What is Creativity?

Innovation – Year 8

Learning Objectives: • To understand the key elements of creative activity.• To know that creative people from all disciplines take risks. We are learning this because:• Being able to be creative is a skill that employers look for and the top people in every field have a creative edge.• You have to take risks to produce anything new.• You need to be creative to progress.We will know if we have been successful if:• We can effectively reflect on whether we are being creative in our work.• We can recognise creativity in a number of different situations.

Innovation – Year 8

It’s ju

st to do with

the Arts

It’s a god given gift to some individualsYou’ve either got it

or you haven’t

There are vocational courses….and

there are creative courses.

You can’t learn to be creative, there just has to be the right atmosphereThe creative aspects of things are not their functional features Being creative is not manly

Creative people are not reliable, systematic or rational

• What is Creativity?

Innovation – Year 8

Innovation – Year 8

Innovation – Year 8

Innovation – Year 8

Innovation – Year 8

Innovation – Year 8

How do we define creativity?

The characteristics of creativity always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, overall this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieving an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective.

Innovation – Year 8

Imagination and purpose

• Imagination is definitely a key part of creativity. But are all imaginative ideas creative?

• Suppose someone imagined a blue and white striped unicorn. Would this be creative? It may be that no one has conjured up a unicorn like this before. But what is the point of the idea? If someone thinks of an imaginative idea like this and then does not take it any further, are they creative?

• Creative people are purposeful as well as imaginative. Their imaginative activity is directed at achieving an objective (although this objective may change over time).

Innovation – Year 8

Originality

• What do we mean by originality? What does originality mean when you talk about your learning? Original in relation to your previous work? Other students' work? Work that has gained public recognition?

• When you are writing a poem, choreographing a dance or producing a painting, your work can be unique if it expresses your ideas and feelings. But what about work in subjects like science, history and mathematics? While it would be wonderful for a you to be the first person to discover a new scientific principle, this is highly unlikely. Does this mean that you can't be creative in these subjects?

• Not at all. Skilled teachers can help pupils tackle questions, solve problems and have ideas that are new to them. This makes your ideas original, the result of genuinely creative behaviour.

• Imaginative activity can only be creative if it is of value in relation to its purpose.

• You must judge the value of what you have done through critical evaluation. This means asking questions such as, ‘Does it do the job?’, ‘Is it aesthetically pleasing?’, ‘Is it a valid solution?’, ‘Is it useful?’

• Sometimes teachers’ and pupils’ views about what is worthwhile and valuable may differ. Sharing judgements together can provide useful insight into what other people value. An act can be highly imaginative and original, but harm someone or destroy something. Are we happy with this kind of creativity?

Value

Look at the handout in pairs and first guess the names of the people pictured.

Then try to put them in order from the most creative to the least creative person and be prepared to give reasons why.

Innovation – Year 8

iPod

The

firs

t ph

onog

raph

Clo

ckw

ork

radi

oWhich is the most creative and why?

Innovation – Year 8

• Work in groups of 2 or 3 to answer this question.

• Please group your answers under the headings of VALUE, IMAGINATION, ORGINALITY and PURPOSE.

What learning habits, attitudes and skills do you have to have to be creative?

Innovation – Year 8

Shell ‘Eureka’ advertisement

Watch this advert and list some of the ways in which the engineer is thinking creatively.

Innovation – Year 8