29 Ways to Stay Creative

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.


Even though, I'm on my MacBook now, I think number four is a great way to re-energize one's creativity.

At least I have a cup of Caribou blend right now as I type this, so number 8 rings true.  And as Steven Johnson notes in his great TED Talk on creativity, the coffee houses were the birthplace of true innovation that helped usher in the industrial revolution (mainly because the bulk of Europe switched from drinking a depressant - alcohol - to a stimulant - coffee).  No wonder there was such a flowering of creativity and innovation.

Unfortunately, as I watch this and agree with the many of the tips - take risks, fail, be open, get feedback, surround yourself with creative people, collaborate, and namely stop trying to be someone else's perfect  - I can't help but ask myself, how often do students get to do these things in school? (Now, I have a great way to begin my College Comp unit of how to improve our school).  Too few I'm afraid.  At least in the age of the high stakes test.  Mistakes are not what are encouraged.  To say the least. I mean according to NCLB all students must be proficient by 2014.  So much for stop trying to be someone else's perfect, right?

Some of the other tips are interesting too - drink coffee and listen to new music.  Yet, how many schools have stone age philosophies that ban food/drink or iPods?