Creativity Forum
Reflecting on the Creative Process
Creativity Forum is a unique course that provides the opportunity to reflect upon the creative process in the abstract, to develop an appreciation for fostering creativity in yourself and others, and to discover the ways in which individuals and groups in any field can bring entirely new ideas and perspectives to life.
By encouraging you to move away from argument and analysis as a primary mode of intellect, this required course allows you to open your mind to new possibilities and to create entirely new concepts. The different approaches taken by faculty embody the diversity of ideas that arise when individuals are able to unleash their creativity. This is a required course that uses varied readings to enable a consideration of the broad outlines and instances of creativity. Students may collaborate to create and present new ideas and concepts. Each instructor approaches the course differently, using their own perspectives from diverse fields to provide a base for exploring the general properties of creativity.
Building upon the learning outcomes of the Creative Arts program, you will learn to demonstrate development and improvement of attitudes and abilities that support creative endeavor in general, such as openness to exploring new possibilities, lateral thinking/ brainstorming and, in specific situations, the ability to work in teams across artistic disciplines (General Creative Processes).
Faculty Reflections
Michael D. Golden, DMA
“Creativity has been described as ‘the art of making unexpected connections.’ One important job of our minds, from infancy onward, is to establish patterns. But if we are governed completely by pre-established patterns we become stuck and inflexible, like a horse that will always return a sleeping rider to the barn. We need to be awake and aware!”
Seiji Takaku, PhD
“The main assumption on which I teach this class is that creativity can be learned, but we need to be given many opportunities to practice various skills that foster creativity. To do this, I provide not only the academic resources to help them understand what creativity is and how to foster it, but also many in-class activities to hone their creative thinking skills.”
Jim Merod, PhD
“Students are often encouraged to be right, guarding themselves from error, rather than risk informed, imaginative engagement with ideas and their relation to the world. No matter how satisfying creative energy’s outcome, every result suggests deeper accomplishments reside just beyond one’s grasp.”