In your own words, what do you do?
I don't teach creativity as much as I encourage it. With some old fashioned encouragement, my college students and corporate clients return to a natural creativity. They are -- we all are -- more creative than we realize, because much of our creative talent has gone dormant due to lack of attention. My tools are readings, presentations and conversations on creativity, engagement and motivation; the techniques of improvisational theatre (where brainstorming is alive); and committed devotion to creativity as a role model.
You’ve been quoted as saying that creativity is like exercise. What do you mean by that?
People sometimes say, "I'm not creative." I ask, "How hard are you trying?" We all know what it takes to be physically fit: exercise, good nutrition, sleep, no smoking, not too much drinking. When we cheat any of those variables, we know that our fitness might be jeopardized. Well, creative fitness is the same thing: it takes the same discipline, the same amount of time. (But you don't have to shower after a creative workout.) People who do nothing about their creativity and expect a spontaneous moment of ingenuity are like people who do nothing about their fitness and...
