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Creativity is one of humanity’s most fascinating qualities—an inherent ability that resides in all of us from the moment we are born. Far from being a gift reserved for the few, it is a universal trait. However, throughout our lives, this natural way of approaching the world often fades, buried under layers of societal norms and conventions that steer us away.
At the Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB), we view creativity as a skill and a mindset—a way to approach challenges and find innovative solutions. That belief is the foundation of the Creative Bootcamp, a transformative experience designed to unlock our students’ creative potential.
What is the Creativity Bootcamp?
The Creativity Bootcamp is one of the first activities our students undertake when they join the CIB. Over five intense days, they are pushed to their mental and emotional limits in an environment free of the conventions that typically stifle creativity. This Bootcamp challenges students’ perceptions of themselves, demonstrating that creativity isn’t an exclusive gift for artists or geniuses—it’s an innate attitude everyone can reclaim.
From day one, students confront the notion that creativity is not a binary trait one either has or lacks but a way of addressing problems. However, this mindset requires freedom to flourish, something often lacking in traditional educational systems and many households. As children, we were all creative—imagining worlds, assuming fantastic roles, and solving imaginary problems using nothing but our minds. As we grew older, we were taught to prioritize “grown-up” tasks, leaving behind the freedom to imagine without constraints. Over time, we unconsciously learned to suppress our creativity.
It is common to hear adults say, "I'm just not a creative person," as if creativity were something external to their being.
At the CIB, we challenge this belief. We know creativity lies dormant within everyone, waiting to be rediscovered. The Creative Bootcamp is the space where this rediscovery happens. For one week, students are guided by Jordi and Eduard, two exceptional coaches who have designed activities that help participants reignite the creative spark they thought was lost.
How does the Creativity Bootcamp work?
This Bootcamp isn’t just another course; it’s a transformative experience that combines mental rigor with deep emotional exploration. Each activity is meticulously crafted to break down barriers, challenge paradigms, and push students beyond their comfort zones. But the goal is not creativity for its own sake. At the CIB, we understand that while creativity is the spark, innovation is the fire. For creativity to have a meaningful impact, it must be driven by a clear purpose and fueled by empathy for the problems we seek to solve.
Without direction, creativity is merely entertainment; with intention, it becomes the engine of innovation.
Throughout the five days of the Bootcamp, students push the boundaries of their imagination and discover solutions they never thought possible. They do so in an environment of controlled rebellion, where traditional rules of “what should be done” are suspended, allowing for new ways of thinking and seeing the world. This freedom is essential because, as history has shown, great innovators and creative thinkers have always been rebels—challenging the status quo to find new paths. This same attitude is cultivated in our students.
By the time the Bootcamp ends on Friday, the transformation is unmistakable. Looking at the students, it’s clear they’ve had an epiphany. Their faces reflect both exhaustion and the euphoria of rediscovering something essential within themselves. Many embrace Jordi and Eduard, deeply grateful for guiding them on a journey that restored a part of their being they thought they had lost. Tears are common—not of sadness, but of joy and gratitude—because they’ve realized they are capable of far more than they imagined.
The Creative Bootcamp is more than a week on the CIB academic calendar—it’s the starting point for understanding the three core pillars of our methodology: creativity, innovation, and a forward-looking perspective. At the CIB, we believe these pillars are deeply interconnected. Creativity enables us to find better solutions; innovation brings those solutions to life, and a forward-thinking mindset drives us to question the present and build a better future.
In this sense, the Bootcamp is more than a revelatory experience; it’s the beginning of a profound shift in how our students view gastronomy, the world, and themselves. It is also, without question, the most highly rated activity by our students—not only for its emotional impact but for the way it marks a clear before-and-after in their academic and personal lives. Many students share that after the Bootcamp, they feel not only more creative but also more confident in their ability to tackle challenges. They’ve learned that creativity isn’t a luxury or a whim but a powerful tool for transforming their reality and that of others.
At the Culinary Institute of Barcelona, we take immense pride in what this Bootcamp represents. It serves as a reminder that we are all creative, that this innate capacity can be recovered, and that, with the right framework, anyone can reconnect with their most authentic self. Because, in the end, creativity isn’t something you teach—it’s something you set free. And at the CIB, we’ve made this liberation an unforgettable experience.
