Ni*
Creative Spaces to explore new opportunities and realities above and below the surface
Published in July 2022 by Susann Naomi Israel
Observing a painter's journey
The featured picture is an acrylic painting by Lola Larsen. Lola is an amiable Danish painter, who felt instantly inspired by the beauty of Montferrat, Piedmont, Italy, while visiting my family at Casa Hygge. It is her first acrylic painting after spending many years skilfully crafting pictures with oil paints. I learnt from her, that mixing acrylics is much more difficult than mixing oils, simply because the acrylics are already beginning to dry as you are in the process of mixing the right shade. I am very grateful that Lola did not give up, and ultimately persevered over the next several months to conclude this truly stunning painting of our house. In Lola’s case, it was the change of environment and daily routine, that sparked her creativity.
Why creativity matters
In today’s business context, the ability to access our creativity makes us more remarkable leaders and change agents. It enlarges our idea pool, from which we craft transformational business strategies, produce innovations that make us the first mover, and drive change in a way that is both, sustainable and enjoyable. Sadly, when talking to clients, I find, that the process of triggering creativity in organisations is oftentimes defined by structure and timelines. We rally as participants in the latest innovation challenge. We mobilise our talent pools to come up with process improvement ideas. We schedule project meetings to tackle our latest business challenge using Kanban boards. However, structured processes engage our logic brain, the left side. Thus, limiting us to think in linear terms, words, numbers, facts.
In “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain“, Betty Edwards offers us the key to truly mastering the art of drawing – but there is much more than that. Performing the drawing exercises, truly activated the right side of my brain. This creative brain allows us to visualise feelings, follow our intuition, think holistically, imagine unordinary solutions, speak through arts. My hypothesis is, the creative brain has less space in today’s typical business environment, which keeps us all too busy with the latest cost cutting exercise, efficency project, regulatory request, reorganisation program.
Crafting a business case around creativity
Imagine if…
…using drawing techniques with individuals or groups could help your organisation to identify and mitigate hidden challenges, such as shortcomings to your corporate culture? A truly positive corporate culture can only thrive if anxieties can be openly raised and addressed. If suppressed, they can act out (e.g.,resignation) or spread within the organisation. Including the creative brain through drawing in the organisational context is a worthwhile explorational journey, in my experience, and may surface new information, thus complementing the spoken word.
…asking selective employees across ranks and roles to express their emotional associations about the latest reorganisation announcement through photography could surface new relevant information? In a workshop, we may engage and speak about selected photography. Reflective listening and dialogue in a group discussion may bring out unconscious dimensions, that benefit your organisation throughout its changes journey.
…bringing your newly assembled project team to an inspiring physical space could allow time to improve self-awareness and trust in the group? I recently experienced during the INSEAD EMC module 3 in Fontainebleau, France, how a day of group coaching can activate conscious and unconscious self and group dynamics in a very positive way, gently pushing each individual to achieve his/her higher-level aspirations. Your change agents would get a chance to come together in a new way!
Photography taken on my reflective stroll, Küsnachter Tobel, May 2022: Beauty of Entrepreneurship (left), Roles in an Organisation (middle), Corporate CEO (right)
To further explore...
Techniques: drawing, photography, creative spaces.
Locations: Casa Hygge, Co-Working spaces in all major cities around the globe, client’s office premises.
* “Ni”, which I use in my firm’s logo, is the Japanese word for “two”, resembling the client’s decision to take a next step and to embrace organisational development with focus on self and groups. Ni is also my second blog post, following “Ichi – Self-Awareness” .
Read more about my Services and contact [email protected] or go to Contact.