My program of research explores the practices that organizations, teams and classrooms use to enhance their creativity, their innovation and their preparedness for the future. I am particularly interested in the unique practices of workers in the creative economy, with a key focus on how creative thinkers like artists, designers, photographers and branding professionals solve problems and work collaboratively. An underlying theme of my research program is how the creativity relevant processes of the creative economy are adopted and adapted by others to help them overcome barriers to creativity, to develop meaningful learning experiences, to nurture innovation and leadership, and to help communities and organizations create change.
What does this look like? I use qualitative research methodologies (including interviews, ethnographic field work and participatory or design action research) to investigate how students, teachers, leaders, scientists, coaches, doctors and change-makers work creatively. I share what I learn here, in research publications and through Open Educational Resources that primarily focus on bringing what I’ve learned from creative teams from different fields into the university classroom space.