Creativity

You may be wondering why this site has devoted a page to creativity; well, creativity has an interesting history and is vital to the development of technology. While it has existed since the dawn of mankind, its history as a psychological subject of study is relatively short. The concept of creativity has undergone major changes throughout history. With its beginnings as something divine, later becoming known as a process of strict logic, and within the last century or so, becoming something we are familiar with, the ability to make something new and meaningful.

Unfortunately, creativity does not hold the high regard that intelligence does. People recognize the importance of creativity, but in comparison to intelligence, there is not nearly as much being done to help foster it, especially in education. In many cases, our education system is hindering it, relying greatly on convergent thinking and learning. In a 2013 TechTrends article, Dr. James Catterall, a psychologist and director of the Centers for Research on Creativity in Los Angeles said it well after finding that elementary school students scored better on a creativity survey than high school students... “I think the expression that many people use is that the schools have a tendency to suck the creativity out of kids over time.” It is unfortunate that there are many more quotes like this. Ken Robinson, in his TED talk said, “I believe this passionately: that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out if it.” Technology Education classes, like those here at Admiral Byrd inherently help promote and develop creativity.

Creativity is beginning to see more prominence in education today. All of the STEM buzz these days may actually help the cause. It is becoming more apparent that with the increasing complexity of knowledge and technology, there is a great need for creative thinkers not only in domains traditionally seen as “creative” like the arts, but also in areas like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century). A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the number one “leadership competency” of the future. We have problems all around us, in every facet of life, that are in dire need of creative solutions… healthcare, climate change, unrest in the Middle East, sustainable energy sources.

Want to test your creativity? Check out this creativity test. It is quick and analyzes a variety of areas of creativity. Clinical creativity tests are expensive and long. After extensive research and analysis of free online creativity tests, this one seems to be the best. Also, below are some videos discussing creativity. Everyone has the ability to be creative, but many have convinced themselves that they are not and never will be creative. Hopefully these will provide some inspiration. Enjoy!