From the Director

Dear Friends,

Imagine this:  North Carolina leading the way in policies that meaningfully promote creativity for personal, social and economic development.  It could happen - with your help.
 
After criss-crossing the state, hosting informal meetings in hopes of understanding how creativity is at work in North Carolina’s economy, the Institute for Emerging Issues’ (IEI) staff is spurred by what we have learned. Descriptions of our invaluable meetings in Kinston and Wilmington are included with this newsletter.  In October, we will share details of our meetings in Charlotte and Greensboro.

Now the really hard work begins.  Over the next three months, our newly formed Working Group will apply the regional insights revealed by the Focus Groups and develop statewide, high-impact policies and practices to further enhance North Carolina’s culture of creativity.  

Three questions will drive the discussion of the Working Group meetings:

•    (1) What are the elements of a healthy creativity ecosystem?
     (2) Where are the current gaps in the ecosystem in North Carolina? 
     (3) What are the policy options that can help North Carolina create a healthy creativity             ecosystem?  

We are very pleased with the number of leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors who have agreed to be part of our Working Group. But, if we have learned anything from our work on creativity, it is “it will take more ideas than we can fit people in a room to achieve the levels of collaboration and diversity of opinion essential to developing creative solutions.”  Thus, in the coming weeks, look for us to announce the launch of our new online collaboration tool that allows you to participate in the Working Group process.   

This Working Group discussion is important. It will help refine IEI’s program and vision for North Carolina in preparation for a much larger vetting process at IEI’s 25th Annual Emerging Issues Forum on February 8-9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

North Carolina is poised to reap the benefits of our creative ecosystem, but this can only be achieved through the creative thinking and collective imagination of all of us.  

Anita