About Linda Naiman
Apr 2nd, 2007 by Linda Naiman
Linda Naiman, founder of Creativity at Work, is known internationally for pioneering arts-based learning in organizations.
Linda leads retreats, facilitates creative strategy meetings, speaks at business conferences, and conducts workshops on creativity and innovation in North America, Europe and Asia. She also coaches leaders, managers, and artists on finding creative solutions and achieving their goals.
Linda is co-author with Arthur VanGundy of Orchestrating Collaboration at Work (Wiley 2003) and is known internationally for pioneering arts-based learning and development in organizations.
Her work has been documented in several books: Artbased Approaches: A Practical Handbook to Creativity at Work (Chemi 2006), Wake Me Up When the Data Is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results (Silverman 2006), and Artful Creation: Learning Tales of Arts-in-Business (Darso 2004). Her work has also been featured in The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, and on TU Danmark TV. Interviews by the media include Canadian Business Magazine, CMO, Profitguide.com, CBC Radio, and National Public Radio.
Linda is a life-long artist and an associate business coach at the University of British Columbia. Her workshops on creativity and innovation are part of the Management Certification program at Royal Roads University. Clients include Fortune 500 companies; public sector organizations and boutique consultancies.






Hi Linda: I’d like to reference your site on my internal work blog at Boeing. Is that all right? In particular, I’d like to link to your creativity test and information. I’d also like permission to use this image in the posting. http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/images/home/rightvslft_lrg.gif
I can send you a copy of the posting but it is an internal to Boeing blog so you won’t be able to see it live.
Let me know and thanks for your charming site! I love it!
Hi Stacy,
You are most welcome to reference my site on your blog. The creativity test and graphic you mention are part of an ad campaign by the Art Inst of Vancouver, so permission would have to come from them. Thanks for your interest in my work.
Linda
hello Linda
There are so many businesses today that hope to include creative leadership processes, but are you aware of programs that train artists to be leaders? It seems to me there is an opportunity for artists to expand their career options beyond the studio. Many artists are becoming more involved in community-based art, for example, but they may not have the listening, group or corss-cultural skills to successfullly enter new environments (business, health care, education, civic planning, etc). Artists-in-residence programs exist in schools, but why not also in other settings, for example, or perhaps artists and consultants could team teach workshops. Any thoughts/resources/ practices/courses/books you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks
Ann
Hi Ann,
Thanks for writing and for your questions. There are programs available for artists vis a vis residencies, community-based art etc, and the ones I know of are specific to cities. For example, the City of Vancouver has Creative City initiatives, and the Arts Alliance has programs for developing artists. Another resource is Entrepreneur the Arts
When I made a career transfer, I took leadership development courses for both personal development and business development, and learned as much from other students as from teachers. Leadership is leadership, and I found it beneficial for my growth. If all learning is artist-centric, there is a danger of having too narrow an outlook, and of being trapped by limiting beliefs and assumptions. I favour a multi-disciplinary approach to learning, to produce a rich exchange of ideas and insights from the worlds of business, arts, and science.
I will be conducting leadership courses at Royal Roads this fall.
Solution Finding: Leading with Creativity
Nov 5–Nov 6, 2009
Putting Passion to Work: Potent Leadership
Nov 19, 2009
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Linda
Hi Ann,
Thanks for writing and for your questions. There are programs available for artists vis a vis residencies, community-based art etc, and the ones I know of are specific to cities. For example, the City of Vancouver has Creative City initiatives, and the Arts Alliance has programs for developing artists. Another resource is http://blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/2009/07/23/austin-tx-new-arts-entrepreneurial-finishing-school-opening-2010/
When I made a career transfer, I took leadership development courses for both personal development and business development, and learned as much from other students as from teachers. Leadership is leadership, and I found it beneficial for my growth. If all learning is artist-centric, there is a danger of having too narrow an outlook, and of being trapped by limiting beliefs and assumptions. I favour a multi-disciplinary approach to learning, to produce a rich exchange of ideas and insights from the worlds of business, arts, and science.
I will be conducting leadership courses at Royal Roads this fall.
Solution Finding: Leading with Creativity
Nov 5–Nov 6, 2009
http://www.creativityatwork.com/blog/2009/06/09/solution-finding-leading-creativity/
Putting Passion to Work:
Potent Leadership,
Nov 19, 2009
http://www.creativityatwork.com/blog/2009/06/09/naiman-leadership-seminar-rru/
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Linda