The Importance of Creativity- Sir Ken Robinson

Why is creativity important?

            Creativity is important because it allows individuals the freedom of expressing themselves, without sanctions or enforcers to say if it's right or wrong. It allows people to experiment with any ideas they have, producing something which is personal and unique to them.

            Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as "The process of having original ideas that have value". In the following YouTube clip, Sir Ken Robinson expresses the need for education to instil creativity. He believes that schools are formulated on conformity, and producing children who will benefit the economy. Schools were not designed for creativity to feature, and so they must be redesigned to cultivate creativity. Sir Ken Robinson believes that "creativity is not an option, it is an absolute necessity".

           
           Creativity has importance, as without it, we simply couldn't survive. We would be robots, carrying out mundane activities in our routine lives. Sir Ken Robinson believes that creativity brings achievement and fulfilment to human beings.
Steve Jobs-   “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, the just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while”  (Waters, 2013) 

        This quote sums up the elusive nature of being creative, it is not formative. It simply happens. It goes against the systematic programmes of education and produces something completely free.

Ken Robinson's TED talk on "Changing Education Paradigms" 

              
             This is an animated version on Sir Ken Robinson's influential speech, where he discusses issues such as the current education system dismissing the arts, engineering students on a production line, ADHD and children being uninterested by the subjects taught in schools. What Sir Robinson is saying is definitely resonant in education today. Standardised testing leads pupils to feel worthless and feel they have no talents if they do not succeed. Those who excel in subjects such as art, drama and music are made to feel their talents are not as worthy as those who perform well in mathematics and science. 
            However, it can be argued that this is not a fair representation of the education system in the UK. Education is changing all the time, and this view seems a little outdated. 


References 
Waters, P. (2013). Elite Daily. Why Creativity Is The Most Important Quality You Have. [Online]. [Accessed 19 February 2014]. Available from  http://elitedaily.com/money/entrepreneurship/creativity-important-quality

So what is creativity?

        Creativity is a well debated term, which is often stereotypically applied to individuals who are particularly artistic, or have "creative" abilities in producing something outlandish and eccentric. However, creativity can be deceiving. To me, creativity optimises unique ideas and new thought processes. It enables individuals to learn, absorb and comprehend concepts in a entertaining, inspiring and provoking way. It is not just about expressing yourself in an artistic way, but being able to create something which is organic and evocative. Creativity can be first imagining something, but then producing something with it. (Klieman, 2008) 

           When asked to define creativity, many would say it is "your own ideas", this is in essence, what creativity is based on. In education, a child's own ideas should be encouraged immensely throughout their school life. Someone will gain no benefit from simply regurgitating other peers, teachers or parents ideas. Their own thought needs to be nurtured, they need to have confidence in their own opinions and being able to openly express these ideas. 

            Pychology professor, Csikszentmihayli, defines creativity within its social context. He argues that creative effort can be admired by individuals in the same domain, therefore,  respecting the aspect of creativity, as they were in the same place and time working towards the creative break through.  Csikszentmihayli believed that creativity must be recognised because it exists within the social system, therefore it must be accepted by society.

        The domain is appealing as it is garners new innovation and generates rewards. For something to become creatively attractive, it must become socially valued and accepted. A meme acts as a "unit" which embodies cultural practices, ideology and values. Societal reaction is highly important to creative breakthroughs. Therefore, the new meme must become valued by society and transmitted from person to person.  The field relates to the social conditions, the location and receptivity of the audience to the creative innovation. Economical factors also influence, concerning to access of resources and wealth. (Griffin, 2010)


       




References
Griffin, G. (2010) SlideShare. Implications Of A Systems Perspective Theory For The Study Of Creativity.  [Online]. [Accessed 1 February 2014]. Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/wggriffin/csikszentmihalyi-and-the-systems-perspective-for-the-study-of-creativity

Kleiman, P. (2008). Towards Transformation: Concepts of Creativity in Higher Education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 45(3).


Wider Reading
Sternberg, R. (1999). Handbook Of Creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press.