Art School Every Day with Dave Gray: Insights from School of the Possible

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Dave Gray, Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible. They delve into being a "possibilitarian," exploring how this mindset fosters innovation and openness to new ideas. Dave shares the  School of the Possible founding story, an experimental learning community that challenges conventional education models. The discussion covers how critical thinking and creativity are encouraged and the practical application of knowledge to solve real-world problems. Listeners will discover how embracing possibility can transform learning and personal growth.

"Art school is very different than a lot of other types of education. It's focused on making and creating and doing things with your hands and making things happen in the real world. So, in one sense, there was a whole approach to learning that I picked up in art school. And also, when you graduate from art school, it's not like there's a lot of people waiting with jobs for you.

You have to apply those creative thinking skills to designing your life, thinking about What is it that you want to create in the world? How are you going to make your way in the world? And it's really interesting to watch all of my peers and colleagues, all trained in creativity, all figuring it out in different ways.

It all stems from this idea of "what are you going to create and what are you going to make?" In a lot of types of education, you can just solve the problem in a way that everyone before you solved the problem. 

When you're in an art school, you're not allowed to solve problems in the way they've been solved before. You're required to think about a different way or a new way." 

Mentioned in this episode: Links to relevant materials mentioned during the episode

• • Website: https://schoolofthepossible.com/ 

  • Substack: School of the Possible

  • YouTube: Art of the Possible

About our guest(s): 

• • Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible

  • Author, The Connected Company and Gamestorming

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegray/ 

Call-to-Action(s):

• • If you liked this episode, check out: How Hopeful Stories Can Shape a Better Future with Ed Finn and Imagining Tomorrow Through Community with Rob Hopkins

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