Reimagining Creativity and Innovation With Puzzles

I never really thought I was a “creative” person. I’ve always been drawn to the field of science and health. I liked math as a kid because there was a right answer and usually the “right way” to get it. I certainly wouldn’t call myself good at drawing, painting, or even writing. I used to think that creativity only referred to the arts, and that someone would or would not be “creative.” And I most certainly thought someone had to be creative to be an innovator.

But as I stepped into the innovation space as a project coordinator for In/Tend, I came to realize my definition of creativity was very narrow, that there were many ways creativity can show up in the world, and that maybe I was already being innovative.

But as I stepped into the innovation space as a project coordinator for In/Tend, I came to realize my definition of creativity was very narrow, that there were many ways creativity can show up in the world, and that maybe I was already being innovative.

So let me share with you how puzzles gave me a platform to reimagine what creativity and innovation meant, and how we might already be using innovation in our work.

Different approaches to the same problem

I love puzzles. I love the process of trying to figure out a problem and the moment when the solution is in sight. But do you know a really cool thing about puzzles? Everyone approaches them differently. While not every puzzle has multiple ways to solve it, the way each person brings themselves and their lived experience to a problem is unique. One person may approach a jigsaw puzzle by finding the edge pieces, while another person may start by grouping the individual pieces by color. Maybe you saw someone use a method and are trying to replicate it, or you and three friends are working together to complete the puzzle.

Regardless of the approach, the decision on how to approach a puzzle is a creative one. But how does innovation relate to my puzzle analogy? Well, let me ask you this: Have you ever completed a puzzle using one method and had it work the whole time for the entire puzzle, and for every puzzle you have ever done? I’ll take a wild guess and say it’s unlikely. That is where innovation comes in. When something doesn’t work, you probably think about or change your approach. You took what you tried, maybe what other people tried, or phoned a friend. That pivot? That moment you realize your approach isn’t working? That, my friend, is innovation.

Adaptation is creativity

Just as no single puzzle-solver holds the only right method, no single professional holds the only right approach to supporting young people.

Creativity looks different for everyone, and so can innovation. Just as no single puzzle-solver holds the only right method, no single professional holds the only right approach to supporting young people. This is why innovation in adolescent sexual and reproductive health is so important. Young people navigating questions about their bodies, their identities, and their futures deserve programs and support that are as dynamic as they are. The conventional approaches to sexual and reproductive health education have historically left too many young people behind. It takes creativity and innovation in how we teach and how we design programs and services to meet young people where they are and help them build lives that feel like theirs.

Think about how you already adapt in your day-to-day: how you explain the same concept differently to different young people, how you adjust a training when the audience needs more examples, how you follow a young person’s lead in a conversation rather than following a script. That is innovation. Turns out, you are probably already doing it. The magic of innovation happens when we bring our different strengths and approaches to the same table. When we bring our authentic selves, with our unique problem-solving approaches, our lived experiences, and our individual strengths, we build programs for young people that are more human, more accessible, and ultimately more effective. Programs and services for young people should be designed with young people at the center, just like a puzzle built around its image. Every piece is different, every piece has a place, and every piece is essential.