In an article “Creativity benefits from constraints . . “ by WHATEDSAID, the author identified the overwhelming generosity of educators, artists and businesses currently sharing their time and ideas through social media. The article suggested that in the midst of all this sharing, what if we purposefully were to step back for a bit and use this time and space to be creative and generate ideas. The author posed the following questions, which I am sharing for our consideration.
What if we took advantage of the way limitations can encourage innovation?
What if these sorts of guiding questions were offered as provocations for teachers and students alike?
- What might I design/ invent/ create that would entertain or help others?
- What useful or aesthetically pleasing item might I create by recycling or reusing things that are no longer needed at home?
- How might I record and share my own and others’ feelings during this time, in a creative way?
- What am I fascinated by? How might I investigate it further through the lens of creativity?
- What do I care deeply about? How might I make a difference to others right now?
- What are my strengths? How might I use them to support others?
- Who do I admire? What can I learn from them? How might I go about connecting with them?
- What might I learn about that could change me? How might I use my learning to change others?
- How might I document this moment in history in an interesting and creative way? How might I adapt this for different audiences?
- If I could reimagine school, what would it be like?
- If I could reimagine my class, what would it be like?
- If I could reimagine anything, what would it be like? (a library, shoes, a sport, a kitchen, a museum, a book, a toy…)
- What have I learned during this time? How might life be better as a result? Can I create a manifesto for my future?
What if we all viewed the limitations of our current context as an opportunity for creativity and innovation?
Twitter Last Week: “The curve is flattening; we can start lifting restrictions now” = “ The parachute has slowed our rate of descent; we can take it off now.”
Stay safe and stay vigilant #Physical Distancing; #WashYourHands