Chapter 2: Nurturing Creativity “Encouraging a person to discover their uniqueness and helping them develop its expression can be one of the greatest gifts we can ever give.” —Fred Rogers (1982, p. 10) Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Noam Chomsky: “Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things.” John Steinbeck: “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” Pablo Picasso: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Linus Pauling: The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. Linus Pauling

Beatrix Potter: “Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” Beatrix Potter Buckminster Fuller: “There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.” Buckminster Fuller Erich Fromm: “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” Erich Fromm Erich Fromm: “Conditions for creativity are to be puzzled; to concentrate; to accept conflict and tension; to be born everyday; to feel a sense of self.” Erich Fromm

What Is Creativity? Creativity is: Uniqueness Rule breaking Problem solving A set of personal characteristics Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is Creativity? (continued) Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. J. P. Guilford’s Divergent Thinking Model: 1. Fluency 2. Flexibility 3. Originality 4. Elaboration

What Does Creativity Look Like in Children? Children’s creativity is characterized by: Spontaneity Imagination Fantasy Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Discover music Become passionate about music Learn to play instruments Play all the time. Have an idea Start your own band

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Knowledge 1.Talk about the arts 2.Explore the different arts 3.Look at the artworks and performances of others 4.Accept individual differences in knowledge Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Motivation Intrinsic motivation: Natural curiosity and a desire to explore and solve problems Extrinsic motivation: The use of rewards to guide behavior in a certain way Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) To set the stage for intrinsic motivation to occur: 1.Provide choice and variety 2.Offer open-ended arts activities 3.Be sensitive, surprising, playful & flexible 4.Stand back and let the child explore 5.Watch for emergent problems 6.Value creative ideas Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Skill Levels of Skill Development: Exploration Practice Responsiveness Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Immersion Immersion or flow is being so completely immersed in creating something that time is forgotten. To allow flow to occur: Provide sufficient time for arts activities Avoid unnecessary interruptions Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Incubation Incubation is when the creator thinks about and tries out ideas. To facilitate incubation: Provide ample space and materials Encourage risk taking Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is the Creative Process? (continued) Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Production Production is the creation of a product or performance. For young children, the process is always more important than the final product.

How Do Teachers Foster the Creative Process? Becoming a Teacher of the Creative Arts Assess your personal background in the arts Model artistic thinking Demonstrate self-confidence Be positive Display the arts Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

How Do Teachers Foster the Creative Process? (continued) Communicate about the Arts Respond non-verbally Listen actively Give positive feedback Avoid meaningless praise & questions Use descriptive statements Ask reflective questions Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

How Do Teachers Foster the Creative Process? (continued) Minimizing Behavior Problems Address fear Respond to problems & personal needs Be patient & provide comfort Provide direction & redirection Keep activities open-ended Affirm that difference is valued Match skills and abilities Pair peers Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Creative Environment Nurture creativity in a setting that: Is playful Has interesting problems to solve Emphasizes process over product Provides variety and surprises Encourages risk taking

Creative Activities Let children explore on their own Allow children to go at their own pace Let them figure out their own way to solve problems Have no right answers Are challenging Spark the imagination

Conclusion: Creativity in Teaching Learn more about creativity.  Adora Svitak: What Adults Can Learn From Kids:  Creativity Requires Time:  Tales of Creativity and Play:  “The City”: Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2009 Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. “I am sticking them down” Precut paper and marker Age 2 ½ “The bear is happy” Cut paper Age 5 “Two flowers” Cut paper and fabric Age 7

Creative Collage How is each of these collages unique? What knowledge did each child have? In creating the artworks what problems did each child have to solve? What physical skills did the children use in creating these works? Copyright 2009 Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.