What I learned about creativity at a prison

I recently spent a day with inmates at a California State Prison, helping them prepare resumes and brainstorm small business ideas for when they eventually return home. As this is a maximum security level four prison, many have a long time to go before they can restart their lives. But 95% of US prisoners one day will return home and will join us as our neighbors, community members, and colleagues.

I’m guilty of parking the correction system in my mind as a place where we send people convicted of a crime so I don't have to think about the issue. The day was initially a little nerve-wracking as I had never visited a prison and was confronted with some intellectual honesty of my own. Still, any nerves quickly dissipated thanks to the leaders from Defy Ventures, the nonprofit organization that organized the volunteer day as part of their Entrepreneurs in Training program.?

During our coaching day, I observed work practices that will help these program participants stand apart from many modern, post-COVID working environments.?

• These men have a strong ability to focus.
• These men listen actively.
• These men are present with themselves, their coach, and each other.
• These men demonstrate patience and genuine support for each other.
• These men can have deep 1-1 conversations, listen to every word, consider the feedback, and react in real-time.
• These men use their imagination unbridled, unpromoted, and unencumbered. There was no stimulus in this room.

Why???

Perhaps because they don’t have phones, they don’t have the internet in their hand.??

• No ability to look things up.
• No lets check it out right now online.
• No lets see if its available.

There is little chance for follow-up. There will be no email later, no ping on Slack, no recorded Teams call to watch later, and no shared Google Doc notes to look at except what they wrote down on their notepad. (This day confirmed that my handwriting is terrible compared to some of their beautiful cursive.)????

Instead, they are:

• Building on the thought or idea.
• Poking holes using their critical thinking skills out loud in dialog.
• Expanding on the idea through the power of their imagination.
• Asking sharp questions.

No one is listening. No one is recording. No one is worried about a future performance review.?

Considering their ability to focus and be creative while surrounded by so much trauma in prison, I am optimistic about their ability to stand out for all the right reasons when interviewing for a job, working with a team, leading as a business owner, and dealing with demanding customers. They have retained these qualities that sadly are lost for many of us phone-addicted, internet-on-the-go free-world occupants.

They have just curiosity and imagination and hope for a future life.? For when they go home.