Object Dar't

July 23, 2010

the battle against the creativity crisis

recently, Newsweek carried an article on "The Creativity Crisis" grazed over why creativity is important and how it is in serious decline. i started this blog in an effort to help others not only begin to accept their creativity but to try to foster it. while the world at large prefers to see us "artistic folks" as off-the-beaten path types, so much of our world would not be as it is without the us. Thomas Edison, the father and founder of almost EVERYTHING we are now (because let's face it..without electricity what in your world would work?) was a creative genius said to have severe A.D.D.

while the article was ground breaking in several ways, including citing Torrance’s test which measures a creativity quotient in others and a scientific breakdown of brain activity during the creative process, it also revealed proof of what i've been saying which is that everyone has the ability to be creative. further more, it was concrete about the important roles creative people play in our world. "What’s shocking is how incredibly well Torrance’s creativity index predicted those kids’ creative accomplishments as adults. Those who came up with more good ideas on Torrance’s tasks grew up to be entrepreneurs, inventors, college presidents, authors, doctors, diplomats, and software developers."

the problem of course lay in the fact that culturally we beat the creativity out of everyone. the article argues that 'standards-obsessed schools' train children to stop questioning and simply memorize. while i agree with this point of view, i believe that the article was remiss in accurately identifying where the problem actually lay.

to supposed that public school curriculum is the reason American creativity is tanking is like saying the titanic hit a chunk of ice. no my friends, that was an iceberg just like the one that is sinking the pioneering spirit of America. across the board, socially and culturally, everything possible is done to ensure that every American follows along like a good lemming.

WAYS TO COUNTERACT THE CREATIVITY CRISIS

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS
by zippythesimshead
stop unnecessarily medicating children and adults with highly creative personalities (ADD, etc)! i mean this RESPONSIBLY so please don't think i am pro porting that everyone should stop taking their meds. there ARE children and adults with real disorders that absolutely could not function without medication but like so many things in our culture - we are definitely overdoing drugs of every kind. if your child is a bit unruly in school or has trouble, then why not invest the time to training him/her how to focus and settle down naturally? nothing good can come from a society full of people who have depressed their creativity and uniqueness all their lives!


PLUG BACK INTO LIFE
stop watching other people have "interesting" lives on TV and start having one of your own. for people with children, this is ESPECIALLY important! the brain enters the alpha wave state (the definition of comatose!) when watching television and you are literally training your child's brain to exist in this condition. moreover, it's just not healthy for any brain to spend so much time inactive! if you can't kill your TV then figure out how to restrict it to a healthy, one or two programs a week. you'll be amazed at how much living you do and how much you can pack into a day when you aren't "plugged" in.

MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND
turn away from the media. they're the worst culprits of spoon feeding people their reality which is solely about whatever agenda they have. watch from a safe distance and make up your own mind. i don't watch the news or read the paper. i can't handle the negativity or the lack of objectivity of it all. i get all my info from "water cooler" conversations with friends and FB updates. then i start asking questions so that i can make up my own mind. unfortunately, the media is not interactive like that. u don't get to question. u just get whatever they've plunked in your lap and by the next commercial your brain has accepted what was said and moved on. so just say "NO" to traditional media.

PARENTS, JUST SAY "NO" TO VIDEO
games, that is. this is the number one, most influential item on this list. it has no future for your kids. you can't get a Master's Degree in Pacman no matter how badly your kid might want one. so do yourself a favor, don't let your kids invest valuable time and brain energy on a dead end street.


TURN THE MUNDANE INTO A GAME
whenever we go for a ride in the car that is sure to last more than 30 minutes, i play a game with my kids. we make up stories on the fly. interesting, colorful, sometimes gory stories that stick in their little brains. or one of us will make up a sentence and then everyone has to take a turn to add onto that sentence thus making up a "story on the fly". not only am i inserting creativity into the lives of my children, but you can't imagine how excited we all get and spend the time laughing together.

NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS
questioning is like digging. digging is the thing that has uncovered everything from diamonds in the earths crust to King Tut's tomb and the Terracotta Army! now imagine all the amazing things you've never uncovered simply because you didn't "dig." be an explorer. ask questions about everything and be prepared to be amazed at what you uncover. if you have children, absolutely and unequivocally encourage them to question everything even if it does drive you insane. if you don't have an answer to something, turn it back around on them and tell them to go find out. you have the internet and your local library where you will find the answer to just about every question under the sun.

so please, do your part in the battle against the creativity crisis. you'll be glad you did.

6 comments:

  1. Denyse,
    I'd love to follow-up with you via e-mail about your interest in exchanging some guest posts, but I can't seem to find your e-mail address. Could you shoot me a quick e-mail to:

    alamoreaux@bellsouth.net

    That way I can get your address and we can start on our guest posting adventure!

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  2. Yes! I totally agree with you - it's like we're becoming a culture of mindless drones and zombies. We stopped watching television at our house more than a year ago, and although we still watch some DVDs, and the kids still play some video and computer games, I've seen a huge improvement in their creativity - the same for my husband and I too. Everything in moderation is how we like to live - there can always be too much of a good thing if not careful. ;)

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  3. What a great post! I think creativity is just not encouraged enough these days and in some avenues, at all. There are so few creative projects in school today. I know I probably watch too much tv, but the kidlets are limited on it and video games as well. And we are family fans of asking why. We've been joking lately that our wee girl's middle name is 'why'. And I couldn't stiffle the giggle when we were out the other day, my son asked me a question that I didn't have an answer for. Wee girl, who had been very quiet during the conversation (she had been busy with a pad of paper & a pencil in the backseat), suddenly piped up, "Its okay, Mom. We can google it when we get home." I knew my son knew what google was, but I guess wee girl has been paying attention to where Mama goes for more answers or when her big brother wants to look up what something looks like! :>

    (I found you by way of BF, SITS and look forward to returning! :>)

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  4. Great post, I definatley agree with you on the medication. My daughter who is now getting ready to be 16, was diagnosed with OCD at the age of 11. OCD is rarely diagnosed early in ones life. She was always counting and doing different things. She would have to touch a stair 4 times each before she could come down the steps. Anyways to get to my point they immediately started giving her Prozac. She became more and more withdrawn and I decided as a Mother she would be better off without it. The side effects on many of these medications are far worse than what they need to learn to deal with in the first place. I give you kuddos for speaking out about it! My daughter is doing great and she has done just fine without the meds, we never know what the future holds but for now she is my regular moody teenager, but aren't they all! :)

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  5. Karen..sounds like you're doing a wonderful job. Thanks for being another mother who's trying to do something a little different!

    Amy..thanks for being brave enough to not only comment but to allow your child to be as she was intended. Greatness will come from it if as it sounds like you are supporting her in naturally finding what works for her! the rest be damned ;)

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  6. My favorite book: A whole New Mind by Daniel Pink is full of hope for the future of right brainers!

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