Initial Information

Creativity

One of the biggest complaints we hear from people is that they don't have what it takes to be creative. To clarify, they aren't saying that they, themselves, aren't creative. In fact, we think most people are massively creative. No, what they're saying by 'it' is…that they don't have the budget, interesting product, team members, agency partner, brand, and on and on and on. What they're saying, essentially, is that they're waiting for someone or something else to give them permission to be creative. But permission to be creative only needs to come from one person – you. If you're inspired to be creative, it doesn't matter what product you sell, what your boss is like or how big your budget is. Sometimes what we need to be more creative is just a reminder of how beautiful it feels when we've done something creative. Sure, an awesome campaign will fit the bill. But so does a wacky doodle in the corner of the notepad when we're on hold. Or laying in the grass and seeing shapes in the clouds.Creativity doesn't need to be a Herculean event. But it does need consistent fostering. For us, we love to hear what highly creative people say about keeping this practice front and center:

• Pablo Picasso: "Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up."
• Vincent van Gogh: "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
• Salvador Dali: "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
• Leo Burnett: "Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people."
• Jack London: "You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club."
• George Bernard Shaw: "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will."
• Dr. Seuss: "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"
• Charles Mingus: "Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that's easy. What's hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."
• Ray Bradbury: "Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things."
• Steve Jobs: "Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while."
• Albert Einstein: "Creativity is intelligence having fun."
• Dorothy Parker: "Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye."
• Edward de Bono: "Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."
• Albert Einstein: "Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought."
• Henry David Thoreau: "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
• Bruce Garrabrandt: "Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones."
• John Cleese: "If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play."

Summary of the Project

The Aim of the project is: To raise the quality of youth work and youth projects by fostering creativity and innovation among youth workers and young leaders and by doing it develop young people's creative skills.

In the realm of creativity, a prevalent misconception is that individuals lack the necessary conditions to unleash their imaginative prowess—be it a limited budget, an unremarkable product, or a perceived lack of external validation. However, the essence of creativity lies not in external factors but in one's personal initiative. The permission to be creative need not come from external sources; rather, it is a self-driven endeavor. Regardless of the product, team, or budget constraints, the key to creativity lies within oneself. This perspective is echoed by renowned creative minds such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, and others who emphasize the simplicity and consistency of creative expression. Their insights underscore the notion that creativity is not a grand event but a continuous process, fostered by individual commitment and a willingness to embrace the beauty of creative moments, whether manifested in a groundbreaking campaign or a simple doodle on a notepad. Ultimately, the wisdom of these creative luminaries serves as a reminder that anyone can cultivate and sustain creativity by embracing curiosity, breaking established patterns, and recognizing the inherent joy in the act of creation.

Objectives of the project:

In a project focused on fostering creativity through non-formal educational methods, the objectives can be designed to encourage a dynamic and innovative learning experience. Here are some potential objectives for our project:

• Promote a Growth Mindset: Encourage participants to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and view effort as the path to mastery. This mindset shift can enhance creative thinking.
• Inspire Self-Initiative: Foster a sense of personal responsibility for one's creative journey. Participants should understand that creativity does not require external validation and that they have the agency to initiate and explore creative endeavors.
• Diverse Exposure and Exploration: Introduce participants to a variety of creative disciplines, including art, literature, music, and technology. Encourage exploration and experimentation across different domains to broaden perspectives.
• Cultivate Curiosity: Design activities that stimulate curiosity about the world and its diverse facets. Encourage participants to ask questions, seek answers, and explore topics beyond their immediate comfort zones.
• Collaborative Creativity: Facilitate group activities that emphasize collaborative problem-solving and idea generation. Teamwork fosters diverse perspectives and encourages participants to build upon each other's creativity.
• Reflection and Iteration: Incorporate moments of reflection after creative activities. Encourage participants to analyze their process, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and iterate on their ideas.
• Embrace Imperfection: Communicate the value of imperfection in the creative process. Help participants overcome the fear of failure by emphasizing that mistakes are opportunities to learn and refine their creative abilities.
• Time Management for Play: Allocate dedicated time for unstructured play and exploration. Allow participants to engage in creative activities without predefined outcomes, fostering a sense of freedom and joy in the creative process.
• Integration of Technology: Explore the use of technology tools and platforms that facilitate creativity, allowing participants to leverage digital resources for expression and collaboration
• Showcasing and Celebration: Provide opportunities for participants to showcase their creations, whether big or small. Celebrate the diversity of ideas and recognize each participant's unique creative contributions.
• Continuous Learning: Establish a framework for continuous learning beyond the project duration. Provide resources and recommendations for further exploration of creativity, encouraging participants to maintain their creative momentum.

By aligning the project objectives with these principles, you can create a non-formal educational environment that empowers individuals to tap into their creative potential and develop a lifelong appreciation for innovative thinking. In conclusion, we will give our attention to the following:

• To develop the creativity skills of young people, youth workers and youth leaders.
• To explore the role of creativity in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of youth work practices and methodologies.
• To promote the use of creative methods and approaches in youth work activities, such as arts, media, storytelling, drama, and games.
• Create a Tool kit with the workshops and mini-projects plans on creativity and imagination.
• To promote cross-cultural understanding and collaboration among youth workers from different countries and contexts, by sharing best practices, exchanging experiences, and exploring common challenges related to creativity in youth work.