WORLD CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION DAY
Every year on April 21st, World Creativity and Innovation Day raises awareness about the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development. It’s also a day to encourage people around the world to engage in creative thinking.
Creativity is defined as turning new ideas into reality. For example, an artist might have a picture in their mind of something they want to paint. They may use a variety of tools, colors, and materials to turn their idea into reality. Creativity can also involve coming up with new ideas to solve problems.
There are generally four stages of creativity, which include:
- Preparation – the gathering of information or materials
- Incubation – the brain begins to form ideas
- Illumination – the solution begins to present itself
- Verification – The ideas and insights get fleshed out and developed
Innovation is a word often used along with creativity. Both words have similar definitions, except innovation usually involves the creative process. The best definition of innovation is creating, developing, and implementing a new product or service. The goal of innovation is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of something.
We use Both creativity and innovation to improve our world. For example, having a creative economy helps generate income and create new jobs. During a crisis, finding new ways to improve the economies has been of utmost importance. Creativity and innovation also provide new momentum for economic growth around the world.
HOW TO OBSERVE #CreativityAndInnovationDay
Countries around the world hold a variety of events and activities geared toward creativity and innovation. Some of these events include workshops, meetings, lectures, and online conversations with creatives worldwide. Every year, the UN chooses world-changing ideas that help create a better future for all. Some of these ideas have included boats made from recycled plastic and drone-delivered vaccines to remote areas.
What new ideas and innovations can you come up with to make our world a better place? Share your ideas with others on social media with #WCID.
WORLD CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION DAY
Marci Segal from Toronto, Canada, founded World Creativity and Innovation Day in 2001. In creating the day, Segal wanted to encourage people to use their natural abilities to generate new ideas to make the world a better place. She also wanted to make a bigger place for creativity in the world. She chose April 21st as it preceded Earth Day. This helped to emphasize the importance that creativity has in making our planet sustainable. In 2006, the day extended to a full week. World Creativity and Innovation Week began on April 15th, which is Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday. On April 27, 2017, the day became a UN International Day of Observance. The first official UN World Creativity and Innovation Day took place on April 21, 2018.
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