C r E A t I V i T y

- Sunday, July 27, 2008


Creative thinking is much more than using our imaginations to invent lots of new ideas. Creative thinking is a lifestyle, a personality trait, a way of looking at the world, a way of interacting with others and a way of living and growing. Living creatively means developing our talents, tapping our unused potentials and becoming what we are capable of becoming through self-discovery and self-discipline. Anytime we are faced with a problem or dilemma with no learned or practiced solution, some creativity is required (Torrance, 1995). It takes courage to be creative.
Creativity is a vital ingredient in meeting the challenges of a continuous life cycle, a cycle in which growth and change are the norm from conception throughout life. A life filled with growth and change requires a conscious effort to think creatively, it takes practice. To develop creativeness, the mind needs to be exercised as well as filled with materials out of which ideas can be formed. The richest fuel for ideation is first hand experience (Osborn, 1963).
Creativity is the ability to see a situation in many ways and continue to question until satisfaction is reached. This satisfaction can be defined in as many different ways as there are people experiencing it, but it basically boils down to personal satisfaction and how you choose to define satisfaction.
The creative process can involve tiny creative leaps or giant breakthroughs in thinking. Both require that an individual go beyond where she has gone before, embracing the unknown, the mysterious, the change, the puzzling, without fear. Creativity involves risk-taking. Whether it's a small risk or a huge risk, it takes courage to take a risk and be creative.

Nurture your childs creativity...

- Saturday, July 5, 2008



by Sudha Gupta

Every child has some creative potential which needs to be fulfilled.

It only needs a free rein for the child to express it properly.

Moreover, a child's mind is extremely sensitive to his environment
and all kinds of influences help give shape to his creative impulse




• To help nurture your child's creativity, you needs to provide opportunities as well as an environment where the child's latent talent can find expression and blossom.




• Leave it the child to choose the medium for expressing his creativity-be it poetry, painting, music, sculptures, etc. All you need to do is to introduce the child to these different media and provide the necessary accompaniments like colors, brushes, instruments, etc.




• Never try to chart out a course for your child which you want him to follow. Let the child decide how far he wants to pursue his interests. Give counsel only when required.




• Appreciate every effort of the child and laud his achievements irrespective of their artistic merit.




• Avoid falling into the trap of over expectation. It will only result in disappointment and frustration if the child falls short of your expectations. Further, your disappointment might get transferred to the child which can sap his self-confidence and creativity.




• Understand that not every child is a genius or exceptionally talented. Hence, pushing the child to keep raising his performance higher and higher, is impractical.

10 Ways to Generate Ideas & Increase Productivity

- Wednesday, June 4, 2008






  • Take a nap. If you’re struggling to find a new solution to an old problem or trying to generate new ideas, put all the creativity exercises aside and take a nap. Increasing your creativity is easier when you’re alert and refreshed.

  • Make small talk with strangers. Even if you’re an introvert, you’ll find that small talk at parties, in the grocery store, or while you’re watching your kid play baseball helps to generate ideas.

  • Go to classes, workshops, or conferences. Generating ideas and increasing creativity can be sparked by learning new things in educational settings. When you listen to others’ ideas and presentations, you make connections that will increase your productivity at work.

  • Hang out with creative people. Spend time with people you don’t normally hang out with. If you normally push paperwork in a cubicle, hang out with an artist or preacher. If you’re married with three kids, spend time with a single adult or senior citizen. Bounce your ideas off creative people or folks you simply never spend time with. You’ll be surprised at how this increases your creativity and helps you generate ideas.

  • Allow yourself some creative loafing time. Watching movies, reading magazines, staring out the window and watching people at the mall are ways to generate more ideas. It may not look like you’re increasing your creativity or productivity, but your brain is percolating during your downtime. Thousands of brilliant ideas were hatched in the shower or garden. Increasing your creativity doesn’t necessarily involve formal creativity exercises.

  • Walk, bike, swim or jog. Let your mind wander as you exercise. Don’t censor your thoughts; rather, follow them as they waltz through your mind. Increasing your creativity involves being open to new ideas – all the way to the end.

  • Work in different places. To generate new ideas, take your briefcase, notebook or laptop on a field trip. Go to a park, coffee shop or friend’s backyard. You don’t have to do creativity exercises: simply look around, let your mind wander, and let your creativity increase naturally.

  • Let your brain reboot. Similar to creative loafing, letting your brain reboot involves getting away. Solitude, a change of pace or even a bubble bath or work out at a different gym will help you generate ideas and increase your creativity. Exercising creativity isn't always about actively searching for new ideas.

  • Brainstorm. Whether you brainstorm new ideas with others or by yourself with a pen and paper, let your mind flirt with all the possibilities. Don’t dismiss anything. When you’re increasing your creativity, you need to be open to anything. Even if it’s not a helpful idea now, it could be useful in the future – so don't throw away your notes, mind maps, lists, and doodles. Your productivity at work can also be increased by brainstorming new ideas.

  • Get out of town. Go for a drive out to the country or take the Greyhound to the next town. Explore a new neighborhood or city on foot – and make sure you keep your notebook handy. Getting away from your familiar surroundings will increase your creativity and help generate new ideas.

Myths That kill Creativity

- Friday, April 4, 2008

If you haven’t heard from your “still small voice” recently, it may be because of the misconceptions you have about your imaginative ability. The following are three common myths about creativity.
Myth 1:

Only geniuses are creative. In other words, superior intellect means superior creativity. It’s true that people with high IQs can be highly original writers. But the opposite is also true. Geniuses may be boring. They may be respected members of their communities and contribute to their professions, but their inventive achievement fail to match their IQs.


Myth 2:

If you have creative ability, your talents will be discovered. Every person has creative potential, but some of us are better at using it. The truth is, unless you write, your unique writing ability goes unnoticed.


Myth 3:

You don’t have to work at being creative. Sometimes our best ideas seem to pop out of nowhere.
Rhonda Swillinger, in an article written for Psychology Today, says this: “It takes at least 10 years of immersion in a given domain before a creator is likely to make a distinctive mark. Einstein, for example, who is popularly thought to have doodled out the theory of relativity at age 26 in his spare time, was in fact engaged in thinking about it from the age of 16.”

WhaT Is CREATIVITY?

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“You need your broccoli in order to write well,” says Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird. “It means, of course, when you don’t know what to do, when you don’t know whether your character would do this or that, you get quiet and try to hear that still small voice inside. It will tell you what to do.”
Some experts believe that the “still small voice inside” that Lamott describes, gave way to rote learning and literal thinking when we were elementary school kids. Around the third grade many of us swapped our imagination and creativity for left-brain logical thinking.

Colour psychology

- Tuesday, April 1, 2008




Do different colors affect your mood?




Why are people more relaxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms?
Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following to be accurate.




Black
Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.



White
Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, aneswith everythingowever, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.
Red
The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.
The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.




Blue
The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.



Green
Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.



Yellow
Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.




Purple
The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.



Brown
Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

Creativity -Children's Health Encyclopedia

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Definition
Creativity is the ability to think up and design new inventions, produce works of art, solve problems in new ways, or develop an idea based on an original, novel, or unconventional approach.


Description
Creativity is the ability to see something in a new way, to see and solve problems no one else may know exists, and to engage in mental and physical experiences that are new, unique, or different. Creativity is a critical aspect of a person's life, starting from inside the womb onward through adulthood.

Although many people equate creativity with
intelligence, the two terms are not synonymous, and it is not necessary to have a genius-level IQ in order to be creative. While creative people do tend to have average or above-average scores on IQ tests, beyond an IQ of about 120 there is little correlation between intelligence and creativity. Researchers have found environment to be more important than heredity in influencing creativity, and a child's creativity can be either strongly encouraged or discouraged by early experiences at home and in school.

Standard intelligence tests measure convergent thinking, which is the ability to come up with a single correct answer. However, creativity involves
divergent thinking, which is the ability to come up with new and unusual answers.

Creative individuals tend to share certain characteristics, including a tendency to be more
impulsive or spontaneous than others. Nonconformity (not going along with the majority) can also be a sign of creativity. Many creative individuals are naturally unafraid of experimenting with new things; furthermore, creative people are often less susceptible to peer pressure, perhaps because they also tend to be self-reliant and unafraid to voice their true feelings even if those go against conventional wisdom.

Creativity in childhood is typically assessed through paper-and-pencil measures such as the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. These tests are designed to measure divergent thinking, such as
fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Signification criticisms have been raised about these tests as measures of creativity. First is the general problem that there are no universally accepted definitions of creativity. Second, critics of creativity tests argue that these tests do not measure creativity per se but instead reflect the specific abilities that are assessed by the tests. Third, the scores on these tests often depend partly on speed, which is not necessarily a criterion for creativity. A final consistent concern relates to the scoring of creativity tests, which by definition are somewhat subjective. Thus, the reliability of such tests is commonly questioned.

Infancy


Scientific research in the late twentieth century revealed how the quality of interaction with
unborn infants affects their later development of creative abilities. From birth to 18 months, infants can be encouraged to engage in creativity by playing with a variety of safe household materials, such as margarine tubs, empty boxes, and large empty spools. Parents and caregivers can encourage experimentation by showing excitement and interest in what babies do.
Parents can encouraged infants to develop creativity by singing to the infant and playing music, moving the infant's hands to music, hanging a colorful mobile over the crib, placing pictures and photos where the baby can focus on them, and playing sound games with infants, such making up nonsense words or using rhyming words when talking to them.

Toddlerhood


From ages 18 months to four years, toddlers have progressively better hand and eye coordination. Caregivers should give them opportunities to develop this coordination by allowing them to draw with water-based paints, with
chalk, and with crayons. Toddlers also can develop their creativity by pasting, tearing, cutting, printing, modeling with clay or play dough, or working with various materials to create collage, and for the older child, experimenting with fabric, tie dye, batik, printing, and simple woodwork.

From around 12 months, children may begin to imitate things that adults do. Real fantasy
play begins at around ages 18 to 21 months. This should not prevent caregivers from playing imaginatively from a younger age, since fantasy play is linked to creativity. Studies have shown that children with very active fantasies tend to have personality traits that contribute to creativity—originality, spontaneity, verbal fluency, and a higher degree of flexibility in adapting to new situations.

Children who
fantasize a lot have unusually good inner resources for amusing themselves. Parents can provide materials that lend themselves to fantasy play (dressing-up clothes, dolls, housecleaning sets, and stuffed animals), play pretending games with their children, and make suggestions and encourage new ideas when toddlers play alone.
Adults should start involving toddlers with creative activities as soon as they feel the child will enjoy them. Adults need to remember that young toddlers are not skillful enough to consciously produce works of art. At 18 months they may be more ready for creative play and even at this age, they may spend no more than five minutes of concentration on any one activity.

Preschool


Preschoolers can use the same materials as toddlers but can use them in more complex ways. By age five, many children start drawing recognizable objects. By age six, they are usually interested in explaining their art works. They also like to tell stories and can make books of their stories, including drawing pictures to accompany the writing.
At this age fantasy play becomes more complex. Preschoolers often direct each other on what to do or say as they play "Let's
pretend." Play is a critical part of developing creativity, according to Mary Mindess, a child psychology professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Play allows children to construct meaning for themselves," Mindess stated in an article in the August 2001 newsletter The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter. "Two children may share an experience, but each will process the experience differently. Very often during play, children take things they see in real life, or things they imagine they experience—like something they read in a book or saw on television—and make meaning of it," she wrote. As an example, she cites Mark Twain's stories about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as good role-playing examples. "They include many examples of play," she wrote. "If, as in a scene in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a child pretends to be a riverboat captain, there's a lot more to that role-playing than simply knowing what a captain does and some basic boat terminology. There are feelings that accompany the role-playing: mainly, the power of being captain and the satisfaction in the ability to make decisions."

School Age


Early school-age children, six to nine years, incorporate lots of fantasy into their play, including action games with superheroes. Children of this age group spend much of their time daydreaming. Some daydreams become "real" as children begin to act them out in stories and plays.
Many researchers believe that in order to foster creativity in schools, education should be based on the discovery of knowledge and the development of critical attitudes, rather than on the passive absorption of knowledge. They believe this applies whether the class is in art, history, science, or humanities. However, most school teaching in the United States is based on the child's ability to memorize. The highest marks are often given to those who merely studied their lessons well. The pupil whose creative side is more developed may be considered a
disruptive member of the class.

For this reason some educators decided to encourage creativity outside the school system. Science clubs are open to the young, in different countries, in which students can
unleash their ideas and imagination. Student science fairs are also useful in developing creativity.
In the United States, children who participate in the nationwide invention contest organized by the Weekly Reader do not have to submit a model. A drawing or a photograph is sufficient to enter the contest, the purpose of which is to stimulate creative thinking among all the students in a class, all becoming involved in the process of invention either individually or in small groups. The class then chooses the best invention that will be presented later at the level of the national contest.

At ages nine to 12, children's creativity is greatly affected by peer influence. They increase the amount of detail and use of symbols in
drawings. They also have expanded their individual creative differences and begin to develop their own set of creative values.
Teenagers are highly critical of the products they make and ideas they have. They try to express themselves creatively in a more adult-like way. Their creativity is influenced by their individual differences, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. In most high schools, classes that stress creativity, such as art, music, writing, and drama are electives and many may not be required. For many adolescents, high school is their last opportunity to take these creative classes.
Also, teens become more self-aware and self-conscious. This focus often causes them to conform to their peers, which stifles their creativity and makes their thoughts less flexible. Flexibility refers to the ability to consider various alternatives at the same time.
Common Problems
Rewards or incentives appear to interfere with creativity and reduce children's flexibility of thought. Studies show that any constraints such as structured instructions reduce creative flexibility in children. Many parents and teachers do not understand that children who are creative are often involved in imaginary play and are motivated by internal rather than external factors.

Parental Concerns


Environment appears to play a greater role than heredity in the development of creativity: identical
twins reared apart show greater differences in creativity than in intellectual ability. Family environments with certain characteristics have been found to be more conducive to creativity than others. One of these characteristics is a relaxed parental attitude rather than one that is overly anxious or authoritarian.
On the whole, the families of creative children discipline them without rigid restrictions, teaching them respect for values above rules. Similarly, they emphasize achievement rather than grades. The parents in such homes generally lead active, fulfilling lives themselves and have many interests. Finally, they reinforce creativity in their children by a general attitude of respect and confidence toward them and by actively encouraging creative pursuits and praising the results. It has been found that creativity in both children and adults is affected by positive reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement has also been shown to boost fifth graders' scores on creativity tests, help sixth graders write more original stories, and lead college students to produce novel word associations. Studies have also found that positively reinforcing one kind of creative activity encourages original thinking in other areas as well.
Just as certain actions and attitudes on the part of parents can encourage creativity, others have been found to
discourage it. Devising restrictive guidelines or instructions for an activity reduces its potential as a creative experience. Unrestricted, imaginative play is central to creativity in children—exposure to new objects and activities stimulates the senses, reinforces exploratory impulses, and results in the openness to new experiences and ideas that foster creative thinking. In addition, anything that takes the focus away from the creative act itself and toward something external to it can be damaging. For example, knowing that one's efforts are going to be evaluated tends to restrict the creative impulse, as does knowing of the possibility of a prize or other reward.

Schools as well as families can encourage creativity by offering children activities that give them an active role in their own learning, allow them freedom to explore within a loosely structured framework, and encourage them to participate in creative activities for the sheer
enjoyment of it rather than for external rewards.

When to Call the Doctor


Several studies have shown relationships sometimes exist between creativity and mental illness, including depression,
schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
For decades, scientists have known that eminently creative individuals have a much higher rate of manic depression or bipolar disorder than does the general population. But few controlled studies have been done to build the link between mental illness and creativity. One study that does support such a link was presented at the 2002 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association by Stanford University researchers Connie Strong and Terence Ketter. Using personality and temperament tests, they found healthy artists to be more similar in personality to individuals with manic depression than to healthy people in the general population.
While creativity itself is not a sign of mental illness, parents should be aware that there is a much higher degree of mental illness, especially depression and bipolar disorder, in creative children than in their less creative peers.

Resources
Books
Bruce, Tina.Cultivating Creativity in Babies, Toddlers, & Young Children. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2004.
Einon, Dorothy. Creative Child: Recognize and Stimulate Your Child's Natural Talent. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2002.
Fisher, Robert, and Mary Williams. Unlocking Creativity: A Teacher's Guide to Creativity Across the Curriculum. London: Taylor & Francis, 2004.
Runco, Mark A., and Robert S. Albert. Theories of Creativity. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2004.
Periodicals
"Biological Basis for Creativity Linked to Mental Illness." Mental Health Weekly Digest (October 27, 2003): 4.
Carruthers, Peter. "Human Creativity: Its Cognitive Basis, Its Evolution, and Its Connection with Childhood Pretence." British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (June 2002): 225–49.
Mindess, Mary. "Play: The New Dirty Word." The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter (August 2001): 1.
Talsma, Julia. "Encourage Creative Process to Spur Innovation: Dr. Kelman Outlines Three Elements of Creativity: Inspiration, Insight, Intuition." Ophthalmology Times (June 15, 2003): 50.
Tecco, Betsy Dru. "Unleash Your Creativity! When You Take the Time to be Creative, a World of Possibilities Unfolds." Current Health 2. (December 2003): 14–18.;
Underwood, Anne. "Real Rhapsody in Blue: A Quirky Phenomenon that Scientists Once Dismissed Could Help Explain the Creativity of the Human Brain." Newsweek (December 1, 2003): 67.
Organizations
American Creativity Association. PO Box 5856, Philadelphia, PA 19128. Web site: www.amcreativityassoc.org.
Web Sites
Fowler, Lynda K. "Encouraging Creativity in Children." Ohio State University Extension, 2004. Available online at www.ohioline.osu.edu/flm97/fs06.html (accessed November 23, 2004).
"Good Times Being Creative." National Network for Child Care, February 2004. Available online at www.nncc.org/Series/good.time.creat.html (accessed November 23, 2004).
[Article by: Ken R. Wells]

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