Funzing TeamOver the last year Funzing host, Mila, has run her unique creativity workshops in different London museums and galleries. As a facilitator of these workshops, Mila has witnessed creative sparks, laughs, surprises and fantastic discoveries. Now, she’s absolutely convinced that every person is super creative, incredibly interesting and extremely talented.
Here Mila shares 5 and a half insights into creativity in today’s world, which she’s taken from her experiences as a Funzing host and facilitator of OffWeGo Tours.
Insight #1: Re-discovering our creative selves
We live in the era when creativity is here, there and everywhere so that sometimes it feels like you open your fridge and even there it seems someone is speaking about the importance of creative thinking, break-through ideas or disruptive innovation.
But where does this creativity come from? I firmly believe it’s within us. We are born creative! We just forget about it sometimes and need a reminder.
At the beginning of each workshop, I ask how creative the guests feel they are. Most participants say they’re not creative or that they were before but aren’t any more. Fast forward to the end of the workshops and those same “non-creatives” have thrown themselves into and completed all of the exercises, have come up with the most beautiful stories and incredible ideas and have inspired and impressed one another!
Insight #2: Exploring art and museum
Many, no, actually, the majority of my participants confess (lowering their voices) that they have not visited a museum during the last 2-10 years. And it’s pretty obvious why. Most visits to the museum involve walking (a lot), getting tired quickly, dreaming about the food in the cafe and, unfortunately, failing to take in or remember any art work or interesting facts we read so that two days later we’ve forgotten everything, except maybe something we shamelessly took a selfie next to…
This is exactly why on OffWeGo museum workshops, we do things differently. Instead of learning and viewing art, we play with it. We explore our intuition, imagination and creative collaboration using the art which surrounds us. After this interactive exploration, workshoppers go home remembering their art pieces as they have built personal connections with them, and the art pieces of others as each shares their amazing stories with the rest of the group.
Insight #3: Enjoying our creative playfulness
When was your last time you felt like a curious child?
Yes, we are all serious adults full of duties and responsibilities! But guess what!? It’s an amazing experience to let yourself go and break adulthood stiffness and seriousness once in a while.
On each experience, I emphasise to guests that this creative workshop will become just a memory in three hours and it’s up to them to make the most of it; to enjoy every moment with eyes wide-open, like it was when they first visited museums as playful children. And it works! With the help of the surroundings and special exercises, workshoppers open up to new adventures and act like curious explorers completing their missions and sharing their creative results.
Insight #4: Having fun together
Yes, having fun at a museum is possible! If you don’t believe me, come and join storytelling, improvising and role-playing activities and experience the power of a little creative community hunting around exhibitions to form unique ideas and impressions and then decide.
And yes, sometimes we laugh so much that the museum staff tell us to “shhhhhh”. I think they’re just jealous and they want to be in our place, enjoying moments of creative fun and art exploration too.
Insight #5: Connecting creatively
Have you ever experienced meeting a new person and not asking traditional questions about their name, career, how long they’ve lived in London/UK/this world etc. etc.?
I believe getting to know each other doesn’t mean covering this standard list of topics. We connect faster when we share a unique experience. At our workshops, OffWeGoers reveal their creative personalities and discover each other’s best. No wonder that at the end our museum visits these creative and interesting souls exchange contacts to keep in touch with each other.
A half (actually, it happens after the workshop): Coming back
Some OffWeGoers (you acquire this title once you’ve participated) return to museums on their own and play back the activities they experienced on our workshop with their friends and family. Some come back to me for tailor-made team workshops. OffWeGo workshops don’t have a shelf life of 3 hours when the workshop ends and there are so many creative ways of recycling our art-inspired exercises in your day to day lives!
