THE CYCLE OF CREATIVITY - How to create anything from nothing

THE CYCLE OF CREATIVITY

Whether we have the desire to create something ourselves...

Whether we are guiding young children and helping them understand that they can create anything...

Whether you are leading an organization and you want to empower those whom you guide to be more creative...

Enrique Feldman delivering a keynote address at the First Things First  Conference in Phoenix, AZ, August, 2015

We live in an increasingly visual environment. So, what does the creative process look like?

For children, it can be a moment in the kitchen with mom and/or dad and being part of the creation of a meal. Key to any moment would be the quality of the questions we ask while engaged. Open ended questions lead to a much more profound sense of creativity and begin to build a comfort level with the unknown with any age learner.

Mixing Paints and Pixels! Handmade Art mixed with Digital Art

Using different forms of Art can be a wonderful approach to opening up the creative process, as can collaboration. Assuming it is authentic collaboration, it can lead to synergy.  By authentic, I mean an environment where everyone feels safe enough to bring their ideas to the conversation.

Creativity can most easily be stirred in us when we connect to a passion we have.  When we begin to connect our sense of passion with others, creativity typically takes a leap forward in terms of the presence it has in our daily lives.

As children, we create everyday in most happy childhood situations. As adults, we quite often see creativity as a bonus, something we can sometimes engage... a luxury.

However, when we remember what it is to be a fully present human being, we are reminded of how much we have to learn from children. When we can find ways to create on a daily basis as adults, & live again like children, we find ourselves truly present in our daily lives and the cycle of creativity can become a way of life.

Early Childhood Educators experiencing iBG, Intellectual Brainwave Games, Original cognition and perspective games which remind us how it feels to learn something new!

Certainly, curiosity is connected to creativity...

There is a sequence of thought that, once engaged, will help you engage your inner sense of creativity and the feeling is like few others in life.  It is with great pleasure and authentic joy that I share this sequence with you. I call it the...

 Cycle of Creativity  

                                                              INSPIRATION 

What inspires you?

There are many ways to ask this question. For a young child it may start with "What do you like?" "What makes you excited?" I've decided to guide you through this cycle from both an adult and child perspective. Here we go!

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

Upon asking some adult friends of mine, many responded with one word... Chocolate! I wonder where the inspiration of chocolate will take us?

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

Upon asking some children what they loved and what excited them, some responded with... Ants! Hmmmm.... so many places this inspiration could take us, and actually took my daughter and me on a learning journey that has lasted for many years.

POV (Point of View)

What point of view do you choose and why do you choose this point of view? 

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

So in this example, chocolate was the inspiration. I asked one of my friends who said chocolate and they wanted to explore chocolate from the perspective of chicken wings... wow... I would not have thought of that. I asked this individual why, and they responded with, "I love chicken wings and I love chocolate and I wonder if the two could work together."

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

In asking the child who said "Ants!" I asked, from what point of view?  They didn't know what that meant, so we got down on the ground to see what things might look like from the eyes of an Ant and the young learner said, "Everything looks bigger!" The chosen point of view was how things look from an ant's eyes!

A tree from the point of view of an ant!

London from the perspective of an ant!

The above image of London is from a real website that looks at London from the perspective of an ant... I thought that was so inventive I just HAD to share it!

MESSAGE

What message do you choose to share from the perspective of your POV?

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the adult response we have:

Inspiration: Chocolate

POV: Chicken Wings

So what message did my friend choose? Health benefits of chocolate is what they chose. Why I asked? They responded without hesitation, "I'd like to justify the eating of chocolate."  Brilliant...

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the child response we have:

Inspiration: Ants

POV: How things look from the Ant's eyes

In continuing my conversation with the young learner, I asked, "what is something important you want to share with others about the ants?" Their response was priceless... 

"Pretend you're an ant and see everything"

I interpreted this as "Go on an adventure!" Perhaps it would become "explore the world!" 

Sam the Ant - a new children's book series

CONCEPT

What concept do you choose to focus on that best shares your message?

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the adult response we have:

Inspiration: Chocolate

POV: Chicken Wings

Message: Health Benefits of Chocolate

The conversation with my friend was picking up as they were showing a great deal of curiosity as to where this could lead.  For their concept related to what they might create, they chose, "Healthy treat ideas!" They were all in, in part because they were creating the framework of creation.

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the child response we have:

Inspiration: Ants

POV: How things look from the Ant's eye

Message: Explore the world!

In continuing the conversation with this child, the idea of what should the big idea be?  What is a concept we could create and this particular child said, "I want to make my own story... my own book!" I'm so glad I paid attention :)

CONTENT

What is the specific content which will best share your concept?

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the adult response we have:

Inspiration: Chocolate

POV: Chicken Wings

Message: Health Benefits of Chocolate
Concept: Healthy Treat Ideas!

The conversation turned from concept to content, as in, ok... now that we have identified a lot of key details.... what do you want to create?!  The response was so cool.... "I want to create a chocolate based BBQ sauce that can be used with all sorts of cooking!"  I asked, "What about the healthy treat ideas?"  The response was so adorable.... "I'd like to change the concept to... healthier treat ideas."  Hahaaaaaahaa.... so, the cycle of creativity, like most cycles, is not always linear!

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the child response we have:

Inspiration: Ants

POV: How things look from the Ant's eye

Message: Explore the world!
Concept: I want to make my own story... my own book!

Some of you know where this is headed and that it is based on the real life story of my daughter. When it came to the content, the actual stuff of the story, she wanted to create an Ant story where the Ant was always able to figure out what to do when there were challenges. Today, we describe this as "embracing adversity as opportunity." She is in fact the little girl who wanted to create her own book, and guess what.... yep, we did it and we're creating 27 of them.  The first one, Sam the Ant - The Flood came out in July of 2016 and the second one, Sam the Ant - Glow in the Dark, comes out this month! Barnes & Noble even picked it up for in-store purchase in 4 locations thus far.

A page from the new children's book series, Sam the Ant at www.SamTheAnt.com

PRODUCT

What is the product that speaks to content, concept, message, POV, and how is it inspiring?

ADULT PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the adult response we have:

Inspiration: Chocolate

POV: Chicken Wings

Message: Health Benefits of Chocolate
Concept: Healthier Treat Ideas!
Content: Chocolate Based BBQ Sauce
Product: Dark Chocolate BBQ Sauce

Ahhhhh.... the product.... so often, people begin with the product in mind, and sometimes you get lucky and it works. However, it is far more productive to begin with inspiration first. In this case, the product this person wanted to come up with was a Dark Chocolate BBQ sauce, so that the it wasn't overly sweet and could be matched with spices that pick up the earthiness of the chocolate!  Yum!!!!

CHILD PERSPECTIVE

So far, from the child response we have:

Inspiration: Ants

POV: How things look from the Ant's eye

Message: Explore the world!
Concept: I want to make my own story... my own book!
Content: An Ant who always knows what do do when there is a challenge (embracing adversity as opportunity)
Product: Sam the Ant Children's Book Series

Today, this series continues to unfold and evolve and the response has been tremendous and heart warming, in large part from the initial inspiration of Ants!

RESOURCES FOR CONTINUED THOUGHT

SAM THE ANT... 

Follow your curiosity with books, brain games and music

Free Sam the Ant Origin Videos

Kaleidoscope Children's Album on the Grammy Ballot!

Enrique's Public Speaking

Upcoming Free Events for Children and Families

My good friend Dr. Danny Brassell's Public Speaking who is the king of perspective in the educational world

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March! A Celebration of Reading and all THINGS Seuss!

DR.SEUSS FAVORITES INSPIRE CREATIVITY 

It's getting to be that time of year again. When classrooms and hallways go awash with striped hats and cats! It's time to really finish up your plans for "Read Across America" and all things Seuss. I've gathered up some brand new goodies for your inspiration from my author/illustrator school visits across the country! The images today are from schools in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, AZ and TEXAS! 

How can you possibly go wrong with paper plates, pipe cleaners and torn construction paper. 

Aren't these clever? 

A craftivity to be sure, yet each character has their own unique spin. 

Projects that extend the illustrations of picture books, 

into the lives and on to the bulletin boards of classrooms......... 

are a sure fire way to build enthusiasm for reading! 

Think of all that fine motor development with the tearing of the paper! 

Here's a bright bulletin board celebrating all THINGS Seuss. 

Lucky Mrs. Wishard to have 'only' 18 THINGS to teach. 

You may know that my first full time teaching position in public school was as the art teacher. My heart leaps and dances when I see such work as this composite of free hand drawings below. These clever renditions were created by kindergarten kiddos in my adopted state of Florida! I rejoice at the classroom teacher who values drawing as a foundation skill for young children. This level of work does not emerge from a class over night. This is the result of classroom teacher and students working in concert over many, many weeks to develop skills of observation and interpretation. FIVE STARS!! TEN STARS!!!! KUDOS!!! Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner! It can be done!

Even when given some 'templates' for the famed 

Cat-in-the-Hat 

these littles have obviously been given the lattitude to create their own renditions. 

I don't know if there's anything more exciting that being the author that gets to visit an Elementary School during "Read Across America" week! 

Sunburst Elementary outside of Phoenix was decked out from the first bulletin board to the last! 

These hand painted chairs and stools were stunning! 

Gotta LUV the effort of this classroom door! 

Just makes me smile from ear-to-ear! 

Dr. Seuss: the original motivational guru. 

Look at these two amazing decorated doors, 

courtesy of the teachers at Sunburst Elementary, in the greater Phoenix area, AZ!

So which is your FAVORITE Dr. Seuss Book? 

Last year about this time I had a RoundUP of ideas spotted on my travels. 

There are some real classics in this earlier article. 

{Just click the picture to go back in time.}

Here's a few of my favorite images from that  earlier RoundUP -- in case you don't have time for the extra click. You'll have to go back to see the various 'apples-up-on-top' projects and green eggs. Plus the details surrounding the CLASSIC Lorax decorated classroom door are in the earlier article. 

It has already been two years since I spent time with Crystal Radke, the beloved blogger at "Kreative in Kinder."  We had so much fun together. We were together for our own READING CELEBRATION!

I got to visit her school wearing my unique author-illustrator hat. We gathered all of the Kinder classes and Firsties into their cafeteria for the fun. {Don't tell. A couple of the second grade classes snuck in at the last minute, too!} Here's a couple of glimpses into our shared fun. 

Having a REAL-AUTHOR come to school is a sure fire way to get the students excited about the process of reading and writing! 

We had enough time together to have a BIG ending for our show. I am something of an unusual picture book author and illustrator, as my books are the embodiment of original songs that I have written and recorded. I have turned three of my songs into the traditional picture book format. 

All of my work starts with a song. Lyrics. Singing. This next picture is a capture of the teachers joining me on stage for a spirited rendition of my "Piggy Rap." I think that you can see that the teachers DELIGHTED their students with their enthusiasm. BTW: That's Crystal right in the middle of the picture. 

I received such a delightful surprise from Crystal's students. 

She had them each draw a picture for me. 

Then she bound them all into a book!!! 

The whole thing is a treasure, but this little portrait has captured by heart. 

Under the category of old dogs and new tricks! 

Crystal and her teenagers have taught me MUCH! 

Here is my first, ever fliptogram 'movie' WITH MY SONG! 

If ever you need a pick-me-up, just click for the joy! 

Whew! That was a lot! Wasn't it? I hope that you've found some inspiration. I'd be so grateful for your pin. That's how people 'discover' me! Thanks.