LESSONS LEARNED FROM BLIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO SEE

Daniel Kish Keynote for Proctor And Gamble’s World Design Conference 2013

Abstract: Creativity and the brain: definition of creativity, bringing something new or distinctive into being. In order for us to bring something new into being, we must be able to renew ourselves, to bring something new in ourselves and from ourselves into being. Newness created within us spreads from us into the world around us. The answer lies in changing and renewing our brain.

The brain is the center of everything we do. If we maintain rigid paterns in our lives and in our personalities, then our brain remains static and stagnant.

Not only does this thwart innovation and creativity, but it leads to early brain atrophy. By creating newness and freshness to our lives and our relationships and our characters every day, our brains remain fresh, constantly building and foraging new connections, organic and alive. This is where innovation and creativity is activated.

So, what happens to the brain when we engage it in a whole new way of experiencing the world?

We took blindness, which would seem intuitively devoid of positive quality and purpose, and we transformed blindness into positive quality and purpose. In the case of blind people, by activating the creative process within the brain’s of our blind students, the brain literally rewires itself to find another way to see. This is confirmed by brain scans.

To do this, we borrowed from brain science and experiences with hundreds of blind students in over three dozen countries to develop and implement what we call the “Freedom Formula”.

Among these elements is a process of FlashSonar, which entails teaching people to “see” using sound the way bats do. We teach the whole brain how to see, even if the visual system isn’t receiving a visual input. We create new linkages, we refresh the system with new connections through extensions of sound, touch, and active social engagement.

When I visited the Gamble house, I was able to explore through touch and hearing the meticulous and ingenious attention to design detail, borrowed from cultures around the world – nothing about status quo there, but only brilliant newness at every step and turn, brought together in one place from every corner of the globe.

With this newness and freshness, Gamble helped build a fortune 50 company. More than likely, he had a very activated brain. I learned to see, and I have taught hundreds of others to see. I also must have an activated brain. We can all have activated brains. Through personal stories, live demonstrations with audience participation, and videos that dynamically illustrate the scientific and educational nature and results of our transformative program, this audience will enjoy a personally creative experience.

Watch the Daniel Kish Keynote for Proctor and Gamble

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