By Joan Vinyets Rejon. Today more than ever, there is a common misunderstanding about creativity which links it to an exclusive “artistic” activity (like painting a picture, playing the violin, etc), a kind of “demiurge” experience. This stereotype is missing the real root of creativity as a source of intelligence for processing information and experiences, a powerful process through which we can frame problems in new ways and generate new ideas and innovations. Today -as we move into a more creative and knowledgeable economy and society- there is an emergence of the term “creativity” as related to another conceptual framework. This new framing of “Creative Intelligence” itself has become a key issue and will be a hot topic in the coming years. It is not only about information, neither about knowledge, but today’s challenge is about the creative “transformation” of information and knowledge. As some may say “It’s the Creative Intelligence, stupid”.
The dogma about creativity
Under the Industrial Revolution dogma, schools and workplaces have favored analytical intelligence as it trained us for “efficiency” and because the idea of efficiency is given the highest value in industrial and information economies. Since its inception alongside the Industrial Revolution, formal schooling has prioritized analytical thinking and abilities of the brain. Those abilities that are essential to sorting, ordering and figuring out information, which can be measured by an IQ test, fit perfectly the business mantra “what is not measurable doesn’t exist”.
At school we learn the skills required in the “world of facts”, and in the business world creativity is viewed as tactical rather than strategic within a process format approach. It is considered and managed as something of a necessity in much the same way as the introduction of a new technical skill –a three hour training session after which one you will be able to work creatively and if there are any further questions, read a manual. Creative Intelligence is more difficult to measure and facilitate, but as we move into a more creative and knowledgeable economy and society it is mandatory to change intelligence values.
The problem is that most organizations employ people who are the product of an educational system focused on encouraging the accumulation of facts, rather than the development of creative intelligence. The challenge for all organizations then becomes the ability to switch from the conceptual age transition of regimented logical-analytical industrial age mindsets into a Creative Intelligence mindset.