I started writing about some of the courses I deliver on Monday. First up was How To Work With Your Supervisor. Today, I want to muse a little on Creativity for Researchers, which is a workshop I’ve been developing since 2010.
It might be evident from various posts that I’ve shared that I am interested in creativity and creative thinking. As a mathematician, I struggled with perceptions of other people who classified me as not-creative. There were times when I had to defend the existence of maths research! I joke about this sometimes, that I think there was a perception that maths was a completed work – there is, somewhere, a Great Library of Maths, filled with books that have all of the maths (and all of the answers are at the book).
Given that all research involves creativity, it seemed clear to me to explore this for myself – to satisfy my own curiosity – and then to share what I had found valuable with others. I love running workshops on creativity! In the first case, I love to help researchers explore the idea of creativity as a process; there are lots of methods that help in this process, and tools that produce amazing results. I enjoy sharing those, and then helping to see what things can be done to make a creative environment and life for people.
More than anything I find it useful to bust myths. Creativity is not just about being “artistic,” and being creative is not just the way some people are and others aren’t. Creative thinking is a talent that everyone has and everyone can develop. I love helping people with their ideas!
On Friday, I’ll talk about the workshop that is my favourite to run, and which I think I am known best for: Viva Survivor.
Thanks for reading!
Nathan (@DrRyder and @VivaSurvivors)