What a great time to celebrate creativity and innovation!
Sunday was World Creativity and Innovation Day, and this month we got to witness the Great American Eclipse, which definitely didn’t disappoint after the massive publicity build up ahead of the event. The eclipse and the excitement building up to it was very similar to the excitement in our nation during the NASA Moon program in the late 60s.
Both events are prime examples of the power of creativity and innovation. NASA’s Moon program in the 1960s was a historic achievement, that wouldn’t have been successful without the brilliant minds at NASA, who took creativity and innovation to a whole new stratosphere, literally.
Likewise, the Great American Eclipse was amazing in the fact that the path of the Eclipse was precise and known months in advance, because of the innovation put forth by countless computer scientists and meteorologists.
The eclipse also demonstrated how creativity and innovation changed the ways in which we can now view the eclipse. For example, when I was in first grade we viewed the eclipse by looking through empty coke bottles. This definitely made for a very short and not so clear viewing experience. The eclipse glasses that kids and adults used this year definitely made for a much safer and enjoyable viewing experience.
Here in the Ozarks, one of the most interesting examples of creativity and innovation is Big Cedar Lodge, located south of Branson. Johnny Morris saw a strip of land in Taney County, that most viewed as simply being nothing more than a hilly and chigger infested patch of ground, but he envisioned something much different. He saw the limitless opportunities for recreation and outdoor enjoyment.
Johnny’s innovation turned that hilly patch of land into one of the most popular destinations in the United States that annually hosts thousands of families and some of our nation’s most popular celebrities.
In our own communities, the power of creativity and innovation is on display each and every day in our local schools. Each year, I attend 100 day hosted by the Exeter School District. It is so much fun to see the various and sometimes ingenious ways the kiddos come up with ways to recognize and celebrate the 100th day of school.
Also, as I have mentioned before, the continued advances by students at Cassville in the areas of computer programming, robotics, music, speech and debate and vocational agriculture, just to name a few, is inspiring. It all comes down to students being guided and inspired to be creative and innovative. I applaud the teachers and school staff who provide that spark for the young minds in our area to thrive.
The power of innovation and creativity doesn’t have be on the grand scales of putting a man on the moon or developing a world class resort in the Ozarks. It can be things that we do in our everyday lives.
I often marveled at the various methods my Dad came up with to make his job and life more efficient and productive. From my own perspective, I marvel at the ways in which I can put duct tape to use.
Unfortunately, my wife, Darla, doesn’t always marvel at these moments of innovation, especially when it comes to repairing things like our patio furniture and other items around our home!
Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, newspaper columnist, and motivational speaker. He can be reached at jonhorner77@
gmail.com.
