“The Benefits of Group Creativity”
Some of you know that I’m in an amateur rock band called the Dynosaurs. The “Dynos” were formed in February 2010. This past weekend we held our 29th recording session. The number of original songs we have recorded now stands at 161, enough for 16 albums.
Over the past 12 years, we four Dynos have devoted a lot of time and have spent a substantial amount of money creating and recording music. We have made no attempt to commercialize our output and haven’t made a dime from our small but loyal audience of friends and family.
So why do the Dynos do this? Well, we like music. We like being creative. We like being totally self-sufficient problem solvers. And we like operating in a trusted, collegial, cooperative, coordinated, efficient and non-hierarchical environment where everyone brings a unique and necessary set of skills or talents to the table.
There is also a sense of accomplishment in doing something synchronistically as a group – in achieving a chemistry through human interaction. Simply put – it’s a lot of fun and very therapeutic.
The benefits are numerous. The Dynos produce something original and unique. We experience continuous learning and improvement. We have developed a level of friendship that can only come from a long-shared experience. Getting along with each other to produce something people appreciate and enjoy has had a positive impact on every aspect of our personal and professional lives.
I recommend getting together with colleagues or friends from time to time to create something together. It can be fun, therapeutic, and highly beneficial in so many ways.