“To the Eye of a Man of Imagination, Nature is Imagination itself.
As a Man is, so he Sees. As the Eye is formed, such are its Powers” (William Blake)

It is not merely beauty that is in the eye of the beholder, but the whole of our conception of reality and how the world works. How we think of ourselves and others, how we assess potential and the limits of the possible – all of this is shaped by our expectations, assumptions, experience and beliefs, and -- let’s thank our lucky stars for this, by one thing more, the reach of our imaginations! This, at least, is ours to cultivate, to strengthen, and to liberate! We are free to set aside what William Blake called our “mind-forged manacles” and to see with new eyes, to see differently and to participate in the creation of the new. How do you perceive boundaries? Are they ‘borders’ or
‘frontiers’? Think about it. Is the next figment of your imagination just another ‘fiction’ or “the adjacent possible”, the “not yet”? How do you see it? In the words of John Lennon, “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

“Collaborate even when it is hard. Everyone sees the world a little differently.
Take advantage of this.” (Association for Managers of Innovation)

Presenter, John Cimino, has worked in the domain of the ‘adjacent possible’ for more than three decades as a scientist, educator and interdisciplinary explorer. He is also a composer, writer and award-winning opera singer who has performed opposite the great Luciano Pavarotti and brought his groundbreaking “Concerts of Ideas” to global summits, symposia and conferences on six continents, including projects of the White House, the Center for Creative Leadership, the United Nations, the Aspen Institute, the Earth Summit and scores of leading universities, governments and corporations worldwide.

In this workshop, John will share some of his personal toolkit for “Thinking, Leading and Innovating Across Boundaries”, including his signature notions of ‘orbital thinking’, ‘creative juxtaposition’ and “the inner work of art”.

John J. Cimino, Jr. is the founder and president of Creative Leaps International (1992) Associated Solo Artists (1972) and THE RENAISSANCE CENTER for Interdisciplinary Thinking, Knowledge Integration and Advanced Applications of Imagination (2018). Educated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (biology & physics), the State University of New York at Albany (learning theory), and the Manhattan and Juilliard Schools of Music (music & voice), Cimino holds a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective and works across multiple disciplines dedicated to learning, leadership and human development.