creativity – Page 3

Creativity is Humanity

"But in the last analysis, it is the people themselves who are filed away through the lack of creativity, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system. For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other." (Paulo Freire, Donaldo Macedo (Introduction), Myra Bergman Ramos (Translator), Pedagogy of the Oppressed)

By our nature, humans were designed to create. It is the high cognitive portion of our mind, that 1% that stirs imagination and inquiry, that distinguishes us from our biological cousins on this planet.

When we don’t participate in the creative process, or, as happens so often in our schools, when we are prevented from participating in the creative process to conform to a preconceived notion of what we should do and how we should do it, we lose our humanity and become mere machines.

Do not waste the creative process. Do not float through your days and add nothing to the world around you.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

“But in the last analysis, it is the people themselves who are filed away through the lack of creativity, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system. For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”
Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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Dune-inspired Electronica is Brilliant

I haven’t made it to see Dune Part 2 yet, but I discovered this amazing album that came out around the same time as Dune Part 1.

It’s giving tons of Kraftwerk vibes, which is awesome. I also think this should have been the soundtrack for the 1984 version of Dune; it certainly fits the aesthetic.

Saying “No” More Often

"Instead of encouraging each group to let product lines proliferate based on marketing considerations, or permitting a thousand ideas to bloom, Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “There is no one better at turning off the noise that is going on around him,” Cook said. “That allows him to focus on a few things and say no to many things. Few people are really good at that.”" (Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs) — Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Learning to say “no” more often is a primary driver of success. We all have only so much bandwidth to dedicate to projects. Choosing not to do something or having no opinion about it leads to more productivity and less stress.

Cathedral, Mountain, Moon

Here’s a great discussion starter on the creative process and, perhaps, the work required to create something like this photo of a near-perfect alignment of cathedral, mountain, and moon

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 25, 2023, featured a breathtaking image titled “Cathedral, Mountain, Moon.” Captured by photographer Valerio Minato in Piedmont, Italy, this remarkable photo showcases a rare triple alignment of the Basilica of Superga, Monviso mountain, and the crescent moon. The image, a result of persistent effort over six years and thwarted by bad weather five times, finally succeeded under perfect conditions. This stunning shot also highlights the ‘da Vinci glow’ – Earthlight illuminating the moon’s surface, creating a captivating and ethereal scene.

The Power of Learning and Combining Skills

As educators, we can choose to ignore this truth or embrace it.

One choice will further alienate our students, leaving them only wanting more from school. The other choice, to embrace, will bring dramatic change and new life to schools.

It’s up to us.

Robert Greene, Mastery

Now and Then…

recording studio with ultra violet florescent — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“In November, a man will eat his heart, if in any month.” —Henry David Thoreau, 1852

Happy Friday! It’s been a busy week around here with all the things happening: school visits, doctoral work, and the joys of a new puppy at home. I hope your November is off to a great start and that you are heading into the holiday season with hope and love. I know we all have so many things on our plates this time of year and I hope those things bring you joy.

Speaking of things, here’s 10 of them!

10 Things Worth Sharing

Y’all, there’s a new Beatles song. Yes, you read that correctly. A new Beatles song. With all four Beatles. The story of how this came about and the crazy technology used to make it happen is something to share with your students.
Some thoughts from John Spencer on the truths of creativity.
Seth Godin on the community orchestra and why contributing to our community is so important (and fulfilling).
Boston Dynamics turned its robot dog Spot into a tour guide with ChatGPT (no, this stuff isn’t going away).
Do we need to reinvent the seasons?
Music: I’ve had the latest from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds on repeat for at least a week. 90s kids, here’s your chance to keep those Oasis feels going.
Why do we read/listen to/perform Shakespeare? Maybe so we can all be as awesome as Dame Judi Dench (or even SirPatStew)
I’m reading about the Medici Effect and thinking about connecting other industries with education to create some great innovative leaps.
Also, have you heard of blue lobsters? They’re extremely rare. Almost as rare as a great idea to solve some of our greatest struggles in education. Maybe we need a little moonshot thinking to find our blue lobsters…
I’ve just spent two days with the fine folks at Eminence Independent Schools. Yes, it was a blast. It was my first trip there, even though I’ve known and worked with several current and former staff members over the past decade. It is a magical place (heck, I even got in a round of Pac-Man before walking out the door!), and much of that magic has been driven by the “Yes… and…” philosophy. I wonder how we might take advantage of that thinking in all our schools…

The Last Daft Punk Ever

Daft Punk retired, their helmets, bathed in the vibrant hues of a sunset, rest on a white sand beach, waves gently lapping nearby, filled with a bittersweet serenity and peace, Watercolor, painted with soft brushes and a pastel color palette

Yes, I love Daft Punk. I don’t care what you think of me.

Earlier this week, the duo (in retirement) the 10th-anniversary edition of Random Access Memories, their last studio album. The anniversary album includes 35 minutes of previously unreleased music.

Among the tracks is a demo of Infinity Repeating, featuring Julian Casablancas and The Voidz, which a recent interview w/ Casablancas on Daft Punk’s YouTube channel called “the last Daft Punk song, ever”.

All good things must come to an end. I kept hoping Daft Punk would return. I guess not.

Friday Assorted Links

Title: "Az 1848-49-iki magyar szabadságharcz története [With illustrations.]"

Author(s): Gracza, György [person]

British Library shelfmark: "Digital Store 9315.h.13"

Page: 272 (scanned page number - not necessarily the actual page number in the publication)

Place of publication: Budapest

Date of publication: 1894

Type of resource: Monograph

Language(s): Hungarian

Physical description: 2 köt (4°) — Source: British Library on Flickr

– The 11 Most Beautiful Post Offices Around the World

– I’m a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We’re Using ChatGPT

– I’m halfway through Cory Doctorow’s latest novel, Red Team Blues. It’s pretty great.

– These glacier photos are breathtaking

– Matt Damon on brainstorming and collaboration

– The Hero’s Journey, according to Joseph Campbell

The 1-Bit Great Wave

I’m sure you’re familiar with Hokusai’s “Great Wave” or have at least seen this image:

I’ll go ahead and say that this print is one of the more famous art pieces in the world. It’s part of a series of 36 views of Mt. Fuji.

If you’re looking for ideas for student projects, a good starting point is having them recreate public-domain works in their own ways using whatever materials they choose.

For example: let’s say they wanted to use old software to create a 1-bit version (black and white) of this image. It might look something like this:

A very cool project from @hypertalking. He’s briefly recapped his process here and could inspire you or your students to get creative in unexpected ways.

Sing A Note

Do you remember the old Sesame Street song that encouraged all of us to sing a song?

C’mon, if you’re the same vintage as me, you know what I’m talking about. This one?

Ah, a stroll down memory lane. On that note…

What if you didn’t sing a song but just had to sing one note? I imagine it would go something like this…

Louie Zong asked his viewers to send in a single singing note and received over 200 responses! He then organized and assembled these notes, keeping them as true to their original form as possible, and added some beats, creating an entirely new song from their community’s voices.

What might this look like at your school?