Creativity: Talent or Discipline - Essay Example

First & Creativity: Talent or Discipline? Recently, it became popular to speak about creative thinking or creative abilities as necessary “skills”, which determine persons successful career. While looking through a great number of employees CVs and resumes, one may find that the most widespread description of individuals positive qualities begins with “communicative”, “creative”, etc. However, does it mean that all these people were born creative, or else they acquired creativity after being taught it? Moreover, is it really possible to apply the notion of “creativity” to any sphere of life and work, which, than, would contradict the common idea that creativity is always about artistic activity? The following essay will focus on answering the above mentioned questions. Also, it aims to analyze the nature of creativity, its main aspects and factors that influence the development of persons creative skills. As a result, it should be understood whether creativity is an inborn talent or everyone can nurture it in himself. Finally, it is pertinent to describe some techniques which help to foster individual creativity as well as how creativity may be explained to children. So, what is creativity? Some people amount it to the artistic work of musicians, artists, actors, thinking that creativity refers only to those who have some visible talents, which differ them from the rest. At the same time, others believe that creativity is a talent itself. In fact, it can be said that creativity is a result of the talent which was developed and practically realized. Otherwise, without having social acknowledge of it, the talent is likely to fade with time. Certainly, the talent can serve as a hobby. Yet, without recognition of its uniqueness it has nothing to do with creativity. Ken Robinson, the honored Professor of Education, defined creativity as “a process of having original ideas that have value” (Azzam 22). He has pointed out that all people, and especially children, have talents, given to them by nature (Robinson 16). Yet, as it was said, the mere talent is not enough to become creative. According to Robinson, “being creative is looking for new ways of doing things within the activity youre involved in” (Azzam 22). For instance, singers and musicians of the Beatles famous rock band definitely had talents of singing and playing music instruments. Yet, many people have such talents and only few become celebrated. The Beatles were called the greatest group of the rock era and one of the most influential singers of all times, whose activity divided the music history into “before” and “after”. However, all that was possible because of their novelty approach to performing music. Mixing rock-n-roll motives of the 50s, symphonic and psychedelic rhythms, they created new music style, which did not exist before and which greatly effected what was done after. The given example contains an idea of creativity and portrays the difference and interrelation between the talent and creativity. Sometimes creativity is viewed as an invention. After thinking on this issue, I came to conclusion that invention, unlike talent which acts as a basis, may be either a source or a result of creativity. While speaking about the Web tablet design, Steve Jobs explained that he wanted to create a device without keyboard so one could simply type on the screen with his fingers. With the help of proper technical knowledge Web tablet appeared. Web tablet, thus, turns to be a final product of creativity. As for the creative process itself, it referred to Jobs ability to generate new idea depending on the knowledge he had. The creativity in the invention of penicillin by Fleming lied in the bacteriologists unique idea to use Penicillin fungi against bacterial infections. Therefore, invention serves as a result of ones creative activity. Another example is McDonalds chain of fast-food restaurants. Ray Kroc, the first owner of McDonalds Corporation, neither invented hamburger nor the line principles of production and sale. However, he “invented” the idea that brought McDonalds international success. The combination of line production, “fast” service, low prices and specific food determined McDonalds popularity. In general, as Robert Sternberg suggested, creative people are ones who “approach routine problems in novel ways” and “who make a decision” in spite of the “crowds defiance” towards this decision or idea (3). Sternberg is known for his investment theory of creativity (“Buy low and sell high in the world of ideas”), according to which “creativity requires a confluence of six resources: intellectual abilities, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation, environment” (5). As it can be seen from Sternbergs definition, creativity is not a unique and phenomenological trait possessed by few privileged people. Basically, creativity simply depends on the psychological features of humans intelligence, which is characterized as diverse, dynamic and distinct (Robinson). It is in the nature of our intelligence to collect information about the world either “visually, kinesthetically, etc.” or “ in terms, in movement” and interact with the world accordingly (Robinson). Once our brain perceives information from the outer being, humans mind, or intelligence, starts to build connections, which result in the attitude towards the things surrounding us. Due to the fact that there are no even two identical people in the world, we all have different attitudes. It is considered that all children have tremendous capacities of creativity. Yet, when they become grown-ups these capacities disappear somehow. If you ask several children to draw a picture, each of them will do it differently. And when you ask them to describe it – explanations will also be different, and different from adults as well. Pediatric psychologists argue that children usually focus on the process, while adults concentrate on the final goal. That is the reason why children change their activity so fast: they are trying to explore as many relations between objects as possible, moving from one item to another. The necessity to make connections stimulates thinking activity. Consequently, children ask so many questions. At the same time, being not limited by social and psychological restrictions, unlike adults, these connections can take any rational or irrational form, which one may call creativity. However, when person goes to school, then university and workplace, he gets used to social norms in order to live among people. Thus, he is “forced” to accept social rules and stereotypes. And we start to think as all other people around us. Yet, nowadays people are changing their opinion towards creativity. More and more employers and directors are looking for workers who can think creatively and produce “fresh” ideas, which are necessary to promote the growth of the enterprise. I believe that if we are born creative, we cannot loose this ability when grow up. It is likely to be dimmed or forgotten, though still possible to be revealed and developed. In short, creativity is no more than a process of deep uncontrolled thinking about one particular idea, supported by “a disciplined path of daily education”. (Azzam 23). Besides imagination and inspiration, Ken Robinson underlined the significance of “skill, knowledge, control... critical thinking... and passion” among the crucial components for developing creativity: “Creativity is about working in a highly focused way on ideas and projects, crafting them into their best forms and making critical judgments along the way about which work best and why” (16). Therefore, when we grow up we can develop creative abilities in ourselves. Still, it would be better if children are taught to think creatively from the very beginning of their studying. In her article, dedicated to creativity in education, Peggy Grant claims that very rarely anything is done “to enhance students’ creativity beyond rewarding it when we see it” (Grant). In my opinion rewarding is good in the sense that child understands that he does something valuable and special, when he performs his creative skills which are highly appreciated. But it is not the only method of promoting creativity. Vice versa, if always rewarded, children may loose the idea of real value of his work or have no motivation for the further improvement. Sternberg admits that “many people believe that they should reward children immediately for good performance... but greatest rewards are often those that are delayed. Teacher should explain that hard work often does not bring immediate rewards”(Sternberg). In order to do creative work, leading to further gratification, children should breed discipline in themselves and be ready to wait during an indefinite period of time. Sternberg also offers a number of advices on how children can be taught creativity. In fact, he speaks about the creativity not in the meaning of a particular subject as maths or literature, but in the sense of creative approach which should be encouraged within all disciplines. For example, he suggests the following methods: modeling creativity, questioning assumption, encouraging sensible risks, teaching self-responsibility, promoting self-regulation, encouraging collaboration, and finding excitement. Modeling creativity, when the teacher plays as a role model, is recognized as one of the most widespread and effective methods of promoting creative thinking. On his own example, teacher shows how a creative person would act in this or that situation. Then he asks children to model their own situations and behavior on the basis of an “example”. At the end children should explain their actions. It is indisputable that teacher bears an important role in the process of childrens learning. He serves not only as a model for their actions and thoughts, but also as a “supervisor” who encourages children to participate and speak as, in order to create something, children should be, first of all, involved into the activity. Teaching self-responsibility and self-regulation means that children should be analytical and critical towards their “inventions” as well as they should understand its possible consequences. At the same time they should possess the feeling of control. Otherwise, it is difficult to concentrate on the core of the problem. Finally, teacher should stimulate children to ask questions, search for all possible solutions, try to find their own answers without outer help, explain existing theories and phenomena of life and science in their own words or, what is better, encourage to find their own conclusions. Also, the teacher is the one who should assist children to unlock their talents and develop them efficiently and creatively. Hence, creativity refers to process of generating and promoting new ideas. Creative ability is considered as the capacity to find novelty approaches in resolving everyday issues. Creativity, as well as talent, is given to every person from his very birth. Yet, not all people are able to preserve it until their adulthood. However, creativity can be taught. While it is not a supernatural gift, person can develop his creative skills through dedication, passion, discipline and control upon the activity, which involves and fascinates him. Works Cited Azzam, Amy M. “Why Creativity Now? A Conversation with Sir Ken Robinson”. Teaching for the 21st Century September 2009: 22-26. Print. Grant, Peggy. Teaching Creativity — Can We Do It? And If We Can, How? Clarity Innovations, 16 June 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Robinson, Ken. How Schools Kill Creativity. TED Talks, 2006. Online Video Conference. Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative. Chichester, West Sussex: Capstone, 2011. Print. Sternberg, Robert J. “The Assessment of Creativity: An Investment-Based Approach”. Creativity Research Journal 2012: 3-12. Print. Sternberg, Robert and Wendy M. Williams. Teaching For Creativity: Two Dozen Tips. CDL, 1 January 2003. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. Read More