Episode #302: How to Teach Creative Confidence in Higher Ed

Oct 22, 2025

Join Dr. Tessa Forshaw, a cognitive scientist at Harvard, and Richard Cox Braden, founder of People Rocket, as they delve into the concept of creativity viewed as a teachable skill. They explore why students lose their creative confidence around sixth grade and share innovative strategies for reclaiming it. With a focus on iterative processes and emotional safety, they challenge traditional notions of innovation. Their insights from writing 'Innovation-ish' highlight the need to embrace ambiguity and foster collaboration in higher education.

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INSIGHT

Creativity Disappears By Middle School

Many students are creative but stop identifying as creative around sixth grade due to socialization and myths.
Tessa Forshaw emphasizes that cognitive science shows our brains are built to be creative, not exceptions.

ADVICE

Make Innovation Feel 'Ish' Accessible

Make innovation feel kinder and more accessible so accomplished people stop shrinking from it.
Rich Braden recommends an "-ish" approach to invite trial, iteration, and reduced perfection pressure.

ADVICE

Name Risk To Find Safe Testbeds

Name and respect legitimate risk-based hesitation in higher ed instead of shaming it.
Tessa Forshaw advises choosing low-risk areas (like expense processes) to practice innovation safely.

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What if innovation didn’t require a stroke of genius—just a willingness to be a little “-ish”? In this episode, Dustin chats with Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden, co-authors of Innovation-ish, a new book that challenges the myths surrounding creativity and innovation. Drawing from years of teaching at Stanford and Harvard, Tessa and Rich share how higher ed pros can reframe innovation as accessible, iterative, and emotionally safe. This isn’t a startup pitch session—it’s a call to reclaim creativity as a teachable skill, one that’s essential for thriving in ambiguity.

Guest Name:
Dr. Tessa Forshaw - Researcher & Instructor at Harvard University
Richard Cox Braden - Founder & CEO at People Rocket

Guest Bio:
Dr. Tessa Forshaw - As a founding scholar of the Next Level Lab at Harvard University, Tessa specializes in using cognitive science to explore how people best work, learn, and innovate. She draws upon her academic research as a cognitive scientist and extensive background as a former designer at IDEO CoLAb and Accenture to turn the cognitive processes involved in design, creativity, and innovation into practical insights that can be applied in the flow of work. These insights are also the foundations of what she teaches as a design educator at Stanford University and now Harvard University. Recognized for her impactful design projects, Tessa is the recipient of multiple design awards: a Fast Company Design Award for General Excellence, two Core77 Industrial Design Magazine Design Awards, and the Australian American Chamber of Commerce Innovation Awards.

Richard Cox Braden - Rich Braden is the founder of People Rocket LLC, a strategic innovation firm based in San Francisco. With over 15 years of academic experience, Rich is a recognized thought leader in design thinking, leadership, and innovation. He is a design educator teaching at renowned institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Aalto University, and London Business School, helping shape future leaders. As CEO of People Rocket, he works with clients such as Airbnb, Google, the United Nations, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and the Red Cross to drive strategic innovation and responsible AI solutions. Rich holds degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

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