CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Creativity Becomes an Academic Discipline

NYTimes.com: IT BOTHERS MATTHEW LAHUE and it surely bothers you: enter a public restroom and the stall lock is broken. Fortunately, Mr. Lahue has a solution. It’s called the Bathroom Bodyguard. Standing before his Buffalo State College classmates and professor, Cyndi Burnett, Mr. Lahue displayed a device he concocted from a large washer, metal ring, wall hook, rubber bands and Lincoln Log. Slide the ring in the crack and twist. The door stays shut. Plus, the device fits in a jacket pocket.

3 comments:

Isabel Pask said...

Especially in a major that promotes creativity, I really enjoyed this article and love that so many different curriculums are recognizing the value that creative thinking has in our society. I specifically loved the part that talked about how it is important for us to not be afraid of being foolish, because we can gain so much from our failures. The idea of building a resume around what didn't 'work out' and learning from that seems like such a valuable tool and one that we could all utilize and ally in our lives.

Unknown said...

Whenever I turn in a design project to Susan I always wonder how she grades them. They are always so abstract and different. Is there even a right answer? How do I make sure that she sees and feels the same things that I do? It is truly challenging to take such a creative assignment and turn it into something academic. This brings up the question, how should art be taught? Because the art is so dependent on creativity comparing it to an academic research paper is hard.

Sydney Remson said...

One of thie things I liked most about this article is the way it defines creativity sort of simply. It's noting a problem and finding a smart solution. The examples of student ideas at the beginning of the article are clever, but not mind-blowing. They are simple, creative solutions. I think this simplicity is important because I have found it is very easy to put too much pressure on this idea of being creative. Creative ideas don't need to be overly-elaborate or the most impressive thing anyone has ever seen. By holding your own creativity up to impossibly high standards, you just stifle yourself.