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Our Goal

The Creativity Boot Camp is dedicated to teaching the tools and techniques of focused creative thought. The Boot Camp will help you exercise your mind and enhance your mental performance and help you achieve a nimble "athletic mind."

An athletic mind will give you:
  • The ability to think creatively
  • The power to solve problems
  • More self-confidence
  • Higher levels of performance
  • A thirst for new knowledge
  • A greater understanding of your mental skills

Camp Director

The camp director of the Creativity Boot Camp is Paul Schuytema .

Paul's mug

Paul Schuytema works as an Educational Technology Specialist for the University of Illinois Extension program. His role is to design, produce and implement software simulations and serious games that support faculty research and support the University’s Outreach mission.

Schuytema has been designing and crafting interactive games and software since he created his first miniatures rules-set for ancient era battles in 1974. Since his first days of design, he has created over 50 games, authored over 150 professional articles and written over a dozen books in the fields of computer technology, computer gaming and game design

Schuytema’s articles have been published in:
  • Compute
  • Computer Gaming World
  • Computer Shopper
  • CNET.com
  • GameSpot.com
  • Omni
  • Daily Review Atlas

Schuytema holds a BA degree (summa cum laude) in English from Miami University (Ohio, 1989) and an MFA degree in Creative Writing the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1992).

Schuytema was a member of the faculty of Monmouth College from 1992-1996, where he taught journalism, creative writing and interactive media design. Schuytema also worked as the contributing editor for game design for Computer Gaming World magazine from 1992-1997.

Schuytema temporarily left the world of academia to produce and design interactive computer software in 1996. He founded Magic Lantern in November of 1998.

Schuytema served as the president and founder of Magic Lantern, Inc. from 1998 to 2005, where he produced, designed and shipped over twenty games during that time.

During that time, he also worked with the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs to design and implement a program to bring dynamic, database-driven websites to small rural communities.

Schuytema has been a speaker at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) for each of the last fourteen years.

For the last six years, Schuytema has been working with the city and state government to create the Patton Block Center, an info-tech incubator and technology education center situated within a restored historic landmark that will foster the growth of the technology industry in Monmouth.

Schuytema was the winner of the 2002 Governor’s Entrepreneurial Success Award and the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for 2004.

Welcome to the Creativity Boot Camp!

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Welcome to the Creativity Boot Camp . Here you will find ideas, resources, tools and services to help you make the most of your inner creative tools.