Lessons From a Black Tie Event

Last night over 500 friends and Alumni of Purdue University gathered in Indianapolis for the inaugural Boilermaker Ball. The dress for this event, sponsored by the Purdue Alumni Association, was promoted as "creative black tie." The people that I talked to before the event all mentioned this, and I participated in several conversations including the question "exactly what is creative black tie?"

I was interested to see how people would answer the question.

The answers, in retrospect were much as I should have expected. There were some men who took bigger risks - a gold lame' jacket (purchased on eBay) was likely the biggest one. But most wore the elegant, but very uncreative, variations on the standard tuxedo. (The women, had a greater variation in what they wore. This is in part, because there was not starting benchmark of "black tie.")

Why am I sharing all of this with you?

It is simple. What I observed last night provides examples of some truths about creativity.

1. When we are unclear of the goal (i.e. what does "creative" black tie mean?), we will be tentative.
2. If we don't think we will be too out of the group, we will be more creative. (Some of the people who went further from the norm, came together).
3. When we wonder/worry about what others will think, we tend to take less risks.

I strongly suspect that when we attend the second annual event (next February 27th) there will be more creativity in the dress of men (and likely the women too). Why? But the impact of all three items above will be reduced.

When we take the factors into account (and do what we can to reduce their impact) we will raise our creativity, or the creativity of those around us.

Labels: Boilermaker Ball, Purdue, Purdue Alumni