Creative Problem Solving Institute 2026

The most compelling storytellers do more than inform—they shift perspectives, spark emotion, and catalyze action. TEDx Talks provide great examples. This workshop teaches participants how to design powerful, audience-centered stories using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process as a backbone for crafting impactful narratives. Through hands-on exercises, participants transform a personal or professional insight into a compelling talk outline that elevates ideas and connects deeply with listeners. Attendees leave with a structured storytelling method they can use in classrooms, boardrooms, and stages of all kinds, even TEDx.    

Takeaways

• A repeatable storytelling framework based on each stage of the Creative Problem Solving process.
• A draft TEDx-style talk outline built in-session using tools for insight generation, reframing, and story shaping.
• Techniques to elevate message clarity, emotional resonance, and narrative flow for greater audience impact.

It’s not a question of IF you are creative, it’s a question of HOW you are creative. In what ways can you leverage your unique talents in the creative problem solving process? Through guided reflection and process mapping, you will examine how your CliftonStrengths talent themes support—or sometimes complicate—different stages of the Creative Problem Solving process. You’ll learn how you are wired to make a unique and valuable contribution to problem solving processes and help teams achieve better outcomes.

Note: It will be helpful for participants to come to the session knowing their top 5 talent themes from Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Assessment.

Takeaways:
Participants will gain:
1) Clarity about where their strengths are most powerful in the CPS process—and where they may need to adapt or partner
2) Greater awareness of what supports or drains their energy at different CPS stages
3) Practical insight into how diverse strengths can be intentionally leveraged on creative teams

Creativity is often sparked not by unlimited freedom, but by meaningful constraints.  In this interactive workshop, participants experience how limits on time, materials, and rules can actually increase innovation through hands-on design challenges.  Drawing on Creative Problem Solving principles and Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, this session will reveal how identifying and leveraging limitations can unlock new possibilities.  Participants will leave with practical strategies for using constraints as powerful tools for creativity, problem solving, and systems improvement in any context.    

Takeaways

• Constraints are catalysts, not barriers.

• Identifying the constraint unlocks improvement.

• Creativity thrives at the intersection of structure and imagination.

This session is geared towards those who are 55-plus and wondering what the Third Third of their life is going to be like.  It is based on the book, “The Third Third of Life:  Preparing for Your Future," by Walter C Wright, Jr.  We will be exploring Hope and Dreams for the “third third” as well as considering what a “renewed calling” might be like. 

The “Third Third” approach uses an open mind to explore the hopes and fears that typically accompany your 55-plus years in such a way that expands your thinking about the meaningfulness of your years beyond retirement.  We will create a vision of each person’s Third Third, keeping in mind that a lot of the Third Third is about growing inward in a contemplative way and realizing and applying the wisdom accumulated during the first two-thirds of life experience.

Takeaways:

• Defining what the Third Third Means and what occurs during this time
• Exploring hopes and dreams of what this time of life might be
• Exploring fears and discuss ways in which each person might overcome those fears

In a world of AI-generated sameness, your creative identity is what elevates you above the noise. This experiential workshop uses archetypal frameworks—rooted in Jung, Campbell, and modern brand psychology—to help you discover and articulate the distinctive character that makes you extraordinarily you. Through visual exploration, guided reflection, and structured storytelling, you'll craft a clear "personality signature" that brings dimension and authenticity to how you show up as an entrepreneur, educator, creative professional, or changemaker.    

Takeaways

• Your Archetypal Identity – A clear understanding of the two archetypes that define your creative character, complete with a simple framework that captures your unique personality beyond generic descriptors
• Your Authentic Story – A compelling narrative that articulates who you are at your core, what drives you, and the distinctive role you play in others' lives—ready to elevate your pitches, profiles, and presentations
• Your Elevation Plan – Three concrete, actionable ways to bring your creative identity to life immediately, from reimagining your email signature to redesigning your next workshop or pitch deck"    

This workshop introduces a dynamic visual tool designed to map out your personal creative process. During this 90-minute session, you’ll explore key enhancers and critical blockers that make up your creative ecosystem. Through hands-on activities, you’ll design your own creativity canvas, gaining insights into how to unlock your full potential and drive creative breakthroughs.    

Takeaways

• A complete visual framework that maps your unique creative ecosystem
• A deeper understanding of the key drivers and blockers they face in doing creative work
• An action plan for implementing or optimizing a ritual creative practice