Final Post for Creativity Class

How have my view changed towards Creativity?

I would have to say that the most significant way in which I’ve changed my views as a result of this class is that I now realize that creativity includes hard work.  I used to view creative people as those who were “naturals” at their special talents. This sort of thinking caused me to shy away from things I didn’t feel that I was very good at.  I was interested to see that in most of the readings on creative people that “hard-working” was a common personality trait.  I find that with myself, I tend to work more diligently at things that I am interested in, causing me to be more talented in my areas of interest.  However, while engaged in the “personal creativity project”, I was out of my comfort zone and was truly stuck. Researching different decorating technique and drawing out my ideas took a lot of time and effort.  Once I did this, however, I experienced the wonderful feeling of “flow” and began working hard at completing my project in a way that would appeal to me.  “Flow” would not have happened to me if I had not been diligently trying to solve the problem of decorating my large wall. What this means to me as a teacher is that nurturing creativity in students will include offering ample opportunities for the students to work hard in a creative manner. I want to see them experiencing “flow” as well.

The other significant way in which this class has changed my views is to be aware of creativity barriers in myself, my children, and my students. I don’t want to hold back on my creative side anymore, and I believe that not wanting to “stand out” has always squelched my creativity. I now feel more inspired to embrace it in every venue of my life. I want my own children to feel free to be creative in their home and I now hear my own voice loud and clear when it starts to squelch them…”Don’t mix pretzels in your yogurt-YUK!” And as a future returning teacher, I want my classroom to be a sort of “creative haven”, where ideas are welcome and open-ended activities are the norm.

Discuss an uncomfortable moment/assignment because I had to expand my Creativity.

I have begun working since the start of this class.  I am now around many different people and personalities and it has been difficult at times. As a result of the many activities in this class that required creative thinking and problem solving, I find myself approaching the uncomfortable situations involving the less friendly personalities differently than I normally would. For instance, I reverse-brainstormed quietly to myself one day when I felt as though a colleague was being rude.  I asked myself, “What can I do to have her continue to treat me this way?” I came to the conclusion that I have no idea why she acts the way she does.  I don’t know her well at all, and time will give me a better idea on how to handle the situation.  In the meantime, I need to not let this have a negative impact on me or my behavior at work.  I would say that this has worked tremendously.  In the past, I would probably be very down about this situation and would be letting my emotions show at work.  However, a little creative thinking has helped me to be a stronger and better person.

Response to Howard Gardner’s Quote

“Needed today is a generous dollop of creativity in the human sphere—in particular, in the ways in which we human beings relate to one another personally, carry out our work, and fulfill our obligations as citizens” (Gardner, 2–8, p.101).

I couldn’t agree more with Gardner in this quote.  I have been feeling lately that people seem more unfriendly, negative, and unkind.  I see this at work, church, among neighbors, family members, and, unfortunately, in myself at times.  I certainly understand that life is never easy, and can be extremely difficult-especially in this horrible economy. However, handling challenges by frowning, snapping at others, and having a bad attitude only perpetuates any problem.  When I’m at the grocery store and I meet eyes with one unhappy face after another, I start to internalize these looks. When I’m at work and people don’t bother to say “Hello!”, I start wondering what is wrong with me!!!  My mood can be altered by this negativity from others, yet I am just as guilty of rolling my eyes when the person in front of me at the check-out is taking forever.  I find that feeling rushed, tired, and stressed brings out the worst in me, hence the eye-rolling and the snapping at my own children.  After taking this Creativity class, however, I have a whole new appreciation for people who seem to always show kindness and self-control in their behavior towards others.  I now value pleasant people more than ever and believe that they probably use creative techniques to endure stress, while managing to spread a nicer atmosphere everywhere.

Recently, I had many things going on all at once, and I could feel myself slipping into a perpetual bad mood.  I decided to view my situation from  different perspectives to see if doing so would help to alleviate my negative attitude.  First, I told myself constantly about how what I was facing would soon be over.  Also, I tried to emulate a friend of mine who seems to have mastered the art of rising to the occasion and not letting life get her down.  Lastly, I pictured myself as an actress who played the part of  an upbeat, happy person.  I must say that these three strategies worked!  I remained pleasant during this stressful time and thought twice before I showed such negativity in the check-out line.  Furthermore, I found that the more I smiled out in public and at home, the more I was smiled back at in return. A little creativity in a person’s behavior can manage to spread some much-needed joy.

 

The Hare and the Tortoise Meet Six Hats

White Hat: “Hare, can  you research ways in which Tortoise might actually win before you take that nap?”  “Tortoise, would you study some cases where the impossible  happens and use this information to help you beat Hare?”

Green Hat: “Hare, would you brainstorm ways that Tortoise could win and think of how to counter these strategies?  I’ll get the Morphological Matrix ready.”  “Tortoise, the Idea Board is ready for input.  Can you post some ideas on how to beat Hare? We’ll review the best solution in three days.”

Yellow Hat: ”Hare, you are faster, stronger, and better equipped to beat Tortoise!!! You’re awesome!!! Piece of carrot cake!”  “Tortoise, you may be small and slow, but your persistence is out of this world.  You can do it!!!”

Black Hat : “Hare, since stranger things have happened can you be so sure that you’ll win?” “Tortoise, is there any hope for a miracle to occur so that you could win?”

Red Hat:   “Hare, isn’t it just obvious that you’re going to win?”  “Tortoise, do you ever get the feeling that Hare is too arrogant to win?”

Blue Hat: “Hare and Tortoise, have you considered all of the possible outcomes of this race?”

Ways to Improve the Pen, Based on Osborn’s (1963) 73 Idea-Spurring Questions…

Put to other uses?

The pen can be used as a bookmark, back-scratcher, ruler, or drum stick.

Adapt?

The pen is like a pencil, crayon, marker, or any other object that writes. It is small in size, like most MP3 players these days.

Modify?

Pens can already vary in color, odor, shape, and form. Some even erase. Something to change would be their sounds.  Pens do not make music.  Perhaps a computer chip could be added to allow them to play music.

Magnify?

In addition to adding music-playing abilities to pens, why not attach alarms to them that would help you to find them once they are lost? Also, how about adding the ability to help a person use their best handwriting.

Minify?

Make them less round and more flat to improve upon their ability to be used as a bookmark.

Substitute?

Food.  Ink that you can safely sip for nourishment.

Rearrange?

Put the point of the pen in the middle of the pen for people with challenged motor skills.

Reverse?

The pen does the thinking, writing, and editing instead of the person using it.

Combine?

What we now have is a pen that writes in ink, lead, crayon, and marker.  It makes music, can’t ever be lost, and gives a person their best handwriting. It is flat enough to be the perfect bookmark, contains delicious, safe, and nutritious ink, gives the option of holding it sideways for writing, and does the writing for you.

Rationale?

My imagination for creating a better pen has to do with the way I am feeling at the moment. The fact that I am in my quiet house all alone working on school work is giving me the desire to hear music.  However, to do so, I’d need to find my MP3 player, which will only cause me to be frustrated.  Moving a CD player into this room will require me to look for some favorite CDs, which will also cause frustration. I lose things, hence the alarm. (Do you detect my lack of organization?) I am hungry, but do not feel like making something to eat, hence, the edible, yet nutritious ink. I am forever using pens as bookmarks, causing dents to be formed in my books; flatter pens would certainly help me in this area.  As for the improvement of better handwriting, I have noticed that some pens allow me to write neater than others.  What if all pens automatically did this, based on what it sensed its user needed? How cool would that be?  Lastly, a pen that does all of the writing would certainly make life easier…especially on days that you are home finishing up school work or needing to write holiday cards!

 

 

Thoughts on Reader’s Theater…Four Thumbs Up!!!

This week’s assignment was to create a script from a favorite book and use it for reader’s theater.  Since I do not have a class at the moment, I had my three kids read my script for a reader’s theater at home.  What a blast!!!  I turned my youngest’s former favorite book If You Give A Pig A Party  by Laura Joffe Numeroff into a script of four narrators.  I realize that it probably would have been more effective to do a story more conducive to character roles (for example, from stories that have dialogue), but I really wanted to go with an old favorite this time.

When we read it at first, the older two were very silly, laughing constantly, and not taking it too seriously. My youngest really worked hard at his lines and did not join in the laughter; I think this is partly because of the book being a favorite and partly because it was an age-appropriate script for him and partly because he is nowhere near adolescence.  The second and third times that we read were taken more seriously and were read with greater expression by all. Movements were even added to the lines towards the end.  It was a very enjoyable time for the family.

I now see even more reasons why reader’s theater has such great value for students. Not only is it reading for a purpose and just plain fun, but I believe that it also gives students a reason to read with expression in a safe setting. The fact that my 12 and 14 year olds were silly at first suggests that older kids embarrass easier, hindering creativity.  They were playing it “cool” by laughing about the activity. However, reading in the form of a play gives kids an excuse to be more dramatic as the reading is set in a theatrical framework. I could tell that the second and third time around, they were all trying to read as expressively as possible. I also sensed some pride in their efforts, even if the book was years too young for them. Reader’s theater will be a regular occurence when I go back to teaching.  What a way to spice up reading groups and foster creativity at the same time!!! And, who knows…maybe we’ve started a little tradition at home??!!

Is Creativity too Difficult to Measure?

     This question is too difficult to answer!!!  One side of me says that it is completely easy and obvious to measure how creative a person is, just by looking at a person’s personality, interests, hobbies, and endeavors.  In terms of the students for whom I substitute teach, the more creative person is easy to identify just by observation.  They usually are enthusiastic about school, make analogies quite easily, and put great effort into making their work exceptional. However, some students don’t exhibit creative behaviors in obvious manners, and this is where measuring creativity by observing school performance becomes complicated.  I have noticed many students in classrooms who don’t enjoy writing or drawing, and who show little interest in the activities taking place in school, not showing much creativity.  However, you might see some of these same students on the playground excelling at the sports they are playing, showing great imagination in their play, or getting along well with others, all due to some creative problem solving.  Their creativity is less academic and more social and physical. Those remaining are the students who exhibit no creativity inside or outside of the classroom, who can’t find anything to play on the playground, and who can’t seem to get along with peers. Yet, when you look at this small group of “completely non-creative children”, it is often the same kids who either have difficult home lives, or who have physical/learning issues, or both.  I don’t think it is fair to measure this select group as low in creativity, because it is impossible to know what their potential really is.

     I wonder about creativity tests, which seem to be a contradiction in terms.  It is probably the same students who excel in almost everything who will score high on these tests.  The students who are creative outside of the classroom most likely will not do well on these forms of measurement, due to their general lack of interest in  academics. Yet, these are the students who might amazingly come up with intriguing things at recess to play, like “camping”  and creating an awesome “campfire” and “tent” with rocks, sticks, and leaves, yet who won’t be invited to attend gifted and talented classes.  The last group of kids mentioned will doubtfully exhibit creativity on a sit-down test, as their minds (and sometimes their stomachs) are elsewhere.

     I believe that creativity shows up in many different ways and almost everyone shows it individually, some more obvious than others.  As teachers, we need to be aware of the signs of creativity, and find it in everyone. Those who don’t show any creativity are usually “un-creative” because of circumstances beyond their control. It is this group that I hope to find ways of reaching and nurturing the creativity that is hidden inside.

Contemplating The Creative Process/Chapter 6/Davis

While reading Chapter 6 this week on the creative process, I found myself especially interested in the preparation and incubation phases for several reasons. First, they seem almost identical to the “rehearsal” phase of the writing process.  This is a time where writers are thinking, talking, dreaming, etc. about a topic, experience, or interest that they might wish to write about and eventually publish. In these  phases of the creative process, the creator is first thinking and reviewing data and then “sitting” on the information and basically drawing from the subconscious state of mind-similar to the writer.  My second thought on these phases is that for me, very often, they last a very long time…in fact this is often where my creative process seems to end. I will be aware of an idea for something and think about possible ways to execute or solve it, and then sit on it for an indefinite period of time, often doing nothing to execute my ideas. I’m realizing that I need to be nudged constantly and I wonder what this says about me as a “creative person”? Does being busy and unorganized hinder creativity, or am I just simply uncreative? Lastly, many people mention how they procrastinate in the midst of creative projects.  I am wondering if the incubation phase is often construed as  procrastination, when in reality, creativity is in progress. While I get frustrated with my lack of following through on creative ideas, this chapter gave me hope that maybe my incubation period is VERY LONG!!!!

Five Ideas for Preventing the Young Elementary Students from Becoming More Flexible, Creative Thinkers, and Problem Solvers.

1. Assign students the books that they are to read for guided reading groups, not considering their interests, hobbies, or experiences. Do not allow them to choose, as the teacher has more knowledge as to what the student should be reading.

2. Give students a prompt each time they are going to write something, like, “My life as a cat…”.  Do not allow them to write what they are interested in or choose their own topics.

3. Insist upon “accurate artwork”.  Do not allow objects to be colored something different than what they really are.

4. Assign seats according to well-behaved and badly behaved students in order to spread the “problems” out.  Friends sitting together can only lead to more talking.

5.  Assign the amount of children allowed in each center.  They are not capable of figuring out for themselves if a center is too crowded for their liking.

This week, I will summarize the classic theories on creativity from chapter 4 (Davis)…

Psychoanalytic Theories:

Overall, the psychoanalysts don’t have one unified definition or theory of creativity, but they all seem to include creativity as something which results from the unconscious/conscious mind-struggles. Many psychoanalysts seem to agree upon creativity as being a type of regression that includes childlike thinking, humor, and imagination.

Sigmund Freud:   Creative productivity resulted from primitive sexual urges of the id and the repressive influences of the superego.  The creative person accepts and elaborates on his libido urges whereas the uncreative person represses these fantasies.

Ernest Kris:   Creativity discharges libido and aggression and it is a function of the ego (or conscious mind) since the ego exercises some voluntary control over regression.

Lawrence Kubie: Creative activity takes place in the “preconscious”, which exists in the middle of the conscious and unconscious mind.  He disagrees with Freud and Kris, avoiding the terms id,ego, and superego, and stating that neurosis blocks creativity in every way.

Harold Rugg:  Similar to Kubie, but refers to “preconscious” as the “Transliminal Chamber” - the place where all creative mental activity occurs. 

 

Behavioristic and Learning Theories:

The behaviorists also don’t agree upon one definition of creativity, but they are all similar in that they believe that creativity is learned through positive reinforcement.

B.F. Skinner: There are creative people only as a result of genetics and environmental history; thus, no one is really creative.

Irving Maltzman: Creativity increases when desirable rewards and positive reinforcements are offered-good news for educators!

Arthur Staats:  Creativity is when two unrelated stimuli are combined to elicit a creative response.  This can include a scientist’s experiment or a child saying a new word.

Sarnoff Mednick: Creative people hold a large number of mental associations (like bunny=carrot) that are readily available for new and creative ideas.

 

Self-Actualization Approach:

This group believes that the creative person is highly self-actualized, meaning mentally healthy, progressive, and able to reach one’s fullest potential.

Abraham Maslow:  Developed the fifteen characteristics which determine how self-actualized a person is.

Carl Rogers:  Describes the important conditions that help to nurture a person’s creativity and self-actualization, including a psychologically safe environment and openness to new experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Definitions and Theories on Creativity

The following are examples of people in the media who exemplify the different definitions and theories on Creativity:

I. Rank’s Creative Type:

Otto Rank described the creative person as an “artist”, “man of will and deed”, and as someone who is well-adjusted and self-actualized with a strong, positive integrated personality. The actor who comes to my mind immediately is Paul Newman. Newman won the Best Actor Award (1986), the Humanitarian Award (1993) and a Special Award (1985, Lifetime Achievement Award). Yet with all of his achievements, he remained humble his entire life. Read below what was written about him on www.IMDB.com. He defines Otto’s self-actualized “creative type”.

 ”He is as well known today for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he his for his legendary actor status. Now in his 80s, Newman enjoys a near 50-year marriage to Joanne in Connecticut, their main residence since moving away from the bright lights of Hollywood in 1960, still attends races, is very much involved in his charitable organizations and in 2006 opened a restaurant called Dressing Room, which helps out the Westport Country Playhouse, a place the Newman’s take great pride in. In 2007 he made some headlines when he said he was losing his invention and confidence in his acting abilities and that acting is “pretty much a closed book for me.” Whether he’s on the screen or not, Paul Newman remains synonymous with the anti-heroism of the 1960s and 1970s cinema and rebellious nature his characters so often embodied.”

II. Jung’s Psychological Type of Creative Person:

This type of creator is inspired by the “human  experience” and whose work leads others to “greater clarity and understanding” on life. I feel that the writers and creators of the emmy winning TV show, “The Office” would be examples of this, including Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, and Stephen Merchant ( the main writers).  Here is a show that very subtly and accurately documents people and their relationships in a work environment.  While it is very funny and clever, I find that it paints a realistic portrait of the “realm of human consciousness-lessons of life, emotional shock, and experiences of passion and human crises” as Jung describes.  For a list of all of “The Office” writers, go to http://www.com/title/tt0386676/fullcredits.

III. Jung’s Visionary Type of Creative Person:

This type of creator dives more into the unconscious, drawing inspiration from the “dark recesses of one’s mind”.

This brings to mind…The Scream by Edvard Munch. I have always been somewhat haunted by this painting, as it reveals to me ( in a very dreamlike way) stress, anger, confusion, misery, and depression.

IV. Torrance’s Creative Type:

E. Paul Torrance describes this person as one uses a creative process similar to the scientific method to solve problems.  For this creative type, I choose Mike Feinberg-co-founder of KIPP.  Here is an extremely admirable man who addressed all of the characteristics and issues facing at-risk students by creating KIPP, charter schools that have helped these students to be successful. The following is a letter from Mike on the Kipphouston website:

Letter from the Superintendent

Dear Friend,

Thank you for clicking on http://www.kipphouston.org/and learning more about the hardest working students in the country!  KIPP, The Knowledge Is Power Program, is on a mission to develop in underserved students the academic skills, intellectual habits, and qualities of character necessary to succeed at all levels of pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, college, and the competitive world beyond. Now entering its second decade, KIPP has become one of the nation’s leaders in the movement to provide all children with access to an excellent education. There are 15 KIPP schools in Houston, and 82 total KIPP schools across the country, all modeled after what we have started here in Houston. The first 4 classes of KIPPsters are boasting an 85-90% college matriculation rate, which compares to the 10-15% rate found in their neighborhood high schools.

As we teach our KIPPsters, we are not successful because of who we are; we are successful because of what we do, and what we do is have both our students and faculty work harder and behave nicer than what others expect. Actions speak louder than words: we are in school from 7:25 am to 5:00 pm during the week, for four hours on Saturdays, and for an extra month during the summer. Each night, every KIPPster, big and small, is bringing home homework, as the students do 2-3 hours of homework and the teachers meticulously prepare their lessons while taking calls on their cell phones from students who need homework help. On behavior, we follow a simple rule that is summarized in one of Gandhi’s quotes: Be the change you wish to see in the world. That philosophy guides our teaching and expectations on how students should learn to treat themselves and others in the most important subject of all, life. It is in this most important subject, life,that KIPP has an overarching goal of making a lasting and positive impact on our community for generations to come.

Thank you again for your interest in the KIPPsters and our mission, and I invite you to visit KIPP whenever you wish.

Plow on,

Mike Feinberg
Co-Founder

V. The Creative Press:

This describes the environments that fosters creativity, imagination, and risk-taking.  I am drawing a blank on media-attracting places that encourage creativity because my mind is going directly to Educator Lucy Calkins, author of  The Art of Teaching Writing.  In this book that founded the “Writer’s Workshop”, Calkins compares the ideal writing classroom to the blank canvas.  In an ideal classroom, children can write about what is important and interesting to them, rather than what the teacher tells them to write about; similarly, artists create many wonderful things that come from within on blank canvases, not needing painting-by-numbers where the instructions are already given. 

VI. “Mental Happenings” describe the sometimes strange circumstances, quirks, or desires in which people are motivated to create.  Here are some examples of this in…

1. Art: Claude Monet  once said that, “No one was ever able to make me stick to the rules, not even in my youngest days.”  Perhaps this defiant personality trait was what led him to start the Impressionist Movement. “Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment” and when looking at his vivid use of colors, it is clear that his diligence, obsession and brilliance paid off.

2. Music:  Chris Martin of Coldplay writes grammy-winning songs inspired by other bands, such as U2 and A-Ha.  Additionally, he has strong political views against the War in Iraq and George Bush that also serve to inspire his song writing.

3. Literature: Jeffrey Eugenides, 2003 author of Pulitzer Prize-winning book Middlesex, once said during an interview, that since this book was about a hermaphrodite, and therefore about genetics, he wanted this novel to be like “a novelistic genome; that is, it should contain some of the oldest traits of writing and storytelling-beginning with an epic event and progressing into more of a psychological, modern novel”. What a creative framework for an epic novel!

4. Science: Albert Einstein once worked at a desk job in a patent office.  It was here that he developed many of his radical theories; he believed that the stability and time of this job gave him the ability to think through difficult scientific problems.