Pictured: Ismet Mamnoon delivers the keynote address at ProjecTHINK 2019. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

“Creativity is a full-body experience,” said entrepreneur and creativity expert Ismet Mamnoon, addressing the crowd at the second annual ProjecTHINK conference from SRQ Media Group, held this past Friday and Saturday at the Ringling College of Art and Design. The founder of Beyonder and a former TEDx speaker, Mamnoon kicked off a weekend of educational and inspiring creativity-focused workshops with a keynote address entitled “Being and Doing Creative.”

Joining a slate of speakers including Ringling College Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Peter McCallister, State of Jobs Conference Founder Chris Laney and Education Foundation of Sarasota County President Jennifer Vigne, Mamnoon took the stage in the Ringling College Academic Center to unveil her latest theory of creativity—a factor-based model that emphasizes both the theoretical and actual aspects. While everyone thinks themselves familiar with creativity in the sense of “engaging curiosity” or “generating options” or “making connections,” she said, most forget the all-important steps required to actualization. “There’s no shortage of good ideas,” she said, but there is a lack of emphasis on what she dubbed “emotional resiliency”—the courage and discipline to take an idea to fruition and meet its potential. Only by focusing on both sides of this creative equation, Mamnoon said, would one make the history books.

The conference rejoined the following morning in the Alfred R. Goldstein Library, where conference attendees met for a morning mission statement from Mamnoon—as well as coffee and cookies and donuts—before dividing into groups and spreading across campus for workshops led by Ringling College instructors. Often hands-on, participants chose between options such as printmaking, hot glass, virtual reality, zine-making and motion design, as well as more theoretical pursuits like storymining and creative leadership. Mamnoon also led one on creative “parentology.”

The afternoon ended with a mini food truck rally featuring Local Ice, South Philly Cheesesteaks and Croz’s Surf Shack, while guests ate and swapped stories in front of the Academic Center.

Plans are already underway for ProjecTHINK 2020.

Pictured: Ismet Mamnoon delivers the keynote address at ProjecTHINK 2019. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.