Learning from the best innovator, Nature.
Intro blog post of Creative Creature, a blog on learning about creativity from animal and ecosystem stories.
4.5 billion years ago the world was born. And since that moment, it’s been teaching us the best way to build stuff. For thousands of millions of years, organisms, animals, and ecosystems have evolved and created things new to the universe. Modern humans have only been around for a couple of hundred thousand years, and there is still so much we have to learn.
Often times we forget we are surrounded by natural teachers who have been doing market research loooong before us to innovate, build sustainable solutions, collaborate, and inspire change.
Humans are inspired by the natural world. The Wright brothers looked to the sky and birds and thought, “what if humans could do that?” The Shinkansen, one of the fastest trains in Japan, was designed after a kingfisher diving bird’s beak to maximize speed. The concept of learning from nature is called biomimicry. And the more we learn, study, and empathize with animals and nature, the more we understand about ourselves, our world, and what we create.
Nature is the best innovator, builder, and designer. If we can learn from what it does each day, we can, too, learn to become better innovators. It starts with creativity.
As Tom and David Kelly, authors of Creative Confidence and founders of IDEO describe, “creative confidence is believing in your ability to create change in the world around you.” And we all have creativity buzzing around us.
As thinkers, builders, adventures, designers, and humans, we are constantly looking for inspiration to think differently and design for impact.
Understanding animals and nature can help us develop a new perspective, and push us to get out of our comfort zones in unique ways.
Who knows what ideas can be inspired by understanding how octopuses can “see” with their arms, listening to howler monkey call, or diving into how blue whales collaborate.
There is so much to learn from the teachers around us. So let’s jump in, fly over, and burrow into some animal stories and facts to build our creativity and add to how we think about the world.
Let’s share some stories! I’m your host, Katie, a maker curious about the universe and energized by ideas from big wacky loud ones to fragile ones that fit in your hand and need care. I believe stretching your imagination can spark change in you and lead to change outside of yourself.
So how does this work?
In each post, we’ll explore an animal or natural concept together and bounce into some activities to spark ideas. For some, maybe these activities are a break to get out of the routine of thoughts. For others, maybe you’ll find an idea or problem that itches you to build. Everyone is creative here and welcome to explore! This blog is a work in progress and I hope to have some guest writers, illustrators, and maybe even animals. So, reach out if you feel this is you! Okay! Ready? Let’s go.
*animal noises*
Stay tuned for the first post about octopuses. How do they see? How can that help us “see”? And how will The Beatles make a guest appearance?
Thanks for reading!
Inspired by animals, Creative Creature is a blog and a guide of tools to practice creativity. From those who crawl to those who wag a tail, there is much to learn about how to be creative humans from our neighbor creatures and ecosystems on earth. Feel free to recommend animals or concepts in the comments. #creativecreature #casefornature
