To live a creative life, we must first lose the fear of being wrong – Joseph Chilton Pearce

How Do I Encourage Creativity in Learners?

How do I make my child, pupil, student, mentee, protégé, understudy, follower and tribe/community members creative? Giving an answer to the foregoing appears quite easy, like a friend who, sometime ago, hurriedly reacted by saying ‘‘science and technology,’’ without giving it a critical thought. In truth, however, it is rather a billion-dollar question that could prove the game changer for the entire human race.

The destination of the journey which commences with creativity is innovation. Stating it differently, innovation begins with creativity because without a creative mind that births practicable ideas, there cannot be innovation. A truly purposeful and visionary mind that is inclined to innovation advances creativity to a logical end – invention.

What is Creativity and Innovation?

Before venturing into a definitive meaning of innovation [the attaining end of creativity], let us achieve clarification on the distinction between one of the two commonly used and rather confused terms or words.

The words creativity and innovation are used interchangeably by different persons. This implies that such users are unaware of their distinct meanings. While this may cause confusion to a vast majority of persons, perhaps only a few can distinctly differentiate between the two words.

First things first, we must understand that creativity is not innovation. While creativity borders on ideas, innovation is the process of actualising or bringing the ideas to life. A writer once stated, “It’s not about ideas; it’s about making ideas happen.” That is absolutely spot on.

Every equipment or device invented, every book written, every album waxed, or whatever tangible thing that has been used or is being used by man to lead a comfortable life is actually an idea perfected; an intangible thought expressed through the funnel of innovation to become tangible.

Every vehicle manufactured; the computer and other cutting-edge gadgets, tools or devices produced [electric iron, telephone, microphone and aircraft]; poem written; dance step originated; story or book written; social media platforms developed like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; and applications or solutions were all figments of the imagination of some persons. They were ideas [intangible] that were brought to life [tangible] through a process of execution.

Innovation involves striving towards making human life worth living in terms of improvement of processes, updating of new trends and equipment, and the production of new things.

Innovation is invention, and it often requires that the dynamics of the present is disrupted to achieve a better future. Innovation rests upon the insatiable desire to give; a restless spirit built on the ethos of munificence [extreme generosity].

The mind of the innovator [inventor] is saddled with unquenchable yearning to add value, whether such a being is in confinement, in discomfort, suffering rejection, exhibiting freedom of space/thought, or leading the life of a recluse, although connected or attuned to world realities. The theme is often the same – disruptive thinking [creativity] to bless mankind with an array of physical benefits [innovation/invention]...