As artificial intelligence and automation reshape industries, the demand for human creativity has never been greater. However, while schools and businesses emphasize technical skills, they often neglect to teach innovation systematically. They also fail to teach creativity, viewing it as an innate talent rather than a skill that can be cultivated. Consequently, individuals are ill-prepared for an economy that increasingly values ingenuity over routine expertise or basic knowledge.
Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, has made it his mission to change that. He recently published The Imagination Emporium: Creative Recipes for Innovation, a blend of a cookbook for ideas, a sourcebook for inspiration, and a toolkit aimed at helping individuals and organizations create a structured approach to innovation. Intriguingly, he has adopted a novel method of incorporating AI into the experience, ensuring that creative learning remains dynamic, interactive, and accessible anytime.
Why Innovation Must Be Taught
For years, companies have struggled to nurture genuine innovation. Wardle witnessed this firsthand at Disney, where he explored various models to embed creativity into the company’s DNA. In the process, he discovered that traditional approaches, such as hiring consultants, forming innovation teams, or launching startup accelerators, often failed. The main obstacle? With tight deadlines and heavy workloads, most people do not feel they have the time to think creatively.
“Innovation isn’t something you can outsource. You have to embed it into the culture and give people permission to think differently.”
Wardle realized that creativity training needed to be simple, engaging, and immediately useful. That’s how The Imagination Emporium was created. It’s not structured like a traditional book but as a creativity handbook that offers quick, actionable exercises anyone can use without needing to read the book from cover to cover.
How The Imagination Emporium Teaches Innovation
One of the most interesting aspects of The Imagination Emporium is its design for various learning styles. Visual learners will benefit from illustrations and QR code links to animated videos; auditory learners will discover QR code links to Spotify playlists and upcoming audiobook content; and kinesthetic learners will find interactive exercises that promote hands-on experimentation. To make the learning process even more engaging, Wardle introduces three cartoon characters: Nova, Spark, and Zing, each representing different aspects of innovation. An accompanying website and linked digital resources ensure that readers can continually explore new content and revisit ideas in an innovative way.
AI As Catalyst For Innovation And Creativity
Perhaps the most innovative feature of The Imagination Emporium is its AI-powered tool, brAIn. Designed as a WhatsApp chatbot, brAIn acts as an always-available virtual creativity coach, assisting users to overcome creative blocks, generate new ideas, and implement brainstorming techniques in real time. By offering on-demand guidance inspired by the book, brAIn transforms innovation training into an ongoing process rather than a one-time event.
The role of brAIn here underscores an integral part of Wardle’s message. AI is not a threat to human creativity but an enabler. Used properly, “high-tech should enable high-touch,” he explains. “AI can handle the routine, freeing us up to be more imaginative, more human.”
Overcoming Obstacles To Teaching Innovation And Creativity
Wardle identifies three key challenges to teaching innovation and creativity and offers suggestions for overcoming these challenges. The first obstacle is that too many people believe they are simply not creative. This perspective is based on the misconception that creativity is an innate gift rather than a skill that can be developed. The Imagination Emporium offers structured exercises that help cultivate creativity, making it enjoyable and accessible to students.
The second obstacle is more systematic: the lack of time available in workplaces and schools. Traditional structures, whether classroom or corporate, leave little time for unstructured thinking. This is where brAIn comes in with micro-learning moments. These are short, AI-powered creativity exercises that can naturally fill gaps during the day. They can be done on the spur of the moment without detailed preparation, but as students work through the material, they will receive a regular dose of instruction.
The third obstacle is a combination of fear of failure and rigid thinking. As students age and graduates enter their careers, people tend to avoid risks, and organizations often become risk-averse, both of which hinder innovation. Wardle offers a solution to this challenge with the “Greenhouse Model,” a safe space for nurturing ideas before they are evaluated. The greenhouse emphasizes playfulness and humor as essential elements in unlocking creativity. Combining this model with the brAIn tool and the structured exercises from The Imagination Emporium provides educators and learners with a rich set of resources for fostering creativity and innovation.
Why Teaching Innovation And Creativity Matters Now
As AI continues to advance, Wardle views it as enhancing the value of uniquely human skills like creativity and innovation rather than obviating the need for human creativity. The Imagination Emporium systematically teaches these skills, making creativity training accessible to individuals, schools, and businesses alike. Ultimately, Wardle’s work reinforces a crucial idea: innovation is not just for entrepreneurs or artists but for everyone. With the right tools, anyone can learn to think more creatively, solve problems more effectively, and contribute new ideas in any field. If we prepare people to be creative innovators, we can ensure they will have a place in the future, whatever it may hold.