Creativity and Staff Morale

Authors

Patricia Fultz

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Marlene Wilson devotes an entire chapter of her book, Survival Skills for Managers, to the topic of creativity. It is because she feels that it is central to the survival of individuals, organizations, and society. In her book, Wilson includes these observations about creativity: 1) Rollo May defines creativity as "the encounter of the intensively conscious person with his or her world." He states that today we have plenty of talent, but we lack passion (a strong sense of dedication). 2) James Austin observed that "the best creative work represents passion fulfilled, whereas a neurosis may be thought of as passion thwarted. Enthusiasm is the elixir that pervades creativity, inspires it, frees it so that anything seems possible, and enlists others in the cause." 3) The creative person is forever dissatisfied with the mundane, apathetic or conventional, and is therefore constantly threatening the status quo by seeking and then pushing on to new worlds. 4) Creativity requires an intensity of emotion and heightened vitality ... sometimes rage! It is important, therefore, not to eliminate all conflict as it can be creative. 5) Creativity is first an act of destruction, for the birth of something new comes out of the death of what already is ... and again, that is bound to be a threat. 6) Love of something sparks creativity ... it is more than just being different - that is not necessarily being original ... and what you have to do is know where you are coming from, be able to do what has gone before, but go on from there in your own way. Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple ... that is creativity.

Publication Date

1995

Journal Title

National Youth Leadership Symposium Monographs

Volume

5

Issue

1

ISBN

1-881516-04-0

First Page

35

Last Page

41

Comments

Monograph no.5 of this series covers the 1994 National Youth Leadership Symposium

Publisher

Institute for Youth Leaders

City

Cedar Falls, IA

Copyright

©1995 Institute for Youth Leaders, College of Education, School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Fultz, Patricia (1995) "Creativity and Staff Morale," National Youth Leadership Symposium Monographs: Vol. 5, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/nyls_monographs/vol5/iss1/7