Championing creativity in the classroom
Aruna Sankaranarayanan
In the previous two articles of this column, I discussed how teachers may foster curiosity and compassion in the classroom. Today, we will delve into a third ‘C’ that is also elemental to human flourishing but isn’t necessarily emphasized in mainstream schools. Creativity, or the ability to generate and choose original ideas or solutions that are valued by a discipline, is applicable to all fields or domains and is linked to having deep wells of curiosity. Contrary to popular perception, creativity is not limited to the arts, like music, painting and theatre, but extends to all disciplines from physics, to history, to economics. As Martin Robinson states in Trivium, “Creativity is neither the sole preserve of artists nor are all artists necessarily creative.”
In Creativity, psychologist Csikszentmihalyi points out that creativity does not reside “inside people’s heads,” but results from the synergistic “interaction between a person’s thoughts and a sociocultural context.” For creativity to emerge, three interlinked facets need to be present. First, creativity manifests within a domain, be it fashion design or quantum computing. Next, a field of experts in that domain act as “gatekeepers” or serve as judges of a body of work. Finally, a person working within a domain produces a novel idea or product that is deemed original by the field. Thus, creativity is not about unhindered expression or simply being set free or letting go. In fact, Robinson argues that constraints are an endemic feature of the creative process.
Illustrations: Soumya Menon
Characteristics of creative individuals
Csikszentmihalyi profiles the characteristics of creative individuals. Most of them have unusual amounts of energy or grit to work hard. Contrary to lay belief, creatives don’t just tap out a melody or solve an intractable math problem effortlessly. Creative works don’t result from pure inspiration but require years of sweat and toil. While creative individuals typically have above-average intelligence, IQs beyond 120 don’t seem to confer further advantages to them. In Creating Minds, Howard Gardner adds that though creativity and intelligence are correlated, the two constructs are not synonymous.
Original thinkers, movers and shakers also tend to exhibit complex personalities that often house contradictions, says Csikszentmihalyi. For example, though creative people are unusually disciplined about working, they also combine elements of playfulness into their work. According to Gardner, even Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology, noticed similarities between children’s play and creative processes. While creative people are inordinately passionate about the problems or tasks they’re working on, they’re also able to detach from them to judge them objectively. However, in Originals, Adam Grant notes that even creative geniuses have difficulties predicting which of their works will be a hit or a miss. So, whether an idea or work is regarded as creative ultimately rests on how the field responds to it.
As all creative journeys are marked by crests of achievement and troughs of doubt, creative individuals have to brace themselves to ride these emotional peaks and valleys, observes Csikszentmihalyi. Original thinkers are also self-assured and self-critical. Due to the former, they’re able to plough on with their novel ideas; however, without the latter, they cannot critique their own work. Interestingly, they also marry a traditional outlook with a rebellious streak. Because creative works build upon previous knowledge in a domain, creative thinkers first need to understand the constraints and demands of their field. At the same time, they inject novelty and shift paradigms by questioning accepted norms.
The creative process
Csikszentmihalyi identifies five steps that constitute the “creative process.” In the preparation stage, individuals become conversant with major issues, themes, and problems that define their field. In the incubation period, people may generate ideas and solutions, often at a subliminal level. During the third stage, eureka moments enter the level of consciousness and a person gains insight. Next, the person has to assess the ideas and judge whether they are “valuable and worth pursuing.” The last stage of elaborating on the ideas is possibly the hardest and the longest.
Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal contribution to the field of psychology is his concept of flow which he describes as a “state of consciousness” wherein individuals are completely immersed in a particular task that they lose track of time and even themselves. Gardner also notes that creative people invest a lot of time pondering over their work and are driven by intrinsic motivation. They often report undergoing this “optimal experience” while working. According to Csikszentmihalyi, when a person is in flow, they have clear goals of what they want to accomplish and are able to assess if they’re progressing towards them. The demands of the task also mesh with their skill and knowledge levels. Likewise, Gardner observes that creative individuals harness their strengths. During flow, they work with an intense focus and are not worried about failing.
How teachers can foster creativity
Gardner and Grant highlight that creatives are very productive, churning out both outstanding and suboptimal work. While they are known only for the former, we should remember that great minds also produce subpar work. This point is especially relevant when we are nurturing young minds to be creative. We should encourage children to be prolific instead of pressuring them to produce stellar works.
Additionally, creativity in adulthood stems from childhood experiences. When children are allowed to explore in unfettered ways and are not hemmed in by fear or adult injunctions, they gain a “capital of creativity” that Gardner avers they can mine in adulthood. Children who tinker with toys, meander down rocky paths looking for stones and bugs or those who stage puppet shows with homemade props are more likely to make creative strides as adults. Both parents and teachers need to give time and space to children to wander and wonder.
While creatives need in-depth knowledge in their field, Grant points out that they also benefit from having a broad array of interests outside their discipline. Allowing students to dabble in diverse subjects and hobbies that interest them may help them gain unusual perspectives. Grant also finds that exposure to varied cultures promotes “flexibility and adaptability.”
Echoing his famed theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner observes that creators differ both in their “dominant intelligence” and the “combination of intelligences.” So, teachers need to be aware that children too will present unique profiles of “intelligences.” Both Gardner and Grant argue that most people who are creative as adults weren’t prodigies as children. So, giving children time to explore and discover the domain that they’re most comfortable in is what educators can do. Exposing children to role models and learning about their creative journeys can also imbue children with confidence to think differently. Gardner also mentions that creative individuals benefit from having a mentor who provides both emotional support and domain-specific feedback.
Finally, we need to encourage students to question. In his book, Originals, Adam Grant writes that the “hallmark of originality is rejecting the default,” which starts by asking “why the default exists” in the first place. Unfortunately, in schools, when students challenge established mores, or the status quo, adults often view these children as rebellious. According to Grant, children who exhibit creativity are usually not the “teacher’s pet.” By creating a classroom climate that welcomes all questions, including, perhaps, some uncomfortable ones, we let students develop a critical voice that may later spur creative insights.
References
- Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997) Creativity: Flow & the Psychology of Discovery & Invention. New York: Harper Collins
- Gardner, H. (1993) Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity. New York: Basic Books.
- Grant, A. (2016) Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World. London: W H Allen
The writer is the author of Zero Limits: Things Every 20-Something Should Know. She blogs at https://arunasankaranarayanan.com
