thinking about the boxreconsidering creativity

What we typically teach in art courses

elements and principlesdisciplinary studio skillsproblem solvingcreativitywork ethicstudio citizenshipperception/acuitycritical self reflectionsocial production/collaborationaesthetic theorycommunication skillsart historical contextsocial context/ visual culture

What we typically teach in art courses

elements and principlesdisciplinary studio skillsproblem solvingcreativitywork ethicstudio citizenshipperception/acuitycritical self reflectionsocial production/collaborationaesthetic theorycommunication skillsart historical contextsocial context/ visual culture

As important as all of these knowledges and skills may be, this long list can be reduced to 4 traits that predict whether or not a student will be successful in their art/ design degree

31

2

4

curiosity

predictors of student success

1

work ethic

predictors of student success

curiosity1

2

critical self reflection

predictors of student success

work ethic

curiosity1

2

3

creativity

predictors of student success

critical self reflection

work ethic

curiosity1

2

3

4

predictors of student success

curiositywork ethic

critical self reflectioncreativity

Any one of these is not sufficient. While not causally dependant, these traits are entailed & entangled with each other.

predictors of student success

We will address them as a single complex we will call

Creativity

creativity is a complex

No less than eleven creativity perspectives identified by Runco, 2006

Creativity is studied in several fields using numerous perspectives.

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

can creativity be learned?

The degree to which an individual believes that creativity is learnable depends upon their perspective and understanding of creativity.

no yes

two primary approaches

In order to make students more creative, instructors can use two approaches:

Teach cognitive Use adaptivestrategies strategies

creativity

behaviorstechniquestacticsstrategiesmental habits

permissionsafetyencouragementmodelingexpectations

Adaptive strategies

I will provide & you should take advantage of a learning environment that promotes creative thinking.

creativity

Adaptive strategies:

permission values experimentation & a variety of

solutions safety freedom to fumble & fail & look “stupid” along the

way

encouragement supportive of real effort and accomplishment

modeling instructor demonstrates creative values and

techniques expectations sets & communicates clear and

constant goals

Cognative stratagiescreativity

Cognitive strategies:

mental habits recognize conventional thinking,

creativity blocks behaviors think with process

strategies shift paradigms, synaesthesia tactics x-ternalize thinking, visual research, role play, x-

ray vision

techniques divergent, convergent

creativity

mental habits

conventional thinkingcreativity

mental habits

ageun

conv

entio

nalit

y

based on Piaget, 1970,1976; Kohlberg,1987; Johnson 1985

Numerous studies over the years have established a strong correlation between age and conventional thinking. Your cohort is currently near the bottom of the “creative valley”. Your thinking tends to be highly conventional.

conventional thinkingcreativity

mental habits

based on Piaget, 1970,1976; Kohlberg,1987; Johnson 1985

but take heart: the studies were randomized. as art students you have already “skewed” the sample” so this is less predictive for this group.also, there are, of course, individual variations. your results may vary.

this is not meant to impugn your creativity, rather it is meant as a challenge and a check: suspecting that your thinking is not as original as it may at first seem to you is key to unlocking your creativity.

creativity blockscreativity

mental habits

stress Stress is not only a distraction which drains energy which could otherwise be used creatively. It is bad for one's health. Creativity is Play!routines Routines or set ways of performing tasks have their uses, but they can limit the range of responses available and can lead to the development of the anathema of creativity, the "bureaucratic mind”. "The will to a system is a lack of integrity." –Nietzschegoal directed behavior Overly focusing on goals rather than process limits perception and blinds us to possibility.A straight line is the scalpel with which we excise opportunity.beliefs Having a strong belief in something not only limits our response options, but causes us to limit the way in which we perceive and process information from the outside world. We may "filter out" information which contradicts our belief, and end up in our own "reality tunnel", blissfully unaware of much that occurs in front of our very eyes. egoOne must be humble before one's subject. Having a strong ego identity with a particular belief exacerbates the realty tunnel. This is not to imply that one must have no beliefs, merely that one needs to be very aware of one's beliefs and consequent limitations. fear Fear of self expression and of the judgment of others can severely limit one's creativity. self criticism Negative thinking and self criticism are also limiting factors of an individual's creativity.

creativity

behaviors

think with processcreativity

behaviors

I hear: I forget.I see: I remember.I do: I understand. Chinese proverb

i hear: i forget.i see: i remember.i do: i understand.

chinese proverb

think with processcreativity

behaviors

I hear: I forget.I see: I remember.I do: I understand. Chinese proverb

the 500ms. delayeven for simple volitional acts consciousness lags half of a second behind readiness potential. we have made our decisions and have initiated our actions before we consciously decide to act.

readiness potential 1

-1 s.

conscious wish

-0.2 s.

readiness potential 2

-0.5 s. act

based on Libet, 1979; Keller and Heckhausen, 1990

"the role of consciousness in our decisions is greatly overestimated"-tor norretranders

think with processcreativity

behaviors

I hear: I forget.I see: I remember.I do: I understand. Chinese proverb

rapid cognitionmalcolm gladwell's blink, (2005) makes the case for "thinking without thinking" citing numerous studies and examples that reveal how subconscious processes that he calls "thin slicing" allow us to make better decisions and more accurate predictions for problems involving several variables or multiple dimensions with little conscious decision making.

think with processcreativity

behaviors

rapid cognition500 ms. delay

preconscious perceptivity & creativity are reactive. try to put put consciousness in charge of planning the strategy and allow the preconscious to evaluate progress, readjust tactics and resolve the problem.

thinking with process = preconscious "thinking" = visual thinking

think with processcreativity

behaviors

I hear: I forget.I see: I remember.I do: I understand. Chinese proverb

rapid cognition500 ms. delay

when in doubt do something

the point is not to think less, rather to think differently.

avoid a "plan and execute" division of process

the journey is the destination.

in creative works problem finding is more critical than problem solving.

process is a collaborator– "our actions think louder than words"

creativity

techniques

creativity

techniques

attribute listing

bug listing (seinfeld whine)

problem reversal

force-field analysis

change perspective

convergent thinking

creativity

techniques

lateral thinking

associative thinking

bisociation (forced analogy)

divergent thinking