Earl Adams
REFLECTIONS ON CREATIVITY: TAKE RISKS! MAKE MISTAKES! BY EARL ADAMS To me, creativity is being able to see and find good solutions to challenging problems and needs. Others might miss these creative solutions for many reasons. It may be an attitude. “We have always done it that way.” “We can’t do that!” Or, a group or company culture might exist whereby risk taking is not rewarded. My direct experience with hundreds of people shows that young people seem to find very creative solutions to many problems, especially if they are encouraged to use their imagination and have fun without fear of making a mistake, failing or being ridiculed. If you think about it, much of our educational system encourages conformity and not real creativity. There are exceptions. I have also found groups of enthusiastic people who work really well together, without fear of judgement and mistakes, and can come up with some really creative solutions no one initially thought of. I personally express my creativity by making things, experimenting and teaching others the joy of learning some really interesting skills. Typical comments are: “Oh, I could never do that!” If you don’t try, that’s true. However, if you try, make a few mistakes and soon succeed, it gives you the confidence to continue and be super proud of your accomplishments. I’m personally most creative when working on something that is challenging. I would describe it as “getting lost in your work” and losing a sense of time. Working in a pleasant environment without a lot of interruptions also definitely improves my creativity. Creativity in the world is essential for solving everything from really difficult problems to the development of new products and even something as simple as finding a better way to complete the task you are working on right now. I’m currently seeing a ton of creative scientists trying to figure out how to solve pieces of the global pandemic. One important characteristic they share is trying a solution, having it fail, and going right back and trying again. A biomedical engineer, Earl Adams worked in the healthcare-technology field for over 34 years, including at La Porte Hospital. He founded PCCS, Inc., a healthcare computer services and consulting firm. Now retired, he mentors young people in entrepreneurship, creativity and leadership. Adams volunteers at the La Porte County Public Library Maker Labs and enjoys hobbies like welding, vintage tool restorations, jewelry making, and woodworking. This article is part of a series, “Reflections on Creativity,” sponsored by the Center for Creative Solutions, celebrating April’s World Creativity and Innovation Week. Check out CenterforCreativeSolutions.com, #IamCreative wciw.org
- Start: 15 April 2020
- End: 15 April 2020
- Attendance:
- Location: N/A , , United States
