Imagination & Creativity: The Myths, The Science and The Benefits, Sheila Pontis, BA, PGDip, MPhil, PhD, FHEA, RYT230 (1 hr)
Description
Imagination and creativity are not talents reserved for the gifted few. They are powerful, learnable skills available to every one of us. Whether you are a clinician, educator, or simply someone curious about the human mind, this session will transform the way you think about two of our most essential and extraordinary human abilities.
Drawing from neuroscience, positive psychology, and philosophy, Dr. Sheila Pontis takes us on a fascinating journey through the science of imagination and creativity. Discover what Salvador Dalí and Michael Faraday had in common, how the brain generates creative thought, and why these abilities are essential to our mental and physical well-being. Not just in the studio or laboratory, but in the therapy room, the hospital, and everyday life.
This session offers practical, evidence-based strategies for bringing creative thinking into both clinical care and everyday life. From the therapy room to your own personal journey, cultivating imagination and creativity has the power to transform patient outcomes and deepen human connection. It can also reignite your professional purpose and awaken a creative potential you never knew you had.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Discuss the distinction between imagination and creativity
Explain the role of imagination in supporting creative thinking.
Identify the evidence-based health benefits of deliberate imaginative and creative practice.
Sheila Pontis, PhD is an interdisciplinary researcher, educator, and practitioner whose work sits at the crossroads of imagination, design, and human flourishing. Originally trained as a graphic designer in Buenos Aires and holding a PhD in Information Design from the University of the Arts London, she has spent over two decades exploring how people think, learn, and create — and how those capacities can be deliberately cultivated.
She has held faculty positions at MIT, Princeton University, and Northeastern University, where she designed and taught courses on creativity, imagination, well-being, and human-centered research. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that imagination is not a talent reserved for artists — it is a fundamental human capacity that can be nurtured in anyone.
Sheila's recent work bridges positive psychology, behavioral science, and design education. She has completed advanced training at the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center, Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Yale's Science of Well-Being program. She is also a certified yoga teacher and brings somatic and mindful practices into her work with learners and organizations.
As founder of Imagination for Human Flourishing, she develops workshops, courses, and research that empower individuals and communities to harness their imaginative abilities — to dream, to play, and to address life's challenges more creatively. Her work asks a simple but radical question: What becomes possible when we take imagination seriously?