As I continue to explore the concepts of creativity and innovation I see that they are directly tied to the concept of human flourishing. As we seek to live purposefully, as we were made to live, the concept of creativity cannot be ignored or shoved aside. It is in our DNA. Philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff differentiates between the utilitarian idea of “an experientially satisfying life” and the “life well lived”. He posits “the life that is both well lived and that goes well” (Woltersdorff, 2008). Creativity and innovation can transform a utilitarian view of a life of doing into a life of flourishing. There is a lot to unpack here but at the core of a liberal arts education is the idea that we live life to the fullest and flourish. We are about flourishing here at Jewell and you will find examples of that in this edition of Jewell Business Today.

Sincerely, Dr. Kelli Schutte, Chair of the Department of Business and Leadership