Enhancing Creativity with Sketchbooks

(I originally posted these notes last year on another blog, which I am shutting down, and so over the next few days I will be moving the information to this blog for the sake of simplicity. )

On February 14, 2008, I had the opportunity to speak at a symposium at Brigham Young University on the topic of Enhancing Creativity With Sketchbooks. While I don't have a transcript of the address, I would like to post a few points from my presentation.

In order to use sketchbooks effectively to foster creativity, it is first necessary to understand (A) the nature of creativity and (B) that creativity is a skill that can be learned by anyone.

Many artists, psychologists, and business gurus have attempted to define creativity long before I ever came along. The definitions are diverse. Some are complex and some are very simple. Some define it in one or two traits, while others outline 20, 30, or even more aspects of creativity. I spent some time reviewing many of these definitions, as well as examining my own creative pursuits, and came up with what I consider to be the "10 Basic Traits of Creative People." These are:

Trait #1: Creative people generate many ideas.

Trait #2: Creative people recognize and nurture good ideas.

Trait #3: Creative people are observant.

Trait #4: Creative people are imaginitive.

Trait #5: Creative people are interested in many things.

Trait #6: Creative people dare to take risks.

Trait #7: Creative people are independent thinkers.

Trait #8: Creative people welcome challenges.

Trait #9: Creative people persevere.

Trait #10: Creative people value their ideas.

Obviously, these are not all-inclusive, but I do believe they cover many of the KEY traits of a creative person. Over the next few posts I will expand on my ideas for each trait. I also welcome any comments and interaction.