Dr. Alan Black

Written By Think Jar Collective
Dr. Alan Black

Alan is a highly respected international creative thinking advocate, author, speaker, consultant, facilitator and college professor. His book BROKEN CRAYONS: Break Your Crayons and Draw Outside the Lines has been published in the USA, Turkey, Slovenia and South Africa and purchased by people in many countries around the world.

From 1960 to 1983 he worked in 8 creative fields and professions: architecture as an NCARB registered architect with licenses in Michigan, Florida, and Georgia, graphics and signage designer, tv news writer for WXYZ-TV in Detroit, freelance writer, freelance cartoonist, display designer, speaker, college professor and consultant.

In 1976 as a volunteer teacher of 22 gifted elementary school children, one his oldest late son, Jeff, he discovered two articles by the late Dr. E. Paul Torrance, world renown author, professor and researcher of creative thinking and gifted education. Within the next 3 years he worked on a B.S. in Education, two different M.Ed. in Education: Gifted Education and the Counseling of Gifted, Talented and Creative Individuals and began his Ph.D. in the teaching of creative thinking with Dr. E. Paul Torrance as his major professor and Dr. Sidney J. Parnes on his doctoral committee.

In 1978 he attended his first of nearly 200 international creativity conferences on 6 continents in several countries where he presents a several each year.

He has co-authored books with several creativity experts such as: Dr. Andy van Gundy, Dr. Kobus Neethling, Dr. Kanes Rajah in the US, South Africa and England. In 2015 he has a chapter included in a book being published in Russia.

Since the late 70s he has had over 700 articles published on leadership, communication, teamwork, conflict and the development of creative thinking skills.

From 1997 to 2014, 18 years, he weekly published his Alan’s Cre8ng Challenges that consisted of daily exercises anyone can use to further develop their creative thinking skills, tools, techniques and knowledge.

Beginning in 1979 part-time and then full time in 1984 Alan has made nearly 3800 presentations from keynote speeches, general platform presentation, breakout or concurrent sessions or ½ day to full day workshops at conferences, conventions and institutes through the US and in a variety of countries around the globe. Also included a ½ to full day to multiple day training programs and masters degree level university courses focused the development of creative thinking from the front and rear doors to top floors of organizations, companies or corporations. Among the Fortune 500 companies he has spoken to and for are:

  • General Motors

  • Kimberly-Clark

  • Gillette Stationery Div

  • Johnson & Johnson

  • CertainTeed

  • Gulfstream Aerospace

  • duPont

  • Kroger

  • Nestle

  • Duck Head Apparel

  • Bibb Manufacturing

  • Georgia-Pacific

  • Wrigley Gum

Website: http://www.cre8ng.com

Think Jar Collective

Think Jar Collective started in 2010 and has remained as a repository of tools, insights, interviews and expert consulting to help people and organizations to problem solve better. It's a decent place to go for methods, tips, training, and inspiration around helping people and organizations learn how to foster disciplined innovation. We aim to demystify what creativity is and share the best articles, tips and techniques you can use to tackle complexity and innovate.

Think Jar Collective contributors share articles and tools, while the innovation consultancy arm of Think Jar Collective is stewarded by Ben Weinlick.

https://thinkjarcollective.com/
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