Pre-Ramble:  What’s my point? That’s what I asked myself as I pondered the decision to put up a website. Just because people rave about our annual Christmas Letter (at least to my face), doesn’t mean that there’s a group of folks out there who would find my musings in any way interesting or entertaining – never mind what I’m secretly hoping for – useful.   

The Point:  To spur thinking. Innovation is the holy grail — of the new millennium, and of our much needed economic recovery. President Obama has called for a ”new generation of innovation;” people who are able to approach the problems that we face in areas like energy, healthcare and education in new ways. 

And, it isn’t enough to think “out of the box.”  The innovations we seek will come from a form of “hybrid thinking” that draws upon connections and synergy between multiple disciplines; concepts developed using a confluence of information from many “boxes.” The trick is to traffic out there in the great unknown, drag the findings back, and invite the dynamics of creativity and innovation to work their magic INSIDE the box; converting the connected dots into meaningful applications.

The Goal:   To bring you a nugget of something useful on this topic. Throw out a drag-net and bring in current theory, people and perspectives peppered with Random Other stuff that speak to the elusive “creative spark” and to the role and value of creativity and entrepreneurial thinking in individual lives and in our communities and world.  What is it? How does it work? And, most importantly, where do you dig to find it?

The Take-Away:  The good news is, you don’t have to be Twyla Tharp to access your inner innovator. Everything has a creative component, and the makings of truly stunning innovations are literally swirling all around you. Those who can recognize and understand the dynamics behind creativity and innovation will be better able to invite successful solutions into their work and life. That could be considered useful.

Admin Issues: What’s up with the “K”? It stands for Katherine – Katherine with a “K” (KWAK)… and, I agree with you, particularly in the era of Bristol, Piper and Trig, who really cares about a spelling technicality? That’s what I thought, until I was around five. The minute I got into kindergarten, my teacher asked me whether my name was spelled with a “K” or a “C,” and people have been asking me that ever since.

Disclaimer: As we move forward, I’d like to establish flat out that i am a shameless overuser of parenthetical remarks; the semi colon; the faux-hyphenated-phrase; the ellipsis; dash; slash; quotation marks; and the patently unprofessional, smiley face.