Today I've been exposed as a creative-innovator thanks to @malbooth and now I feel a fair bit of pressure to live up to the high expectations I've created this week in #blogeverydayofjune land. It's been amazing to see the response to all this reflection and debate about libraries, 2.0 and the future. I look forward to the rest of the month and all the excitement it's sure to bring. Optimists and pessimists are putting their cards on the table and choosing sides. Although it's only the pessimists who are quibbling over semantics. They think they should be called realists and optimists should be called dreamers. IMHO that's a pessimist being optimistic if ever I've heard it!
All this talk of creativity and the optimist/pessimist divide got me thinking. I consider myself a creative optimist and rather than see problems I see possibilities. However, often I think pessimists seem to see the problems before the possibilities. Don't get me wrong, I think we need both sides to any argument as long as both sides are willing to be open to each others ideas (again with the optimism Sophie). I'll be realistic - that is a huge challenge. I commented on @malbooths post that creativity is only possible when we have trust, freedom and encouragement from above. I am lucky to have that in my workplace and thanks to previous experience I know how unusual that is! I thank Ruth for her comment that my enthusiasm is infectious because sometimes I worry that it's annoying. I do speak out and as Mal said I'm not afraid to give my opinion which is not always popular but due to sheer enthusiasm can often win people over! My message today is 'be not afraid, say what you think with passion and you can get away with (almost anything)'! And finally a new motto for us all 'I am librarian, hear me roar!'
LOL! Sophie, The number of times I have determinedly shut my mouth in meetings, thinking I have been dominating - only to have colleagues ask me after "Don't you approve of that idea" or ""Are you feeling ok?" (cause you were quiet). The best thing is to have a workplace where people can tell you when you're amped up a bit too high (I have that, and sounds like you do) and not worry so much about it ourselves : - ) Enjoy the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteYou are right - creativity does need the freedom to be expressed without being stomped on.
ReplyDeleteCan I be like you when I grow up? ;P
I think we spend too much time dwelling on what might go wrong. We are really good at that and don't always see solutions or possibilities first. I think some of us have to work really hard on that and not always describing in full the worst possible case scenario for any given issue or situation. I HATE worst possible case scenarios. They've been forced upon us since the accountants took control of everything. Fat lot of good they did in avoiding the GFC though.
ReplyDelete