Part V: The Ultimate Resource for Creativity News, Methodology, Research, and Contacts
If you have not done so previously, drop everything, knock off a couple hours, and visit and consume a heaping portion of the National Creativity Network website: http://nationalcreativitynetwork.org/.
It can’t get any better than this! Probably the most comprehensive one-stop vault of articles and “friends of NRN” sources for further study, the NCN provides an extensive collection of creativity tools: news stories (still current as of the week of April 7, 2017), quotes, webinars, blog-posts, past competitions like the USA Creative Business Cup, and a Board of Directors from across North America including many “giants in the field” like one of my heroes Sir Ken Robinson (California), along with George Tzougros (Wisconsin), Margaret Collins (North Carolina), Steve Dahlberg (Connecticut), Carrie Fitzsimmons (Massachusetts), Peter Gamwell (Ottawa, Canada), Jean Hendrickson (Oklahoma), Wendy Liscow (New Jersey), Susan McCalmont (Oklahoma), Robert Morrison, Scott Noppe Brandon, David O’Fallon (Minnesota), Andrew Ranson, Susan Sclafani (Washington D.C.), and Haley Simons (Alberta, Canada).
According to their website, Dennis Cheek is the Executive Director of the National Creativity Network (right).
Since it so large and links will lead to many different websites, I recommend revisiting their site often. Start with their news feed section (http://nationalcreativitynetwork.org/?page_id=18).
The following is reprinted directly from the National Creativity Network website, and should be used as a model or “food for thought” towards the infusion and prioritizing creativity in education and business settings. Bon appétit! PKF
National Creativity Network
OUR VISION:
A vibrant and flourishing North America where imagination, creativity, and innovation are routinely valued, skillfully applied, and continuously expanded.
OUR MISSION:
The National Creativity Network engages, connects, informs, promotes, and counsels cross-sector stakeholders who skillfully use imagination, creativity and innovation to foster vibrant and flourishing individuals, institutions and communities across North America.
OUR CORE BELIEFS:
- Imagination is the bedrock of human creativity and remains an underdeveloped and under-utilized resource.
- Creativity is present in every human being and can be further nurtured and developed.
- Innovation entrepreneurially figures out how to make creative ideas function well in the real world at a scale that matters.
- A desirable future for institutions, communities, and societies depends upon continuously finding imaginative, creative, and innovative solutions to profound and complex challenges.
- Supportive environments are essential to the unleashing of imagination, expression of creativity, and realization of innovation.
NCN’s EXISTS TO:
Spark local, regional, state and provincial, and national movements to create environments—in homes, schools, workplaces, communities and public offices—where every person is inspired to grow creatively.- Develop grassroots networks of organizations and regions to facilitate the exchange of ideas, models and “best questions” as well as providing support and processes for those who want to take part.
- Serve as a national and international thought leader and influential policy voice for matters related to imagination, creativity, and innovation.
- Seek new national and global partners whom we can engage, connect, understand, and promote.
- Provide high quality, synthesized, and timely information across geographies, sectors, problems, activities, and needs.
- Facilitate cross-sectoral (education, commerce, culture, and government) and cross-regional work that tackles difficult and perennial obstacles to progress in North America.
We accept the following working definitions for our work, adapted with permission from the book imagination first: Unlocking the Power of Possibility by Eric Liu and Scott Noppe-Brandon (Jossey-Bass, 2009):
Imagination is the capacity to conceive of what is not yet present or manifest.
Creativity is imagination applied (“imagination at work”) to do or make something that flows from the prior capacity to conceive of the new.
Innovation consists of further creative actions that advance the form, depth, reach, and richness of that which has been brought into being.
© 2017 Paul K. Fox
paulfox.blog 