The staff of VDJS attended a two-day session on ‘Creative Aerobics’ on the 28th and 29th March 2023. The session was conducted by Dr. Arpan Yagnik, Associate Professor of Advertising and Communication at Penn State University, USA. The objective of the session was to ignite the flame of creative thought processes in the staff and to enjoy the process of creating rather than focusing solely on the product or result.
The session fostered the staff to leave the silo of safety and unleash their creativity. It involved a range of activities and exercises, all aimed at fostering creativity. Dr Yagnik introduced various techniques for raising questions to help individuals think out of the box. He took the staff through the process of moving from “what it isn’t” to “what it is”, using the elements of flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Through this process, the staff was encouraged to generate ideas and think creatively.
The staff was introduced to three types of Creative Aerobics. The first type, ‘what is it?’ involved generating ideas focusing on facts. The second type, ‘Conceptual Blending’, involved combining unrelated concepts to create something new and innovative. The third type, ‘Imagination Activation’, involved visualizing imaginary scenarios by finding similarities between dissimilarities. Some interesting brain exercise activities unleashed the creativity of the staff. The techniques and exercises introduced by Dr Yagnik will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the staff’s ability to think creatively and generate innovative ideas. Overall, the session was a success and a valuable addition to VDJS’s Faculty Development Programme.
