We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michal Szostak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michal below.
Hi Michal, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Creativity is not an endless resource. Some researchers doubt of it is a resource at all. For sure, creativity is a process from the imagination phase, through the planning phase to the implementation phase. All of these phases must be finished to speak about creation. From this perspective, creativity blocks are issues that stop one of these phases which is why creativity management can be an answer for how to beat creativity blocks. Management, understand as the art of archiving goals efficiently, allows us to plan, organize, perform, and control the whole process of creation.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am organist, improviser, and researcher and university professor born in the end of the communistic era in central Europe, in Poland. To become a Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance (The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Warsaw) I studied in Poland, Italy (Pontificio Istituto Ambrosiano di Musica Sacra in Milan) and the UK. As an international concert organist, I perform dozens of recitals annually in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. My organological publications are issued regularly by organ magazines: British “The Organ”, Canadian “Organ Canada”, American “The Diapason”, and “The Vox Humana”. Member of The Royal College of Organists, London, The American Guild of Organists, and The Organ Historical Society, USA. I also worked as the Music Director and the Principal Organist at the Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Licheń Stary (the largest organ in Poland, 157/6M+P). I recorded on CDs. In addition, I have completed Master’s and PhD studies in Management (Leon Koźmiński University, Warsaw). As an Associate Professor at the Polish University of Social Sciences and Collegium Civitas, I conduct interdisciplinary research at the interface between Management, Art, and Aesthetics, as well as extensive didactic activities. For many years I have been a business practitioner in an international environment.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First: a human being consists of four dimensions – physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. All of them must be developed and fostered. Second: persistence in achieving goals. Not everything can be done quickly.
Third: quality above quantity. In the long run, it is better to have one good thing in a backpack rather than many but unuseful.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Researchers in the area of Management Aesthetics and Humanistic Management are very welcomed. Looking into managerial issues from the perspective of arts and aesthetics is something that drives me positively. The fastest way of connection can be an email michal.szostak@civitas.edu.pl
Contact Info:
- Website: http://michalszostak.org/
- Instagram: prof.m.szostak
- Linkedin: https://pl.linkedin.com/in/micha%C5%82-szostak-1339b59b?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@MichalSzostak
Image Credits
All images are mine
