This the second post in a series from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children. The first post talked about the process of creative thinking, and how creativity is for everyone. Charlie continues the discussion here …

Why Creativity?

When I coach people who are looking for jobs, I advise them to show they have solved problems. Employers want people who can create new solutions to old problems. Business and industry once sought workers who would conform to the profile of efficiency and productivity. Today and for the foreseeable future, they seek original thinkers. These are individuals who are self-motivated, resourceful and think “outside the box.” Therefore, creative thinking is probably the most valued attribute, whether in an artist, inventor, employee or as a part of everyday living. Whether you are devising the next internet phenomena or cooking without a recipe, everyone needs to be creative.

Can Creativity be learned?

I developed and taught a course called, Exploring Your Creativity. Students were given open-end problems, for which there was no single correct answer. Problems were derived from multiple disciplines. For example, we did the Egg Drop problem, which involves dropping an egg from ceiling to floor. The idea is to protect the egg in a way that will keep it from breaking. They were asked to invent a new game and create an original musical instrument. In between, there were experiences in focused daydreaming, research articles to read and discussions about of the creative process. Exercises challenged their usual way of perceiving the world. Something as routine as brushing your teeth, using your opposite hand, will make you mindful of what is usually done by rote.

At first, the students had no idea what to do when given a problem. They had been taught to look at what had already been done to derive answers. For the first time, they had to look at what could be done. It was frustrating. Gradually, they began to “get it.” Instead of resisting, they learned the phases of the creative process, from inception to production. The transformation was nothing short of astounding. By mid term, they relished each new challenge, begging me to tell them what we would be doing next.

Higher Order Thinking

When I was in 8th grade, I built a science far project about the solar system. There were nine planets in my system. Now, I don’t even know how many planets there are. But, I know how to find-out. Since the days of the one-room school house, the key to academic success has been a good working memory. The ability to retain facts, figures and data pretty much determined how well a student would perform. It was even thought that memorization strengthened the brain, the way exercise strengthens a muscle. Do you remember when the study of US History was confined to a single text book and an occasional film strip? Now, a student can learn more about the Civil War in an evening watching the History Channel than I learned from a year of social studies.

The internet is a never ending source of information – and misinformation – and links. The dusty, old textbook has become obsolete as the Model A Ford. More information than anyone can use is as close as an app on the smart phone. Psychologists call this “transactive memory;” that a great deal of what we know is stored outside our heads. Having information, alone, does not give a person the ability to think. Knowing about the Battle of Gettysburg is not the same as being able to extrapolate the causes and effects of the Civil War. So, how has education adapted? Educators are in the process of finding methods and materials that teach higher level thinking. It’s not enough to know what; students need to know “how, why and what if…”. At the top of the higher order thinking pyramid is creativity.

Schools and Creativity

Schools are based on an academic model. While many creative people are extremely intelligent in the traditional IQ standard, there is a point beyond which that does not apply; in fact, many highly creative individuals are not what you might call “super smart.” The No Child Left Behind mandate – begun in President Bush’s administration – continues to be hotly debated. Proponents of competency based testing applaud the mandate because it identifies those schools and programs which do not measure-up to the standard.

Meanwhile, opponents assert that “teaching for the test” is ruining education, because only a limited portion of a student’s proficiency is being measured. Unquestionably, standardized tests have become the driving force behind classrooms and curriculums. Music, art and other creative/expressive experiences have been reduced or eliminated, to make time for more academic enhancement. It is imperative that teachers have the time and resources to design and implement curriculums that address creative thinking. Practically, the jobs of the future will not be based on the skills of the past.

Share your thoughts below … and then join us for Charlie’s last post in the series titled Raising creative children”!

This the third and last post in a series from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children. You can view the first post and second post – and then finish the discussion below!

Whether or not a child fully develops his/her creative potential depends – to a large degree – on the environment. At home and in school, children need to experience activities which are engaging, motivational, open-ended (with no predetermined answer) and – let’s not forget – fun. It is crucial that the creative environment is accepting and supportive. For children, creative experience is play. The make-up games, turn utensils toys, and allow their imaginations to take them to other worlds. Daydreaming, often considered to be a waste of time, is an integral part of the creative process. Children need to feel they can risk trying-out new ideas, materials and methods. Give children permission to take a risk. Ask questions and try not to be judgmental. The very fact that something is creative implies that it represents a new standard. Whether constructing a fort out of cardboard cartons or making-up rhymes (we call it poetry when adults do it), all children are naturally creative and possess an unlimited capacity to learn.

The Characteristics of Creative Thinkers

Creativity can be expressed in every aspect of life. The creative process is associative. It has to do with “seeing” from a new viewpoint and trying novel combinations. The results are new ideas, discoveries and applications. While there is no such thing as a creative personality, creators generally display behaviors which contribute to their process.

Energy – Creativity is like a rechargeable battery; it is a renewable energy source.

Focus – The creative process doesn’t turn-on & off, like a light. Creators are always thinking, about their problem, even when they sleep.

Open Minds – Most people habituate; that is, they do things in the same way, every time. Creators are willing to try things that haven’t been tried before. They challenge habitual ways of thinking.
Creators challenge assumptions and suspend judgment. Creators redefine what is possible.

Explorers – Creators are explorers. Like the early American pioneers, they don’t always know where they are going or what they will find, but they are always looking.

Tenacity – Creative individuals exhibit an unwavering resolve. They are neither discouraged nor defeated by unanticipated events, circumstances or obstacles.

Resilience – When creators fail – which happens often – they recover and rebound, rather than giving-up and placing blame. Creators view every failed attempt as information that will inevitably lead to success.

Play – Pablo Picasso said, “All children are artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Do you remember what it was like to play? There were no rules, goals or judgments. It was pure fun for its own sake. Play is an integral part of the creative process.

Horizontal Thinking – The term horizontal thinking was introduced by Edward de Bono. Traditional vertical thinking is logical and convergent; step A is followed by step B, and so forth. Creativity is much less linear. It can go from Step C to step W and back to A. Thus, horizontal thinking expands outward, rather than upward.

Discovering Common Characteristics – Creativity people are like anthropologists. Creative people see connections between disparate things. By combining two or more apparently unrelated ideas, objects or functions, they create something new.

Making Metaphors – Metaphors and analogies play an important role in the creative process. T Revealing new relationships can be artistic and insightful.

Reframing – Viewing common things in a novel ways is called reframing. Sometimes creativity involves reconciling ideas which are apparently contradictory. Can poison have medical applications?

Curiosity – Curiosity is the motivating factor for many creative individuals. They want to know, how, when and why something happens. Creative thinkers are compelled to express their vision to find a better way.

Courage – Creativity requires a high degree of courage. Trying anything new involves risking failure. Creators are not discouraged by rejection.

Risk Taking – Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the creative thinker is the willingness to take a risk. For the creator, failure provides invaluable information and experience. While the unknown scares most people, creators seek it.

Intrinsic Motivation – While most people work for external rewards – money, grades, fame, etc – creators work from the “inside-out.” This is called intrinsic motivation. These persons are self-starters whose satisfaction comes from the process as much as the outcome.

Obsession – Creativity requires dedication and hard work. Creators are obsessed with what they are doing. Their minds are always “in gear,” even when they are sleeping.

Imagination – Picasso said he would like to draw like a child. Indeed, a child’s imagination a wonderful thing. As we grown older, we seem to lose-touch with the capacity to create fantasy worlds. There are no limits to the imagination. Dreams, fantasizing and imagination are integral parts of the creative process. Allowing the mind to focus inward provides freedom to freely associate.

Collaboration – Until recently, it was assumed that creativity was an isolated activity. Now, it is understood that people can be interactive resources for ideas. Many cutting-edge companies promote interaction among peers as ways of exchanging ideas and promoting creativity.

“Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art.” – Maya Angelou, American poet

“My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with same status” – Sir Ken Robinson

This is the first in a series of posts from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children.

A Bucket, Mop and…

For many years, I washed my floors with a rag mop and a bucket. Eventually, I bought a Swiffer. What a difference! In the book, Imagine, John Lehrer describes how the Swiffer was invented. Back in the 1980’s, Proctor and Gamble needed a new type of floor cleaner. They taped hours of monotonous floor cleaning. When the team analyzed the tapes, they found that people spent more time cleaning their mops than the floors. Then, the team observed a woman picking-up coffee grounds. She carefully swept the debris and used a wet paper towel to wipe the linoleum; something I have done, more than once. The idea for a mop with a disposable pad was born. Still, it took a year to convince P&G to test the radical new device that no one wanted. In 1999, the Swiffer entered the market. It generated $550 million in sales the first year. The Swiffer is an example of how an innocuous idea can have a big impact.

Creativity…It’s for everyone

Say the word creativity and most people think of artists and inventors. There is a prevailing assumption that creativity is a talent; either you’re born with it, or not… Certainly, some people are inherently creative. They seem to be driven, curious and have a need to express their internal vision. But, given the opportunity and motivation, everyone is creative. It was once thought that there was a “creative” personality type. Subsequently, this has been shown to be false. Creativity is not some sort of magic. It had been observed, researched and identified. Most importantly, creativity can be learned. All it requires is the right attitude, motivation and commitment.

What is Creative Thinking?

There are many definitions of creativity. But, the basic idea is that creativity is a process for producing original ideas. The old adage, “There’s nothing new under the sun,” contains a nugget of truth. Ideas are built upon ideas, like a house on a foundation. Eventually, from this amalgamation, something new arises. It is this next step that we call the creative leap. The idea of the “Eureka” moment – that original ideas unexpectedly arrive out of “thin air” – is a myth. The insight that is often associated with creativity is always at result of hard work. Creativity is most often applicable to open-ended problems; those which have no finite answer. Our usual way of thinking is convergent thinking, which brings a set of facts to bear on a particular problem. From these, we draw a conclusion. Alternately, divergent thinkers identify characteristics and make unexpected associations. The chess player who has memorized thousands of moves is different from the player who invents an entirely unprecedented combination. This kind of creative problem solving is characterized by divergent thinking.Creativity is a process of thinking that follows a predictable course to an unpredictable outcome.

For more on this topic, read Charlie’s next post on higher order thinking and exploring the question “can creativity be learned?”