Iserting Basic Materials for OVOP and Creativity

One-Village One-Product (OVOP)

Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The One-Village One-Product Campaign comprises:

• Fulfilling the potential of a village and its residents
• Selecting competitive products made from local materials and using local wisdom, creativity and unique skills to deliver unique products with true value aiming at both domestic and global markets
• Including the commitment and involvement of the central and local governments

Six Keys for the Success of OVOP

1.      People’sawareness of OVOP

2.      Exploring the unrealized potential of each village

3.      Continuous trials and enduring efforts

4.      Seeking higher added-value in products

5.      Developing markets and distribution channels

6.      Nurturing people’s talents

This is based on primary research on the relationships between innovation (creativity) and excellence (effectiveness) that includes the dynamics of this relationship, the untapped potential that exists and practical and relevant application.  A summary of key findings include:

1. Creativity is different than gifting
2. Creativity is not limited to artistic expression
3. We all have creative capacity and capabilities
4. Creativity is the ability to give form and shape to what you see with the eyes of your heart.
5. Creativity draws from the deeper well of the mind whereas effectiveness from intellectual reasoning
6. Creativity is both taught and caught
7. Creativity is both individually empowering and collectively engaging
8. Effectiveness (excellence) is the foundation for creativity but creativity is a greater lever to success than effectiveness
9. Innovation and excellence are mutually inclusive – not exclusive and are relational
10. New skills especially new relational skills are required
11. Creativity is part of the social infrastructure not an activity
12. Creativity releases the power of unity.

“Creative-economies” is a platform to support connections and dialogue; and facilitate participation in the creative economy.    My name is Stephen Cummings owner and proprietor of Insights, focused on serving and supporting creative transformations from conception through operational relevance and significance.

 Insights was established in 2000 initially with the focus of leveraging business and market insights with future trends and Market Intelligence to improve business and product development success and profitability.   While these core competencies proved effective they did not reach my deeper passion to equip and impart these traits in a way that was both fluid and dynamic.   It was frustrating (and often painfully slow) to shift between innovation and operational excellence; the former having an artistic cache and the latter a fast moving train.  Fast forward 13 years and my experience in product development, business development, market development and organization development create boundaries within which innovation and creativity become the bridge to dynamic culture change.  

I have a passion to see the workplace / marketplace become the place where both moral excellence and civic excellence thrive.   I earnestly desire to see life skills come to the fore front and the maturing of young men and women is defined more broadly than income production and work more meaningful than skill development.   I can imagine passion usurping adversity as the as the course to the fire that molds us for the future.   I can imagine self-interests, self-promotion and self-branding yielding to community.