I’m back! Again. Interesting how time I need to spend writing and teaching about creativity sometimes keeps me from, well, writing and teaching about creativity. I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on the 6th edition of Creativity in the Classroom and writing for another project on creativity and talent development. So I’ve had a … Continue reading
Nevertheless She Persisted—in Creativity
Today I’m wearing my “Nevertheless She Persisted” tee shirt, tribute to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s political persistence, and the persistence of so many women who have needed determination to accomplish their goals. I did not know it would be so appropriate to today’s creativity news. This week the Creativity Post blog featured a summary of new … Continue reading
If I Were a Kangaroo and the Gift of Creative Friends
I am fortunate to have many creative friends. I have friends who make jewelry, write music, invent recipes, design innovative research projects, and a host of other creative things. Some of my friends write children’s books. Today I’m celebrating the release of my friend Mylisa Larsen’s second book, If I Were a Kangaroo. Even if … Continue reading
Cockaigne: Land of Medieval Dreams
Have you ever wondered what your ideal world might look like? At a recent trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts I had a chance to glimpse into a few medieval artists’ fantasies, as they portrayed the Land of Cockaigne. According to Merriam-Webster, “The term “Cockaigne” comes from the Middle French phrase pais de cocaigne, … Continue reading
Animal Ark
Sometimes when I walk through a bookstore, a book just calls out to me. It isn’t what I was looking for. More often than not, it isn’t something I need. But it calls, none-the-less. That is what happened with Kwame Alexander’s Animal Ark. Theoretically, Animal Ark is a children’s book. It certainly is appealing to … Continue reading
Protests, Singing, and Creativity
Recently, thanks to a kind friend’s invitation, I had the chance to sing in “The Big Sing,” a one-weekend-a-year chorus of over 100 singers, gathered to sing songs associated with social justice. The Sing was glorious fun, and I was reminded yet again of the power of music to express ideas more powerfully than words … Continue reading
Creative Math Meets the Simpsons
Who knew that The Simpsons animated TV show was full of mathematical moments? Read how British science writer Simon Singh learned that his impression of mathematically gags within the show was completely on target. This led to Singh’s book, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets. If you’d like an introduction to Simpson’s mathematics and don’t … Continue reading
Creative Math Meets Video
I was excited to receive the most recent edition of The Henry Ford Magazine, published by the newly renamed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, because bold letters the cover declared it to be “The Math Issue.” Like many of you, I suspect, I have a harder time generating flexible and creative thinking ideas around … Continue reading
Remember the Ladies, for Creative Self-Efficacy
As a girl, I was both amused and inspired by Abigail Adams’ 1776 letter to her husband John, in which she urged him and other members of the Continental Congress to “remember the ladies” when considering the laws for the newly formed country. Today I admire her even more, and find it fitting that in … Continue reading
Hamilton: History, Creativity, and Perseverance
I readily admit I’m not a big hip hop fan—probably because I’m of the generation that watched in awe as the Beatles sang on our black and white TVs. Yes, older than dirt. And yet I can’t get enough of the score of Hamilton. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat enticing, and the characters of … Continue reading