Dear Creativity,
When there are multiple projects at play, I am always amazed when I hit a groove with you, Creativity. It seems if I can trust the process and be open to possibilities the creative flow is inevitable.
Last night I was up late preparing for a presentation for the current cohort of Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Equity Fellows. The CSTA Equity Fellowship is a selective, year-long program designed to develop leadership in Computer Science equitable teaching practices and advocacy. As you know, I was part of the first cohort of fellows. I am sure it came as no big surprise with me being a groupie (lover of cohort group experiences) after all.
Each cohort has several meetings and coverings throughout the year filled with guest speakers and work time devoted to developing and cultivating their leadership skills. Today I delivered a rapid design thinking workshop, “Identifying Your Brand Story”. Your presence was felt by all the participants and coordinators of the event, Creativity. I delivered a harmonious blend of lessons, activities, and reflection. Everyone’s lives were about to change in a manner they had never experienced that would be their own unique group experience, never to be repeated because the results would be different each time.
As the designer and deliverer of the workshop, I knew it would be a great experience and everyone would get a lot out of it, but I wasn’t prepared for one specific outcome. This one outcome touched my heart and filled me with so much, that it has me wondering…
What is the special sauce of co-design that inspires creative action?
I have kept you waiting long enough. The one specific outcome I was not prepared for was the power of the learning container I created. One of the participants who loves to draw and paint and had lost touch with that passion, picked up their creative tools and drew my portrait. That has to be the biggest complaint and feedback I have received from a workshop I have facilitated. To borrow the words from my husband.
Remarkable.
There is something to these co-design experiences where people are feeling, seen, heard, and valued that opens possibilities and inspires creative action.
You know what I think it is? It’s the alchemy that happens when we create spaces where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable to share their gifts freely. That portrait wasn’t just a drawing – it was a mirror reflecting to me the energy we had cultivated together in that space. Each stroke was a testament to what happens when we honor both structure and spontaneity, much like our own relationship, my dear friend.
The special sauce, I’m beginning to understand, isn’t just one ingredient. It’s the careful blend of invitation and permission, of guidance and freedom, of individual expression and collective witnessing. When we co-design, we’re really co-creating a temporary universe where everyone’s creativity – including yours – can dance together without judgment or constraint.
Raymond didn’t just rediscover his artistic voice; he reminded all of us that creativity isn’t a scarce resource to be hoarded, but rather a renewable energy that grows stronger when shared. Each workshop I deliver becomes a unique constellation of creative moments, impossible to replicate but beautiful in its fleeting perfection.
So thank you, Creativity, for showing up not just for me, but for everyone in that Zoom room. You’ve taught me that the most powerful container isn’t built with walls but with trust, invitation, and the courage to let each person’s creative spirit illuminate the space in their own way.
I’ll always treasure that portrait, not for its likeness, but for what it represents – the moment when co-design transformed into co-creation, and we all got to witness your magic at work.
Innovatively yours,
Dr. Abigail
