When author Elizabeth Gilbert coined the phrase, “Creativity itself doesn’t care at all about results – the only thing it craves is process,” she clearly hadn’t attended an artist development workshop like “The Artists at the Community Table Workshop.”

Americans for the Arts is extremely passionate about this mission. The organization acts as an educational crusader throughout the country and strives to build stronger connections within local communities. As the primary host for this year’s workshop, it aligned with Broward Cultural Division for an all-day interactive experience dedicated to creative problem solving and how it directly affects communities.

Speakers included four artists who live and breathe the importance of creatively impacting a community. Creative advisor and strategist, Roseanne Weiss and artist Pacia Elaine Anderson highlighted topics such as arts education and how to inspire people through expression. As a St. Louis-based spoken,visual and word artist, Anderson is a steadfast enthusiast for arts-based community development that has the power to transform any setting and attract people to an area in a whole new way.

Local artist Tara Chadwick brought her extensive knowledge of anthropology, archaeology, art, history, tourism, collaborative and restorative justice to the event.

Darius Daughtry was the fourth presenter and infused the audience with his creative expression as an accomplished director and founder of the Arts Prevail Project, a literary performing arts organization that uses music and poetry to engage local audiences.

The speakers addressed important topics relevant to keeping culture at the center of our South Florida community. The audience gained valuable insights during hought-provoking discussions and were led through case studies, creative group exercises, and presentations on the impact of local artists already putting creative problem solving to good use within their respective disciplines.

When it comes to innovation and originality, nothing counts more than active imagination and artistic individuality. Recycling the same technological advancements, for instance, fails to move us forward as a whole, and keeps us repeating the same cultural patterns. One notable takeaway from the workshop was the idea that an artist can use their specific talent and medium to connect with the general public and help transform public problems into never-before-thought-of solutions — the notion that creativity seeks to drive us further, and in ways we never thought possible.

     So, what is creative problem solving? When the same cookie-cutter thinking produces one-dimensional results, the need for inspiring originality increases. As a method to solving public policy problems, ad executives Alex Osborn and Sid Parnes developed a four-step process to help individuals harness their unique talents for imaginative application: 1.Clarify 2. Ideate 3. Develop 4. Implement to help foster particular individual creative strengths.

The ultimate message is whether you’re a professional artist or bussing tables at a restaurant (or both), anyone can use their own unique creative expression to tap into solutions that truly change their community and continue to drive us forward as a culturally-motivated society.

Ali Berger is a staff writer for the Broward Cultural Division’s Broward Arts Journalism Alliance.