“The world belongs to the energetic,” observed the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. When I founded Thinkergy almost 20 years ago, I named it to reflect two key components: thinking and energy. Initially, I believed thinking was the more vital part of the equation (even stylizing our name as THINKergy to emphasize this). But very quickly, as I facilitated creativity courses and innovation workshops, I realized that energy is just as crucial as structured thinking—if not more so.

Let me share why energy plays such an important role in creativity and how I inject energy into creativity sessions and innovation workshops to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Energy: An Insight from Physics

In physics, energy is measured by its speed (velocity) and the size of the wave (frequency). Thereby, we can classify different types of energy based on their frequencies (low to high) and velocities (slow to fast). Both the velocity and frequency increase as we move from inanimate objects (matter) to sound and light, then on to thoughts and spirit.

What’s interesting here is that a higher, faster form of energy can dissolve and transform a lower, slower type of energy. For example, picture yourself lighting a candle in a dark room. The light naturally dissolves the darkness.

How does this insight relate to creativity workshops? Simply put, the higher your energy, the more effectively you can dissolve, nullify, and transform lower energies and foster a positive, high-energy environment—an essential ingredient for creative breakthroughs.

Why High Energy Drives Better Creativity

In creativity sessions and innovation workshops, the more energetic participants are, the more likely they are to engage deeply and think creatively. In a creative process such as X-IDEA, high energy powers extraordinary ideas during Ideation, helps counter criticism and overcome challenges during Evaluation, and fuels dynamic top idea pitch presentations in the Action stage. This is why, during our real-life X-IDEA innovation workshops, we constantly manage energy levels—raising them when needed to generate creative sparks, then easing back for reflection and recreation. After all, as the American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller said, “Real wealth is ideas plus energy.”

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How to Infuse Energy into Creativity Events

At Thinkergy, we employ a variety of modalities, activities, and exercises to energize our creative workshops at specific moments, keeping participants fresh, alert and focused over the duration of a workshop. Here are seven proven creative energizers we use:

1. Music

Music is sound energy that has an incredible impact on people’s moods and energy levels. We use music strategically in our X-IDEA stages, playing tracks that match the desired pace and mindset of each stage. For example, during Ideation, we often use upbeat house music (typically around 118-135 bpm) to keep energy levels high. Always make sure you use music legally—whether by streaming, purchasing or even generating your own tracks with new AI music generation tools like Suno or Udio.

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2. Games

Gamification is one of the best ways to add energy to a creativity workshop. We use team competitions and award performance points throughout the X-IDEA process, turning the workshop into a thrilling, game-like journey. We also add spontaneous mini-competitions—such as playing out what team (and member) can present their outputs to an exercise—to keep the energy vibrant.

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3. Toys and Props

I love using props and toys to introduce fun into our sessions. Props like balls, playing cards, coins, and paper planes often connect participants to their creative childhood selves. For example, I often use balloons to illustrate the nature of ideas before beginning Ideation. These props also serve as creativity techniques—such as the Idea Planes and Quotation Balloons—that we use to further energize our Ideation stage.

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4. Physical exercises

Getting participants moving is an excellent way to energize a group. We often start sessions by asking teams to come up with a creative “team shout” and “team move” and then asking them to repeat it before presenting results throughout the event. Or, we have one participant lead a simple exercise routine (like squats or a yoga stretch), especially after lunch, to beat the post-meal energy dip. Movement stimulates blood flow, activates the brain, and integrates the two hemispheres of the neocortex, boosting both physical and creative energy. I have even designed some physical creativity techniques for the X-IDEA Toolbox (e.g., the I-Tool Idea Race and the D-Tools Ding Dong and Speed D).

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5. Creative Puzzles

Creative puzzles are great energy boosters, particularly as interludes between exercises or topic areas. While these puzzles are usually solved individually, they generate excitement in a group setting as participants compete to be the fastest solver. The competitive drive reinvigorates the room’s energy. I try to align the puzzle with a creative workshop’s current focus—for instance, using a puzzle with a kinesthetic solution when discussing sensory innovation—to both energize and reinforce learning.

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6. Stories and humor

Stories have a wonderful way of adding energy, especially to more abstract concepts. For example, I like using the story of the six blind men and the elephant to illustrate the importance of considering different frames of reference and scales during the Xploration stage of X-IDEA. Light-hearted humor can also work wonders—a funny video clip or even making fun of myself. But be careful with humor: what’s funny in one culture might be offensive in another, and a poorly received joke can deflate group energy fast.

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7. De-Energizers

Knowing when to take energy down is as important as knowing when to bring it up. Just as top DJs mix high-energy tracks with slower songs to keep the dance floor from burning out, a successful creativity facilitator must balance energy levels throughout a workshop. De-energizers like deep breathing exercises, daydreaming interludes with gentle music, or even brief meditations give participants much-needed rest, ensuring they can maintain their creativity over a full day.

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Conclusion: Energy is everything

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it,” said Albert Einstein. He believed that if you match the frequency of your desired reality, you cannot help but get that reality. Almost two decades of experience tell me that the same holds true for running successful creativity workshops: higher energy leads to better outcomes. If you’re an authentic, creative facilitator, the options for energizing your group are plentiful. So, what’s your favorite way to energize a creative crowd?

Ready to Take the Next Step?

• Learn more about popular creative process methods and creativity tools in my new book, Unleashing Wow!
• Discover how X-IDEA can transform your creative sessions. Visit our X-IDEA website and explore the X-IDEA booklet to learn more about our approach and case studies.
• Let’s bring your creativity to life: Contact us to explore our X-IDEA training formats and innovation workshops—and let’s energize your team's creative journey together.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2024.