Snippets of Creativity

11/13/2009

When you smile at a stranger, there is already a minute outflow of energy. You become a giver.
Eckhart Tolle, Author

Creativity! That headline on the cover of Psychology Today (November 2009; pyschologytoday.com) caught my attention as sure ExchangeEveryDay fodder. Indeed it had some deep and thoughtful articles. But what I came away with for today was some snippets from throughout that issue:

"The first step to increasing your creativity quotient is believing you can. Even if no one has ever assigned the adjective 'original' to anything you have ever done, you must acknowledge that you have inventive powers. Don't think about making something from nothing ... just acknowledge that you can solve problems better if you approach them with a different mind-set."

"The question isn't 'How creative are you?' but rather 'How are you creative?' Innovation is rarely a one-step deal; the trick is figuring out how you solve problems. That way, you can build on your strengths and team up with people who compensate for your weaknesses."

"Search for inspiration. Go to a museum or sit for a few minutes in a beautiful building or park.... Try to notice all of the aesthetically pleasing details surrounding you."

"Creativity guru Julia Cameron swears by free writing (no self-censoring) until you fill three pages. Get intrusive worries out and productive ideas flowing."

"... your waking hours are best since they enable you to apply your 'sleep thinking' to glitches in your haiku-writing, furniture designing, or quilting.... Carving out morning time for a creative pursuit is a way to infuse the rest of your day with existential meaning."

"Hit a blue note. Decorate your cubicle or home office in blue, since a study showed that blue surroundings boost creativity."

Developing Capable, Creative Teachers

What keeps adults learning is the combination of ongoing reading, dialogue, trial and error, skill development, and continual self-reflection. There are always old and new ideas to visit, mentors and models to re-examine, and adjustments to make in one's approach.

The Developing Capable, Creative Teachers CD Book offers an exhaustive collection of 53 articles in PDF format offering a host of practical ideas and strategies for developing capable, creative teachers.

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