Yes. In a classroon setting, reasonable control of several factors such as setting the tone and mood as best as one can as a teacher, does help establish a framework where creativity can flourish. In a class of 30 students one has to have the management skills to seek many avenues to nurture creative growth.As you mentioned in tonight's class, your use of music(Ipods) to help students create, is frowned upon by the administration, yet in a sense you control the class (in a good way) by allowing what research has shown to be effective in assisting creativity. Some people also do better when certain guidelines are laid out,and that may be perceived as control, but it is actually giving certain audiences a starting boost to creativity.
CONTROL - To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over……As I see it….. in the process of being creative do we not exercise control over the media and techniques as we create art. I seriously think so…. Did daVinci not control the brush strokes of the Mona Lisa; did he not control the selection of colors he chose to use? Did Pollock not control the drips? In art quilting I strongly use control as I select some fabrics and discard others, I select some threads while I turn other aside and I control what stitches I use and how I use them. How good would the art be without some control? I think control and creativity co-exist in my art making.
In some way, I think control may actually contribute to creativity. I am thinking of a few students I teach who always question and test the parameters I give them for projects. It's as if the "control"(be it limiting media or size or theme) is something they must alter or overcome.I sense that they are reaching beyond the limits I set or thinking outside of the box, and that kind of thinking is definitely an aspect of creativity. If a student can justify or explain why he or she wants to do it differently,or if they are just so persistent and determined (!) I usually tell them to "go for it!".
I believe control is necessary for so many of us (myself particularly) because it helps us focus our thoughts and ideas as we BEGIN creating. I think it's something to let go of once you find that wonderful "flow".
Creativity and Control can coexist. There needs to be a balance between both as an artist as well as a teacher. Both creativity and control are necessary during the planning and creation of art. Control maintains focus on developing a particular idea. It is also necessary when using the materials. Experimentation is a way of growing, but an artist needs gain control of the material. The teaching process is much like the process artists go through to create. Control is necessary to determine where you want your students to go. Teachers also utilize control in guiding students toward the end result. Creativity is the ingredient that inspires the students.
I have mixed views on this subject. As a teacher, working with teenagers, sometimes it is mandatory to have guidelines and parameters. This contributes to the young artist's ability to focus and "reign in" distraction. At the same time, I have found that when I have stepped back and acted as a mentor vs. teacher/person in charge, creativity has flourished. I am not just talking about advanced students. I AM discussing honors level students. But are they honor's level students simply because of academic prowess, or is it the result of a more disciplined mind influenced by both family and personality? I have seen both at work. Some of my best work occurs from spontaneous exploration. Some of my students' best work has been inspired from the same soul refreshing exploration. It is hard to express how horrified I was when a former student (also a varsity cheerleader) wanted to work with PUFF PAINT as her media of exploration in her IB Concentration because she had LOVED woking with it in painting signs for cheerleading. I sucked in my breadth, and in my best IB trained voice said...I think that might be very interesting. The result, far from my expectation of a student with only average technical ability, was spectacular. So, I have learned to let my more mature and advanced students take the lead as the course progresses. I must also admit, that although I much prefer spontaneous creativity, and most of my work occurs in this fashion, it has held me back at times. I have difficulty thinking a concept through before just rushing through things. As a result, much of my work appears and is unfinished.
Control and creativity can certainly exist. In situations such as AP Breadth the control would be the project ideas however the creativity is how a student works within thouse boundries making the work their own. While I feel creativity could be curbed somewhat I find that many of my more fussy students find creativity in how to get around/loopholes to my set control either to frustrate me or hopefully to make to make it really their own work.
Control I think is a necessary element of creativity. We set personal controls on ourselves as artist, such as choice of medium, theme, size, surface or time (getting it ready to show or to sell). The list goes on. I know setting personal challenges (control) for myself increases my creativity. Examples are painting a melancholy painting using a limited pallet of vibrant happy colors or using the texture surfaces required by the course syllabus (control) in a finished work of art. As teachers you know that we must limit our students or we would have trash cans full of expensive paper. The simple control of “make it work, because you cannot have another paper.” often brings wonderful creativity from students. Also, it would be impossible to teach without controls.
Yes. In a classroon setting, reasonable control of several factors such as setting the tone and mood as best as one can as a teacher, does help establish a framework where creativity can flourish. In a class of 30 students one has to have the management skills to seek many avenues to nurture creative growth.As you mentioned in tonight's class, your use of music(Ipods) to help students create, is frowned upon by the administration, yet in a sense you control the class (in a good way) by allowing what research has shown to be effective in assisting creativity. Some people also do better when certain guidelines are laid out,and that may be perceived as control, but it is actually giving certain audiences a starting boost to creativity.
ReplyDeleteCONTROL - To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over……As I see it….. in the process of being creative do we not exercise control over the media and techniques as we create art. I seriously think so…. Did daVinci not control the brush strokes of the Mona Lisa; did he not control the selection of colors he chose to use? Did Pollock not control the drips? In art quilting I strongly use control as I select some fabrics and discard others, I select some threads while I turn other aside and I control what stitches I use and how I use them. How good would the art be without some control? I think control and creativity co-exist in my art making.
ReplyDeleteIn some way, I think control may actually contribute to creativity. I am thinking of a few students I teach who always question and test the parameters I give them for projects. It's as if the "control"(be it limiting media or size or theme) is something they must alter or overcome.I sense that they are reaching beyond the limits I set or thinking outside of the box, and that kind of thinking is definitely an aspect of creativity. If a student can justify or explain why he or she wants to do it differently,or if they are just so persistent and determined (!) I usually tell them to "go for it!".
ReplyDeleteI believe control is necessary for so many of us (myself particularly) because it helps us focus our thoughts and ideas as we BEGIN creating. I think it's something to let go of once you find that wonderful "flow".
Creativity and Control can coexist. There needs to be a balance between both as an artist as well as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteBoth creativity and control are necessary during the planning and creation of art. Control maintains focus on developing a particular idea. It is also necessary when using the materials. Experimentation is a way of growing, but an artist needs gain control of the material.
The teaching process is much like the process artists go through to create. Control is necessary to determine where you want your students to go. Teachers also utilize control in guiding students toward the end result. Creativity is the ingredient that inspires the students.
I have mixed views on this subject. As a teacher, working with teenagers, sometimes it is mandatory to have guidelines and parameters. This contributes to the young artist's ability to focus and "reign in" distraction. At the same time, I have found that when I have stepped back and acted as a mentor vs. teacher/person in charge, creativity has flourished. I am not just talking about advanced students. I AM discussing honors level students. But are they honor's level students simply because of academic prowess, or is it the result of a more disciplined mind influenced by both family and personality? I have seen both at work. Some of my best work occurs from spontaneous exploration. Some of my students' best work has been inspired from the same soul refreshing exploration. It is hard to express how horrified I was when a former student (also a varsity cheerleader) wanted to work with PUFF PAINT as her media of exploration in her IB Concentration because she had LOVED woking with it in painting signs for cheerleading. I sucked in my breadth, and in my best IB trained voice said...I think that might be very interesting. The result, far from my expectation of a student with only average technical ability, was spectacular. So, I have learned to let my more mature and advanced students take the lead as the course progresses. I must also admit, that although I much prefer spontaneous creativity, and most of my work occurs in this fashion, it has held me back at times. I have difficulty thinking a concept through before just rushing through things. As a result, much of my work appears and is unfinished.
ReplyDeleteControl and creativity can certainly exist. In situations such as AP Breadth the control would be the project ideas however the creativity is how a student works within thouse boundries making the work their own. While I feel creativity could be curbed somewhat I find that many of my more fussy students find creativity in how to get around/loopholes to my set control either to frustrate me or hopefully to make to make it really their own work.
ReplyDeleteControl I think is a necessary element of creativity. We set personal controls on ourselves as artist, such as choice of medium, theme, size, surface or time (getting it ready to show or to sell). The list goes on. I know setting personal challenges (control) for myself increases my creativity. Examples are painting a melancholy painting using a limited pallet of vibrant happy colors or using the texture surfaces required by the course syllabus (control) in a finished work of art.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers you know that we must limit our students or we would have trash cans full of expensive paper. The simple control of “make it work, because you cannot have another paper.” often brings wonderful creativity from students. Also, it would be impossible to teach without controls.