This video ties into some thoughts I have been having lately about humans in general. First of all, I do not feel that any one person is 100% creative or 100% innovative or devoid of either of these qualities. In most cases and with most things dealing with a person's personality, these qualities exists on a continuum. If I reflect on myself, I would put myself above average on that continuum of creativity and a bit lower on the innovation continuum. I have colleagues who are always helpful in bringing my creative ideas to the sphere of reality by asking questions, making suggestions, or letting me know my theory will not hold water. I have others who are more creative than me--sometimes they may find it hard to thinking in a convergent way and settle on one particular path or direction. I think self-awareness is very important, so I urge you to think about your level of creativity and innovation and how this applies to your practice as a librarian. A real life example outside of libraries could be helpful. Imagine that you are a researcher and that you are considering applications and methods for curing diseases. You may be working in a lab and coming up with ideas to cure cancer. You may have the idea, but unless it is able to be brought to market by the lawyers, businesspeople, and marketers, you may never see your treatment on TV as a commercial with a long listing of potential side effects. Creativity is not enough--it is important to consider risks and come up with a refined idea. Creativity is nothing but a bunch of ideas without the follow-through of innovation.
I have also been thinking a lot about a theory I read about recently. The theory states that there are two types of people: farmers and hunters. (Please feel free to read this with a hint of skepticism, as I do; the continuum likely applies here, too, and I am not certain that this theory has been scientifically proven, although there is a related scholarly article here.) Consider for a moment that our ancestors were hunter/gatherers and later, raisers of agriculture. The kinds of attributes needed to survive as a hunter are hyper-awareness, being able to rely on yourself, quick reflexes, and the thrill of the hunt. The kind of attributes needed to be a farmer are diligence, working as a team, and trying new innovations to survive on the land. Farming was an innovation at the time that allowed humans to remain settled in one area, whereas hunter/gatherers moved around. Another way this has been applied is that hunters are people who switch jobs often, always looking for new challenges, etc. Farmers stay with their jobs longer and enjoy the perfection of a routine. This theory is also used to explain different types of salespeople in business literature. Sound familiar? Perhaps creative types could also be considered hunters and the innovators would be farmers. Are you able to apply this theory to yourself? Are you the type who conducts outreach to new student groups on campus, or who cultivates a group of long-term patrons that can be maintained as a satisfied user base? What lessons do the farmers have to teach the hunters and vice versa?
thanks
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