New neuroscience research indicates that a key factor in creativity is openness to new perspectives. This is the essence of mindful living in the present. When we live in the present, we notice more new things in each fresh moment than we do when we go through life mindlessly not in the present and instead in the trance of past or future.
This is important to organizational and educational contexts where creativity is essential to success on all levels. I still encounter massive illiteracy when it comes to creativity and innovation. Many organizations and schools still operate from the unsubstantiated superstitions that position creativity and innovation as factors of personalities, incentives, threats and herding people in rooms to free associate whatever ideas occur to them.
It's long past time we approach creativity and innovation from the science that solidly associates them with living and working and interacting mindfully in the present. We need to make mindfulness a core competency in any context where creativity and innovation are vital to success indicators. And this needs to begin with leaders and teachers. No one should be put into or kept in any leadership or teaching position without being adept at being and teaching mindful living.
That's what we'd be doing if we actually based practice on current research.
