Season 1, Episode 2

A Scholarly Journey to Redefining Creativity

Creativity in the Arts, Season 1

“I really never looked at creativity as something to be evaluated by certain criteria. I looked at it as a process to test and put out in the world and enjoy or explain something phenomenally. It’s a multi-phenomenon construct and it’s also dynamic, not static.” – Marta Ockuly
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A Scholarly Journey to Redefining Creativity with Dr. Marta Ockuly

What is the definition of creativity? Is there only one right answer?

No way! In this episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Dr. Marta Ockuly, a humanistic psychologist and heuristic creativity researcher focused on the lived experience of human creativity. She’s also the founder and CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of the Creative Potential Institute. Tune in to learn about her redefined definition of creativity, which has been adopted by UN-sanctioned World Creativity & Innovation Day/Week. You’ll gain insight into the incredible experience that led her to redefine creativity, the qualitative research she did to identify that definition, and her lexicon of creativity terms. Marta also shares a few activities you can do at home or in your classroom to foster creativity.   Marta’s Tips for Teachers and Parents: 1. Marta’s universal definition of creativity: “Creativity is the person-centered process of imagining possibilities and taking bodied, expressive action that makes your ideas real.” 2. All art requires creativity, but NOT all creativity is art. 3. When you take away the fear of evaluation, you take away the fear of failure. Kids will feel safe to take risks and fail forward when there’s no evaluation. Give extra points for failing forward! 4. The one characteristic of all creative people is an awareness of their creativity. They self-identify as creative. When you understand you are creative, you practice doing what you most enjoy or find meaningful. 5. No definition of creativity is the only definition. Marta encourages you to come up with your own definition. She asks you: What is the future you’re imagining?

About the Guest

Dr. Marta D. Ockuly is the lead consultant with the Creative Potential Institute. She serves as a creativity catalyst/coach working with organizations, leaders, and individuals looking for future-focused strategies for disrupting conformity in the workplace, higher education, and creativity training initiatives. Her project interests range from on-site to remote programs for building creative confidence and competence, custom-designed creativity courses, and certification programs relating to the lived experience of human creativity, Awakening Creative Potential with J.O.Y., and “Actualizing Creative Potential for Personal and Professional Growth.” Dr. Ockuly’s research focus is the lived experience of human creative potential across the lifespan. She speaks and teaches internationally promoting imagination and embodied action as essential components of human creativity. Her new definition has been adopted by United Nations sanctioned World Creativity & Innovation Day/Week celebrated globally April 15-21st. Connect with Marta on LinkedIn Follow her on Twitter

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Podcast Sponsor

We are thrilled to partner with Curiosity 2 Create as our sponsor, a company that shares our commitment to fostering creativity in education. Curiosity 2 Create empowers educators through professional development and community support, helping them integrate interactive, creative thinking approaches into their classrooms. By moving beyond traditional lecture-based methods, they help teachers create dynamic learning environments that enhance student engagement, improve academic performance, and support teacher retention. With a focus on collaborative learning and exploration, Curiosity 2 Create is transforming classrooms into spaces where students thrive through continuous engagement and growth.

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