In his talk, Dr. Keith Sawyer tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity and erects new principles in their place.  He reveals that creativity is always collaborative - even when you're alone.  Sawyer will draw on compelling stories about the inventions that change our world: the ATM, the mountain bike, and open source operating systems, among others.  In each case, Sawyer reveals the true story of innovation: in spite of the 'lone genius' myths that always  spring up after an invention's success, these important inventions always originate in collaboration.

To understand the hidden collaborations that drive exceptional creativity, Sawyer spent 15 years studying jazz groups, theatre ensembles, and everyday conversation. In his talk, he distils the essence of this research and shows us how to be more creative in collaborative group settings, how to change our organizations for the better, and how to tap into our own reserves of creativity.  The empowering message is that all of us have the potential to be more creative; we just need to learn the secrets of group genius.

Dr. Keith Sawyer, a professor of psychology and education at Washington University in St. Louis, is an expert on creativity and innovation.  He is best known for his studies of jazz and improvisational theatre groups.  His twelve books include Group Genius and Explaining Creativity, and he has published over 80 articles.

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