“Creativity in your pocket” at Mindcamp

If your job involves innovation or you need to promote creativity then you should check out Mindcamp, which is one of the world’s leading conferences on creative problem solving. It is a “four-day micro-university for personal, professional, and organizational creativity”. It starts on August 23 on the shore of Lake Couchiching.

As usual I will be leading one of the sessions. This year I have called my session “Creativity in your pocket: How to shoot and edit smartphone videos”.

This session will be hands-on where we actively create, as being creative appeals to me more than talking about creative theory. Over the course of the conference participants will shoot and edit a micro-video and learn how to use one or more video-creating and video-sharing apps.

Much of the content and comment one sees online is a regurgitation of what already exists and so the ability to cultivate one’s own creativity to freshen up ones own online contributions is valuable, surely?

This subject for me lies at the confluence of several realms, each of which I find fascinating and important.

Firstly digital technologies are evolving incredibly fast and becoming mind-blowingly cool. With the iPhone 4S it is possible to take photos and videos that to the casual eye are similar to what can be produced on high-end equipment. The technology hides away the complexities of focus and exposure control so no technical knowledge is required.

Secondly, the technology relates to the momentous changes in how people spend their time and build communities of shared interests. This is often referred to as “social media” but it extends far beyond the narrow definition of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr into entertainment, gaming, mobile, corporate systems and digital information of all sorts. There are no areas of modern life that are beyond the reach of these new digital technologies.

And thirdly, there is a massive implosion of the different domains of our existence. Science, art, entertainment, politics, commerce, education, friends and family are getting scrunched together. Previously these different domains could be treated as disconnected. Now they are only a few taps on a touchscreen apart.

Mindcamp is a supportive community where one can explore how to use the new technologies creatively. And that is the best way to appreciate their power.