Archive for the Category » International Center for Studies in Creativity «

Jul
15

Fun Creative Inspiration

Blue toenail polish in honor of Dr. Mary Murdock

We all have the power to create!  Today’s first creative prompt is:  follow a child’s example. Invent a new world using markers and colored paper. Turn your handprint into a work of art. Make a book out of pictures you’ve torn out of magazines. Transform trash into a treasure. Take your imagination out for a ‘play date.’ Invent something fun and functional (like lizard sandals – my newest fashion statement!)  The only limits are in your mind…and I invite you to practice ignoring them;)

“When we live our life as art we make room for creativity, flow, connection, synchronicity, and magic.”
Heather Ash Amara

The 2011 International Children’s Art Festival held June 17-19th on The National Mall in Washington D.C. brought together children, parents, teachers and performers from around the globe to join in a transformational celebration of creativity. I was there presenting along with 9 other students from the International Center for Studies in Creativity - under the guidance of Dr. Cyndi Burnett. Together we created opportunities for children to exercise their creative spirits and play with possibilities. 

“Creativity is a characteristic given to all human beings at birth.”
Abraham Maslow

Witnessing spontaneous bursts of creative inspiration can be contageous!  A young girl named Dilnoza came half way around the world (look up Tajikistan on the map and you’ll see just how far she traveled to get to Washington DC) to share her talents at my table by creating the flower-filled lizard land shown above.  It was fun watching many new worlds being created out of the fertile imaginations of children from 2 to 12 who spoke different languages, yet shared a universal appreciation for different forms of creative expression. I noticed adults looking longingly at the art supplies – and in some cases – taking the markers out of their children’s hands and taking over the creative process. This is a big ‘creativity craving’ clue.  Adults: if you get the urge to take over/improve(?)/direct/guide a child’s art, it’s time to give yourself free access to the same supplies, as well as your own ‘creative play time.’  When children visited my presentation table, they were invited to select and ‘adopt’ a (rubber) lizard. Their creative ‘task’ was to create a ‘world’ the lizard would love to live in. It could take any form – from something on the moon or in the desert or anywhere in a child’s imagination. The most wonderful part was hearing the children’s ‘lizard land’ stories! Magical!  You ARE encouraged to try this at home!

                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                

“Moment after moment we are creating something, and this is the joy of our life.”
Shunryu Suzuki

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to play with your creativity?  ‘Everyday creativity’ researcher, Dr. Ruth Richards reminds us this type of creating is , “…one of the most powerful capacities we have, bringing us alive in each moment, affecting our health and well being, offering richness and alternatives in what we do, and helping us move further in our creative and personal development.”  (From Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature , 2007, page 25).

“The creative process includes exploring, experimenting, messing around with materials, being playful, entering into the unknown.”
Natalie Rogers

 
 
 

Marta's "Wish 2B Creative" Collage, 2011

Currently, my favorite forms of creative self-expression are collage, photography, and Latin dancing.  I also have a dream to create an Art Play House in Sarasota, Florida, based on the work of Shona Hammond Boys, an art educator/advocate extraordinaire who lives in New Zealand.  We connected at the International Children’s Art Festival and discovered we share a passion for promoting creativity worldwide. She showed an amazing video which I highly recommend viewing, which tells the story of the Opotiki, New Zealand Children’s Mural Project (and the coolest view of a whale tail as well as children catching big fish with their bare hands).  When  you have a half hour to get inspired, click the link above. About 15 minutes into the movie, Shona speaks to the dramatic, positive outcomes of this project. It is nothing less than transformational. To learn more about Shona’s Art Houses in New Zealand, visit: www.arthouse.org.nz . I love the simple truth of this child’s view of creativity. View the video by clicking here.

“One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other’s stories.”
Rebecca Falls

 

Fun creative inspiration comes from trying new things, playing with materials,being around children creating, and sharing stories. Creativity lessons are all round us. Listen for laughter. Follow your joy. Be curious and take some risks. It’s the recipe for making magical moments. The photo of my friend Carol (in blue) and I in front of a wrought iron re-creation of Cinderella’s carriage demonstrates the creative result of acting on inspiration. I saw the carriage and, like a couple of kids, we decided to sneak over and capture the moment, just for the fun of it!  Creativity prompt #2 is to do something just a little  bit daring (or ‘out of character’)…and take a picture! I recruited a ‘partner in crime’ to catch me in a few fun poses and discovered I enjoy being a ‘creative director’ in photo sessions!  Both photos were taken at The Art Center in Sarasota, Florida.  They have a great exhibit of scanned objects from nature which is jaw-droppingly beautiful which will be showing until the end of July. It’s a great place to visit!

I hope you enjoyed this ‘fun creative inspiration’ blog. As always, you’re invited to visit www.JoyofQuotes.com daily for positive, encouraging quotes and inspiration. We’ve added some new subject categories – including a page of quotes to use on Twitter. I’ll be adding ‘tweetable’ quotes weekly, so keep stopping by. You can also help support our website by clicking on the ads posted by our advertisers. Even if you don’t make a purchase, your click helps offset the costs of keeping our site up and growing.  Thanks, in advance, for your help! I also love hearing from visitors to this blog and hope you will feel inspired to share your comments. 

July is ‘birthday month’ for three of my very dear friends: Tamara on the 22nd, Carol on the 25th, and Janus on the 26th. I hope this is the year each of  your happiest dreams come true!
Thank you for all the ways you bless my life!  And if your birthday is in July, too, I wish you nothing but wonderfulness;)

With peace, joy and smiles….Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Photo Credit:  A special thank you to Tamara Williams who treated me to a fabulous photo session which resulted in many new ‘favorite photos’ – including this professional ‘head shot.’
She made it fun being photographed. If you are ever in Sarasota and need a wonderful photographer, Tamara comes highly recommended! E-mail: magicalmarta@aol.com for details.

Category: Creative Expression, Creativity, Creativity and Inspiration, Creativity Quotes, Fun, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Play  Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  2 Comments
Jun
13

Are creativity & empathy connected?

 

Research based on 14 years of Peace through Art and Healing Arts programs, has shown measurable development of empathy in all those connected with these creative efforts (Lancet medical journal, December 2006). People who ‘own’ their creativity are possibility thinkers. To them obstacles are opportunities. They have the courage it takes to act on ideas and think differently. High creatives are sensitive to feelings (their own and others) and can easily come to tears, but they also bravely stand up for what is right and refuse to be silent witnesses to suffering or inequity.  We all have the creative ability to look at situations through another person’s eyes or imagine life walking in another’s shoes.  Radical creativity is about joining hands and hearts with creators worldwide and fashioning a sustainable world where both creativity and empathy are seen as keys to a peaceful and flourishing planet. Are you ready to get involved? 

Creativity & Empathy Collage

“Creativity challenges the status quo.”
Ruth Richards

One of my greatest discoveries as a student at Buffalo State, was the work of Ruth Richards, M.D., PhD.  Earlier blogs sang the praises of  Everyday Creativity: Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Perspectives.  Now, I’m excited to share a link which lets you to see, hear and learn from my mentor.  Click here for your front row seat:  Age of Empathy? New Views of Health, Human Nature, and Relational Creativity is an informative talk by Dr. Ruth Richards, Harvard researcher, eminent creativity scholar, and professor of psychology at Saybrook University, which offers insights into the connections between creativity and empathy.  I invite you to view the video and share it with others who have an interest in both creativity and empathy’s roles in the survival of our species!  After viewing the video, the slide show and reference list can also be printed out.  I found the information about Darwin’s later works very illuminating. I encourage you to explore Edwin Rutsch’s site:  http://CultureofEmpathy.com . It’s a rich source of empathy quotes, projects, experts, empathy curriculum suggestions, and much more. You are also invited to be part of: http://www.facebook.com/EmpathyCenter

 If you are a parent or educator interested in building empathy in children, Ruth Richards recommends Growing up Global: Raising Children to be at Home with the World by Homa Sabet Tavanger (2009).  How do you encourage empathy in your family?  I’d love your feedback in the form of a comment on this blog or via e-mail: magicalmarta@aol.com

“The encouragement of creativity from an early age is one of the best guarantees of growth in a healthy environment self-esteem and mutual respect – critical ingredients for building a culture of peace.”
UNESCO

Empathy-building creativity in action can be witnessed June 17-19, 2011, from 4th Street to 7th Street of the National Mall in Washington DC (across from the U.S. Capital), the site of the 4th World Children’s Festival. If you live in the area – consider come see me. The event is free and the public is invited.  I will be presenting Saturday at 2pm during “Creativity + Imagination Day.”  A group of ten students and graduates of Buffalo State’s International Center for Studies in Creativity led by Dr. Cynthia Burnett, will be stimulating children’s inherent creativity and potential in playful, experiencial ways. We’ll be there Sunday (at 2pm again) to present creative workshops focused on building creative and healthy communities during “Peace + Leadership Day.” The festival is held in honor of nearly 1,000 Arts Olympiad winners from around the world, along with their teachers and parents. More than 200 artists, educators, engineers, entrepreneurs, Olympians, scientists, and technologists will host free workshops and creative activities.  This event is designed to, “…nurture children’s creativity and develop their empathy in a global setting…The festival is a transformative experience where creativity and co-creation become building blocks for innovation and positive social change which empowers the children to shape the future and change the world” (ICAF program).  I am so excited to be part of this amazing event.  Creativity, playfulness, joy and connections will be fully present…GUARANTEED!

“It’s a joy discovering so many creative spirits sharing their gifts with a hungry world.”
Marta Davidovich Ockuly

 As a very recent graduate with a Master’s of Science degree in Creativity, I’m thrilled to be discovering so many amazing applications of creativity by agents for positive change in our world.  Shortly after returning home to Sarasota, I noticed this inspiring sculpture in front of a home on the way to the beach.  I love the message (and the fact the person who put it up cares so much about inspiring others!)  Giving ourselves permission to make mistakes is powerful. What fear is blocking you?  Pretend it’s a dragon you’ve banished from your kingdom. You are a creative free spirit with a destiny. Imagine me waving a magical wand over your head and declaring: “The world is waiting for what you long to create. The sooner you start making mistakes JOYFULLY, the sooner you’ll make the discovery which leads to a life-changing discovery.”  Make this a time of creative action. Consider re-creating yourself as a compasionate activist.

Creativity Prompt:  What ’cause’ do you care about?  How might you begin playing with this possibility? Create a ’cause’ collage (better yet – host a ’cause collage’ party)!

10 New Quotes About Empathy

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.”
Meryl Streep

“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.”
Daniel Goleman

 ”Only by examining our personal biases can we truly grow as artists; only by cultivating empathy can we truly grow as people.”
Jen Knox

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not – and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation – in its’ arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”
J.K. Rowling

“To embrace suffering culminates in greater empathy, the capacity to feel what it is like for the other to suffer, which is the ground for unsentimental compassion and love.”  
Stephen Batchelor (Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist)

 ”I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.”
Roger Ebert

“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.”
Frederick Buechner

“Help someone, you earn a friend. Help someone too much, you make an enemy.”
Erol Ozan

“We live in a culture that discourages empathy. A culture that too often tells us our principle goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained.”
Barack Obama

 “Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.  Instead of offering empathy, we often have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling.  Empathy, however, calls upon us to empty our mind and listen to others with our whole being.”
Marshall Rosenberg

Ann Paquin, creator of 'Gratitude Dancing'

This is a photo of my amazing friend Ann. She is the inspiration and creative spirit behind ‘Gratitude Dancing’ on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, FL.  I joyfully participated in her last session and it was a truly beautiful experience seeing friends and strangers dancing with joy.  Ann sets the scene by bringing a boom box (her own or borrowed), CD’s, a variety of colorful silk veils in adult and child-friendly sizes, and a small sign which invites everyone to take part in the fun.  It’s all about appreciation for the gift of  ’this moment’ and the healing benefits of moving our bodies to music in nature.  Veils are offered to people passing by. At first some people seem shy, but with a bit of encouragement they use the scarf to give their dancing spirit wings!  Men and women, boys and girls, elders and newlyweds, tourists and locals, jocks and self-professed ‘non-dancers’ connect with the primal urge to move with the music in a form of moving prayer to the angel of the present moment. Ann’s newest idea is to somehow help people make time in their busy days for a ‘dance break’ which can relieve stress while adding a dose of joy ‘in the moment’.  I told her my personal ‘dance break’ song is Waka Waka by Shakira. I simply cannot hear that song without getting up and dancing. What’s YOUR happy dance song?  Play it. To explore Ann’s creative ventures visit www.chezastara.com and www.facebook.com/gratitudedancer .  How can you use YOUR passion to bless the world?  It’s time to share our stories, build our creative tribes, and use our creativity to fuel empathy for a better world…gratefully.

“I want us to organize, to tell the personal stories that create empathy, which is the most revolutionary emotion.”
Gloria Steinem

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”
Oprah Winfrey

June is a month of very special celebrations. My website: www.JoyofQuotes.com will be 2 years old  June 18th!  Now we’re very close to hitting the “100,000 monthly visits” milestone thanks to positive, empowering quote lovers from around the world who choose this site for daily inspiration!  A big blessing goes out to every single person who has ever visited Joy of Quotes and recommended it to someone in need of encouragement, as well as my son who set up the site as a loving gift to his mom.  Thank you all for ‘getting inspired and passing it on!” 

June “Happy Birthday” wishes go out to Hanif, Miley, Ronni, Chepe, Stephan and Juliana.  May you all enjoy a year of great joy and amazing miracles.  Each of you are special blessings in my life!

With much love,


Marta Davidovich Ockuly, M. Sc.
(next step…PhD)

 

Category: Creativity, Creativity and Inspiration, Creativity and Joy, Creativity and Potential, Dance, Empathy, Encouragement, Gratitude, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Mistakes, Movement, New Quotes, Play, Possibilities, Potential, Take Action  Tags: , , , , , ,  2 Comments
May
03

Creativity & Potential: Lessons from a little bird

“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”
Emory Austin

A little bird taught me a lot about taking an ecological approach to creativity measurement.  I am a week away from finishing my Master’s Program at Buffalo State’s International Center for Creativity Studies.  Today’s blog is part of my ‘Final Product’ assignment for a class called Creativity Assessment: Measures and Methods.  Luckily it is taught by a fun and creative professor  – Dr. John Cabra. 

Dr. John Cabra 

 He patiently tutored us for months to learn the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, various forms of reliability, validity, and usability, and the magic Cronback-Alpha cut-off (.70).  Now that we can all properly assess research methods and evaluate factor loadings, we get to prove we understand the concepts by creating a product which proves our proficiency.  If you didn’t get all that – it’s ok, because the fun stuff starts here!

  

April 16th – while doing my morning journaling – I got a vision of the direction I wanted to take for my product.  I sketched it out in my journal along with some notes – and the “egg” of my idea was born.  I know enough about creativity to let things like this incubate – so that’s what I did.  Creativity is a really complex phenomenon to try to evaluate.  Lots of smart people have tried, but most focused on just one aspect (the ‘seperatist’ approach) or only paid attention to process.  The new direction in research is called the Ecological (or interactionist) approach.  It looks at complex interactions in an attempt to understand creativity.

 “Creativity is imagining possibilities and making them real.”
Marta Davidovich Ockuly


 Are you still with me?  Ok. One of the articles in my textbook (shown above with photos of the authors: Dr. Mary Murdock who sadly passed away last year, but continues to teach us through her videos, and Dr. Gerard Puccio our department head and noble creative leader) tells a story about a little bird in a cage.  If you studied the bird and wrote down all your observations, how much would you know about the bird?  Not very much.  Do you think a bird that’s been kept in a small cage can still fly?  In the past creativity assessments looked at creativity like a bird in a cage.  They were measuring artificial settings and none of the complexity.  Fortunately – our caged bird WOULD fly. The ability is encoded.  Here’smore good news.  Guess what’s encoded in all of us?  Creativity!  Why?  Because we were not born with wings.  How else could we hope to soar (or even survive) without our ability to imagine?  Imagination is unique to humans. It is so powerful – that if we imagine we’re not creative, we can – to all external measures – make it look as if it were true.  Can it ever be true – really?  The answer is no.  All human brains are creative and have unlimited amounts of potential. Now the question becomes – how do we activate it?  No need for tests or assessments – just start using it.

Now back to my project.  I found a bird cage with a little bird to symbolize our creative potential.  There were eggs in a nest which represented all the dreams and ideas we haven’t ‘hatched’ yet.  I added a Buffalo State lanyard holding 4 shiny keys which stand for the widely accepted four components of creativity: person, process, product and press.  The keys are also to remind us we have the ‘key’ to open any door if we use our creativity.  The butterfly perched on the outside of the cage is a symbol of transformation and playfulness.  Lighten up. Have fun with creativity.  Play with ideas, and projects and things you are deeply passionate about learning.  These actions will give your creativity wings. 


 Part two of my product project was to create a collage which spoke to ecology and how we (people and birds) must interact with nature.  I used this quote by John Muir at the top: “When one tugs at a single thing in nature…one finds it attached to the rest of the world.”  Thinking in terms of the ecology of creativity I wrote: “Creativity is a 1000+ piece puzzle…as complex and evolving as nature.”  The ecological model of creativity shows four overlapping circles representing person, process, product and press, but I added a fifth circle called potential.  Every one of these aspects is made up of many, many puzzle pieces.  Just like we can’t look at a bird and know if it can fly, we can’t look at a person and ‘see’ their creativity.  Research points to certain personality traits and thinking styles which sometimes lead to creativity, but no measure right now takes into account a person’s history, birth order, personality traits, knowledge base, habits, attitude, blocks, fears, competencies, culture, environment, health, commitment, motivation, self-esteem, openness, tolerance of ambiguity, curiosity, playfulness, intuition, risk-talking, learning style, flexibility, originality, values, interests, preferences, passions, talents, and challenges.  Rather than blocking creativity – challenges and a level of anxiety can actually encourage it!

Now what happens when we put it all together?  Would the bird act differently outside than inside?  Would it feel excited or afraid seeing other birds?  Some people create well in groups, and others prefer to be alone.  To me the ecological approach makes sense when it comes to the study of creativity and anything else.  If you are in the academic world – I hope you will join me and calling for creativity assessments which follow the 3 priorities suggested by Drs. Murdock and Puccio:  (1) nurturing creative potential; (2) ensuring that the differences in how people exhibit their creativity are recognized and used; (3) exploring creativity as closely as possible to the way it happens in realistic settings.

“Reliance on a single measure to draw conclusions about creative potential is like holding one piece of a 1000 piece puzzle & attempting to describe the overall image from that single part.”
Murdock & Puccio (1998) Creativity Assessment:  Readings and Resources

 I hope you enjoyed this ‘lesson.’  In just three weeks I begin teaching my own course in Creative Process at Eckerd College in Sarasota, Florida.  Thanks for helping me complete my assignment in an original and elegant way.  The 10-week journey into uncharted creative waters we began in February is officially over.  I will continue posting about creativity – but it most likely will be once every other week or even monthly.  I encourage you to follow my creative prompts, encouraging quotes, and informative posts on Twitter by following me on QuoteJoy.   As always your questions, comments and feedback are blessed and appreciated.  You can use the comment form or simply write me an e-mail:  magicalmarta@aol.com  If you need positive quotes, you’ll find my 200 topic collection at http://www.joyofquotes.com/  Create a joy and potential packed day, week, month!


 Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Category: Creativity, Creativity and Potential, creativity assessment, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Play, Possibilities, Potential, Take Action, Teaching Creativity Creatively  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Apr
24

Teaching Creativity Creatively

“Everyone has huge creative capacities. The challenge is to develop them. A culture of creativity has to involve everybody, not just a select few.”
Sir Ken Robinson

 

Happy Spring everyone! This week’s blog is dedicated to every person who recognizes the importance of nurturing, inspiring, and encouraging creativity.  Our 10-week journey into unlocking creative potential and the expressive path to personal growth ends – officially – with the next post.  The time has come for me to gather feedback.  Over the past two months I’ve shared my creative process so that you could follow along.  Now it’s time for you to grade my efforts.  Have these posts inspired you?  Did I encourage you to believe in your creative potential? Did I nurture your confidence to try? Did you follow any prompts?  Did you try something new?   Did you connect with an old or new joy?  Please e-mail your evaluation of my effectiveness to: magicalmarta@aol.com Thanks for your help!

Cricket Creativity

 “In today’s rapidly changing world, people must continually come up with creative solutions to unexpected problems. Success is based not only on what you know or how much we know, but on your ability to think and act creatively. In short, we are now living in the Creative Society.”
Mitchel Resnick, MIT

 Something I found very amazing about publicly sharing my creative process and products is how much acceptance I felt. It turns out the world IS a safe place to share our creative experiments.  I have also noticed each topic I feel inspired to research, shows up in my in-box five minutes later.  Is this intention, intuition, or just magic?  Whatever it is, this morning, right after thinking I wanted to find a scholarly study on creative ideas and inspiration, I discovered the work of Mitchel Resnick, Research Group Leader at the MIT Media Lab.  Google “Sowing Seeds for a More Creative Society” and print out a PDF copy for free. You can also access the work through Learning and Leading with Technology, 2007, http://www.media.mit.edu/ . This article introduces a ‘creative thinking spiral’ which tracks the process in a beautifully simple way. First – people imagine what they would like to do, next – they create a project based on their ideas, then they play with their creations and share their ideas and creations with others.  In the final step they reflect on their experiences and then imagining starts the process over again.  This process works well with children and adults. The report also cites exciting examples of creative learning inspired by Cricket and Scratch technology.  Sound interesting?  Explore the possibilities!

TLC: Cool 'Creators' School

My next discovery was a blog from 2008 about Teaching Creativity with TLC.  TLC stands for The Learning Connection, a school for creators (no matter what road they take in life) located in Wellington, New Zealand.  I so love the idea of “a school for creators” – aren’t we ALL creators?  Of course we are!  This school is the creation of Jonathan Milne. His wife, Alice Wilson Milne, is the school’s administrative genius.  Together they’ve built a school which teaches art in a way which grows entrepreneurs who have learned creative strategies through their art which can serve them in other life endeavors. They reach out to individuals beyond the arts with an interest in enhancing their inventive and entrepreneurial know-how and use a pioneering approach to teaching which puts self-choice learning in the driver’s seat. I just purchased Milne’s book: Go! The Art of Change. Visit The Learning Connection’s website: http://www.tlc.ac.nz/  to read about the miracle ‘success stories’ this school has stimulated.  I am in awe of the many creative gifts of communication, collaboration, and connection offered by the internet. I feel so blessed to be sharing this information within seconds of discovering it. We truly live in an amazing creative age.

 

Last week talked about our creative brains and started HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? conversations with people as part of World Creativity and Innovation Week.  Did you make any interesting (creative) discoveries or take part in any creative events?  I participated in a Creativity Week dance party in Dr. Cyndi Burnett’s office (disco ball and all!).  Dr. Burnett set things up so that people she’d invited from all over the world could dance along with us via Skype.  A great time was had by all!  Dr. Burnett has been mentioned in previous posts. She is one of a handful of professors who have made my experience at ICSC (International Center for Studies in Creativity) at Buffalo State College extraordinary! 

 

Showing off our Creativity Week collages!

I’m happy to share photos from the World Creativity Week Grad House Collage Party Open House, Wednesday, April 20th.  Our visitors included a visiting professor from Taiwan, students from Colombia, Italy, Korea, China, India, and an assortment of creatives from the United States.  If you decide to have your own collage party – all you need is magazines, glue sticks, scissors, poster board or scrapbook sheets to use as backings.  Let people know collages are optional.  It’s more about exploring your interests and taking time for creative play.

 

My parting gift to you today is an inspiring collection of 100 Creativity & Teaching quotes.  Just scroll past the end of this blog and you’ll come to it.  If you feel this information is valuable – please share it via Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail. I really appreciate it!

 

New links in the Grad House creativity chain.

Create a beautiful week! 

Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Category: 100 creativity & teaching quotes, Creativity, Creativity and Inspiration, Creativity and Potential, Creativity Education Quotes, Creativity Quotes, Encouragement, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, New Quotes, Personal Growth, Possibilities, Potential, Teaching Creativity Creatively, Teaching Quotes  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,  2 Comments
Apr
14

How are you creative?

Your beautiful, creative brain!

“Creativity is for us all – it’s about you, me, and about everyday life. It is
about the abundant originality we manifest, and our flexible improvisations,
whether teaching a class, raising our kids, fixing the car, helping
a client, landscaping the yard, planning a benefit, or
trying to figure out why we’re on this earth.”
Ruth Richards, M.D., PhD, originator of the term ‘everyday creativity’ 

Imagine this…you are in a large auditorium and the speaker asks everyone in the audience who thinks he or she is creative to raise their hand. Would your hand go up or stay down?  Truthfully!  Do you ‘own’ your creativity? This blog has an important mission and that is to inspire you to enlighten anyone you ever hear declaring they are ‘not creative.’  In fact,  ”Are you creative?” is the ultimate ‘trick question.’  If you are alive and have a functioning brain, the only correct answer is “yes.”  Need more evidence?  Spend ten minutes taking our new HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? Quiz. Then explore the latest creative brain science explored in this blog. 

 

Shelley Carson, PhD, a Harvard researcher whose new book is titled Your Creative Brain, has this to say on the subject: “We are all creative. Creativity is the hallmark of human capacity that has allowed us to survive thus far. Our brains are wired to be creative, and the only thing stopping you from expressing the creativity that  is your birthright is your belief that there are creative people and uncreative people and that you fall in that second category.”  Once and for all we need to erase the old myth that creativity is something doled out to “the select few”. It is not just for artists, composers, rocket scientists, and other geniuses.  Our entire beautiful brain pulses with creativity.  You can create anything you can imagine – no matter who you are. The key is playing with ideas, being curious, and building up mastery the subject area(s) you find most intesting. Doing what you love is important to unlocking your creative potential, but simply learning new things, moving new ways, and stretching your creative muscles on a regular basis will deliver amazing results. 

 “You are in possession of one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, one that has virtually unlimited potential not only to change your life, but also to change your world.”
Shelley Carson 

 April 15th is Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday and the kick-off of World Creativity and Innovation Week .  In honor of creativity week, a committee of creative change leaders (including me) attending the International Center for Studies in Creativity are launching an international HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? campaign aimed at increasing every person on the planet’s awareness of their brain’s creative power. Will you join us?  Simply ask 5 people “How are you creative?” – have a creative conversation about the reality of everyday creativity – and then ask them to pass the information on the same way.  Encourage people to watch this wonderful video my friends Juliana, Erika, and Meagan created for our Current Issues class.  It’s all about ‘regular’ people talking about the importance of claiming their creativity.

“Most people see what is, and never see what can be.”
Albert Einstein
It’s time for people everywhere to know we can all be creative catalysts and agents for positive change. When people claim their creativity, they are empowered.  Awareness of creativity also opens up feelings of possibility.  Go public with your creativity between April 15th and 22nd.  Gather friends for creative play parties.  Everyone is invited to Grad House in Buffalo to attend our Creativity Week Collage Party Open House. E-mail me for details and directions: magicalmarta@aol.com Doing something as simple as using your non-dominant hand to hold your toothbrush will stimulate your creative brain!  Pick a fun-for-you-creative-project and just do it!  The point is to get creative!  Creativity is a great thing to share with your friends,  family, co-workers, and other people in your community.  Remember: playfulness pays big creative dividends, too!

Co-founder of Creativity Week & graduate of ICSC

 “Helping people to connect with their personal creative capacities is the surest way to release the best they have to offer.”
Sir Ken Robinson
 

  

 Creative Prompt #1:  Here’s the HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? word and idea cloud I created.  Read through it and find the phrases which inspire you most. Tweet those words, make up your own colorful ‘affirmation’ card, or use the words to inspire a new creation this week.  If you usually collage, write a poem.  If you are comfortable writing about ‘reality’ – jot down a fantasy.  

 

Creative Prompt #2:  Click the link to take our new  HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? Quiz.  There are just 10 questions.  Every ‘yes’ answer affirms your creativity. I challenge you to ask everyone you know if they are creative. If they answer ‘no’ or seem less than confident about their creative abilities, share this survey with them.  I’d love your feedback.  Send me a note about your results and/or experience and I’ll send you an autographed copy of the HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? word and idea cloud. 

 

Creative Prompt #3:  Looking at things differently. Many creative discoveries come from combining things in a new way.  The fish and the feather show above are a beautiful example.  This prompt suggests you take a discovery walk in nature and begin to imagine unusual combinations – maybe a flower bird or cloud candy.  Be sure to take along a small notebook or journal to capture your imaginings.  Use as many of your senses as you can during your walk – including balance. Your brain will love you for it! 

 

Have you heard Ken Robinson’s newest TED talk?  It’s a great introduction to his recently released, revised edition of  Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.  This book is literally calling for a creative education revolution – and it’s solidly founded on facts I believe most people will find astounding. Robinson offers evidence personalized education for every student is an investment rather than a cost.  He states,”The only way to raise overall standards is to engage the energies and imaginations of every student in the system.”  The book covers examples of this type of ‘radical innovation’ which is working miracles in pilot programs affecting thousands of students who use technology coupled with group work, collaborative projects and ’thinking’ time.  Standardized test scores are balanced with “…exhibits and demonstrations of achievement reflecting  real world evaluations and assessments that all of us face in our everyday lives,” (p. 258).  He does not suggest identical changes be imposed throughout the country. It’s up to each community to design a system which addresses their unique challenges. This book also has a strong creative leadership focus.  In his closing comments Robinson states, “To realize our true creative potential – in our organizations, in our schools and in our communities – we need to think differently about ourselves and to act differently towards each other. We must learn to be creative.”  To that I say ‘amen’! 

 

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
Albert Einstein
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

My creative spirit daughter Sarah. Photo credit: Marta Ockuly
“Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naïve at the same time… Creative individuals have a combination of playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
 
Creative Prompt #4:   Take yourself lightly. Pack a mini-picnic and pick up a package of sidewalk chalk first. Then go find a playground with a set of swings and set yourself in motion.  Make up a ‘swinging song’.  Here’s my attempt: Swing high, touch the sky, floating like a butterfly. (You need to sing this;)  Now it’s your turn!  Send me the words and I promise I’ll sing them back to you. Now take out the sidewalk chalk and make a ‘temporary mural’ or set of ‘silly signs’.  Use your imagination.  Invite some kids to play along.  Sing songs, run around, and fall down laughing.  If that isn’t enough to get your creative juices flowing, dip your hands in watercolor paint and leave hand prints on each tree you hug!  Journal your feelings the next morning.

 

I wish for you a crazy, fun, creative week of pulling out all your creative stops.  I hope you’ll also join our HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? crusade. It is truly time for every man, woman and child in the world to know, without a shadow of a doubt, they are creative.  Teaching creativity has the potential to change lives and our collective futures for the better. Let’ get started!

 

SPECIAL REQUEST:  If anyone reading this blog has insights into available grants or fellowships for a person pursuing a PhD in psychology and creativity (that would be me!) I’d greatly appreciate hearing from you.  I’ve started the application process and hope to be starting my PhD studies at Saybrook University this Fall.  If you are looking for a PhD with a humanistic and creativity focus – Saybrook offers a fantastic program!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s creative brain work out.  As our journey of creative exploration moves toward closure, is there a topic you wish I would cover?  Let me know.  I’m very grateful for your comments and feedback.  Don’t forget to visit www.JoyofQuotes.com when ever you need some positive inspiration or encouragement.  My hand-picked quote collection includes 200+ subject categories as well as a fun ‘inspire me’ button for those times you need instant inspiration.  Enjoy the warmer weather and signs of spring.  I often end my blogs with an image of me dancing. This time I’m sharing a photo of a frog who has taken up meditation (or maybe he just downed a ‘chill pill’).  Keep going with the creative flow….Marta Davidovich Ockuly
  

 P.S.  Sending out Happy Birthday wishes to my super creative, master’s project  ’sounding board partner’ Amy!  It is certainly fitting for you to be celebrating the anniversary of your arrival on earth during World Creativity and Innovation Week!  Sending you billions of blessings and your happiest dreams come true! 

 

 

Category: Brain, Creative Expression, Creative Play, Creativity, Creativity Book Reviews, Encouragement, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Movement, New Quotes, Personal Growth, Play, Possibilities, Potential, Take Action, Uncategorized  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment