THE NEW SCHOOL Creativity In the Media

THE NEW SCHOOL What was “The Hurt Locker” about?

THE NEW SCHOOL The media, too, is a drug … addictive. Why? Stories News and entertainment

THE NEW SCHOOL Stories = content. Engaging content is king. Listen carefully Content is created by teams. Collaborative teams The media require collaborative creativity.

THE NEW SCHOOL Three Creativity Elements Expertise: In-depth knowledge about a field Creative Skills: Problem-solving skills, creative process skills, collaborative teamwork skills Intrinsic Task Motivation: Passion for the work, love of the process involved … not extrinsic reward such as money, awards

THE NEW SCHOOL Four Roles Of the Creative Process * The Explorer Gathers information, explores for knowledge in new places The Artist Experiments with new approaches, combinations Follows intuition, breaks rules, brainstorms, takes risks A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, Roger von Oech, Perennial Library, New York, 1986.

THE NEW SCHOOL The Judge Evaluates ideas and solutions, critically weighs evidence The Warrior Takes the offensive, fights for implementation, sells ideas, has courage A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, Roger von Oech, Perennial Library, New York, 1986.

THE NEW SCHOOL Innovation Innovation is the result – the working solution – of the creative process. Innovation is the most dominant trend in business … the key to success Non-profits, too. Innovation = problem finding and problem solving.

THE NEW SCHOOL Silicon Valley Paris HollywoodPixar

THE NEW SCHOOL Want to get a job in the media? Want to work collaboratively on creative teams and innovate?

THE NEW SCHOOL Want To Get a Job In the Media? 1. Be an expert. Be so good they can’t ignore you. 2. Learn creative process and collaborative skills. A. Traditional brainstorming doesn’t work. B. Learn to take criticism … and give it gently. Bury your ego. 3. Take only jobs that have intrinsic motivation for you.

THE NEW SCHOOL Most Important Practice, practice, practice

THE NEW SCHOOL Talent is overrated. It takes 10 years or 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert. Start practicing today. Get really, really good at something.

THE NEW SCHOOL Creativity Mythology 1. Teams are more creative than individuals. 2. If you want to enhance creative teamwork, get rid of rules, guidelines and norms. 3. Striving for quality is better than striving for quantity.

THE NEW SCHOOL 4. Active brainstorming is necessary to generate ideas. 5. Brainstorming teams should work closely together and tear down boundaries. 6. Team members should first brainstorm as a group to get the creative juices, flowing, then work alone.

THE NEW SCHOOL 7. People who are pro-social (team- oriented) are more creative than those who are pro-self (individually oriented). 8. Deactivating moods (e.g., peaceful reflection, relaxation, serenity) lead to more creativity than activating moods (e.g., anger, fear, happiness).

THE NEW SCHOOL 1. Teams are more creative than individuals. Research shows people working completely individually out perform groups – by far.

THE NEW SCHOOL 2. If you want to enhance creative teamwork, get rid of rules, guidelines and norms. Wrong. Groups that don’t have guidelines are distinctly less creative. Groups need structure: Starbursting e.g.

THE NEW SCHOOL 3. Striving for quality is better than striving for quantity. Quantity first. Quality requirements lead to self-censoring. People fear ridicule – jeering. Groups need priming – the act of stimulating new ideas with a phrase, suggestion, picture, metaphor. Primacy effect – people focus on first good idea that comes along and limit discussion.

THE NEW SCHOOL 4. Active brainstorming is necessary to generate ideas. People need time to pay attention to an idea – to understand it. Thus, need to think about it – to fixate on it. People need to incubate – have some time to let their dreams work.

THE NEW SCHOOL 5 Brainstorming teams should work closely together and tear down boundaries. People need some space and often some privacy. Cave-and-commons approach to office space – freedom from continual interruption.

THE NEW SCHOOL 6. Team members should first brainstorm as a group to get the creative juices, flowing, then work alone. Just the opposite. It is best to brainwrite – work alone, independently and record ideas before moving to group discussion. Brainwriting alone for 10 minutes is enough – not much happens after 10 minutes.

THE NEW SCHOOL 7. People who are pro-social (team- oriented) are more creative than those who are pro-self (individually oriented). The opposite. People who have a high concern for their own interests and ideas are more creative than people who are pro-social and will to “go along to get along.”

THE NEW SCHOOL 8. Deactivating moods (e.g., peaceful reflection, relaxation, serenity) lead to more creativity than activating moods (e.g., anger, fear, happiness). Better to be focused, aroused and highly activated. Discussing and arguing about ideas passionately works. So, start yelling at each other…you get brownies points taken off by being polite and not taking risks!