People do their most creative thinking and ideation when they are away from their normal work environment and when they are not even trying. That was certainly the case as guests discussed issues of creativity and information overload at the UK launch event for Too Fast To Think, the new book from Chris Lewis.
Guests at London’s Supreme Court heard from the night’s speakers about the role of, and impact on, creativity in modern society. It was also a chance to celebrate Too Fast To Think breaking into the bestseller list.
Speaking at the launch, Chris Lewis talked about the challenges facing organisations in today’s data-centric world. At work and at home, we face a barrage of information everywhere we turn. Carving time out to enjoy clarity and purity of thought, away from the constant flow of smartphone notifications and other forms of digital interruptions is essential. It can have a measurable positive impact on productivity, happiness and motivation. He also talked about the many initiatives within LEWIS to encourage creativity and to cultivate a creative learning culture. These include the company’s Rise Academy, which has delivered staff development through art-based training.
George Blacklock, Dean of the Chelsea College of Arts, talked about the role of art as a creative stimulus and the role of left and right brain thinking in artistic and analytical work. He also explained how LEWIS and the Chelsea College of Art partnered, and the role of Kupambana, a not-for-profit initiative founded by LEWIS to champion the adoption of visual and creative arts in communications. Kupambana and the College have collaborated on several initiatives including research, developing creative training and supporting the arts through sponsoring student education and events.
A consistent theme among the guests at the launch was a belief that the always-on, highly-connected information society we live in today is indeed beneficial. We are better off overall as a result of having access to more information, more of the time. The shift of information and digital collaboration from local to global has opened up minds. This has helped to trigger broader creative thoughts and enable previously unobtainable opportunities. As with any good thing, you can have too much of it. Self-discipline and pacing is essential to ensure that all this rich information is put to good use. Don’t let the creative signal get lost in the noise.
Too Fast To Think by Chris Lewis is published by Kogan Page. It is available from Amazon and all good book shops.
