Elizabeth Priddy on tue 23 mar 10
Children are not more creative than adults. Children lack the ability to d=
iscern reality from make-believe as a developmental skill well up to the 9t=
h year. So their lack of mental inhibition and freedom, which many interpr=
et as greater creativity, is simple ignorance.
It is refreshing to work with them as this alternate view of the world help=
s us step back and enjoy life in an uninhibited way.
In adults, though, creativity is genuine and a result of the capacity for s=
ynthetic reasoning. How much you know and how willing you are to research =
and experiment provide leverage for intelligent adults to put discrete piec=
es of information together in unique ways. That crazy perspective that mak=
es you say, "I never would have thought to do that," is a result of increas=
ed organization of the mind, not less. And intelligence of this kind rarel=
y tests well, so IQ and SAT's won't help you find individuals that can do t=
his well. Success is a good indicator.
That is why children like puzzles but are ill-equipped to solve a great pro=
portion of them.
Thanks to Snail for her creativity comments, as it sparked me to figure out=
what was bothering me about that whole discussion. I do not have any desi=
re at all to "play" with clay. Yet my work is evocative, funny, light, and=
pretty, by others' estimation. I think like this and am not limited to su=
per serious dull results. I am very serious about my art and how I do it, =
but I do not work like a child at all, I never have. Children cannot do pr=
actice drills effectively as they lack the capacity to concentrate for hour=
s on the same activity. The thing that makes them so energetic makes them =
incapable of this type of progressive work. The rare child that is a natur=
al mimic or very mature for their age is a prodigy, exceptional, uncommon, =
not normal. You can't go by their outlying example to predict the capacity=
of your randomly selected child.
I taught kids from age 3-18 in loose Parks and Rec formats for 15 years in =
several different cities. The kids loved me and seemed to relate well to t=
he projects I offered them, especially the challenging ones where they had =
to determine what the project was. But I learned, through working directly=
with them, what the limits of their capacity seemed to be on average. I p=
ushed that limit every class and had a few remarkable children who worked c=
ompletely outside the norm. As those children emerged, I taught them diffe=
rently and pushed them hardest of all.
I recently have been beaten about the head by someone who insists that thei=
r charges in kindergarten are capable of reading at 2nd grade level. My re=
sponse is "to what end? why is that even a desirable goal?" It gives the =
parents something to brag about, but it makes me wonder what reading materi=
al that is relevant to being 5 is written at 2nd grade level. It seems very=
precocious, but the 5 year old still needs to take the time to grow into t=
he next age. So it is kind of like teaching a bear to dance or a tiger to =
jump through a hoop of fire. Why? To establish dominance over the lesser =
beasts and to amuse are the only answers. I think kids are worth better t=
han that and allowing them to develop at a natural pace has great value. W=
hich gets back around to play as a very important activity for children.
Adults need to kick it and relax in order to relax. They need to engage th=
eir minds on a higher level of thinking in order to produce higher quality =
work. Dabbling and play activity is a good warm up for adult work.
So play with your kids, and take heed when they stumble upon good ideas, bu=
t work on your reasoning skills if you want your work to grow and evolve.
My 2 cents, unedited to make it soft and friendly, but sincere.
- ePriddy
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
phil on tue 23 mar 10
Hi Elizabeth, all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DjIfu2A0ezq0&feature=3Drelated
I would say, the idea of 'The Company Store' is well worth pausing to
consider in
these and related musings and explores...
Though who can see it? To do so?
I read a quote once, in which someone had said - "Life is a mixture...of th=
e
given, and, the construed."
I imagine they meant to say, "Human experience, or, such permissible or
tolerable portions of it as one accepts or inhabits, would seem to be a
confluence of both whatever 'givens' the person accepted, and, however it i=
s
their construences proceed from there, effected or conditioned by the
'givens'..."
Our perceptions of or attributions about 'creativity', it seems to me, are
very much about that.
But then, so is a lot else...maybe, everything ( else ) even...
Love,
Phil
Lv
----- Original Message -----
From: "Elizabeth Priddy"
Subject: children and synthetic reasoning
> Children are not more creative than adults. Children lack the ability to
> discern reality from make-believe as a developmental skill well up to the
> 9th year. So their lack of mental inhibition and freedom, which many
> interpret as greater creativity, is simple ignorance.
>
> It is refreshing to work with them as this alternate view of the world
> helps us step back and enjoy life in an uninhibited way.
>
> In adults, though, creativity is genuine and a result of the capacity for
> synthetic reasoning. How much you know and how willing you are to
> research and experiment provide leverage for intelligent adults to put
> discrete pieces of information together in unique ways. That crazy
> perspective that makes you say, "I never would have thought to do that,"
> is a result of increased organization of the mind, not less. And
> intelligence of this kind rarely tests well, so IQ and SAT's won't help
> you find individuals that can do this well. Success is a good indicator.
>
> That is why children like puzzles but are ill-equipped to solve a great
> proportion of them.
>>>>>>>>>>> snip <<<<<<<<<<<<
> Elizabeth Priddy
> Beaufort, NC - USA
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