Expanded Week One Reflections

In the first week of Creativity and Innovation, I learned a great deal from the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.  First, the opening chapter made it abundantly clear that inspiration can come from anywhere and that most ideas are not entirely innovative.  Kleon asserts that we can utilize previous works and motivational figures as inspiration to build upon.  He also provides practical advice, like searching google, to spark ideas.  Through the reading, I was also reminded of advice that one of my art teachers once gave me: bring a notepad and pencil with you everywhere since moments of inspiration may occur at any time.  I have fallen out of this habit, but look forward to integrating this in my schedule this semester.  Second, Kleon offers a great deal of guidance on how to create optimal products by “stepping away from the computer screen” and “taking time for hobbies.”  Generally, we tend to think that these activities will compromise efficiency, when in fact they can help stimulate creativity and innovation to support creation of optimal products.  I have started to sketch out ideas for presentations by hand instead of immediately typing on the computer, and it has helped to frame ideas for graphics.   I know that moving forward I will try to write ideas by hand first and then go to the computer to formalize.  Additionally, I know that I had initially signed up for the Creativity and Innovation course specifically for a creative outlet, but Kleon asserts that these activities can be built into your schedule without necessarily any level of formality as hobbies.  I learned that moving forward I should integrate time for hobbies since they can help stimulate creative thinking.  Finally, I appreciated the recommendations that Kleon provides regarding praise files and log books.  I think that these simple examples of documentation for affirmations and events can enable positive reframing and can serve to fuel future creative endeavors.  Overall, I learned this week that it is important to activate and practice using the right side of the brain in order to provide innovative solutions and creative products.  Kleon provided great advice on how to integrate creativity in practical ways, which I am hoping to integrate this semester.

I also learned a great deal from How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. I appreciated Michael Gelb’s practical advice for developing creativity.  He tends to treat innovation as a skill that can be honed, developed, and enhanced through regular practice and rituals.  First, Gelb emphasizes natural curiosita or innate inquisitiveness and yearning to acquire knowledge.  Gelb proposes starting a notebook, learning a new language, and looking up words as easy ways to enhance natural curiosita. Secondly, Gelb emphasizes the importance of demonstrazione or learning from experience.  The exercises related to evaluating capacity to learn from mistakes, evaluation of advertising appeals, and repeating affirmations are again practical examples of how to routinize creativity practice. I will certainly implement these recommendations in my routine moving forward.