Jazzing Up Social Work

Creativity and Competency Jazzing Up Social Work

Soren Ostergren, UW senior in the Division of Social Work, wrote the following essay as an assignment in Professor Kym Codallos’ social work ethics class.

THIS I BELIEVE

I believe that creativity and competency are qualities that go hand in hand for success in approaching difficult, surprising, and challenging situations in every aspect of life. I see this in my life, both as a jazz performer and as an aspiring social worker. Though seemingly unrelated at first glance, I see many similarities between these two passions in my life.

Some of the defining characteristics that distinguish jazz from other genres of music is its emphasis on improvised solos and its complex harmonic structure. It seems counterintuitive to pair some of the most difficult musical terrain with the expectation for virtuosic improvisation but this is where the elements of creativity and competency come into their dual importance. To play an outstanding solo, you must be creative, inventing and communicating new, exciting, beautiful, and meaningful ideas. You also must be competent: without knowing the chords and structure around you, you will invariably play wrong notes and rhythms. In the unison of these two principles, creativity and competency, jazz musicians flourish.

These values of creativity and competency are also essential in social work. Competency, named as a core value of the profession in the NASW Code of Ethics, is a key value to hold as a social worker. In order to successfully serve clients, navigate ethical dilemmas, and understand the systems in which we all exist, a social worker must be competent. Perhaps less obviously, however, is the need for social workers to be creative. Whether it be in finding creative solutions and resolutions to problems, creating new services to serve previously undersupported populations, being creative in looking at all aspects of a client’s life, or anything in between, creativity is essential to a social worker’s success. Again, as in jazz, creativity and competency are two halves of a whole, and in their combination, they foster success.

I believe in the power of these two elements in tandem. Creativity alone flounders, and competence alone is stagnant. Through a synthesis of these principles, one unlocks success.

Soren Ostergren has been playing trumpet for 12 years and been a member of several UW Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Choir as well as “busking” in several cities and countries around the world. In addition to his musical activities, he is Co-President of the Associated Students of Social Work and will complete his social work internship at Interfaith in Laramie this year. He has also appeared as a contestant on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” and recently placed 23rd in the Global Whistling Contest. Soren’s hometown is Fort Collins, Colorado.