Working at the Top! #Maslow #BetterTogether

Last month I was invited to participate in a brainstorming ‘co-design’ day with my local council to develop a social sustainability strategy – how to be ‘Better Together’ by 2041. It was really fun and thought-provoking, covering topics like feeling safe, included and connected. I was able to share real life experiences such as being a victim of crime (‘theft from my person’ multiple times); the isolation, lack of belonging and prejudice experienced as a migrant (see my blog ‘The Importance of Place‘); and how I have been working to establish inclusive creative networks in my local community (for example here and here).

I was also able to listen to the stories of others, how they too have worked towards social cohesion and experienced a lack of it. Together we were able to brainstorm ways to fix problems with practical solutions. High on the list was breaking down bureaucratic barriers for those seeking to extend networks (represented by me here in plasticine and craft sticks!).

Better communication was also high on the list because of course words are a priority – words are everything!

They’re also not. The first exercise of the day was to select an image from a pile that best represented why we were there. I selected an image of two people decorated for a carnival, because for me it represented creativity.

However, I also acknowledged that my speaking from a creative perspective might not seem as important as other perspectives at my table; for example, there were representatives from Meals on Wheels and departments dealing with homelessness and disability issues. These, I told everyone, of course form the base of the pyramid in Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, whereas I am at the top.

There were some nods around the table but also many blank expressions, so I explained. Abraham Maslow first conceived the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ in his paper “A theory of Human Motivation” (Psychological Review, 1943). Now a very popular sociological framework, it is constantly revised to represent our priorities in life.

The ‘base’ of the pyramid is ‘food, water, warmth and rest’, because if any of these are lacking we generally need to fix them quickly. Next up it’s ‘safety’, because we all need to be safe! Following that is a sense of ‘belonging’, and then our self-esteem. At the top of the pyramid is ‘self-actualisation’ – that’s where I work! The pursuit of creative activities such as writing, book creation and storytelling enables us to achieve our full potential.

Since creative activities are at the top of the pyramid, it can sometimes feel as if they’re not as important as other activities. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue them unless and until our ‘basic’ or ‘psychological’ needs are met. We can pursue all our needs simultaneously, with varying degrees of time and effort as appropriate.

For me personally, if a few weeks go by without my writing a creative word of my own, because I’m working too many hours on my Creative Support services, I start to feel uptight and miserable. I need to write! I have to make the effort to carve time out for myself to write every week. It is as important to my health as exercise and keeping fit. I need to find time for both, as does my community in order to be ‘better together’.

What about you? Do you need to prioritise some regular creative time for yourself? Reflecting on Maslow’s pyramid, how do you see your own and others’ creative activities?