Whitney Ferre, author of "Creatively Fit" led the group in creating a mural, after a brief talk on the use of color.

This is part two in a series of posts about the Three Oaks Creativity Weekend.

I’ve titled this series of posts “Letting Go” because that was the theme that emerged. Generally meetings, events, or conferences decide on a theme and then orchestrate events around it; we did the opposite.  Since it was Not a Conference, we decided to let the group create the theme. We talked about it early on, listed a few options, then it popped up spontaneously through the weekend. Letting Go was mentioned many times, but we could easily have called the weekend, the Sound of Music. At several points, once during an improv session, the group burst into “the Hills are Alive,” and when our campers drifted off to the meadow to go to bed, it was “Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight”.

Letting Go was never officially voted the theme, and yet, I believe the group would agree that’s what it was.

Do you think people were relaxed enough to be themselves? Environment means a great deal when setting the tone for any group meeting; it’s under-rated as a factor in creative effectiveness.

The point of this post is really Emergence.  As we let the group ponder and ideate about what the meaning of our time together, so should innovation teams set up the environment to allow invention, imagination, and team spirit to emerge.  I would never have selected “Letting Go” before the weekend — I saw the weekend as engagement. And yet, the group wisdom suggested Letting Go, because in a more relaxed state, that this environment encouraged, people could be themselves.  It’s so much easier to learn, share, and to create when you are simply at ease with yourself.

Yesterday’s post featured a picture of a cloth banner, DaVinci’s drawing of a naked man, officially titled Vitruvian Man.  We’re talking full frontal nudity.  Joe Miguez, who turned up early to help out with set-up, brought this along. He bought it at Ikea and had a notion it might be useful.  As it turns out, the banner was highly useful for two reasons, one, it helped people find our place — and not drive past, and two, it provided a constant stream of laughs (it was a statement!). We live on a two lane country road.  Not so many cars, and quite a few bike riders pass by. The locals in Three Oaks keep an eye on their neighbors and some cars and pick up trucks literally stopped to gaze a the banner and  ponder its meaning, or simply stare in disbelief.  The bikers going by made some interesting comments. A couple times I thought people were going to pull over and join us. This lovely side attraction emerged out of the kind spirit of Joe, and the accepting spirit of me and Caroline, to use it.

Magic happens when you allow the spirit of creativity to simply Emerge.

Magic happens when you have an environment that allows people to Let Go.

It also gives your neighbors something to talk about!