Creativity Wake-Up

Lately we've been thinking a lot about thinking. In particular, we've been wondering how much we can really rely on AI... getting frustrated when the tools are taking up more time than they are saving... and feeling alarmed / excited when they deliver brilliant results. In the latter instances, we wonder: are we beginning to rely on it too much? Are we thinking critically enough about AI outputs? What will happen to our thinking and our creativity if we do? So, when we came across Cogsec earlier this year, an organisation dedicated to protecting human cognition, we jumped at the chance to connect. Happily, the founders Oscar Sanchez, AI facilitator at MIT Professional Education, and Amber Bellou, who are also founders of the professional community GEN AI Global, are also interested in creative thinking and were keen to work with us. The Cogsec team have helped us analyse and improve our AI personalision settings, instructions and workflows to reduce sycophancy, hidden bias and context drift and to improve the overall quality and usefulness of our outputs. It's quite shocking the difference a few simple calibrations have made. It's like the difference my mum has found by taking her hearing aids to a professional audiologist to be tuned; she went from near deaf to hearing clearly. Since many of our clients and partners seems to be asking similar questions, we've worked with the COGSEC team put together a short course that we trust will bring clarity and add value to your AI-augmented work. Clear Thinking with AI is a live, online course delivered in two 90-minutes classes. Contact us for more info. A free webinar we are hosting on 16 April at 2pm (SAST) with COGSEC at the University of Johannesburg's College of Business and Economics.If you've ever felt like AI is making you think less rather than more, this Thursday's free session is for you. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dt9f9Ft5

AI is the most powerful creative partner you've never been taught to use. This webinar shows you how to think with it, not just prompt it. Join us for a live, hands-on session exploring how AI can sharpen your creativity and challenge your thinking. Wednesday, 16 April 2026 2:00–3:00 PM (Johannesburg) | 8:00–9:00 AM (Boston) 🌐 University of Johannesburg Online Webinar Series ✨ World Creativity & Innovation Week (WCIW) 2026, hosted by Prof Ziska Fields. The hosts of this session are: → Oscar Sanchez: AI & Cognitive Security Facilitator, MIT Professional Education, Co-Founder of Cogsec → Nina Pearse: Co-Founder, Creativity Wake-Up → Amber Bellou: Co-Founder, GenMrkt | COO, Gen AI Global → Celia Falkenberg: Co-Founder, Creativity Wake-Up This is a practical, thought-provoking conversation about how to use AI as a genuine creative thinking partner.

How much of what AI gives you do you actually push back on? Most of us accept far more than we realise. Evaluation is a non-negotiable skill and one that is easily eroded with over reliance on AI. We have a challenge for you. Begin to notice how much AI output you accept immediately. The ability to reject work is a prerequisite for protecting judgement. Nina Pearse, Oscar Sanchez, Dayne Falkenberg, LANCE QUIDING, Vaughan Wickins, Victoria Wickins, Deborah Kirsten, Janda Macdonald, Jacqui Mol, Amber Bellou, Julia Coovadia, Sally Jones, Annie Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom

The best ideas are the ones models can't produce. They haven't been said enough times to be learned. Nina Pearse, Celia Falkenberg, Amber Bellou, Oscar Sanchez, Amy Quiding, Amy Climer, Ph.D., CSP, Abel Sanchez, Dayne Falkenberg, Sally Jones, Angel Jones, Janda Macdonald, Lisa Linfield, CFP®, LANCE QUIDING

If you’re solving the same problems with the same thinking… you’ll keep getting the same results.  Take our refreshed and relaunched course at GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Many clients are telling us they need to lead their teams out of old ways of working and thinking. They want to decentralise innovation and improve problem solving and collaboration within and between teams.  We created a self-paced, online course with GIBS to meet this exact need. It may be just the upskilling you or your team needs his month. Creativity for Business equips you with: 👉 a clear understanding of creative thinking + creative intelligence 👉 practical tools to strengthen problem-solving and innovation 👉 techniques to identify and remove creativity blockers 👉 simple, repeatable habits to build creative confidence over time   Online | Self-paced | 5–8 hours Applications close 14 Feb 2026 Learn more/ Enrol: https://lnkd.in/drcHWnEj Nina Pearse Celia Falkenberg Asogaran Shunmoogam Farzana Ally Fiona Peake Pheladi Ramutla reneilwe dinkoanyane Ann Baret Sally Jones Sakhile Vilakati Tumelo Moloi Brendan Dillner Caron Pillay Kennedy Matshavhange Khudani Matidze Lesedi Mohapi Mukesh Mahto Nafeesah Akbar Natalie James Roanne Juggannadh Suzanne Loots Yasin Sulaiman Uveshree K.

How can we make sense of this vast subject called 'creativity.' One bright woman has illuminated our way with ... a mathematical formula for creativity - of all things! It's no surprise then that she was a Maths professor. She was also a navy veteran of World War 2, a self-taught musician, a computer programmer, and creativity research pioneer. Find out how this creative thinker defined creativity for us... Nina Pearse Celia Falkenberg Ann Baret Nicole Ramjee Amanda Jordaan Dr Jenny Greenblatt Inge Walters Janda Macdonald Samantha Carruthers Tiffany Markman Elliot Putso Shuping

“I came in little skeptical, but I now see creativity, not as the opposite of structure, but as a complement to it; a way to unlock better solutions, lead teams with confidence, and navigate ambiguity with more agility. I see creative leadership as an essential part of my role, especially in Digital Identity Management where the challenges are complex and the solutions require both technical depth and innovative thinking.”  Mukesh, Technology Information Leader This quote from one of the leaders in our Lead for Creative Thinking programme with GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) says it all. Creative leadership isn’t about adding noise, it’s about bringing clarity through new ways of thinking. 👉 Read how leaders from across industries are making creativity practical: https://lnkd.in/dxSg8Mw9 GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Nina Pearse Celia Falkenberg #CreativeThinking #Leadership #InnovationCulture

Creativity isn’t a bonus skill, it’s a leadership essential. In partnership with GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science), we explored how leaders can make creativity practical and contagious. It’s often the small, consistent creative habits that unlock the biggest shifts in how teams think and collaborate.