the creative challenge
"The creative adult is the child who survived" — Ursula Le Guin
We are born into the world with untainted creative genius. Our young selves, unclouded by societal preconceptions, see magic in the ordinary and imagine without constraints. But society, obsessed with the quantifiable, unwittingly relegates creativity to the backseat, favoring the comfort of what's known and what's safe.
The most profound innovations arise not from following the map of where others have been but from discovering new paths. This is our challenge and opportunity. Reveal our creative potential so we can shift how we perceive and engage with the world around us to see possibilities and solve our challenges.
our mission
We build the capability of people to be creative catalysts who see possibilities and solve their challenges in new ways. We serve individuals, team coaches, and leaders facing a variety of personal and professional challenges who want to bring out the best in themselves and others. We do this by taking people on a journey of personal discovery and solution finding using proven creative practices, problem solving approaches, and a supportive online community.
creative catalyst manifesto
In the tapestry of human evolution, woven with threads of discoveries and setbacks, a new pattern emerges: the urgency of unleashing our creative genius. And at its core? A confluence of Curiosity, Creativity, and Collaboration.
Curiosity: It's the spark that ignites the soul. This isn't just a whimsical glance at the world; it's a deep dive into the oceans of the unknown. It's the refusal to accept things as they are, and the childlike curiosity to ask "Why?" and "Why not?" Curiosity doesn’t just look at the horizon; it wonders what's beyond it.
Creativity: If curiosity is the question, creativity is the answer. It's the alchemy of turning the ordinary into extraordinary. It doesn’t wait for lightning to strike; it dances in the rain. Creativity isn’t a talent; it's a choice, a daily commitment to see and do differently.
Collaboration: But the spark of curiosity and the flame of creativity can only light up the world when fanned by the winds of collaboration. Great ideas come from the collective intelligence of diverse teams. Together, we are always more potent, insightful, and brilliant than we are in isolation.
The silent thread binding them all is courage. The desire to ask questions others shy away from, the tenacity to create amidst doubt, and the bravery to reach out when it’s easier to pull away. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but forging ahead in spite of it.
The scripts of yesterday won't write the stories of tomorrow. In the face of routine and the predictable, it’s the creative catalyst who will lead the way. Not because they have all the answers, but because they're not afraid to question, imagine, and join hands.
In this shifting mosaic of life, remember: It’s not the loudest voices that reshape our world, but the most courageous. The ones armed with curiosity, wielding creativity, strengthened by collaboration, and emboldened by unyielding courage.
For in the confluence of these three, the future doesn't just unfold; it is boldly and brilliantly crafted. Embrace your creative genius. Your future isn't waiting; it’s begging to be created.
what we've learned
Over years of helping organizations solve some of their toughest challenges, we've synthesized the creative practices that most helped people and teams see and solve differently. They seem surprisingly obvious because they are. These are gifts that lie within each of us but are often set aside when we're seduced by quick fixes or the need for certainty.
After years of helping organizations unleash their creative best, we are helping everyday people to unleash theirs. Our initial focus will be helping individuals rediscover their creative gifts as they solve a personal challenge. Over the next year we will roll out 2 more experiences for team coaches and leaders.
the origin story
In 2004, Procter & Gamble created the clay street project, an 'innovation hothouse' where teams went to solve intractable business and organizational challenges. The clay street team facilitated P&G and community non-profits teams as we lived our mantra - create the conditions, reveal the genius, lasting impact.
The clay street project had the reputation for helping teams solve challenges they couldn't solve inside the business - a place that offered teams ways to explore questions and solutions in whole new ways. Many saw clay street as a strange place where teams did strange things, which was because they were focused on things unfamiliar to the corporate culture.
After several years, the clay street staff was charged with clarifying the practices that most helped teams to see and solve differently. Our teams didn't focus on methods or processes but on discovering their collective intelligence and creative genius. After months of introspection and synthesis we identified 9 'enduring truths', the experiences that consistently helped teams see differently and solve brilliantly.
Our 'alumni' - people who had solved a wicked challenge in a clay street session - immediately recognized the enduring truths as their experience. Those experiences were difficult to describe because they were deeply human and relational, ones that didn't easily translate to corporate speak.
A litmus test for these truths came when Roger Martin, one of the top business thinkers of our time, came to give us his perspective on our truths. He read them and said "This is about being human. Who wouldn't want these?" and turned to me and said "You need to write this book". Not knowing if or how these experiences might translate to a book, we were left with a question as to what 'the book' was.
For years after leaving P&G I had 'the book that isn't a book' in my head. The encouragement and experimentation from Rich and Duncan, my partners at Hello Creativity!, provided the inspiration for moving forward with Creative Catalysts.
Our appreciations go out to those responsible for incubating this work: Claudia Kotchka and AG Lafley for searching out new ways to innovate and David Kuehler for founding the clay street project; the clay street staff who practiced new ways of working - Karen Hershenson, Elise Edelman, Lisa Jensen, Jason Born, RJ Sargent, Jennifer Bollinger-Voegele, Michael Luh, Tiffany Stevens, and Sean Sauber.
what we offer
Creative Self
For people to embody creative skills as you move through a personal transition in a small cohort setting.
Pilot in January 2024
Objectives
Creative Guide
For team coaches bringing out the the best in teams by helping them see differently and solve brilliantly.
Pilot in mid 2024
Objectives
Creative Leader
For leaders of organizations who want and need to create the conditions to unleash the creativity of their people.
Pilot in late 2024
Objectives
