Over the last six months, I have, through this six-part series, endeavored to change the way the world thinks about the impact and importance of what Ringling College of Art and Design does. Ringling College is an institution of art and design, yes, but, we are also more. We are a center, a hub, of creative thinking. And that creative thinking will be critical in the coming Creative Age, because tomorrow’s challenges demand new thinking.

That is reason No. 5 why Ringling College matters.

When people think of art and design education, I sense that many think first of the technical: Skills of drawing, painting, sculpting, fabrication, taking a picture, or animating. To be sure, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Ringling College requires mastery of these technical areas; but, it also requires much, much more.

It requires creative thinking. Successful creatives are able to think holistically, see different perspectives, imagine new possibilities, and think differently to devise innovative solutions to very complex problems. They have a robust understanding of the tools that can be leveraged to overcome a challenge. Perhaps most importantly, they have the patience, persistence and drive to try countless approaches until finding the one that works the best. They think in ways that are new to those of us who have not yet fully developed our own creative skills.

And this new way of thinking is what the Creative Age will require. As I have noted before, Artificial Intelligence is coming—fast—and will change many aspects of the way we work and live. To be successful in this new era, we will need creative leaders who are able to use imagination, to identify novel applications of existing technology, to envision new possibilities, to see different perspectives, and to have the persistence and drive to explore many different solutions to find THE BEST one to address the problem at-hand.

At Ringling College, our students are immersed in this new way of thinking. Across our 13 majors, we instill in our graduates the technical skills needed to bring a creative vision to life. We also steep our curricula in the liberal arts to build the conceptual and critical thinking skills needed for creative problem-solving. Through this combination, our students take on challenges that seem impossible; then, using their creativity, they develop a range of solutions and, using their technical knowledge, execute the best of the possibilities.

Creative leaders bring never-before-imagined proposals to the boardroom while also understanding the tactical requirements for an organization to implement them. That is why I advocate for any corporation, non-profit, or other organization to have an artist or designer in the boardroom. They, more than any other persons, will have the holistic and creative way of thinking required for meeting tomorrow’s challenges.

Their experiences in cycling through many different possibilities before landing on the right solution make them resilient in the face of setbacks and able to find novel approaches to execute an idea. They will be able to both set the vision for their companies and drive the creative teams that work behind the scenes to achieve that vision.

We are preparing our students to become these leaders of tomorrow. We are teaching them the skills, the new way of thinking, that will enable them not only to collaborate with the big-idea strategists, but also to work with and lead the creative minds who can bring those ideas to life.

Creatives are already leading some of today’s most exciting companies. The co-founder of Pinterest, Evan Sharp, has a BA in Architecture. Emily Weiss, Glossier’s CEO, studied Studio Art. Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb, met his co-founder in college while studying Industrial Design. And it will only grow.

It is clear to me that the Creative Age and its new economy will be led by those with a well-developed foundation in creativity combined with technical mastery. Creatives, like our students, have this unique skill set and will be best positioned to lead this new era. It is easy to see why they will become so very important to all of our future success. In fact, it is easy to see why, quite soon, you will no longer need me to tell you why Ringing College matters.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art and Design.