From time to time, we as human beings feel compelled to respond to what I call 'grand' callings.
These are invitations to save our planet or our countries, both of which are said to be in a continuous state of crisis.
Myself I remember responding to one of those crises during the 1990s decade when my home country was at 'disadvantage' when it came to design or use information and communications technologies (ICTs). I saw a manifestation of this crisis at my job as a project analyst. We were running against time. The Spanish banks were to take the Colombian market. We needed to do something. And do it quickly.
I did what I could at work. And I also took this calling seriously and decided to go abroad and study.
By doing the latter, I also wanted to have some breathing space and reflect on what was going on in Colombia and with myself. At 27 years of age, I found myself running around like a headless chicken.
A job, a girlfriend, a family business, a catholic movement to help guide, a very busy life.
And as time went by, slowly, I began to realize that there was another calling: I also needed to save myself.
And do it on a daily basis.
To date, and having studied the field of creativity for a bit, it has become apparent to me that in this field there have also been grand callings.
In the 1950s, scientists were called to be more creative to help their country defeat another country in the space race.
In the 2000s, another calling has been issued in countries like the UK to foster creativity in schools.This call still continues today with proposals by Wagner (2015) and Robinson and Aronica (2016) to change our mindsets about schools:
Schools are not machines or production factories but organisms. They are systems that need to adapt and co-evolve with their environments, so that they are able to truly cater for the needs of their students and staff.
In the 'back office' or 'background' of these callings however is the idea that human creativity, in its different manifestations (now called innovation), is to contribute at least to the economic welfare of its creators, and from there, to their countries.
The race continues...and so my calling to save myself.
Looking back at my first 'calling', I remember that in parallel to government efforts to boost economic growth with ICTs, there was also a growing concern with software piracy and legal software licensing in the country. This was another 'crisis' for some people whilst others were being very creative about it. Addressing this crisis was not about being creative but abiding by the law.
With emerging concerns about climate change, data security and economic recessions, our creativity now needs to walk on two feet: One that follows and obeys (without forgetting our common sense), the other that does the opposite.
Myself, I need to keep remembering that I have a daily calling.
This is not about evading responsibility from doing my bit about other callings, but also respecting that, as Elizabeth Gilbert says, creativity has this magic element that can touch many of us to manifest itself.
So in that regard, I think I am doing my bit, and am trusting that others are or are not doing theirs.
Writing this blog, teaching, fathering, researching bits, writing other bits, and taking time off to breath are things on my creativity agenda. I strive to do these on a daily basis.
And what is in your day, your callings, your agendas?
