Learning Opportunities

I never attended college. I earned just one-half credit for attending a course on Overcoming the Fear of Computers at our Community College. 

I still have a dreadful fear of computers. So much for me on formal education. 

Still, I have been so blessed in my career as a professional speaker and author with fantastic learning opportunities. 

Today as I was digging deep and fishing for something to fill this space I spotted on the wall the following document.

This Change Commission attests the aforementioned individual’s exposure to a dynamic concept of idea manipulation and people involvement. This exposure expands his belief that concepts are not static but starting points for new adventures. From this day a new sense of perception can be generated that there is no such thing as a bad idea—only diverse possibilities whose time has or has not arrived. 

Machiavelli said, “there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.” 

Dated this seventh day of July, 1976 … In Witness hereof, I have herewith set my hand and caused my signature to be affixed,  

(s) Jack C. Whiting, Lead Turtle

I attended several sessions at this two-day event and listened to top speakers on the subject of creativity. This was an experience I will never forget. So often when I had the opportunity to speak at state and national conventions I would go in early and stay late making as many new acquaintances and attending as many learning sessions as possible. 

I was especially thrilled to be at Buffalo University. I’d first been exposed to Creative Thinking in 1957 when I read Alex F. Osborne’s book titled Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking.This is the book that originated the term “brainstorming.” Osborne was a Madison Avenue advertising guy (creative brain) who developed a method of group thinking that is still used today, basically unchanged. He also believed that creativity could be taught. He became associated with Buffalo University and I read his book again and again and it started me thinking. In 1976, Herb True, my mentor, and I attended the Creative Problem Solving Institute at Buffalo University together and we put on a program titled Humor and Creativity. It opened my mind to the world of creativity. A fellow named Jack C. Whiting inducted me into the order of Innovation Exequatur. The certificate I received read as above.