A Conversation With Jensine Larsen

I had the opportunity to study a course dubbed ‘Creativity in Teaching and Learning’ few weeks ago as part of my Masters Degree Program at Michigan State University (Faculty of Education). This course is meant to help educators in various fields understand the nature of creativity and most importantly challenged them to help others who pass through their hands to think reason and respond creatively in every field any day, anytime, anywhere. It was a great challenge yet an eye opening experience and a rewarding journey.

When I was tasked during one of my assignments to identify and interview any person I consider creative, I started thinking of all of you my sisters on World pulse and the various creative ways we solve problems in our communities around the world in the midst of war, crime, hunger, thirst, poverty, unforgiving traditional practices and beliefs. Each sister on world pulse is creative in her own ways and style. I think of you and all I can hear and smell is creativity. I click on the website and I see creativity. I read stories and I taste the flavor of creativity as we share, encourage, educate, inform, entertain, connect and communicate with each other. In short World pulse satisfies my hunger and thirst for creativity.

I was curious about our big sister Jensine Larsen and her creative journey of putting together the World Pulse Community. The one who first thought and created a community for the voiceless. The one who could not sleep until World Pulse was born. What word is more appropriate than ‘creative’ to describe Jensine’s innovation more than 10 years ago? What does she think of creativity in the first place and what is her creative process, journey and experience like at all? If you are just as curious as I am you can imagine the numerous thoughts that roamed in my mind that period and as I prepare to have a chat with her.

For many people, creativity means a lot of things from art to science. For our own Jensine, ‘’creativity means thinking, designing, building something new that energizes you…I exist to create and it feeds my soul. If I could not create, I would not be happy, I would not feel alive’. I smiled and nodded. I could easily connect the dots as I remember reading about her the first time I joined worldpulse until now. I remember reading that at age 25 whiles riding her bike in Oregon, Jensine dreamed of creating programs to empower women to speak for themselves on issues that affect them. Today, from the streets of Australia to the unknown corners of Zimbabwe the volume of women’s voices are increasing and remarkably making impact because of her creative impact.

Next I was curious about where she gets her creative ideas from. Was she born with some of the ideas or did she give birth to the creative thoughts? Like a little child, I smiled at the thought and wondered.
Most creative people have confirmed that creative ideas are usually hatched as a result of one’s aspirations, passions and even feelings of frustrations. These ideas arrive at different times. For Jensine ‘the best ideas come during unstructured times when I am walking, biking, or having a relaxed conversation with someone. I’ll get flashes of an image or vision’.

But is there a specific place or a sanctuary where creative ideas are born and nurtured for different people? For the women’s rights advocate, her ‘creative ideas come from everywhere! Ideas and trends can come from my night dreams, from a magazine I am reading, a conversation, from family, conferences, travel, and much more. Primarily, however creative ideas come when I see a need to solve a problem or gap – something that is not quite working or has become flat and dull’’. I try to connect it with my own creative journeys Jensine spells out hers. For me the beach or any quiet place is my creative sanctuary but my ideas come at anytime of the day or night whether I am busy or not.

For many creative gurus designing specific space, to support one’s creative process is vital. For the genius-artists, poets, musician, writer, and entrepreneur for example a personal haven or a particular spot helps to create. Larsen’s ‘favorite places to be creative are usually in high spots – tops of mountains or tall buildings. I like high ceilings and open spaces. Clear desks, big tablets and fresh sheets of blank paper, smooth pens. It opens my mind. Some creator’s have also found people, places and products inspiring and challenging.

Hobbies also have a way of pouring creative ideas into the minds of the genius. ‘Music feeds my creative process absolutely. All kinds, classical, folk, electronic, hip hop get my blood moving and creative juices flowing. Also, books. Videos-less so, they can be more confining into a particular reality for me’ says Ms. Larsen.

For me, the main lessons learnt in this course and interaction with Jensine Larsen as well as my experience with world pulse community is that anyone can be creative at anything anytime. Creative people are normal and real humans who have learned to think differently, observe critically, perceive purposefully, position patterns objectively, abstract constructively, think with their bodies intelligently, model creatively and playfully interact with ideas, concepts, knowledge and things with the intention of inventing something ‘’novel, effective and whole-N.E.W’’.
By changing how we think and see what, we women have the creative power to change our own lives, our communities and our future.

If you are a teacher, a trainer or an educator who is interested in reading about this creativity in teaching and learning course work I put together you can visit - http://pearlalimo.weebly.com/synthesis.html

Happy Creative New Year!!