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Columbus Museum of Art Hosts Ohio's Imagination Conversation

Diverse Panel of Innovators Shares Insights About Imagination

Ohio leaders with key roles in shaping the state's creative future gathered in the Columbus Museum of Art's new auditorium to hear a lively panel discussion inspired by the Lincoln Center Institute's nationwide effort to highlight the role of imagination and creativity in work and everyday life. It was Ohio's culminating Imagination Conversation, part of a three-day Creativity Summit held in October.

Steven Seidel, who holds the Bauman and Bryant Chair in Arts in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, moderated a panel of five people, all with Ohio connections and impressive records of innovation in their professions. The panel responded to questions from Seidel and from audience members.

A Diverse Panel

The panel reflected the range of creative contributions that affect our lives in important ways.

Antwone Fisher's presence was a reminder of imagination's gifts to the human spirit—the stories and dramatic works that help us find meaning in our lives and world. This acclaimed writer, producer and director began his career in the film industry with a screenplay recounting the difficulties and after effects of his early life in Cleveland, when he was trapped in a broken foster care system.

Michael Weiss and Althea Harper, both innovators in the fashion industry, provided a glimpse of imaginations that combine aesthetics and originality with usefulness and marketability. Weiss is CEO of the Columbus-based clothing retailer Express, a position he reassumed after retiring. Harper is a young fashion designer and entrepreneur who studied at the University of Cincinnati College of Architecture and Design before launching a successful sportswear line and becoming a Project Runway finalist.

Insights about the imaginative thinking that leads to scientific and technological advances came from Chris Coburn, executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, and Tim Berra, professor emeritus of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at the Ohio State University. Berra's field investigations have advanced scientific knowledge of freshwater fish and the ecosystems that support them. Coburn leads the organization that commercializes the therapies, devices and diagnostics pioneered by the Cleveland Clinic.

Understanding Imagination

The unique perspective of each panelist underscored the vast variety of purposes our imaginations serve and the even greater variety of results they produce.

Seidel used the words of LCI philosopher in residence Maxine Greene to give audience members a starting point for reflecting on imagination. Greene, he said, defined imagination as "the capacity to look at the world as if it could be otherwise."

The most striking illustration of that definition was Antwone Fisher's story.

He described his creative process as seeing a scene unfold in his mind and capturing every detail in writing—an ability that he traces back to the days when he escaped his negative environment by pretending things were otherwise. "Imagination," said Fisher, "has been a magic carpet for me my entire life."

Perhaps that magical, mysterious quality of imagination—what Fisher described as tapping into the child you once were—is why cultivating imagination has not received greater attention in our schools and society. Many view imagination as incomprehensible—a special gift that only a select few possess, an inherent power that develops naturally and a process that should be undisturbed and unimpeded by rules, schedules and other externally imposed boundaries. Thus we have nurtured and rewarded the skills used to refine and apply ideas but have left the source of those ideas relatively unexamined and undeveloped.

Ohio's Imagination Conversation, like others being held across the nation, challenges those assumptions. The five panel members' reflections suggest that imagination contributes to all kinds of successes and weaves through our daily pursuits in numerous ways.

Viewing Imagination from New Angles

The panel's stories and insights illustrated that imagination serves not only as the source of original and groundbreaking ideas in art and science but also as a practical tool for everyday decisions and challenges. Michael Weiss described that distinction as "pure" imagination—generating highly original ideas—versus the more commercially viable practice of "reimagining." Althea Harper's process of designing the sportswear we wear for work and leisure is an example of "reimagining." She does not pursue a place among the avant-garde of fashion but uses her imagination to "push the limits in ways people will be comfortable with."

As Tim Berra conducts scientific field work, his imagination weaves itself into his knowledge of ichthyology and ecosystems and his use of scientific methods. Sharing stories and images of his expeditions to Australia, he demonstrated how his imagination helped him find solutions to practical problems in the field. Once in Perth, Australia, for example, he found a beached megamouth shark—only the third known specimen at that time. His knowledge enabled him to recognize the rare find, but with no equipment and facilities immediately available to transport and then preserve the huge carcass, imagination and creativity helped him improvise with the resources at hand. The specimen is now displayed at the Western Australian Museum in Perth.

Developing Imagination

Chris Coburn noted that the scientific literature has little to say about what it takes to foster imagination and creativity: "We make this huge societal investment in innovation," he said, "but we do virtually nothing to equip people to perform in this way."

That challenge—how imagination and creativity can be nurtured—hangs over the entire conversation, said Seidel. Do creative ideas like those produced by the panelists simply appear from unknown regions of the mind, or do external factors help bring them to life? Can teachers do anything to help students become aware of and use their imaginative capacity? Can we adopt attitudes and practices in our studies and work that nurture and aid the imagination?

The panel and the audience explored such questions in the fascinating dance of ideas that characterizes all good conversations. The experiences and insights they shared suggest that imagination can be awakened and stimulated through our environments, experiences and practices. Stories of their experiences and creative processes suggest several strategies for making better use of imaginative potential.

Embrace the arts

Fisher, Weiss, and Harper all said spending time in museums is important in nurturing their imaginative capacity. "There is no better place to go to jumpstart your imagination," said Harper.

Fisher credits Miss Prophet, his teacher in grades 4-6, with "steering" his imagination by taking her classes to the Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra performances. He remembers vividly the first time he heard classical music at Severance Hall: "With my imagination I had the opportunity to be a part of that music, and I got to be a part of the painters that I saw at the Cleveland Museum of Art," he said.

Seek Knowledge

While arts experiences and other creative activities awaken a child's imagination, a well-rounded education is essential. Tim Berra maintained that "knowledge is the raw material of the imagination."

The three-time recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship offered this advice for nourishing the imagination:
"Soak yourself in facts. Read, read, read."

Find purpose

A question from Seidel about the "reinforcers" of creativity and one from the audience about the role of "purposelessness" in imaginative thinking sparked a multi-faceted dialogue among panelists. Weiss asserted that a purpose and goals are imperative, but Coburn was less dismissive of purposelessness. While also citing some extrinsic factors that drive innovation—unmet needs, peer recognition, and money—he said innovators also tend to be "available and open" to what they are doing. That freedom from pressure, he maintained, can be conducive to ideas as well.

Harper saw a similar need. When she gets stuck creatively, she said, it sometimes helps to pursue a different, purely enjoyable creative outlet for a time before returning to her purposeful activity. Despite the importance of sales and media attention in her business, she said the greatest motivation comes from the internal rewards.

Berra also cited a more intrinsic motivator—the prospect of solving a problem and making a contribution to science.

Notice connections

Seeing that "there's a connection in all things" is key to those who design new products for the retail market, said Weiss. "We have to acknowledge that connection and figure out the next step," he added.

That same ability to see connections between unrelated things sometimes leads to scientific and technological innovations, said Chris Coburn. For example, the Cleveland Clinic's CEO, also known as "innovator in chief," conceived of a device for correcting the shape of the heart valve while watching a family member stretch fabric in a needlepoint hoop.

Don't fear mistakes

Althea Harper said a teacher helped free her imagination. "I was horrible at spelling," she said. "So when I'd write, I would hit a block because I couldn't spell a word." Harper's fifth-grade teacher told her "not to be afraid of the mistakes, to just write and then learn how to fix them. First be creative and push those boundaries."

She said that teacher's advice made her believe in her abilities and lessened her fear of mistakes, a gift that helps her as a designer and business owner.

Persist

When producing fashion shows Harper is undaunted by the prospect of competing for media coverage with much larger companies. "I start with the idea and then figure out how to get there," she said. Coburn sees a similar persistence among researchers and practitioners at the Cleveland Clinic. Important new medical breakthroughs often come, he said, because of "an unwillingness to accept the first, second, and third answer." Innovators, he said, "keep relentlessly moving forward."

Maximizing Imagination Across Systems

The Imagination Conversations that have been occurring in Ohio and across the nation are increasing awareness about the role of healthy imaginations in producing the creative ideas and innovative solutions our economy and society need. The imagine nation poll, conducted in 2008, shows that individuals, teachers and CEOs are thinking more about what they can do to foster their own and others' imaginations. However, the conversation also needs to continue at the system level.

Peter Cunningham, the U.S. Department of Education's Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, completed the evening by demonstrating that a system-wide consideration of imagination has been occurring nationally. He assured the audience that the U.S.D.E. will continue to promote creativity and innovation through strengthening the teaching profession, funding innovative projects and pushing for accountability systems that recognize and measure such skills as problem-solving, collaboration and critical thinking.

Continuing the Conversation

Imagination Conversations have increased awareness about imagination and sparked additional dialogue in all 50 states. While it may be difficult to trace the impact of all those conversations, one important outcome will be a policy proposal to revitalize American education. Presentation of the proposal will occur on July 21 and 22, 2011, as representatives from the 50 states, national sponsors of the Imagination Conversation Project and a diverse array of other notables gather at Lincoln Center for America's Imagination Summit.

This article was published in April 2011.

Watch a video of the CMA Imagination Conversation.

Read more about the value of the Imagination Conversation project.

Read more about the essential role of imagination and creativity in 21st century work and life.

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