Infusing Creativity into Strategic Planning with Lynne Varner of Washington STEM
In this episode of the Nourish Community podcast, host Michaela Ayers explores the intersection of creativity and strategic planning with guest Lynn Varner, CEO of Washington STEM.
The conversation dives into their collaborative workshop experience, where Michaela facilitated a session using collage activities to spark imaginative thinking among Washington STEM leaders. Lynn reflects on the transformative impact of this workshop, noting how it inspired deeper, holistic thinking and renewed focus on the organization’s mission of uplifting underserved student groups.
Both emphasize the significance of childhood play in fostering innovation and advocate for spaces that encourage leaders to embrace imaginative exploration. Lynn shares her personal creative practices, such as quilting and writing, as methods of nurturing her imagination—a vital component of creative leadership.
Our collaborative collage workshop invites participants to illustrate organizational values in a collageNourish founder, Michaela Ayers, leads participants through a warm up activityNourish founder, Michaela Ayers, delivers a presentation about different approaches to collage and visual storytellingWe bring all of the art supplies and fruit snacks our attendees need to get their imaginations flowing.Working in teams, participants brainstorm the best way to illustrate their assigned values through imagesOur collage workshop invites people to tap into their inner child and play. A participant holds up an image that they’ve ripped.Lynne Varner, Washington STEM CEO, places images on the collage canvasA workshop participants arranges cut images on the collage canvasTeams collaborate to create the background for their collageWorking in teams, participants sort through their imagesA workshop participant cutting an image out of a bookTeams collaborate on a collage that illustrate their valuesOur collage workshop includes a wide array of images, including poetryNourish founder, Michaela Ayers, checks in on a team whose developed central theme for their collageAfter all of canvases are complete, participants do a gallery walk to discuss what is similar and different across the groupsNourish Founder, Michaela Ayers, leads a group discussion about the collage exercise and how it relates to strategic planning. Team members share back about their collages and the design decisions they made.
