Liz Massey, of the Creative Liberty blog, interviewed me for her Artist @ Work Series on creativity in work and business, the creative emergence focus, etc. You can read the original interview at:
http://creativeliberty.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/the-artist-work-michelle-james-center-for-creative-emergence/
Creative Liberty: Tell us a little bit about The Center for Creative Emergence and how you developed it as a business entity.
Michelle James: CCE is a company is a creativity coaching,
consulting and training company for individual, groups and
organizations, dedicated to “mainstreaming” creativity and integrating
the split we’ve been living between creativity and business. We help
solopreneurs and creatives do anything from create their unique
signature to design a program to develop a new income-generating
business using their creativity.
(CCE’s) development was mostly nonlinear. I was simultaneously
engaging different avenues of learning and exploration – organizational
development, psychology, improv, the arts, the brain, bodywork,
philosophy, healing, coaching and other modalities, with a work history
in marketing and media – until it all came together in an “emergence,”
in which the disparate parts formed into a new whole. I needed to create
and income-generating business structure where I could bring in my
experiences, training/education and the whole-brain modalities that were
most alive for me, and the only way I could do that and not feel like I
was losing a part of myself was to create my own business. I learned a
lot about the principles of creative emergence in the process.
The linear progression of the business is that I went from working in
the media and marketing (and having my creative and philosophical
pursuits on the side) to owning a creative services business, to
co-owning an organizational development company (bringing creativity in
through the back door), to finally establishing CCE, which has the
convergence of creativity, purpose and serving a greater good front and
center.
How would you differentiate personal creative efforts from
organizational or business-related creativity? What are the similarities
and differences?
Similarities: Creativity is everywhere, in everyone and in every
group, organization, culture and system. It is always there, and can
always be accessed and used for the good of that person, group or
system. Creativity is transformative by its nature and changes the
status quo. Resistance (contraction in a creative process) then shows
up. Moving through it – and not turning back – is the key. For me, every
person, group or system has infinite creative potential, and the
potential to align him/her/itself to its highest potential.
Differences: Personal creativity and business creativity might have
different objectives, i.e., creating for self expression vs. creating a
new product or a new business structure. Individual creativity allows
you to go deeper, have more space, feel less self-conscious, have
unfettered expression, and create from internal motivation and
expression. Organizational creativity allows you to access a collective
intelligence/creative field, where the creativity of whole is greater
than the sum of the parts. Business creativity, to me, is using your
creativity to both create and achieve your business objectives and
structure.
With that said, the more you follow your passion and purpose, the
less you may tend to experience personal and work creativity as
different … if you’re willing to make necessary changes and follow your
creative impulse. It might mean some structural changes in your work and
life, and that can be tough at first … and may require long periods of
being in ambiguity – in between the trapezes – in trial and error.
Being in that exploratory ambiguity is part of the creative process.
Real creativity is messy. It can leave loose ends along the way … but
there is always a larger creative intelligence at work, and the loose
ends often come back later as completely coherent part of the NEW
structure you are creating.
How does your Emergence Focus approach to creativity differ
from other more traditional approaches? What can artists learn from this
approach?
Emergence focus allows a large space for exploration and the unpredictable. I call it Emergent Space
– where something emerges (an insight, idea, etc) that changes, usually
by expanding, the course of the original plans, and still often
includes them. Goals are seen as flexible guideposts, not static end
points. It focuses on what’s next, not a static future vision.
Visioning processes are great and I recommend them to discover what
calls to you and to serve as a compass, with a flexible destination. The
emergence focus is specifically engaging what is in front of you and
unfolding/creating what is next. In other words, as you create what is
next, the “what’s next” after that emerges, and so on. That way, you
remain flexible, adaptive and creative as you are go along, and can
adapt your vision in light of new information, inspiration or awareness.
It also focuses on the “yes-and” not “either-or” way of navigating
seemingly conflicting ideas. If the question is “Do I do x or y?” and
you are passionate about both, then the answer is “Yes”…it just requires
going up to a new level of creative thinking to emerge a way they can
both co-exist. For example, often my clients have 2 or 3 different
business ideas. When they engage the emergence process, a new can
structure emerge that allows all 3 to be part of the business, rather
than having to eliminate one.
Creative emergence contains the balance of both structure and flow.
Generally, those who feel more comfortable in flow – often artists –
learn how to build structure to contain, direct and focus the flow.
Those who are more comfortable with structure – often business people –
learn how to unleash more creative flow to help take their work or
business to the next level.
What are common struggles that businesses have related to innovation or creativity?
Being prepared to handle what happens when real creativity is
unleashed in a system. It means change – deep, real, and often
uncomfortable change. And it comes with resistance – being able to
navigate the natural resistance that comes with transformation. People
will feel anything from energized to terrified … the entire range must
be accommodated through a creative process. Also, willingness to let go,
(because) change means some people will opt out of that system.
The fear of failure and the fear of the unknown are the 2 biggest
blocks to creativity – almost all other fears can fall under one of
those. That’s why I believe improvisational theater training should be
mandatory for all employees (and leaders) – improv principles and
practices are one of the most accessible, easy and enjoyable ways to
help people shift those fears. Through improv, you can’t help but
develop a new relationship to the unknown, failure and risk-taking. The
unknown becomes potential, failure becomes an invitation to create, and
risk taking is exploration. Once you get comfortable with the unknown,
and see failure as an essential part of the exploration, it is earlier
to move past struggles and into new creation.
What are some common errors that people, particularly
artists, make about the intersection between making art and making a
living?
Many artists, like anyone else in our culture, have a set of
foundational belief systems that have separated the business bottom line
or generating income from creativity. Some take pride in being the
“staving artist” and not “selling out.” Some carry negative stereotypes
about business/business people that can interfere with the creating of a
thriving business for themselves. The old paradigm was not very
appealing to creatives, unless perhaps you were working in a creative
services department or a creative services business. But … a new
business paradigm is emerging that is different – one that can serve the
greater good, make a profit, AND use your creativity. It requires
everyone to leave old foundational beliefs behind, and embrace more
expansive and inclusive models of creativity, the arts and commerce.
How can creative people leverage their aptitude for innovation in the world of business?
Meet the business world where it is – engage in classes, trainings,
coaching, whatever you need to understand how the business works. That
will help you in finding or create opportunities to bring your unique
gift to the world and get paid for it. Create your niche based on your
passion, and structure it to include the bottom line. Artists who value
the bottom line are more likely to find ways to generate a healthy one.
Create a business, or work for one, that already values creativity as
part of their culture. Align your belief systems to a new, healthier
paradigm of business. If you can get beyond old models and stereotypes,
and into the essence of business as service and value exchange, then
it’s easier to leverage your creativity within it.
Tell us about why you developed the Capitol Creative Network and the Creativity in Business conference.
To establish a community of practice for those of us interested in
applied creativity – the practical applications of creativity in the
business world, and to give us an opportunity to regularly and
consistently explore and experience a variety of approaches to weaving
creativity and business together. CCN was established in 2004. Before
then, I had participated in various arts, holisitc, organizational
development and business groups, but none that were exploring business
through the lens of creativity, and using whole-brain creative process
at every meeting to do so.
At CCN, we have a different creativity facilitator each time, and at
the Creativity in Business conference there were several break-out
sessions from which to choose, each focused on a different type of
creative process. There are as many ways to facilitate creative process
as there are people called to do it. I am passionate about giving people
an opportunity to experience different dimensions of their creativity,
and applying it to life and work.
What can live creativity-oriented events provide that online social networks cannot?
There is still something special that can happen in a live group. A
group field can emerge – a collective creative intelligence – in real
time that is greater than the sum of its parts. There is a shared “we”
space that informs the creative process.
Co-creation is dynamic and immediate, and responds to real-time
feedback. Since 55 percent of communication is non-verbal, you can
experience a richer, more embodied context and intimacy. The resonance
is immediate. You connect more with the whole person, not just their
ideas. Emotions and energy, which fuel the creative process, are more
easily cultivated.
For this to happen often requires consciously setting the conditions
for a generative group field. Sometimes, if the container is not set,
live groups can fall into a comfortable groupthink that inhibits the
creative process. Social networks also have some advantages. I advocate
engaging multiple channels of collaborative potential – live and online,
small group and large.
Where do you see your efforts to promote creativity in the workplace going over the next decade?
I can really only answer it from the lens of emergence, which can’t
be fully predicted. I am committed to the “meme” of emergence,
foundational creativity, whole-person/whole-system creativity and
generative work structures. I trust that if I remain directed, present
to my purpose, create from what is in front me now, say ‘yes’ to what
feels most alive and vital (and ‘no’ to what does not), pay attention to
emerging patterns and feedback from the world, and adapt to new
information and advances, I will evolve my work in ways that I can
actually not imagine now. That’s how emergence works. Evolving
technologies and social systems, and my continued evolution and growth,
will inform and expand my vision along the way – and surprise is the
critical, and most rewarding, element.
I think in terms on “entry points” – what I know now and what is
next. Some of ways I see my efforts being expressed now and next are
more live and online events, experiential workshops, and interactive
products. I am writing a book(s) on foundational creativity and the
practices and principles of creative emergence, and plan to create
videos on these topics. I see myself working help entrepreneurs and
organizations at foundational levels structure their for creativity and
innovation; working with creativity from multiple levels: cognitive,
intuitive, somatic, energetic, consciousness and the soul at work –
possibly establishing an online community; and bringing in more
whole-brain, improvisation-based, intuitive and bodied-centered
practices into the business arena through a variety of channels.
I would like to remain a life-long learner and creator, so whatever I
do, I have to balance my knowledge/experience with a “beginner’s mind”
to keep my own creativity actively engaged and a living, evolving
vision.
What do you think a greater appreciation of the creative process at work would mean for American businesses? American artists?
I believe creative energy is the most transformative energy there is –
it has the power to change all situations. Once it is more valued,
engaged, and cultivated in our work culture, anything is possible. We
are starting see shifts in now only how we create, what we create, and
how we do business. Most businesses are still operating form old
foundations, modeled after mechanical processes instead of organic,
creativity-centered, living-system foundations.
Once creativity permeates the work culture, structures will change
dramatically. I can’t predict how it will look because it will be
co-created by all of us, but I believe we will see more aliveness and
ingenuity in the work place; blurred boundaries of what was previously
siloed; more adaptive, dynamic business models; and more work climates
that feed the soul and inspire contribution to a larger whole.
Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you think is relevant?
Once we let go of outdated, limiting notions of who and what is
creative and embrace a larger framework of creativity, then it’s easier
to cultivate it in every workplace. We need FOUNDATIONAL shifts in how
we think, interact, and engage. We need to integrate previously
unrelated disciplines to create new, more inclusive ones. It’s time to
let go of inhibiting paradigms and embracing more holistically
generative ones. This is already beginning to happen, and the more
conscious focus and attention we put toward it, the more quickly it will
evolve.
