“At its core, creative confidence is about believing in your ability to create change in the world around you. It is the conviction that you can achieve what you set out to do. We think this self-assurance, this belief in your creative capacity, lies at the heart of innovation” (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 2).
Having previously read a different book by Tom Kelley, I was thrilled when @k2theiely mentioned another book by him, Creative Confidence, that would work for this report. After reading the description, I immediately placed a hold on it and eagerly awaited its arrival so I could learn all about ‘unleashing the creative potential within us all,’ as the subtitle tells us. And I was not disappointed.
David and Tom Kelley Preface
Tom and David Kelley wrote this book together with the intention of helping individuals, companies, and organizations locate their inner creativity and find ways to nurture and develop it into an inherent part of their everyday lives. They want to show that creativity is not just for the “creative types” or for artists, but that anyone has the ability to unlock their creativity with a little imagination: all it takes is some practice and positive reinforcement (Kelley & Kelley, 2013).
Introduction: The Heart of Innovation
Through a series of examples, Tom and David do just that; from Doug Dietz, an MRI developer who wanted to find a way to make his machines less terrifying for children, to Lauren Weinstein, a law school student who wanted to win a mock trial case that her side had never won before, we can see examples of ordinary people tapping into their imaginations to tackle these obstacles. Though neither of these individuals considered themselves to be “creative types,” they were both able to find innovative approaches to solve their respective problems (Kelley & Kelley, 2013).
Chapter 1: Flip From Design Thinking to Creative Confidence
Creative Confidence serves as a demonstration that everyone has ideas that can be used to spur innovation, and also as a map to helping us break out of the mindset that only certain people can be creative. Every idea does not need to be the next big thing either; it is okay to start small because “little changes can eventually add up to a big impact” (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 143). We have to start somewhere, otherwise nothing will ever change.
Chapter 2: Dare From Fear to Courage
Creative Confidence and the Library
Tom and David talk a lot about experimenting with new approaches and giving yourself the “latitude to try out new ideas” (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 51). We can easily apply this to the library. As society continues to evolve and change with the times, we, as LIS professionals, must adapt. This means we must find creative new ways to stay relevant and important to our communities, or risk losing funding and support. We are not just buildings housing books and providing information; we are now a hub in the community where patrons come looking for a variety of services.
Chapter 3: Spark From Blank Page to Insight
As we move away from being the book repositories of yesteryear, we need to become more imaginative with our branding, our services, and our programming if we want to remain in
the forefront of the minds of our users. Instead of offering lectures and talks, we should start brainstorming ways to get people involved at the library: programs like mini-conventions and adults-only craft nights offer events that, when provided by other organizations, cost money, which often makes them prohibitive for many people to attend. Participatory programming and opportunities that allow patrons a sense of ownership in the library make us more attractive; by engaging our users, we help them feel comfortable and at home in our buildings. We can find ways to make the library more appealing: all it takes is a little imagination.
Chapter 4: Leap From Planning to Action
We can even take this one step further, and find creative ways to use social media to promote ourselves. Many libraries have accounts on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Pinterest, and Goodreads, to name some of the most popular. We can use these tools to our advantage, and remind community members that we are here to stay, and we want their patronage. All we need is a little imagination, and we can give libraries a new face online. Some people may be hesitant to try new things: no one wants to fail, but in this age when the next new thing is always coming along, “the worst thing you can do is play it safe, stick with the familiarity of the status quo, and not try at all” (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 51).
Chapter 5: Seek From Duty to Passion
What good can we do if no one comes in to see us?
There are ways to use technology to our advantage. Perhaps your book club has dropped in number, and it is no longer cost effective to have monthly meetings face-to-face. Why not try a book club through Goodreads?
Chapter 6: Team Creatively Confident Groups
This past summer we hosted a teen event called “Happy Birthday, Harry Potter.” It was a birthday party on Harry’s actual birthday, and we put a lot of money, time, and effort into making it perfect. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to promote it, especially during summer vacation with no ability to go to the schools to do outreach. While I was thinking about Harry Potter, and the various movie marathons it has on television, I was reminded of the numerous ABC Family events throughout the year (13 Days of Halloween, 25 Days of Christmas, etc.). I was inspired to create my own Facebook version as a promotional campaign, which I called “The Ten Days of Harry Potter.” Every day at noon, I would have a Harry Potter-related post go up on our page promoting the event, reminding our followers of the details and giving them something fun to read or do. On the first day, I put up a link to a quiz that was supposed to be the closest you would ever get to putting on the Sorting Hat, and on day eight I posted a quiz to find out what your Patronus would be. I like to think this helped raise awareness; Harry Potter’s birthday party gave us the highest attendance of the summer for teen programs aside from FanatiCon 2015, which is our joint mini-convention between three branches. My point here is that I used a little imagination, a little whimsy, and a little technology to market our program. We can find innovative ways to use social media to our advantage.
Chapter 7: Move Creative Confidence To Go
Tom and David provide a lot of inspiring examples of individuals and groups who found their inner creativity and used it to make changes and deliver products and services that fit the needs of their target audiences. However, they also recognize that getting started can be difficult (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 212). So in Chapter 7, they provide a variety of exercises and activities, which they call “Creativity Challenges” to help you or your organization get started on the road to finding your creativity and developing your imagination. By making a few innovative changes in our thinking, librarians can better serve more diverse needs within their communities.
Chapter 8: Next Embrace Creative Confidence
Ultimately, the important point is this: do not discount any idea, no matter how small, no matter how far-fetched it may sound, because all ideas can lead somewhere brilliant. It just takes that one little spark to ignite a vision that will bring libraries somewhere new and exciting. We want to be unique so that we remain important. No matter who you are, you have the power to create change for the better, and no one can tell you otherwise: don’t let people divide the world into creative and non-creative. Everyone has imagination, it just might be less obvious in some than in others, but don’t ever be afraid to try (Kelley & Kelley, 2013). And always remember:
“Normalcy is overrated” (Kelley & Kelley, 2013, p. 246)
Here is David Kelley’s TED talk from March 2012 called How to build your creative confidence. It gives a good overview of the book, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a little under 12 minutes, but if you have the time I highly suggest you give it a listen!
Brothers and Co-Authors, David and Tom Kelley
David and Tom Kelley are brother who co-authored this book after David’s battle with cancer. If you click on their picture, it will take you to their website where you can learn more about them!
Note: All images in this blog post link to the corresponding chapter page on the Creative Confidence website, where you can take a look at the photos and read excerpts from each chapter.
References
Crown Publishing Group. (2013, September 3). Creative confidence trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75L3HosXVAc
Kelley, D. (2012, March). David Kelley: How to build your creative confidence [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_how_to_build_your_creative_confidence
Kelley, D., & Kelley, T. (2013). Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. New York, NY: Crown Business.
The Reading Room. (2015, July 28). Quiz: What is your Patronus?. Retrieved from https://www.thereadingroom.com/article/quiz-what-is-your-patronus/847
Stryker, S. (2015, July 7). This quiz is the closest you’ll get to putting on the Sorting Hat. Retrieved from http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/the-sorting-hat-quiz-hogwarts#.pbd6OdpbA
*All illustrations were retrieved from creativeconfidence.com and are ©Alyana Cazalet
Hyperlib Garden of Readin' 
Holly,
I really like the concept of this book. I especially like the quote from Kelley & Kelley “Normalcy is overrated”. Creativity is so important and I think everyone has it but might not realize it. I used to teach art literacy to students when my children were in elementary school. Our challenge was to find activities where all of the children could express their own creativity and not be intimidated by the process. Some students definitely needed more coaxing than others. It was a rewarding experience. I really love your ’10 Days of Harry Potter’ idea. I bet you had a lot of fun with that. Thank you for letting us know about this book.
LikeLike