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Creativity and Counseling:A Dynamic Therapeutic Combination
for Fostering Change
Samuel T. GladdingDepartment of Counseling
Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
Rules for this Presentation
1. “You can feel bad, if it makes you feel better” (Patty Lovelace lyric) but feel free to enjoy the presentation and have fun!
2. “You have the right to remain silent” (Miranda Amendment). Take care of yourself first and “do what you wannado” (Five Flights Up lyric)
Counseling as Creative“In the broadest sense, counseling is actually a creative enterprise within which client and counselor combine their resources to generate a new plan, develop a different outlook, formulate alternative behaviors, [and] begin a new life” (Frey, 1975, p. 23).
Premise of Focusing on Creativity in Counseling
People are more stuck than they are sick
Creativity in counseling can helppeople get unstuck without becoming unglued.
An Example of Stuckness
She was lonely so she cut herselfto get her friends’ attention,
He was scared so he hit someoneand now he has detention,
Neither one knew what to doso they did their best,
The trouble is now they wear labels: “Different from the rest!”
Difference in Being Stuck and Being Sick
Stuck can lead to Stress which can lead to Distress which can lead to Disorders and Diseases which can lead to Disabling, Demeaning, and Deadly results
Overview of Presentation 1. What is Creativity? Definition of Creativity,
Examples of Creativity 2. Importance of Creativity 3. Where is Creativity? Formulas Connected with
Creativity 4. Steps in Being Creative 5. Using Creativity in Counseling 6. Types of Creativity 7. Creativity Over the Ages 8. Promoting Creativity 9. Conclusion
Dynamics of Creativity
Creativity is a lot like kissing in that it is so “intrinsically interesting and satisfying that few bother to critically examine it.”
Carl Thoresen
Creativity is like the weather. Everyone talks about it,
some study it, a few predict it, but no one claims to
understand it completely.
Definition of Creativity
Creativity is the ability to produce work that is both novel (i.e., original or unexpected) and appropriate (i.e., useful or meets task constraints). It is of high quality and fits within the expectations of society.
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1996). Investing in creativity. American Psychologist, 51(7), 677-688.
What and Who is Involved?
The three P words of creativity in counseling are:
1. People2. Process 3. Product
Examples of what is not creative and what is.
Woman who fell in love with the surgeon.
Truck driver who banged on the side of his truck.
Creative Thought
Affected by the ways in which we classify things
For example: an apple and the moon
(could see them as round or could see them as objects subject to gravity)
The Mental Illness Monstersby Toby Allen
‘The artwork is not at all intended to make light of these conditions but instead is intended to give these intangible mental disorders some substance and make them appear more beatable as physical entities.’Toby Allen hopes the drawings will help to reduce the stigma around mental disorders and that they will help bring an element of humor and understanding to the conditions.
DepressionMr Allen's Depression monster is designed as one that floats around endlessly with its eyes covered to hide itself from the world.
AnxietyToby Allen says he designed the monster to be small enough to sit on the victim's shoulder and whisper things in their ear. He explained that he made the monster a dark color to reflect the oppressive feeling he associates with anxiety. His Social Anxiety monster has pale anemic-looking skin because it spends most of its life underground.
Paranoia The Paranoia monster has long ears which it can use as radar to look for dangerous activity.
The Importance of Creativity“The results of creativity enrich the culture and so they indirectly improve the quality of our lives.”
“In addition, to have a good life, it is not enough to remove what is wrong from it. We also need a positive goal… creativity provides one of the most exciting models for living”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The Importance of Creativity“Most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity.”“Creativity leaves an outcome that adds to the richness and complexity of the future.” Only sex, sports, music, and religious ecstasy provide as profound a sense of being part of an entity greater than ourselves and those experiences are fleeting and leave no trace.
Creativity is Important Because
It makes day-to-day experiences more vivid, more enjoyable, more rewarding ….It illuminates.
When we live creatively, boredom is banished and every moment holds the promise of fresh discovery…. It rejuvenates.
Research on Creativity Has Found
Creative people share many of the same characteristics as psychologically healthy people.
Creativity means looks at a situation from many angles and generating more choices.
Creativity can be taught and therefore people can become innovative and rejuvenated as a result.
Change and Creativity
Change and discontinuity are dominant themes in the creative process .
"Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties." Erich Fromm
Change and Creativity
Creativity results in individuals having more choices.
Both choice and change are essential in being creative.
Constructive Change Involves Giving Up Self-Defeating
Behaviors Acting impulsively
Being short-sightedCutting off from others
Shooting oneself in the
foot
Change is Difficult.
Cannot changeone thing in the environmentwithoutmodifyinganother. There is a process tochange.
A Formula for CreativityGene Cohen believes creativity can be
formulated as follows2
C = meWhere
C equals creativitym equals mass of what you know
multiplied by e which equalslife experience in two dimensions
inner life or emotional experienceouter, or external, life experience
A Formula for Being Creative and Innovative
Prolific + Intelligent + Healthy = producing great work consistently and in a sustainable way.
This is the most effective way to live and work. Productive persistence!
Emotion and Cognition in Counseling
Walden Two – B. F. SkinnerRational Emotive Behavior Therapy – Albert EllisHierarchy of Needs – Abraham MaslowEmotionally-Focused Couples Therapy – Sue JohnsonOn Becoming a Person – Carl Rogers
1. Preparation -- acquiring skills, background information, resources, sensing and defining a problem
Preparation involves concentration --focusing intensely on the problem to the exclusion of other demands
2. Incubation -- withdrawing from the problem; sorting, integrating, clarifying at an unconscious level
3. Illumination/Insight -- The Aha! stage, often sudden, involving the emergence of an image, idea, or perspective that suggests a solution or direction for further work
4. Evaluation – Is the idea worth pursuing? A systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.
5. Elaboration -- testing out the idea, evaluating, developing, implementing, convincing others of the worth of the idea
Qualities of Creativity
Process orientatedGeared to elicit emotional responsesHighlight aspects of sensual reality Focus on helping clients establish inner control Lead to a greater awareness of identity
Advantages of Using Creativity in Counseling
Playfulness Promotes a collegial relationship Promotes communication Enable clients to recognize the multiple nature
of themselves and the world Encourage non-verbal clients to participate
meaningfully in counseling relationships
Limitations of Using Creativity in Counseling
Clients who are artists may not benefitClients may view counseling as being a
non-creative process Popular misconceptions about creativity Irrational fear of clients that they will
become too involved
Limitations of Using the Creative Arts in Counseling
Techniques used may become arts and crafts
Clients may become too introspective, passive, or overcritical of themselves or situations
May be employed in non-therapeutic waysMay be employed in non-scientific ways
The Creatives“The word ‘creative’ has morphed from an adjective into a noun. If you are one of the millions who make a living with your mind, you could be tagged a ‘creative.’ Every day you solve problems, innovate, develop systems, design things, write, think, and strategize.” (p. 1) The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice – Todd Henry
How is Creativity Fostered?By changing conditions in the environment rather than by trying to make people think more creatively. Florence, Italy (1400s); Elizabethan England (1600s); Silicon Valley (1980s).
The Importance of Environments in Expanding Creative Capabilities
the support of a subculture of creative individuals (birds of a feather),
the availability of materials and resourcesJeff Foxworthy versus Lewis Grizzard – Los
Angeles vs Atlanta
“Big C”: Public Creativity
Refers to creative acts that are recognized by one’s community &/or culture
Often refers to extraordinary accomplishments of unusual people -- such as Einstein’s theory of relativity or Madame Curie’s discovery of radium
Also refers to local public acts by ordinary people -- such as solving a community problem or beautifying a public space with a mural
* Cohen, Gene D. (2000). The creative age. New York: Avon Books.
“Big C” Current ResearchIn the United States, Simonton’s works ongreatness (e.g., 1994, 2004) are an example of studying Big C creativity.
“Little C”: Private Creativity
Grounded in ways people develop their individual potential and personal interests
Someone using imagination and inventiveness to solve a problem, create a product, or approach a challenge from a new perspective
Some examples -- inventing a recipe, growing plants and trees in a garden, taking a photograph, writing a play, composing music, counseling.* Cohen, Gene D. (2000). The creative age. New York: Avon Books.
Little C Creativitylittle-c creativity is based on the assertionthat creative potential is widely distributedIn other words, all people can be creative.– Research has shown that there are fewerethnic and gender differences in measures of creativity than other cognitive abilities (Kaufman, 2005, 2006)
Other Types of CreativityFour Types of Creativity – Arne Dietrich [(2004) The cognitive neuroscience of creativity. PsychonomicBulletin & Review, 11 (6), 1011-1026] identified 4 different types of creativity with corresponding different brain activities. Think of it like a matrix:
Types of Creativity Translated to Counseling
1. Cognitive Deliberate – Arron Beck 2. Cognitive Spontaneous – Abraham Maslow3. Emotional Deliberate – Carl Rogers4. Spontaneous Emotional – Sam (Sock) Gladding
VlI. Creativity Over the Ages
Creativity does not follow a set pattern –creativity is heterogeneous.
There is a gradual decline in creative output over the years, but the degree of decline varies drastically.
Creative potential can thrive in an environment which encourages it and is held back by other environments.
Aging and CreativityAs we age, some of the key ingredients of
for creativity are enhanced, specifically: Life experience Long view of lifeCrystallized intelligence
As We Age Our Corpus Callosum Becomes More Integrated
Corpus callosum- the large bundle of axons which connect the two cerebral hemispheres. It disseminates information from the cerebral cortex on one side of the brain to the same region on the other side .
Creativity and Older AdultsMartha Graham continued to dance until age 75 and to choreograph until age 96
Creativity and Older AdultsKatherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, wrote her first book at 79, her autobiography, Personal History, which won a 1998 Pulitzer Prize.
Creativity and Older CounselorsCarl Rogers (1902 – 1987) Still writing and traveling at 85. Half of
his books are published after the age of65.
Creative Older CounselorsC. Gilbert Wrenn (1902-2001) age 99. Still publishing and writing in his late 80s.
Creative Older CounselorsAnne Anastasi (1908-2001) age 93. Last book she published had a 1997 copyright.
Creative Older CounselorsThomas J. Sweeney (1934 -- ) age 77Sweeny keep writing articles and books on Alfred Adler, wellness, and advocacy in counseling.
Habits of Strength that Promote Creativity
1) take charge of your schedule (9 to 5),2) make time for reflection and relaxation, 3) shape your space (put things in a place),4) find out what you like and what you hate
about life, start doing more of what you love, less of what you hate
Promoting Creativity Through Maximizing Self & EnvironmentGet rid of disincentives such as fear Provide time for meditation and aloneness
(i.e., akin to sensory deprivation)
Be quick to recognize and use good ideas and to recognize errors
Expect creativity
To Maximize Creativity
Create a climate for discussion; optimize interpersonal interaction
Reward creative thought Set up the right environment, i. e.
permission and freedom of expressionChallenge conformity and the status quo
To Become or Stay CreativeSeven factors that can keep a person creative over a life time:1. Travel2. New Colleagues 3. Career Change4. Be Persistent 5. Tell or Write Your Story6. See a Movie7. Use Available Resources
1. To Become or Stay Creative
1. Travel -- From Dr. Seuss to Jeffry Kottler travel can change your life. Lyrics from World War I: “How yagonna keep 'em down on the farm/After they've seen Paree‘”
3. To Become or Stay Creative
Career Change or Expansion–challenge yourself to find something new you can do rather than just routine. Even a small change makes a difference.
4. To Become or Stay Creative
Be Persistent – stay focused on what you are doing. Twyla Tharp – make creativity a habit, e.g. muscle movement Develop “GRIT.”
5. To Become or Stay Creative Tell or Write Your Story“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya AngelouPostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.PostSecret, 13345 Copper Ridge Road, Germantown, MD 20874
Six Word Storieshttp://www.sixwordstories.net/aboutThis is a collection of short short storiesconsisting of just six words. It was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous challenge.Six Word Stories will include stories by famous people, reader submissions, myself, and the Internet at large.Wasted day. Wasted life. Dessert, please.It cost too much, staying human.Love being in Maine; Go Blue!!
Writing & Creativity:PostSecret
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.
PostSecret, 13345 Copper Ridge Road, Germantown, MD 20874, USA
6. To Become or Stay Creative See a Movie
A study out of the University of Rochester by Ronald Rogge et al published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that watching a film that examined the complexities of marriage and discussing the issues together as a couple can be just as effective at curbing divorce rates as traditional marriage counselling methods. The movie method helped cut the divorce rate of newlywed couples from 24 per cent to 11 per cent at the three-year mark ― the same success rate as supervised sessions conducted by trained therapists.174 couples were divided into three groups and underwent various marriage counseling methods. Couples in the movie group were sent home with a list of film titles and instructed to watch one film a week. Questions for Couples to Discuss after viewing the movies: Did the couple have a strong friendship with each other? Were they able to support each other through bad moods, stressful days, and hard times? Did they listen to each other like good friends? Did the couple in the movie do considerate or affectionate things for each other?In what way was this relationship similar to or different from your own relationship in this area?Did the partners seem to have similar expectations of their relationship? Where did their expectations differ? Did it seem like they were aware of their own expectations? Were their expectations reasonable? Did they share their expectations with each other?
Some Suggested Movies
A Star Is Born Adam’s Rib Anna Karenina As Good As It Gets Barefoot in the ParkChildren of a Lesser God Days of Wine and Roses Desk Set Dying Young Fools Rush In Forget Paris French TwistFunny GirlGone with the Wind Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Hanover Street Husbands and Wives Indecent Proposal Jungle Fever Love JonesLove Story Made for Each Other Mississippi Masala Move Over, Darling Mr. Blandings Builds His DreamhouseMy Favourite Wife Nina Takes a Love Nine MonthsOn Golden Pond Pfft! The Egg and IRed Firecracker, Green Firecracker She’s Having a BabySte Magnolias Terms of Endearment The Devil’s Advocate The Out of TownersThe Thin Man The Way We Were Untamed HeartWhen a Man Loves a Woman Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
To Become or Stay Creative
Use Available ResourcesPinterest – an online pinboard
http://www.pinterest.com/purplestar7/creative-counseling-therapy-ideas/
To Become or Stay CreativeUse Available Resources
http://www.creativecounseling101.com/creative-counseling-101-ebook.html
Conclusion
We can all be creative in counseling. The process is not restricted by culture, climate, or client. Every counseling session is unique and requires us to meet it with practicality and newness.
VIII. Conclusion “Magic Carpet”by Shel Silverstein
You have a magic carpetthat will whiz you through the air,
To Spain or Maine or Africaif you just tell it where,
So will you let it take youwhere you’ve never been before,
Or will you buy some drapes to matchand use it on your floor?
More Sources for Creativity
Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC) http://www.aca-acc.org/
Gladding, S. T. (2011). Counseling as an art: The creative arts in counseling (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association 22304; 800-347-6647.
Gladding, S. T. (2007). Becoming creative as a counselor: The SCAMPER Model. Framingham, MA: Microtraining Associates 01702; 888-505-5576 .
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