed building with Lego since she was a child, and Clark says that looking back at childhood interests is a great place to start when seeking a hobby. "It may have been something you did when you were younger, but that fell to the wayside as you got sucked into a scientific career," Clark says. Alternatively, he recommends an activity to share with partners, friends and children.

Dean Simonton, a retired psychologist at the University of California, Davis, suggests that researchers analyse their own dispositions for clues about which pastimes might be the best fit for them. Those who are verbal thinkers, he says, might most enjoy reading, while those who think in visual terms might prefer something like painting or photography.

Signing up for a short course, class or workshop, or joining a group such as a choir, offers ways to explore new hobbies. A set schedule of meetings or rehearsals demands that scientists make time for the activities. Davis's newest interest is making custom knives for himself and to give as gifts. He belongs to a local group for enthusiasts, and attends meetings and workshops to hone his skills. The club also helps him to expand his social network. "I have more and different people that I'm talking to, and more and different ideas I'm exposed to," he says.
Reaping rewards
One of the biggest benefits for scientists in pursuing hobbies is that they give the mind a rest from the rigours of research. Everyone - including scientists - can get stuck in ways of thinking that prevent them from finding a solution to a vexing problem, no matter how hard they work. "You can't get outside the box you're in," says Simonton. Evidence suggests that taking a break or doing something different can help to weaken those associations and improve problem-solving, by revealing a new approach or an overlooked detail.

One option for mentally unplugging is exercise. Davis says that almost every good idea he's had came to him while he was working out and letting his mind wander. And that's not the only benefit. Davis dabbled in sport as a youth, but got serious about swimming during his PhD programme at the University of California, Berkeley. "I noticed that my health was flagging as a consequence of the stress that I was under," he says. Exercising improved his fitness levels and helped to both mitigate his chronic asthma and relieve work-related pressure. "Vigorous exercise helps burn some of the stress hormones that are produced when you are worrying about being successful," he says. It might also have helped him to become a better researcher; studies suggest exercise boosts various brain functions.

Eventually, Davis decided that he wanted to do triathlons, so he began to read books on becoming a runner. He learnt how to progress safely and efficiently as a novice, but also noticed that he had begun to feel more competitive. When this happens with a hobby, he says, it can add pressure instead of relieving it. So he made a conscious decision to pursue his own internal goals and not to compare himself against other competitors.

Nadav Drukker, who studies string theory at King's College London, relishes the opportunity to improve at pottery. Having mastered the basics, Drukker now makes pieces inspired by his work and decorated with equations. Last year, he had a solo exhibition at a London gallery that nearly sold out. He says that the pieces combine his love of physics with his love of ceramics, and provide a unique way to share his highly theoretical research with broader audiences.

Doing pottery also offers a break from research, which was what initially drew Drukker to the activity in graduate school. His work mostly involves "sitting in front of a calculation that I don't know how to solve", he says. Eventually he realized that taking time off from physics increased his productivity. He says that shaping clay on the wheel gives his brain a rest when he starts going in circles, and that he finds the activity almost meditative.

Hobbies can also provide a sense of accomplishment when researchers are stuck in a rut at work. Hertzberg thinks that handling the tiny Lego blocks has helped her in the lab, where she uses tweezers to pick microscopic fossils out of ocean sediments for analysis. ("I have a steady hand," she says.) But what she likes most about her puzzles and Lego kits is that she can complete them in a relatively short amount of time while she labours on long-term scientific projects. "It's sort of like instant gratification," she says.
Inspirational interests
Beyond offering the brain a breather, pastimes can also lead to inspiration. Simonton, who studies genius and creativity, says that reading about Buddhist philosophy influenced Nobel-prizewinning physicist Murray Gell-Mann's theory of subatomic particles. And when astronomers first caught a glimpse of the Moon through a telescope, Galileo quickly realized that the shadows on its face indicated that its surface was rough and mountainous - not smooth, as Aristotle had believed. That's because Galileo had dabbled in painting, and had learnt how to represent 3D objects on a flat canvas.

Often, the synergy of ideas happens by accident, Simonton notes. "It's not obvious," he says, "that an interest in painting would be useful to an astronomer." But to set the stage for serendipity to strike, researchers must assemble a broad set of knowledge and experiences to pull from. Any hobby helps, but the easiest option is to read material outside the scientific papers in one's discipline, says Simonton, who has an upcoming book on creativity called The Genius Checklist (2018).

Asking the brain to do different activities also builds cognitive flexibility, Simonton adds. Li says that diving has taught her greater attention to detail. Spotting well-camouflaged creatures under water requires heightened senses and the ability to see the unexpected - just like scouring data for new insights. "The answer is right there," she says. "One just needs to have the right frame of mind to see it."

Despite the clear benefits of hobbies, however, they aren't always valued in the culture of science. "People actually hide their hobbies, or pretend they don't do anything outside of work, because they are worried about what people will think," says Sousa. But that's starting to change. For instance, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences launched its MedSciLife campaign in 2017 to highlight researchers who cook, craft and engage in all kinds of other non-academic activities. Social media has made it easier than ever for researchers to share personal interests.

Clark says that senior scientists can serve as role models and help to boost the acceptability of pastimes by making their own hobbies part of their professional identity. "That broadcasts important cultural signals that success in science and having a life need not be incompatible," he says. In fact, Clark argues, whereas researchers feel pressure to publish often, their legacy depends more on the quality - not the quantity - of their work. "That compels us to think about what makes us best placed to make the best contributions," he says. "And really, that is a way of living that is focused on creativity, innovation, vibrancy - and not on just producing more."

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How a hobby can boost researchers' productivity and creativity

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A regular pastime can ease mental stress, improve work-life balance and help scientists to reach innovative solutions in their work. A regular pastime can ease mental stress, improve work-life balance and help scientists to reach innovative solutions in their work.

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A collaborative community open to anyone with an interest in the psychology of creativity

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We are delighted to announce that Professor Roni Reiter-Palmon will join us as opening Keynote Speaker at our virtual showcase! Prof. Reiter-Palmon is an internationally recognised expert in creativity, and we are honoured to have her join us.

Prof Roni Reiter-Palmon is the Varner Professor of Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology and the Director of the I/O Psychology Graduate Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her research focuses on creativity and innovation in the workplace, cognitive processes and individual difference variables that influence creative performance of individuals and teams, development of creativity and leadership skills, and methodology.

Follow Roni on twitter: @RRPcreativity

We are also thrilled to have Professor Jonathan Plucker join us as our closing Keynote Speaker! Prof Plucker has presented at our UKCR conferences before, and we're very grateful for his continued support.

Prof Jonathan Plucker is the Julian C. Stanley Endowed Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University, where he works in the Center for Talented Youth and School of Education. His research examines creativity and intelligence, education policy, and talent development. Recent books include Excellence Gaps in Education with Scott Peters, From Giftedness to Gifted Education with Anne Rinn and Matt Makel, Intelligence 101 with Amber Esping, and Creativity and Innovation.

Follow Jonathan on twitter: @JonathanPlucker

After the opening keynote address, we will host a series of short presentations. Each speaker has previously presented at a UKCR conference, and we're so pleased to have them back to update us on their work. This series covers a broad range of topics within the field of creativity research, which we're sure will spark interest and inspiration.

Following our opening keynote address, Dr Amory Danek (University of Heidelberg) will begin our series of short presentations, with work titled: 'True insights, false insights: Do Aha! experiences signal truth?' Dr Danek first presented at the UKCR 2018 conference, at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Then, Chris Wilson (Aston University) will update us on work titled: 'Creativity and innovation in higher education: Considering the impact of Covid-19'. Mr Wilson presented at our last UKCR conference in 2019 at University of Central Lancashire.

Prof Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas (Glasgow Caledonian University London) will follow, presenting work titled: 'Individualism, collectivism and creativity: Context and culture in the 21st century'. Prof Radclyffe-Thomas also presented for the first time at UKCR 2018, at UCLan.

Then, Dr Kathryn Friedlander (The University of Buckingham) will present to us work titled: 'Does the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire measure what we imagine?' Dr Friedlander presented at the very first UKCR conference at Edinburgh Napier University, in 2017.

Our final short presentation of the series will be by Dr Gillian Hill (The University of Buckingham), with work titled: 'Big C and Diversity'. Dr Hill is one of the founding members of UKCR so has been around every conference, but first presented at UKCR 2019 at UCLan.

Thank you very much to each of our esteemed speakers, we're really excited to have you involved again!

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Calling all Creativity Researchers! UK Creativity researchers ONline showcase Friday may 7th 2021. Register here to join us. We decided that we couldn't wait for the pandemic to be over before meeting again! In association with APA Division 10 Virtual Creativity Salons, we are hosting a UK Creativity Researchers: Showcase!

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Contains a fantastic range of thinking exercises to jog your creativity

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I decide to bought this book since my definition of "creative" change. Back then (when I was a student) I thought it's some fabulous stuff that artist-type people do, create something that no one understand, and doesn't really have anything to do for me (as a future accountant) anyway.
But after some years of work life, it change completely. Creative is something much more essential, and it attach closely to productivity. With the same resource, in order to replace that outdated working process,...more

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I decide to bought this book since my definition of "creative" change. Back then (when I was a student) I thought it's some fabulous stuff that artist-type people do, create something that no one understand, and doesn't really have anything to do for me (as a future accountant) anyway.But after some years of work life, it change completely.

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Ten Simple Rules for hosting artists in a scientific lab

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Ten Simple Rules for hosting artists in a scientific lab

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Matthias C. Rillig,

Karine Bonneval,

Christian de Lutz,

Johannes Lehmann,

India Mansour,

Regine Rapp,

Saša Spačal,

Vera Meyer

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Figures

Citation: Rillig MC, Bonneval K, de Lutz C, Lehmann J, Mansour I, Rapp R, et al. (2021) Ten simple rules for hosting artists in a scientific lab. PLoS Comput Biol 17(2): e1008675. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008675

Editor: Scott Markel, Dassault Systemes BIOVIA, UNITED STATES

Published: February 25, 2021

Copyright: © 2021 Rillig et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: MCR acknowledges support from an ERC Advanced Grant. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

Hosting an artist in a scientific lab is likely a new experience for many scientists in the natural and engineering sciences, and perhaps also for many artists, yet it can be a very beneficial experience for both parties [ 1]. "Art and science are in a tension that is most fruitful when these disciplines observe and penetrate each other and experience how much of the other they themselves still contain" [ 2]. During our science and art collaborations in the last years, we have learned what connects and what separates our disciplines, how different yet common our worlds of working and thinking are, and how stimulating such collaborations can be. Although scientists and artists belong to two different cultural worlds, many share research as a congruent method to explore and understand the world around us. Often, scientific and artistic work spaces are indistinguishable as they are full of equipment, materials, tools, and computers to run experiments and analyze data [ 3, 4]. Science and art are fundamentally connected through their focus on creativity [ 5]. Also, both scientists and artists deliberately venture into the public realm in the spirit of Hannah Arendt: "Humanity is never won in loneliness and never by handing one's work over to the public. Only if you take your life and person[ality] into the venture of the public realm, will you reach [humanity]" [ 6]. At the most fundamental level, science and art both try to understand the world around us and to guide society to recognize and solve problems. Artistic and scientific research may also have much more in common than one expects at first sight: They both involve years of schools and personal development, they both involve trial and error, and the sharing of results with different communities.

However, transdisciplinary cooperation requires openness, a willingness to take risks, the ability for self-reflection, respect, and esteem for the other culture as well as a lot of appreciative listening from both parties [ 7, 8]. Our paper thus intends to serve as a practical guide for both, artists-in-residence and the hosting scientific lab to easier cross borders, to better collaborate, to better learn from each other, and to sustainably bridge the different cultures of science and the arts. Our discussion starts at the point where a decision for such an interaction has already taken place. Still wondering if this is for you? There is much to gain for both sides. For the scientists, for example, this interaction can be a source of new ideas and questions, offering new points of view. Some of us also felt that this interaction offered training in explaining research in clear, simple language, and provided opportunities for interfacing with the science-curious public in a curated context. For the artists, this can be about learning new tools, methods, and approaches and about the specific topics on which a lab works.

Some of the following 10 "rules" apply more to the artist, some more to the hosting science lab, and some to both ( Fig 1).

Rule 1: Be open

The basic mindset and attitude required for both scientists and artists is openness. Openness to new input, willingness to share ideas, and a sharing attitude. It is not at all required to have an artistic "inclination" on the part of the hosting scientist, but nothing can replace an open attitude. Be open to accept that research can be both: scientific research and artistic research (for a definition of artistic research, see [ 9]).

Rule 2: Invite

Scientists may actively approach and invite artists to join their labs for a specific period of time. They should be aware that-although their own salaries are usually secured-the income of an artist is not secured. Hence, make sure to have a grant available that should cover the income of the artist and consumables for his or her artistic research.

Thus, seek out and visit art residencies and their show openings; make studio visits. Browse the internet and visit gallery shows and contact artists directly or get in touch with organizations that connect artists with scientists. Such organizations vary according to country and region. Some scientific organizations (e.g., CERN) have their own associated partners. In the EU, a number of organizations promote and support artists. Many of these have experience arranging collaborations: Examples are The Waag Society (NL), Kersnikova/Kapelica (SLO), BioArt Society (FI), Cultivamos Cultura and Ectopia (PT), Art Laboratory Berlin, and Schering Stiftung (D). Universities in many countries also support collaborations, and some have internal organizations that do so, for example, Metaphorest at Waseda University, Tokyo, SymbioticA at the University of Western Australia, and the MIT Media Lab.

Keep your lab's websites up to date. Consider working with the artist when developing proposals for funding; this will ensure that sufficient funds are available and that the proposal is pitched in a way that works for the artist, but it will likely also be a much better proposal with much greater chance of funding the full project if it has a compelling broader impact module (if this is required for your national funding agency).

Rule 3: Accept artists as researchers

An artist is not primarily in a scientific lab to perform outreach activities for lab's research or illustrate and communicate scientific research results, even though this can also be an outcome. The artist is a researcher in the arts. Remember, while "the means" or the process may be the same, and the goals may also include to arrive at new insights, the product may take many different forms. The artist is doing research to produce an artwork, even if it may take the shape of sound art, a performance, or ephemeral objects. Some examples from our artist coauthors may help illustrate this point. Karine Bonneval researches the acoustic world surrounding plants. Her artworks bridge our perception and understanding of what plants are and how they create ecologies ( https://www.karinebonneval.com/). Saša Spačal's research and installations create spaces for exploring symbiosis between life forms, often involving human interaction ( https://www.agapea.si/en/).

Rule 4: Recognize the concept

Scientists should not equate art projects with producing a painting to hang on the wall. Do not anticipate that an object will be created (even if in many or most cases it may be so). Focus on the concept, and allow the concept to be either directly related to the natural science/engineering research or also and specifically to creative practice (how do I develop an idea or a question?) as well as to sociopolitical dimensions.

Rule 5: Integrate

The more effortlessly artists can become integrated in the scientific lab group and its routines, the better. For example, they could come to regular lab meetings, even give presentations there, or else participate in the technical discussions (certain topics are more appropriate than others). Ensure that the artist becomes embedded with his or her own place in the lab. Consider offering a lab tour to the artist at the beginning of the residency. All of this will make the artists more well-known in the lab group, and this is very important for the success of the artist's residence, as it increases the number of potential interactions. Be open to learn as much as possible from the artist or the artistic practice in your science project as vice versa.

Rule 6: Find common language

Different disciplines and surely artists and scientists use different languages. To understand each other, use or develop common language: explain terminology, both physical (what is a soil aggregate?) as well as conceptual (what does creativity mean?). Be aware that this process is probably the most time-consuming part of this joint endeavor. Even the same words can have different meanings, potentially leading to misunderstanding. Hence, sometimes, several rounds of explanation may be necessary to find a common language.

Rule 7: Be curious about and understand each other's holism

Most scientists in life sciences and engineering use holistic approaches to study, understand, and design (a)biotic systems. The biology of (micro)organisms are studied from the community, cellular, molecular, and physical levels with technologies and tools developed, e.g., in chemistry, biotechnology, computer, and material sciences. Hence, inter- and transdisciplinarity is a central working method for many scientists.

Artistic research often bridges different scientific disciplines with cutting-edge theory from the humanities (philosophy, cultural studies, ethics, and aesthetics) and social sciences (sociology and anthropology) creating both larger audiences and exchange of ideas across fields on topics such as the "anthropocene," diversity loss, and antibiotic resistance, as well as questioning cultural viewpoints on the supposed divide between nature and (human) culture.

For both parties, it is helpful to be explicit about the other fields they draw upon in their work, making clear the respective "network of ideas" at play. This also requires awareness of our own intellectual context that we might normally take for granted when staying within our own respective "spheres" of science or the arts.

Rule 8: Know the other

Interactions are effortless when the artist and scientist can communicate effectively and when the artist knows some background of the work done in the lab. Websites of many scientific groups introduce their scientific visions, approaches, technologies, and achievements. Scientific publications offer in-depth details and are often inspirational for artists. The more prepared artists are in knowledge and practice, the easier (and more successful) the residency will be.

Similarly, the scientist must not only know the media and oeuvre that the artist is working in, but also the progression and trajectory of concepts and questions. Familiarize yourself with the evolution of the artists thinking through the artists' website, which is inspirational, too.

Rule 9: Be mindful of time constraints on both sides

Scientists are typically busy with the day-to-day craziness of managing a lab, writing grants, and papers, so it is important to be mindful of these constraints and to fit into their schedule. This is best achieved by scheduling meetings that fit the academic structure, such as a 45-minute meeting or shorter, with specific goals.

Similarly, recognize that artists do not have unlimited time or may not be available when they are preparing shows or publications, writing grants, or are busy running their studios. Be flexible, when a meaningful interaction with artists is possible, and schedule meetings during those phases and days that provide opportunities to generate new insights.

Rule 10: Enjoy the challenge

Merging science and the arts in one lab is not an easy endeavor neither for the artist nor the scientist and the scientists' group. Getting appropriate funding, struggling with the difficulties in communication, and understanding of the different concepts and results is time-consuming, unpredictable, and uncontrollable (the latter can be a nightmare for some scientists). However, those who are willing to take on these challenges, who want to cooperate on eye level with the other, and who appreciate the other as companions will be rewarded with a tingling brain shower that can open new horizons in both artistic and scientific research. By joining scientific and artistic research, we could gain access to the wider complexity of a particular subject, inaccessible to one methodological approach alone.

We believe that when both parties consider these rules, they will be better prepared for the challenge, increasing the likelihood of a successful residency. With in-person residencies currently rendered challenging due to the pandemic, virtual (online) residencies are an option and may also be a good way to get acquainted during non-pandemic times.

References

1. 1. Rillig MC, Bonneval K. The artist who co-authored a paper and expanded my professional network. Nature. 2020 [cited 2020 Jul 17].

2. 2. Liessmann KP. Das Verhältnis von Wissenschaft und Kunst-science.ORF.at. In: Science at orfat [Internet]. 6 Nov 2013 [cited 2020 Oct 4]. Available from: https://sciencev2.orf.at/stories/1727489/index.html

3. 3. Bürkle S. Atelier + Labor. Werkstätten des Wissens. Hatje Cantz Verlag; 2018. Available from: https://www.hatjecantz.de/stefanie-buerkle-atelier-labor-7395-0.html

4. 4. Meyer V. Merging science and art through fungi. Fungal Biol Biotechnol. 2019;6:5. pmid:31057802

5. 5. Lehmann J, Gaskins B. Learning scientific creativity from the arts. Palgrave Commun. 2019;5:1-5.

6. 6. Arendt H. Men in dark times. New York, New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.; 1968.

7. 7. Johung J. Experiments in Art + Soil: biochar, media technology, and a collaboration between Nathaniel Stern and Johannes Lehmann. The World After Us: Imaging Techno-Aesthetic Futures. Wisconsin, USA: TAUW; 2020. p. 112-138.

8. 8. Meyer V, Rapp R. Mind the Fungi. Berlin: TU Verlag; 2020. https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-10350

9. 9. Klein J. What is artistic research? JAR. 2017 [cited 2020 Dec 12].

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Ten simple rules for hosting artists in a scientific lab

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Matthias C. Rillig, Karine Bonneval, Christian de Lutz, Johannes Lehmann, India Mansour, Regine Rapp, Saša Spačal, Vera Meyer Subject Areas For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click here. We want your feedback. Do these Subject Areas make sense for this article? Click the target next to the incorrect Subject Area and let us know.