Creatives, Culture, Enviroment

Blog Entry 6: Reflections on the Pixar Experience - How can school/work concretely encourage creativity?


In the entertainment industry, creativity cannot be anything less than essential that is why corporations like Pixar make an effort in extracting and inspriring creativity. According to the text, Pixar is able to foster creativity through the following efforts: empowering your creatives, creating a peer culture, and crafting a learning environment...


"Empower your creatives. Give your creative people control over every stage of idea development."

When it comes to work or organizations or any institution, I guess, there will typically be a hierarchy of power... president, vice, secretary and what not. There's someone on top, and someone at the bottom.

At Pixar, there are different teams that contribute, more or less, equally to a project. Their philosophy is that: "You get great creative people, you bet big on them, you give them enormous leeway and support..."

It reminded me of the King Arthur's round table. What if at work, instead of having a strict sense of who's at the seat of power, the company will establish a "round table" type of thing. This way, power to create or to contribute will be available to everyone. Everone becomes accountable and so everyone is encouraged to give it their best shot. I think there have been studies that prove that most people perform better if they know they will be accounted for (if this hasn't been proven yet, then I'm sorry). 

"Create a peer culture. Encourage people throughout your company to help each other produce their best work."
Pixar takes pride in the work ethics their employees have. They are said to support each other even if they are from different levels of the company. What the human resources sector of every company aims to do is to take care of its employees. Some companies hold Christmas parties, outings, and the like to form a bond between co-workers. I believe this is a good start for encouraging people to work together. This does not directly tell them to "work together" but it provides an avenue for them to start caring for each other. 


I guess it's the whole philosophical thing of the encounter with the face and discourse as inspired by Emmanuel Levinas. If each worker is able to engage in discourse with other co-workers they will be unable to "kill" or objectify or negate them basically because they value that person. Once they give value to a person, they will start caring about each other's performances and try to help each other out.


Of course you wouldn't want to see your friend get fired right?




"Craft a learning environment. Reinforce the minse-set that you're all learning-- and it's fun to learn together."
Who hasn't heard of the amazing Google office??? Google is just one of the select companies that have made a statement through the interior and exterior design of their work space. Red Bull has also adapted into the culture of using a creative environment to instigate creative thinking. 

Google Office

Red Bull Office

  Well of course, Pixar office is not out of the loop when it comes to using creative environment. 

Pixar Office

One of our sessions for Comm14 was held in SEC B Lecture room around 3 weeks ago and I've mentioned in class how it became so limiting and so influential to our way of thinking, at least that day. People are inspired by the things they see, smell or touch. When we have a light bulb moment, usually there is a stimulus that causes this and so if the environment is not conducive for creativity, no creative ideas can be formed. 


There is a strategy/ study known as Quantum Learning. Quantum Learning is "a powerful, engaging teaching and learning methodology that integrates best educational practices into a unified whole".  One of its many effects is the increased academic achievement. Another proven effect of QL is the improvement of students' attitudes toward the learning process. This new methodology was adapted by my high school, Elizabeth Seton School. 


The FADE model—Foundation, Atmosphere, Design, Environment —creates the context of Quantum Learning. These are the different phases where Quantum Learning could be tested. Quantum Learning begins with a strong foundation built on the principles of the 8 Keys of Excellence. It holds the beliefs that: All people can learn, people learn differently, and learning is effective when it is joyful, engaging and challenging. The 8 Keys of Excellence include: Integrity, Commitment, Failure Leads to Success, Ownership, Speak with Good Purpose, Flexibility, This Is It!, and Balance.

Quantum Learning creates a supportive physical environment that enhances and reinforces learning. Ideal learning environments include proper lighting, purposeful color, positive affirmation posters, plants, props and music. These elements are easy to include in one's classroom, and students enjoy learning more in a comfortable setting. What our school did was to place flower-bearing plants along the corridor to stimulate our sense of smell. The faculty also incorporated QL by holding exams with background music. They also set up some mural walls for us to be able to have a sense of freedom and we were able to express ourselves through it, it became a some sort of freedom wall that gave color to the environment. 

The key is to create empowering school environments that build engaging and dynamic communities of learning. The results are enhanced teacher capacity and increased student achievement. 

There are several ways in which a school or work place can encourage creativity and I believe the mere intention of any company or institution to do this can already inspire such.







Source:
Catmull, Ed.  “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity.”  Harvard Business Review.  September 2008.
The Pixar Story
http://www.qln.com/what_is_quantum_learning.html