David Chislett – Humans are Weapons of Mass Creation – Playful Creative Summit 2020

There was a 2020 Playful Creative Summit. I’m savoring all of those recordings just as I prized the 2022 offerings. A client cancelled. Despite aquamarine skies, it’s cold and I want to hide under blankets with a hot chocolate. Perfect for catching a bunch. So I’m going to post my impressions, a haphazard few at a time as I get to them.

David Chislett is charming, absurdly silly, incredibly intelligent, a phenomenal speaker and interviewer. His 2020 conversation with Alyea Sandovar focused on “humans are weapons of  mass creation.” Chislett was, just an example, fond of compounding chlorine bombs to blow up his favorite action figure as he entered puberty.

He coaches creativity. Scoffs at anyone claiming “I’m not creative.” We are all creative, but we may dismiss our creativity as nothing special – I’m not Picasso…

Picking up a butter knife to tighten a doorknob when you haven’t got a screwdriver is creative.  Creativity needs to be cultivated as a habit. Nurture it by engineering your environment: what is your best time of day to be creative – night owl or morning person? Noisy cafe? What are you going to create -are you a writer, musician, mathematician, problem-solver, a service provider, all of the above…? Blur boundaries between disciplines and professions, don’t force yourself into a linear career. Connect dots – smart phones are a classic example. Build the supportive communities you need.

There is real science behind the art of accomplishing consistent creativity, drudgery though practice practice practice might be. “Acquire new dots” – learn constantly, seek knowledge and “make a practice of being observant.”