DisC Book Recommendation: The Element ~ How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

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You may be familiar with the work of Sir Ken Robinson – he’s considered the world’s leading thinker on creativity & creative thinking.  He has worked around the world in the education system as a Professor of Arts Education and as an advocate of the Arts in the educational system. [As as side note: he’s also really funny.]  He is also one of the most popular speakers in the world at the TED conferences.

Sir Ken posits that all people are born creative, and that the school system squanders that creativity and, therefore, innovation. He also states that creativity is as important as literacy and should be given the same status. This is a paradigm shift for our current education system, but it’s becoming more and more accepted and embraced.

His latest book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything is a revolutionary look at passion, fulfillment and achievement – a vital guide to utilizing creativity and innovation in the quest to become a successful person.

The publisher describes it this way: The element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the element, they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve at their highest levels. The Element draws on the stories of a wide range of people, from ex-Beatle Paul McCartney to Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons; from Meg Ryan to Gillian Lynne, who choreographed the Broadway productions of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera; and from writer Arianna Huffington to renowned physicist Richard Feynman and others, including business leaders and athletes. It explores the components of this new paradigm: The diversity of intelligence, the power of imagination and creativity, and the importance of commitment to our own capabilities.

With a wry sense of humor, Ken Robinson looks at the conditions that enable us to find ourselves in the element and those that stifle that possibility. He shows that age and occupation are no barrier, and that once we have found our path we can help others to do so as well. The Element shows the vital need to enhance creativity and innovation by thinking differently about human resources and imagination. It is also an essential strategy for transforming education, business, and communities to meet the challenges of living and succeeding in the twenty-first century.

At DisC, we have a dream that all people will embrace their uniqueness, leading to a fulfilling life – this book is a funny, brilliant handbook on how to do just that….  we consider it a must read.

In October, 2010 the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and … (RSA) animated one of Robinson’s speeches about changing “education paradigms“. The video was viewed nearly half a million times in its first week on YouTube.  It’s pretty awesome, so is Sir Ken.

Here’s the animated speech:

For more info on Sir Ken’s awesomeness, visit his website