David Eyman – Teaching Creative Confidence

The 54th episode of The Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast features David Eyman, an entrepreneur, innovation leader, product designer, and educator at Miami University. With over 30 years of creative experience and a Master’s in Creative Studies from the Center for Applied Imagination, David shares his journey from industrial design to his current role as Director of Innovation. He believes that shifting from doing what we're supposed to do to what we're capable of can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction. The key takeaways from this conversation focus on the critical importance of developing creative confidence in students. David discusses how adaptable thinking skills are essential for navigating a world of complex problems. He provides his insights on the changes he's seen in students, particularly "digital natives," and the challenge of them outsourcing their critical and creative thinking skills while remaining happy, collaborative, and fast learners. Listeners will learn why creative confidence is an essential outcome of creative mindsets like curiosity, tolerance for ambiguity, and resilience. David offers practical ideas for adapting creative problem-solving processes for a new generation of thinkers. Don’t miss David’s perspective on using AI not as a replacement, but as a thinking partner to augment our own creative abilities, providing a framework for students to engage with technology responsibly.