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"A New Kind of Creativity for a New Kind of Century"

Dr Kobus Neethling has six degrees, including two masters, a doctorate and post-doctorate cum laude. He has written more than 80 books, including numerous international bestsellers and nine television series. He is included in 10 Who’s Who publications.
 
photo Myths and nonsense

It seems that often scientists and laymen alike spend their lives trying to define and describe theories and concepts. Once they believe that they now understand the essence of the concept they will give emphasis to the borders around those concepts and draw their conclusions and make their evaluations from within these borders. Maybe some of the more clinical sciences could be defined in such rational and logical terms but if one dares to classify creativity and innovation in separate and disconnected ‘boxes’, you will you will be missing the fundamental nature and heart of progress and development.

Creativity and innovation have intertwining principles and meaning and maybe the best way of explaining how they go together is to focus on the four integrated factors which are essential if the individual or the organization wishes to sustain innovation.  

The creative person: There is wide consensus amongst creativity experts that 98 percent of all human beings between the ages of 0-3 demonstrate creativity at a superior level. At the age of ten this figure drops to 32 percent and eventually only two percent of adults over the age of 25 still seem to exhibit creativity at a superior level. We are losing the battle and we will lose it completely the next few decades if we do not dramatically take stock of our creative inheritance. It also does not matter what your age is or what your professional background has been ---- rediscovery of your creativity can come at any age. THIS IS THE FIRST AND CRITICAL FIRST PHASE IF INNOVATION HAS ANY HOPE OF BECOMING PART OF THE CULTURE, THE LANGUAGE AND THE VALUES OF THE ORGANISATION.


The creative process ('verbing' before 'nouning')

There are many deliberate creativity processes which have excellent track records. If, however, the persons who are part of these processes are not creative, the results are more often than not incremental and ordinary ----- and very seldom the innovative breakthrough or aha that takes one to the next level.

Some of the deliberate creative methods like the Parnes/Osborn model which approach innovation challenges by following a step by step to eventually reach a specific objective have had incredible results.  Starting with fact finding and then to problem finding, idea finding, solution finding and eventually acceptance finding for the innovation, is a progressive methodology which have been instrumental in producing newness in all shapes and sizes; from soft drinks to drilling equipment; from chocolates to insurance packages.

Creative outcome (The innovation)

The outcome is the result of the person's or groups creative ideas, insight, passion and energy and the putting into action of those ideas and insights. The innovation can appear in any shape or form:

Things: telephone, light bulb, fast foods, a beer can, e-mail
Style: a new way of teaching, leading, managing, parenting, marketing
Societal change: peace (instead of war), values, beliefs, religion, education

The list is endless. Innovations will always vary between bad, 'ok', good or wow--- unfortunately the 'wows' are few and far between.


Creative environment

The most important approach to sustaining innovation in the organization and anchoring a culture of creativity and innovation is to develop an environment which supports opportunity and possibility thinking at all levels of the business. Once innovation becomes the culture, the language changes, the future begins to excite again and passion becomes the driving force. In the words of Julia Cameron, in an innovative environment a net will always appear for those who leap.

We are nearly a decade into the new century ---- and once again the refrain‘innovate' or die rings ominously in our ears and in our soul---- but the‘innovate' of today is radically different to the 'innovate' of yesterday and the day before.