Jo Yudess – Creativity is About Connection

Our 28th episode of the Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast Series features Jo Yudess, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at SUNY Buffalo State College who has been a part of the faculty since 2004. She found her way to Creativity by reading Applied Imagination by Alex Osborn and started presenting to groups. She attended a one-day workshop at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) with the encouragement of Dr. Ruth Noller and fell in love with Creative Problem Solving. With an MS from the International Center for Studies in Creativity and EDD from St. John Fisher in Executive Leadership, Jo describes her work teaching Generation Z students. She has found this generation understands what is going on in the world, cares about it, and wants to do something to change it. They are open to diversity and inclusion and living their values. Her passion for teaching and inspiring her students to leverage creativity defines her work. Jo uses Creative Problem Solving in every job she has ever had to improve the workplace. In one project,  she facilitated a diverse team from every area of the company resulting in 200 ideas in two hours vs. eight ideas achieved in an all-day meeting from the top Leadership. She also describes facilitating a research group that did not know the problem they were solving and how their work was able to change the testing methodology of doctors for babies in utero. Don’t miss this discussion of Creative Flow, which Jo describes as “everything is connected.” Jo’s values and beliefs, combined with the creative problem-solving process, come out in everything she does. Find our podcast today on all of your favorite platforms.