Information and structures become outdated faster than ever before. The era of rapid changes demands new skills: the ability to tolerate uncertainty, experiment, be flexible, persistent, resilient, and capable of unlearning obsolete thinking and organizational models. Sometimes, it is also worthwhile to pause, make time, and create space for something new.
Radical creativity is one of the three cross-cutting themes of Aalto University's strategy. When creativity is combined with trust and respect for diversity, its innovative power starts to show in teams, organisations, and the world at large. It's only then that we can speak of radical creativity that truly changes the world.
A paradigm is the prevailing and widely accepted way of thinking or framework. More narrowly, a paradigm can also refer to the central theory or direction of a scientific discipline or art.
New paradigms replace old theories and transform science, technology, and human life. For example, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution or the discovery of DNA revolutionised the field of biology. Technological advancements such as electric motors, social media, mobile phones, or streaming services have disrupted their respective industries and impacted all our daily lives.
Changing a paradigm is not easy or quick because there are structures, power dynamics, and societal relationships entrenched around old paradigms.
Sustainability transformation is one example of an ongoing change in paradigms.
Source: Wikipedia
Systems thinking helps to understand the functioning of complex systems as a whole and the interactions between their parts. It helps to perceive structures and find leverage points for solving complex and ambiguous problems.
Wicked problems, such as climate change, arise from outdated systems and ways of thinking and thus require new approaches, expertise, and cross-organisational models of action.
As Albert Einstein said, 'We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.'
Source: Sitra: Tackling Wicked Problems with System Thinking
Creativity is a buzzword – but what does it mean?
The Creative Leap research project, funded by Business Finland, aims to make creativity visible in business.
Large, floating structures, such as cruise ships, are complex systems whose design and development requires open-mindedness, collaboration, networks – and radical creativity.
Riikka Mäkikoskela’s leading article in Aalto University Magazine describes the combination of rational reasoning, emotional intelligence and radical creativity as an invisible tool in order to birth something new.
Professor of Practice Sawhney examines the role of technology and cooperation in crisis using transdisciplinary human-centered design practices.
Mixing people with different backgrounds is a nutrient for creativity, says professor Tapani Vuorinen.
Nearly half of cut flowers end up in the trash, never making their way to dinner tables or first dates
Julia Lohmann considers design a bridge-building discipline that enables collaboration and communication across disciplines.
Aalto aims to take an internationally leading position concerning radical creativity and its leadership.
The first Finnish satellite was a creative and very risky project.
Leading creativity can be paradoxical because it often includes destruction, uncertainty, and conflicts, says professor of practice Niina Nurmi.
Professor of Practice Lauri Järvilehto says that radical creativity is an important part of entrepreneurship.
Research on computational intrinsic motivation could answer some fundamental questions about the nature of creativity, but also improve household robotics or even self-driving cars
Henri Weijo focuses on what creativity is and how it can benefit both individuals and society as a whole.
Aalto University has produced a film to highlight its creative culture.
Companies and organisations can arrange screenings to encourage creativity and experimentation
Space 21 offers free project and studio spaces for facilitating collaboration, experimentation and radically new thinking and doing.
Curiosity breeds creativity says professor of practice Tua Björklund.
A study will explore how an ambiguously and ambitiously defined strategic focus affects organisational norms, identity and ways of working. Read the interview report or assign a workshop with your unit.
How to promote creativity? Read the five tips about creating better conditions for creativity by Johanna Moisander, professor at the Department of Management Studies.
Creativity is experimenting, and therefore a valuable skill for us all to master in a constantly changing and complex world. Radical creativity does not appear overnight, but we can build capabilities for it, says Dean Tuomas Auvinen.
Stress decreases our wellbeing, creativity and capacity for change. Radical Creativity team organised two embodied practices workshops to boost collective resilience and renewal. You can try the exercises with your team.
Aalto's capacity building project experiments with methods, which may help us become more capable of implementing systemic changes
Creative people, like artists and scientists, invent and create the new by stepping from the visible world into the invisible world of imagination, and then returning back into the visible. We all can develop our sensitivity, intuition and leadership capabilities to increase creativity.
'When you disagree or feel defensive, it’s important to really try to hear what the other person is saying. That requires empathy. If disciplines have different languages, it’s easy to talk past each other.'
Failure is an unavoidable part of life, but does failure have to be all bad? How about failing upwards and forwards?
The Radical Ceramic Research Group is pioneering potentially transformative alternatives to traditional concrete, the world’s second largest source of emissions.
Sustainability was an unusual, if not odd, research topic in business schools in the early 1990s. The most radical changes are, however, yet to come, says Professor Minna Halme.
Common neurological disorders like depression and chronic pain can be challenging to treat with conventional methods. An automated version of a long-used brain stimulation technique holds real promise as a reliable and effective drug-free alternative.
Savesta rakennettu, kasvien kansoittama Alusta on pölyttäjien pyhättö ja kaikkien elollisten kohtaamispaikka. Alustassa kasvaa yli 1 000 kasvia.
The building erected in the Töölö Bay area to temporarily house Finlandia Hall’s functions during its renovation is, in the words of architect Jaakko Torvinen, like a forest in the centre of Helsinki.
An idea that may sound crazy at first can be the key to solving significant challenges. Aalto University provides a favourable environment for daring initiatives that can lead to the discovery of some genuinely novel solutions.
There is no set recipe for changing the world. It takes courage and grit to boldly create something new without fearing failure.
Radical creativity is continuous learning: experiments, imagination, and agency.
Join our network by participating in our events or by visiting the living room of radical creativity, Space 21.