“Only one set of skills can ensure this generation’s economic future – the capacity for innovation.”

That quote comes from the website of the new book “Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People That Will Change The World” by Tony Wagner, which declares that nurturing creative thinking is crucial and that “only one set of skills can ensure this generation’s economic future: the capacity for innovation.”

The book asks, “What do the best schools and colleges do to teach the skills of innovation? What are some of the most forward-looking employers doing to create a culture of innovation?”

In his review article, Jonathan Wai, Ph.D. notes he shares author Wagner’s interest “in what constitutes a meaningful science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.”

Wai writes that the book profiles five STEM innovators and three social innovators, and that “These stories are worth learning from and developing hypotheses from,” but warns “it is important to remember that the plural of anecdote is not data.”

He continues, “In addition, the STEM innovators he profiles are very much entrepreneurs.

“I have never been a fan of learning in a classroom. Inside a laboratory or a garage, I always wanted to know more, but never inside a classroom.”

Caltech physicist Caolionn O’Connell, PhD.

“It is often said that education and training are the keys to the future. They are, but a key can be turned in two directions.”

Ken Robinson continues, “Turn it one way and you lock resources away, even from those they belong to. Turn it the other way and you release resources and give people back to themselves.

“To realize our true creative potential—in our organizations, in our schools and in our communities—we need to think differently about ourselves and to act differently towards each other. We must learn to be creative.” [From his book "Out of Our Minds."]

“They wondered if that capacity for creativity they remembered from their youth would or could ever return.” Lisa Rivero

How can we successfully hold on to the creative thinking and passions we had earlier in life?

Ken Robinson and many other writers and leaders warn that too many children are having their intellectual and creative abilities eroded by educational institutions.

We may find inspiration to be more creative in art classes and writing workshops – but what if our very sense of being creative has been eroded by ordinary schooling?

In his acclaimed TED conference presentation in 2006, Ken Robinson referred to the “really extraordinary capacity that children have, their capacities for innovation…” – but added, “And my contention is, all kids have tremendous talents and we squander them, pretty ruthlessly… creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”

Carol Muske Dukes is the Poet Laureate of California, and director of the graduate program in literature and creative writing at the University of Southern California.

An author of a number of books of poetry and several novels, Dukes commented in our interview (a while ago) there is one “sure sign” someone is a writer: “A writer reads constantly, reads everything she can get her hands on, tears apart libraries and bookstores, never is without a book in hand.”

She thinks the “whole point” of reading is “to lose the self, to let the self go, and be swept away by other voices and experiences, by the aesthetic power of language itself, by words.”

“We are all born with the ability to create.”

There are plenty of mundane designs for wedding and party cakes, but Leigh Grode and Joan Spitler combined their talents to make creations that are much more extravagant for their company, Cake Divas.

They started out making wedding cakes, and chose to locate in Los Angeles to supply movie and television productions, and now provide items for a wide range of celebrities and events.

Their elaborate cake designs can take up to three days to prepare, may cost up to $1,800, and are usually too delicate to be shipped out of state.

Einstein was expelled from school for “undermining the authority of his teachers and being a disruptive influence.”

“Montessori taught me the joy of discovery…It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you.” Game designer Will Wright

In her article Accessing Genius, creativity coach Sharon Good declares, “It has become clear to us that much of our genius is squashed at an early age. School curriculums are standardized in the interest of conformity and control and rarely address diverse talents and learning styles.”

Sir Ken Robinson “argues that it’s because we’ve been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies — far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity — are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences.