Module 5 Variations on a Theme Response

Module 5: Variations on a Theme

Part II

I definitely have experience with the struggle of being creative versus thinking creativity is a trait either you have or not. I’ve said I’m not creative, and even this week I heard one of my students say she’s not creative as she was trying to think of a story to explain the different slopes in her storytelling graphs project. I was able to take that opportunity to try to help her change her view of creativity just as this article has changed mine. If intelligence is not a fixed trait but rather a capacity to be nurtured, creativity can also be nurtured.

Since diversity in knowledge and experiences is key to combinatorial creativity, it is necessary to permit the creative process to flow in whichever direction our minds want to take it. As a teacher wanting to nurture creativity in my students, I need to be cognizant of how my assignments may be pigeonholing my students in the creative process. Does my assignment allow for students to look for and twist various knobs or am I forcing them to work with only a select few knobs? I want my students to stop trying to create the work they think I want them to do and start creating the work that is founded on their own knowledge and experiences.

Part I

Original Song Lyrics

"Ah Me"

By Griffinhouse

Well I was just a-thinkin' we could work it out
Maybe get around to take the trip down south
But she had had enough

So I stormed out of the bedroom to the mornin' light
I was missing Cincinnati so I booked me a flight
Yeah I had had enough

Ah me, how her winds swept across my scenes
Ah me, how her winds swept across my scenes

But I couldn't take the plane 'cause I wanted to stay
I was hopin' we could work it out some way
But she had had enough

So I took the diamond ring to the shop downtown
I left the ring in the glass, he left the money laid down
And I was left in the lost and found

Ah me, how her winds swept across my scenes
Ah me, how her winds swept across my scenes
And I fight the dream

I don't want to hear you say we've grown apart
I don't want to hear you say things have changed
No I just want things to be the same

They say if I, if I fight the dream

They say there'll be no wind for me

Ah me, how her winds swept across my scenes

Ah ah me, ah me, ah me

Ah ah me, ah me, ah me, I fight the dream

New Song Lyrics

"Creativity"

By Rob Millett

I was always told that there’s no way to control

How to come up with something novel, effective and whole

So I thought I didn’t have the spark

People gonna say it say it takes a gift from God

It’s all luck of the draw and all the rest are frauds

So why try to make something new?

Creativity, it’s simpler than at first may seem

Creativity, it’s just variations on a theme

It turns out there’s no spark or inherent gift

It’s just twisting knobs if you get my drift

We all can make something new

But don’t jump outta your seat and get creative yet

Just a twist ain’t enough like you’ve been playin’ roulette

Value and style must be your bet

Creativity, it’s simpler than at first may seem

Creativity, it’s just variations on a theme

But it can’t be routine

Your creative process didn’t start just today

It started long ago when you began to learn

Diversity in your knowledge base is the key

Look for the knobs, not the obvious ones

And then twist them divergently

Creativity, it’s simpler than at first may seem

Creativity, it’s just variations on a theme

Creativity, creativity, creativity

Creativity, creativity, creativity, it can’t be routine