In my activity for this week, I’ve created a worksheet in which the participant has an opportunity to recall how they used to engage in imaginative or creative play as a child and what components made that play possible for them in those moments. Using a mind map, this activity asks the participant to dig deep into what skills they used, what inspired them and what challenges they faced. Upon learning the details about the remembered activity, the participant is encouraged to apply the skills, inspiration and understand potential challenges to the creative solutions they’re trying to achieve today. Doing this activity with a partner can bring even more insight to any certain memory you’re trying to decipher and can expand the potential for what can be observed.
This activity has the potential to expand understanding of creative leadership by pushing the boundaries around what rules and regulations we’ve come to learn as adults navigating society. When we bring back the building blocks of our childhood imagination and challenge our minds to go back to a time when creativity came a little easier, it can spark ideas about how to apply childhood creativity to today’s solutions. Particularly when considering the challenges one would face as a child might give the participant insight into what challenges they might face in their own creative process. Having an understanding around challenges can create some empathy for the self and the ability to take more risk or create a safer net around failure.
