Gifted ResourceCreativity or Bust!

by Karen Daniels

Official website: karendaniels.comGifted resource website: giftedresource.com

Creativity/writing blog: zencopy.com

Trapped!

• You are trapped in a room with two doors. One leads to certain disaster and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which. There are two robots guarding the doors. They will let you choose one door, but upon doing so you must go through it. You can, however, ask one robot one question. The problem is that one robot always tells the truth, the other always lies, and you don't know which is which. What is the question you ask?

This is an example of a Lateral Thinking Puzzle—a way of forcing you to think creatively.

Today• What is Creativity to you?• Can Creativity be taught?• Creativity is a process• Lateral thinking question 2• Where did your creativity go?• How is your creativity limited?• How do you believe society squashes creativity• Lateral thinking question 3• Creative listing• Crayon activity • 3 Links for Creativity Freebies • Lateral thinking answers• About Karen and her books

What is Creativity to You?

• How do you define creativity?

• Do you want to be more creative?

Creative Thinking

We need our creative and critical thinking skills to maximize opportunities and solutions in life. But many people wonder, is creativity really that important?

Creativity is a process

• To learn creativity most effectively, one must emphasize a process, not the “correctness” or “incorrectness” of an end product.

• Creativity involves preparation and persistence.

• You need to feel free to express yourself as desired.

• We need to find our way back to teaching and learning about creative processes, tools, and skills as a way of maximizing personal talent.

lateral Thinking Question 2

• A woman has incontrovertible proof in court that her husband was murdered by her sister. The judge declares, "This is the strangest case I've ever seen. Though it's a cut-and-dried case, this woman cannot be punished.”

Where did Your Creativity Go?

• Use it, or lose it. Guess what, if you’ve gone a long time without consciously using your creativity, it’s harder to tap into. Look at your children – they are creative all the time. So what happens to adults? Where does our creativity go?

• Creativity gets blocked by fear. Fear of being different, of being laughed at, of standing out of “Standing for Something.” (Seth Godin)

How is Your Personal Creativity Limited?

How do each of the following areas limit your creativity?

• Habits • Rules • Perceptions • Emotions • Culture • Gender

How do you believe Society Squashes Creativity

List the ways you can think of that society squashes creativity, for example:

• It’s uncomfortable to be different • Fear of… • Continue this list

lateral Thinking Question 3

• There are six eggs in the basket. Six people each take one egg. How can it be that one egg is left in the basket?

Creative ListingCreative listing is a fun and easy way to expand creativity. List:

• things you can hear right now • things that crumble in your hands• things that reflect • things that sparkle under the evening sky• things that live in shadows• things that harmonize• things you wish had that are blue• morning things• nonsense things that rhyme with juice• things that are awesome about you

Crayon Activity

• Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Being hit with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, “I’d like my crayons back please.”

from Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod

• We never know which crayon activity we’re going to do, until we do it!

3 Links for Awesome Creativity Freebies

• How to be Creative by Hugh MacLeodhttp://changethis.com/manifesto/6.HowToBeCreative/pdf/6.HowToBeCreative.pdf

• Your Creativity by Karen Danielshttp://zencopy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ZenCreativityEBook1.pdf

• Creativity Matters by Amanda Morgan http://notjustcute.com/2011/05/23/creativity-matters-free-ebook/

Lateral Thinking Puzzle Answers

1. Ask one robot what the other one would say. (Still confused? Think on it)

2. The woman is a Siamese twin

3. The last person takes the basket with them

About Karen Daniels karen@karendaniels.com

o Amazon.com Top 10 bestselling author (see books at karendaniels.com)

o M.A. in Educational Psychology/Gifted Educationo Mother of 3 gifted childreno Managing editor of Gifted Education Communicator, CAG

quarterly publicationo Karen’s site www.giftedresource.com is dedicated to providing

resources for gifted adults and parents of gifted children o Founder of http://zencopy.com a blog which focuses on creativity

and writing

Distribution of this material: any or all of this material may be distributed freely for educational purposes. The author would appreciate notification and links.

Karen’s books, websites & blogs

Creativity Books• Your Creativity: From Ordinary to

Extraordinaryhttps://www.createspace.com/3616570

• Mindful Creativity https://www.createspace.com/3723368

Women’s Stories, Self Help and Inspiration • IVF: The Ultimate Realty Game

https://www.createspace.com/3516461

• Surviving In-Vitro Fertilizationhttps://www.createspace.com/3644938

• The Baby About to be Bornhttps://www.createspace.com/3586347

FictionScience Fiction/Adventure The

Zaddack Tales• Dancing Suns, Book 1

https://www.createspace.com/3589033

• Mentor’s Lair, Book 2https://www.createspace.com/3590395

• Mindspark, Book 3https://www.createspace.com/3590430

• Complete Zaddack Tales Trilogyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050KEEES