Week 9 session 8 THE CREATIVE PERSON AND

Week 9, session 8 THE CREATIVE PERSON AND CREATIVE PROCESS

CREATIVITY Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and in some way valuable is created When I examined myself, and my methods of thought, I came to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge. Albert Einstien There must be motivation and … persistence, courage, and love of one’s work. There has to be “the blazing drive. ” E. Paul Torrance (1995, p. 267)

CREATIVITY CON… Two interrelated purposes of gifted education: 1 - to help gifted student and young people become more self-actualized, creative individuals. 2 - to better enable gifted student to make creative contributions to society.

CREATIVITY CON. . Cropley and Urban (2000) states: “modern research on creativity, intelligence, and achievement showed that although students with high IQs obtained were consistently outstripped by those with not only a high IQ but also high creativity” (p. 485).

CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PERSON Creative persons frequently are high in self confidence, independence, adventurousness, risktaking, energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, playfulness, humor, idealism, and reflectiveness. They tend to be more perceptive and intuitive. Perceptive people are good at understanding things or figuring things out Intuitive means having the ability to understand or know something without any direct evidence or reasoning process They tend to have aesthetic and artistic interest attracted to the complex and mysterious.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PERSON CONTINUED They need privacy and alone time; They are willing to tolerate the ambiguity that accompanies engaging in creative problem solving; The admirable characteristics of independence and high energy A vast majority of historically eminent persons, writers and artists were mentally disturbed. (Walberg, 1988 and Richards, 1990, 1999).

CHARACTERISTICS CONTINUED Is It Easy to Recognize Creative Talent?

VIEWING THE CREATIVE PROCESS The traditional approach is to describe a sequence of stages through which one might proceed in solving a problem creativity. The creative process can be viewed as a change in perception ( seeing new idea combinations, new relationships, new meanings or new applications not seen before). Examine creative thinking techniques to produce new creative products.

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS 1. The Wallas Model (1926)

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS The Wallas Model (1926) 1. Preparation i. Absorb as much information as you can prior to the problem being developed (how? Reading - joining groups - experimentation) ii. Focus attention on the problem/issue (how? Divert energy away from other activities) iii. Examine information from one's own experiences (how? Time for reflection)

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS The Wallas Model (1926) 2. lncubation i. Set the problem aside and engage in excursive activities ii. Cease conscious work on the problem iii. Turn to other problems of simply relax (for some people sleeping or nap taking works - answers sometimes come from dreams - as they wake up)

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS The Wallas Model (1926) 3. lnspiration i. The solution appears suddenly, or by means of signposted information (symbols in dreams - "getting away from" dream) ii. The core of the problem springs into awareness 4. Verification i. The solution is tested for aptness and practicability ¡i. Logical and rational thought turn the sudden insight into an appropriate solution visible to others.

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS CONTINUED 2. A Two-Stage Model 1. Big Idea Stage – creative person is looking for a new idea or problem. 2. Elaboration Stage – idea development, elaboration, and implementation.

CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS CONTINUED 3. Creative Problem Solving Model (CPS), Alex Osborn, 1963 - fact finding - problem finding - idea finding - solution finding - acceptance finding

CREATIVE PROCESS/ CHANGE IN PERCEPTION The usually abrupt experience of “seeing” a new idea combination, new relationship, new meaning, new applications, or new perspective on a problem. This sudden change in perception is not well understand.

CAN CREATIVITY BE TAUGHT? Yes/No It is absolutely true that everyone’s personal creativity can be improved. Integrate problem solving activities in daily lessons. Use divergent thinking exercises as brainstorming activities.

GOALS OF CREATIVE TRAINING Raising creativity consciousness, creative attitudes, and strengthening creative personality traits Improving students’ understanding of creativity Strengthening creative abilities through exercises Teaching creative thinking techniques Involving students in creative activities

PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVE THINKING Creativity will help you live a more interesting, successful, and enjoyable life. Creative people are not rigid; they look at things from different points of view. Creative people are aware of pressures to conform—to be like everybody else. Creative people use their talents, not waste them.

PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVE THINKING CONTINUED Creative thinking includes taking risks and making mistakes—and the more creative the idea, the greater the risks of mistakes and failures. Creative people play with ideas, consider lots of possibilities, use techniques, think analogically, evaluate their ideas, and get their ideas into action.

Personality and Change Individuals do not always experience changes/uncertainties in a consistent or uniform way. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Identifies different personality preferences that we all use at different times but that each individual will have a preference for one particular combination over the others.

Individual Change -Personality and Change - MBTI Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I) Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N) Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)

Class Exercise Follow this link and complete the test in order to identify your personality type: http: //www. humanmetrics. com/cgiwin/jtypes 2. asp

Individual Change - Personality and Change – MBTI (I) ISTJ
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty. ISFJ
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home. INFJ
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision. INTJ
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others. ISTP
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency. ISFP
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what’s going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others. INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened. INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

Individual Change - Personality and Change – MBTI (I) ESTP
Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing. ESFP
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people. ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency. ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another. ESTJ
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans. ESFJ
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute. ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership. ENTJ
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.

Thanks! Questions?