I am honored to win the 2016 Community Media Rika Welch leadership award for community impact; a testimony to the Guests who shared their stories on MidLIFE Matters. In addition, an 2018 interview I did with Judith Altmann, a Holocaust Survivor, won an award. In 2020 and 2021 two other awards acknowledged the content of interviews dealing with Child Sex Trafficking in CT and Non-Profit leadership. In 2023 MidLIFE Matters won First Place for a Profile Talk Show.Genius Mess
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 09:07AM
Clearing off your desk to start something new may inhibit your creativity. To construct something truly innovative, you might be better off jotting notes in the midst of chaos. A NYT article, "It's Not 'Mess.' It's Creativity" reveals the results of a study that showed subjects in a messy room generated more 'highly creative' ideas than counterparts in a tidy setting. (by Kathleen D. Vohs - Grey Matters - 9/15/13).
If you are like me, you may want to cut out this news and tape it on the fridge. I try to keep my creative mess from this side of hoarding, but often cringe when someone stops by.
Years ago I ran a workshop on Nuturing Creativity in Children for what was then called The Hartford Critical & Creative Thinking Center. A handout listed an 'expressive climate' as a nuturing tip; 'rules that control vs inform' as a creativity killer, and a 'messy family room' as what worked with my daughter.
Sources for that workshop included Teresa M. Amabile, PhD. who continues to contribute to the study of innovative work environments. Jane M. Healy, PhD. put out a call for creative minds for the future - those that take initiative; have big-picture thinking; open-ended problem solving; an ability to tolerate uncertainty, and the ability to ponder.'
Cleanliness may next to godliness, but inspiration needs space to emerge.
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