Category: What/Why/WhatIf

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Creativity Unpacked. What- Why – How – What if

We need to recover our imagination. Creativity is thought of as an artistic trait only available to some when in fact it is available for all. We just need to regain it. My role will be as a moderator/ connector / collaborator for a research project on redefining creativity to adults, seeing its benefits and more importantly being able to teach how to use that muscle once again. This will be done by methods of improv, art and play. 

WHAT?
We need to recover our imagination. Creativity is thought of as an artistic trait only available to some when in fact it is available for all. We just need to regain it. 

How can we tackle the decline of creativity from childhood to adulthood?

What is creativity?
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognice ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (California State University, Northridge, 2019)

WHY this topic?
Creativity declines after childhood, as Linda Phillips (Art teacher for 27 + years) told me in an interview: “When they’re three and four a line can represent a subway station with you know thousands of people standing on the platform. They’re so conceptual about that age and then as they get older they become more aware of their environment, they’re much more self-critical.” Karen Maeyens, (Design director of Educational Experience at the Hesperides University) states her biggest struggle is the level of creativity in the teachers. When asked, she said: “What I would find most valuable is a method where I can push teachers to work the creativity muscle.” She also stated: “We need to give them tools to awaken their creativity, people are scared to make mistakes, scared that they are being judged therefore do not take creative risks.”

  1. Creativity has been linked to wellbeing. “Studies have found a bidirectional relationship between creativity and well-being. On the one hand, well-being was found to promote creativity [1,2,3,4], on the other hand, creativity is conducive to well-being [5,6,7]. Nevertheless, the latter has received relatively little attention.” (Tan et al., 2021)
  2. Highest sought skill is Creative Thinking according to the 2023 jobs report from The World Economic Forum.
  1. In 1968, George Land tested the creativity of 1,600 children aged 3-5 using a NASA-designed assessment. He re-tested the same group at ages 10 and 15, yielding remarkable results. Same test was given to 280,000 adults and the result was 2%. 




“What we have concluded,” wrote Land, “is that non- creative behavior is learned”

HOW
Picasso said: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”.  

My role will be as a moderator/ connector / collaborator for the start of a research project on redefining creativity to adults, seeing its benefits and more importantly being able to teach how to use that muscle once again. 

STAKEHOLDERS
Everyone has access to creativity, and it’s unfair to believe that only certain individuals possess that “talent.” Creativity exists within all of us; it’s just a matter of nurturing and developing it. Initially, my focus will be on adults who consider themselves “non-creative.” However, my long-term goal is to expand these activities and support to individuals at all levels. I envision providing access to public libraries, senior citizens’ homes, public and private schools, refugee centers, and more. Access to creativity should be available to everyone.

Some of the experts I have Spoken to so far are:
– Karen Maeyens, Design Director of Educational Experience at Universidad de Hesperides
– Linda Phillips, Art teacher for 27+ years
– April Stout, Director of Teaching and learning at American School of Madrid
– Isabel Navarro – Director of CREATE Foundation. An NGO that looks to help nurture a society whose citizens are capable of creating projects and innovating without fear of failing.

I have interviews set up with:

  • Eva Herber, – Psychology, Psychotherapist and coach. Specialized in positive psychology. Writer of Renew your strengths.
  • Luis Rodriguez, Marketing Consultant and Professor at IE University. Currently developing an education app targeted to Career Pivoteers.
  • Kindergarteners. Primary school children, middle school children and teenagers. 
  • Art teachers, theatre teachers, improv teachers.

Other experts I hope to interview:

Document with more resources.

I have chosen three methodologies for my interventions. I have decided that at least two elements of each of these need to be included in my interventions.

Play. ​​ “Play is essential to develop social skills and adult problem-solving skills” (Brown and Vaughan, 2009).  

Improvisation.   “Improvising invites us to lighten up and look around. It offers alternatives to the controlling way many of us try to lead our lives. It requires that we say yes and be helpful rather than argumentative: it offers us a chance to do things differently.” (Patricia Ryan Madson, 2005). 

Arts. “Arts and creativity cultivates well-being and helps young learners create connections between subjects.” (Richardson, 2020)

Based on evidence we need to focus on being Consistent, finding the time to do it and creating a habit.
Richard Reynolds mentioned the challenge of making workshop attendees develop a habit out of the content. Karen Maeyens struggles with getting teachers to apply workshop tools in their classes. April Stout provides support to teachers in implementing creativity techniques. Some teachers enjoyed the workshops but lacked time or compensation to incorporate new methodologies. Developing creativity requires consistent practice, similar to going to the gym. A habit needs to be formed.

INTERVENTIONS

I have developed one main intervention based on learnings from my first intervention, interviews and book research. 

INTERVENTION 1 (MAY 4)

  1. Creativity Continuity Workshops.
    Objective:  Test if one hour of  improv and artistic games caused an effect on students. Changed their moods, helped them resolve a challenge they had.
  2. Goal establish: TRUST, CONNECTION, LOOK AT THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. 
  3. Results: participants seemed happier and more resolutive, see survey results in link.

CORE INTERVENTION

21 day Creativity Challenge.
Objective: Trust, habit, reflection.
Activity: Send simple daily improv and play task
Audience: 20-60 year olds volunteers. (defined as “non-creative’)
Measurement: Survey and  daily reflections.
When: June15.

More interventions. 

My potential Hurdles:
– Stakeholders could lose interest- same as getting in shape.
– Creativity is often associated with art so people that consider themselves non-artistic might not see the value.

WHAT IF I Succeed. 

If I succeed I believe we will have people that are:

  • Happier
  • confident
  • assertive
  • Risk Takers
  • productive.

I see this work as a catalyst for the change, by combining methodologies that could work better together. 

Reference list

American Montessori Society. (2013). History of Montessori Education. Amshq.org; American Montessori Society. https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/History-of-Montessori

Aulive. (2019). Free online creativity test – TestMyCreativity. Testmycreativity.com. http://www.testmycreativity.com/

Big Wind Blows Game – Group games, team games, ice breakers. (n.d.). Https://Www.group-Games.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.group-games.com/ice-breakers/big-wind-blows-game.html

Borchardt, S. (2014, June 6). Unlearning to Learn – year end LILA summit 2014. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/97547671

California State University, Northridge. (2019). What is creativity? Csun.edu. http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm

Cremer, D. D., Bianzino, N. M., & Falk, B. (2023, April 13). How Generative AI Could Disrupt Creative Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/04/how-generative-ai-could-disrupt-creative-work?tpcc=orgsocial_edit&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram

Cunff, A.-L. L. (2019a, July 24). The science of curiosity: why we keep asking “why.” Ness Labs. https://nesslabs.com/science-of-curiosity

Cunff, A.-L. L. (2019b, October 16). Combinational creativity: the myth of originality. Ness Labs. https://nesslabs.com/combinational-creativity

Design Thinking for Libraries. (n.d.). Design Thinking for Libraries. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from http://designthinkingforlibraries.com

Flinders, S. (2022, January 20). Mental health. The Nuffield Trust. https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/mental-health-indicator-update

Gouinlock, J. S. (2019). John Dewey | American philosopher and educator. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Dewey

Hopkins, R. (2018, September 21). Kyung Hee Kim on “The Creativity Crisis”. Rob Hopkins. https://www.robhopkins.net/2018/09/20/kyung-hee-kim-on-the-creativity-crisis/

Ivcevic Pringle Ph.D., Z. (2020, June 9). Creativity Can Be Taught. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/creativity-the-art-and-science/202006/creativity-can-be-taught

Jennifer Aaker. (n.d.). Stanford Graduate School of Business. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/jennifer-aaker

Kelley, T., & Kelley, D. (2015). Creative Confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. W. Collins.

Kerr, B. (2023, April 19). Creativity – Research on the creative process. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/creativity/Research-on-the-creative-process

Leis, R. (n.d.). Without Popular Education There Will Be no True Society. TEXT. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.dvv-international.de/en/adult-education-and-development/editions/aed-762011/popular-education-and-reflect/without-popular-education-there-will-be-no-true-society

Naomi Bagdonas. (n.d.). Stanford Graduate School of Business. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/naomi-joanne-bagdonas

Notes, P. (2023). Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education: Key Concepts. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tODuEY2Kfs4

Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education: Key Concepts – PHILO-notes. (2023, March 23). https://philonotes.com/2023/03/paulo-freires-philosophy-of-education-key-concepts

pmdtemp. (2015, September 1). Flex Your Creativity Muscle – PMD Group. PMD Group – Credit Union Marketing and Advertising. https://www.pmdgrp.com/flex-your-creativity-muscle/

PNTV: Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds (#68). (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDbLXlVmS4I

Project Zero. (n.d.). Thinking Palette : Artful Thinking. Pzartfulthinking.org. http://pzartfulthinking.org/?page_id=2

PZ’s Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero. (n.d.). Pz.harvard.edu. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines#ExploringArtImagesandObjects

Richardson, J. (2020, October 12). The importance of art and creativity in a child’s development. University of the Arts London. https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/short-courses/stories/the-importance-of-art-and-creativity-in-a-childs-development

See how the future of jobs is changing in the age of AI. (n.d.). World Economic Forum. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/future-of-jobs-in-the-age-of-ai-sustainability-and-deglobalization/

Spencer, J. (2019, February 12). 7 Ways to Inspire Divergent Thinking in the Classroom. John Spencer. https://spencerauthor.com/divergent-thinking/

Steve. (2004, September 26). On Francisco Ferrer | libcom.org. Libcom.org. https://libcom.org/article/francisco-ferrer

Tan, C.-Y., Chuah, C.-Q., Lee, S.-T., & Tan, C.-S. (2021). Being Creative Makes You Happier: The Positive Effect of Creativity on Subjective Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7244. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147244

TEDx Talks. (2011). TEDxTucson George Land The Failure Of Success. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfKMq-rYtnc

The Future of Jobs Report 2023. (n.d.). World Economic Forum. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/infographics-2128e451e0?_gl=1

The Link Between Creativity and Happiness (How Does It Work?). (2021, August 2). Tracking Happiness. https://www.trackinghappiness.com/link-between-creativity-and-happiness/

Universidad de las Hespérides. (n.d.). Universidad de Las Hespérides. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://hesperides.edu.es

Wilshire, A. (n.d.). Great Design Thinkers: Tim Brown on Design Thinking. Designlab.com. Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://designlab.com/blog/great-design-thinking-tim-brown-ideo/#:~:text=He%20is%20best%20known%20for

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Intervention Proposals

My plan is to have a CORE intervention: 21 day Creativity Challenge.

At the same time I would like to explore other smaller interventions that could help delve deeper into my findings from the 21 day Creativity Challenge. patterns and learning from the 21 day Creativity Challenge will be used in other interventions. Our objective is to help attendees feel more comfortable with making mistakes. We want to liberate creativity from the end result. Don’t think about the end result but enjoy and learn from the process.

  1. 21 Day Creativity Challenge. CORE.

Objective: Trust, habit, reflection.
Activity: Send simple daily creative tasks based on improv and play (no drawing required).
Audience: 20-60 year olds volunteers. (defined as “non-creative’). Targeted to anyone who “teaches”- parents, educators, friends.
Measurement: Survey and  daily reflections.
When: Start on June15. Develop a list of games by the end of May, recruit volunteers by beginning of June. 

2. Continuity Creativity Workshop

Objective: Trust, collaboration, Problem Solving, risk taking, making mistakes, reflection.
Activity: Practice improv games and Team art projects. Different from 21 day challenge- this intervention will use ART, but will be in person to make people feel more confident.
Audience:  Group of adults (max 8 people). Ideally also people that consider themselves “non- creatives”.
Measurement: Survey at beginning and end of challenge.  Reflections.
When: Ongoing. Two before June 15 and two  during summer. One already done- follow link to see results.
Link to Blog Post describing results of intervention. 

3. Ask the Experts

Objective: Trust, credibility to project, unlearn the meaning of creativity.
Activity: Ask a group of experts two questions and record them.
– How do you define creativity?
– How can people introduce creativity in their daily life? Can you give us one trick?
Audience:  Adults that consider themselves “Non Creative” but want to train their creativity muscle.
End Result: Create a series of small videos and distribute through social media.
When: Ongoing. Have already started contacting experts.

4. “Let’s Create” Social Media Campaign (like Let’s Move MO campaign)

Objective: Awareness of when creativity is limited. Tools of how to overcome that. Empathy.
Activity: Social Media Campaign with daily or weekly tips.
Audience:  Adults that consider themselves “Non Creative” but want to train their creativity muscle.
End Result: Post daily or weekly exercises on IG. Include phrases that limit your creativity to create awareness. Interview people that tell the story of when they were limited creatively and what effect it had on them. Create empathy with the public.
Measurement: See Engagement from followers
When: Launch after other campaigns to use what worked best from other interventions. 

5. Adult Children’s book. Let’s Unpack Creativity.

Objective: Awareness through illustrations.
Activity: Create Illustrations that tell stories of when in life we are limited creatively. Work with storyteller writer Carolina Paoli to develop the story.
Audience: Adults that consider themselves non-creative.
Measurement: Engagement with the book.
When: Finish Illustrations and text by the end of October. 

6. Cross Generational workshops. This is just a germ of an idea. Would love to develop workshops with young and elders connecting both generations through creativity. Maybe phase 2 of this project.

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The change I want to see

Creativity, Innovation and imagination

“A common misconception is that creativity cannot be cultivated, and that instead some lucky people have an innate sense of creativity. But this assumption is wrong.” (Currie Le Cuff, 2023)

Back in 1963 George Land created a “creativity test” for Nasa that measured your imaginative thinking, the higher you scored the higher you were considered a “creative genius”. He tested 1600  4-5 years and every five years he re-tested them, until they became adults. The 4-5 year olds demonstrated 98% of creativity level while adults came down to 2%. As we grow older we lose our creativity, unless we work on it. 

(TEDx Talks)

According to Land our brain has two different kinds of thinking: divergent where imagination generates new possibilities and convergent where testing, decisions and judgements occur.

Divergent vs Convergent thinking.

In our school system we learn to do both kinds of thinking at the same time, this means that while we are creating we are also judging and pulling the brakes. “Neurons are fighting each other and we are diminishing the power of the brain.” (Le Brand 2011)

Our teachers, peers, adults and our own mind send us messages of doubt and criticism. 

But why is creativity so important? Why now?

The obvious answer we are all currently talking about is artificial intelligence. There are machines that can write for us, draw for us, design for us and much more. The way we can differentiate ourselves from machines is through our imagination. Secondly, depression rates are higher than ever. “In 2020 the leading rate of death by 5-34 year olds was self harm” (Flinders, 2022). Creativity is linked to happiness. “Studies show that creativity leads to well being as well as wellbeing leads you to being more creative.” (Tan et al.)

What is creativity?

According the the Oxford Dictionary:
Creativity: the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. 
Imagination: the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. 
Innovation: make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas or products. 

I use all three definitions since creativity is many times linked to the arts while imagination and innovation are not. 

So who needs to “learn” to be creative?
We are labeled from the moment we enter the school system – sometimes before. Creativity is associated with certain fields and if you don’t participate in those fields you are considered not creative. We are taught that STEM and the arts are two completely different worlds. We are told that you are not creative if you lean towards the sciences, when creativity truly applies in all fields. People that are labeled as not creative might not get the benefits. Our stakeholders are all the non- creatives of the world. Every human being that was “labeled” as not creative and that is not getting the benefits of innovation, imagination and creativity. 

Can creativity be learned?
Creativity is said to be a muscle, we need to use it to keep it active. Ever since I was little I was labeled “creative”. My parents and teachers encouraged me to draw, paint, perform. I developed my creative “muscle” through classes, activities and even friendships. 

In a recent study from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence published in the Empirical Studies in the Arts shows that children successfully learn creativity skills in a program focusing on emotions and emotional intelligence skills, this is also true in adults. (Ivcevic Pringle Ph.D.)

I have benefited from the advantages of learning to be imaginative. The change I want to see is for non creatives to benefit from expanding their creativity. I want to see creativity, imagination and innovation taught in every school for every person. I want creativity to not be linked to only the arts, and for people to understand its importance in our future world.

Works Cited

Aulive. “Free Online Creativity Test – TestMyCreativity.” Testmycreativity.com, 2019, www.testmycreativity.com/.

Big Wind Blows Game – Group Games, Team Games, Ice Breakers. www.group-games.com/ice-breakers/big-wind-blows-game.html. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Borchardt, Sue. “Unlearning to Learn – Year End LILA Summit 2014.” Vimeo, 6 June 2014, vimeo.com/97547671. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Cunff, Anne-Laure Le. “Combinational Creativity: The Myth of Originality.” Ness Labs, 16 Oct. 2019, nesslabs.com/combinational-creativity.

—. “The Science of Curiosity: Why We Keep Asking “Why.”” Ness Labs, 24 July 2019, nesslabs.com/science-of-curiosity.

Flinders, Sophie. “Mental Health.” The Nuffield Trust, 20 Jan. 2022, www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/mental-health-indicator-update.

Ivcevic Pringle Ph.D., Zorana. “Creativity Can Be Taught.” Psychology Today, 9 June 2020, www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/creativity-the-art-and-science/202006/creativity-can-be-taught.

pmdtemp. “Flex Your Creativity Muscle – PMD Group.” PMD Group – Credit Union Marketing and Advertising, 1 Sept. 2015, www.pmdgrp.com/flex-your-creativity-muscle/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.

Project Zero. “Thinking Palette : Artful Thinking.” Pzartfulthinking.org, pzartfulthinking.org/?page_id=2.

“PZ’s Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero.” Pz.harvard.edu, pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines#ExploringArtImagesandObjects. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Tan, Cher-Yi, et al. “Being Creative Makes You Happier: The Positive Effect of Creativity on Subjective Well-Being.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 14, 6 July 2021, p. 7244, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147244. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.

TEDx Talks. “TEDxTucson George Land the Failure of Success.” YouTube, 16 Feb. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfKMq-rYtnc.

“The Link between Creativity and Happiness (How Does It Work?).” Tracking Happiness, 2 Aug. 2021, www.trackinghappiness.com/link-between-creativity-and-happiness/.

“Universidad de Las Hespérides.” Universidad de Las Hespérides, hesperides.edu.es. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.‌