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Creative Oklahoma defines an Oklahoma Creative Community as a group of engaged citizens, across all sectors and within a defined geographic region, that come together as a thought leader group with a commitment to a creative problem solving process whereby new ideas, that have value and did not exist before in the community,  will be generated and implemented. The purpose of the process is to generate ideas that will improve the health and well-being of the citizens of the community. The defined geographic area is either a municipality, Native American Nation, or designated districts within Oklahoma.

Last year, communities across the state applied in a competitive process to become an Oklahoma Creative Community.  Eight communities were selected from 40 applications.  These eight — Tahlequah, Okmulgee, Ponca City, Locust Grove, Guthrie, Altus, Enid, and Durant — are beginning to demonstrate what happens when you work together to develop solutions to local challenges.  It’s a really exciting process to witness as every community is different with different assets and opportunities.

The Oklahoma Creative Communities project also provides communities a process to build inclusive leaders who understand and implement the creative problem solving process — C.R.E.A.T.E., brought to us by Duane Wilson at the University of Notre Dame. Today many companies, teams and communities fail for the same reason — a lack of leadership. The days of ‘command and control’ leadership are long gone.  We need leaders who are open to new ideas, willing to take risks, and understand that they might fail.  These leaders must set unbelievably high goals.  Often times people never reach their full potential simply because they set easily achievable goals.  Or worse yet, they are satisfied with the status quo and are content to sit comfortably doing nothing everyday.  

Each of the eight communities have been provided an expert creative problem solving facilitator by Creative Oklahoma to help guide the community process.  The Oklahoma Creative Community facilitators and local leaders have received training and are utilizing the C.R.E.A.T.E creative problem solving methodology encourage new ideas, understand the challenges facing their communities, and have tools to build quick wins promoting future success.  

C.R.E.A.T.E.

• Communicate Objectives
• Requirements Analysis
• Examine Potential Solutions
• Analyze Feasibility
• Take Action
• Evaluate Impact

In the C.R.E.A.T.E. process, leaders must first identify the opportunities and challenges, set goals and follow a path that encourages participation by citizens throughout the community from every sector.  Great leaders then clearly communicate the objectives to provide boundaries for the ideation process.  

The community leadership team then reviews the requirements and clearly defines available assets, as well as gaps.  The next step allows for the entire community to provide input.  There are no ‘bad ideas’ as potential solutions are examined.  Every idea deserves evaluation and community leaders keep the door open to every idea generated.   The feasibility of all ideas are considered determining which ideas are most valuable and easily executable.  Each idea is mapped based on its feasibility. 

Each community team will see the opportunity for ‘quick wins,’ as well as solutions to larger challenges previously identified.  Each community will have a timeline charting the challenges with new solutions meeting objectives.  The plan is then ready for implementation and evaluation of impact.  

Creative Oklahoma’s eight Oklahoma Creative Communities are now a few months into this process, after several months of data gathering and training this last spring and summer.  As I meet with facilitators and community leadership, I am blown away by all of the positive ideas emerging in these communities across the state.  

Diverse communities are coming together, new leaders are emerging and a ‘Can Do’ attitude is spreading throughout the state.  We’re only beginning to see what’s possible in the transformation of the state by empowering the ideas of Oklahomans and encouraging and supporting implementation.  We can’t wait to see Oklahoma to truly become known around the world as the ‘State of Creativity!’