PERIODIC CREATIVITY: PART TWO

The First Ionic Bond of Creativity - ExploratION

(you can read part one of this series here https://lnkd.in/gvm9kxz8 )

Last week, Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk interviewed me on their podcast Anecdotally Speaking. Shawn and Mark made lots of great questions and observations, but one piece stuck with me. Mark and Shawn teach corporates how to use storytelling with a little s better. Their position is that a story doesn't have to be monumental or life-changing, so it can often be very simple. And the best way of finding these stories is by noticing the things in our lives. As Socrates said,
"The unexamined life is not worth living."

It is well known that Alexander Flemming accidentally discovered penicillin in 1928 while researching staphylococcis. He went on two two-week holidays, carelessly leaving an open petri dish next to an open window, which became contaminated with mould spores. On his return, he observed that the mould was killing the staphylococci. Had he not been observant, he might have binned the contaminated dish, missing one of the most significant discoveries in medical history.

The creative step of exploration combines the positive mindset of observation and the more negative one of frustration. For the purposes of my model, I like to think that Flemming left the Petri dishes unopened in a moment of frustration. In the end, with no discovery insight, he might have abandoned his research in exasperation.

Both frustration and observation serve as potent catalysts for the first step in the creative process: exploration. However, it's crucial to recognise that while frustration can be a powerful motivator, dwelling on it can lead to exasperation.

As I continue to refine my model, I can't help but ponder a question: Should the creative blend of observation and frustration be termed exploration or examination? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

I am on a mission* to reignite the creativity that people and teams have lost, buried or inadvertently misplaced with ideas, stories, a gentle nudge or a swift kick up the creativity pants.
*via keynotes, workshops, one-on-one coaching/mentoring and visual storytelling.

#creativechemistry #exploration #alchemy #creativethinking #creativitymodel