Think You're Creative? Think Again

Oct 30, 2024

Edward Clapp, a principal investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero and co-author of "The Participatory Creativity Guide for Educators," advocates for redefining creativity as a collective experience. He discusses the pitfalls of viewing creativity as an individual trait and explores the crises individualism brings to education. Clapp emphasizes the importance of social dynamics and cultural backgrounds in fostering creativity, promoting a participatory approach where every student can engage meaningfully. He also highlights how a growth mindset can unlock diverse creative potentials.

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INSIGHT

Limited Views on Creativity

Traditional views of creativity are limiting, focusing on individual possession rather than participation.
This individualistic approach leads to labeling some as "creative" and others as not, creating exclusion.

INSIGHT

Crises of Creativity

An individualistic view of creativity can lead to several crises, including the misconception that some are inherently more creative.
It can also narrowly define creativity, limiting opportunities for diverse expression and collaboration.

ANECDOTE

Creative Icons

Clapp challenges the notion of creativity being neutral by pointing out the overrepresentation of "dead white guys" as creative icons.
This misrepresentation can alienate students who don't see themselves reflected in these figures.

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Edward Clapp wants education to shift from a traditional, individualistic view of creativity toward a participatory, socially distributed perspective. Clapp, principal investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero and co-author of, “The Participatory Creativity Guide for Educators,” doesn’t see creativity as a personal trait some people "possess" or "are," instead he proposes that everyone can "participate" in creativity.

“Young people play a variety of roles when they participate in creativity, each leveraging their own talents, skills, background experiences, and cultural perspectives,” he says. “So, it's this more socially distributed approach to understanding what creativity is -- that isn't held within the skulls and skin of individuals. It's putting creativity in a social space so that everyone can participate in creativity in the unique ways that they have to do so.”

Clapp talks about the “eight crises of creativity,” where challenges stem from individualism, such as the misconception that some kids are inherently more creative, and from a "culture of power" that overlooks the social and cultural dynamics of creativity. Clapp argues that an individualistic view limits students by creating exclusive standards of creativity, often alienating those who don’t fit these norms. “Creativity is not socially and culturally neutral -- it’s socially, culturally charged…” he says. “I saw the posters growing up as a kid, of Charles Darwin, and Vincent van Gogh, and Albert Einstein. More contemporarily, we'll have Steve Jobs up there-- all the dead white guys who are these icons of creativity. And creativity literally-- it literally, from that perspective, doesn't look like the majority of our students. So young people will look at those icons and say, right away, ‘I just don't even look like that person.’ To counter these issues, Clapp advocates for participatory creativity in classrooms. For example, teachers can shift focus from "creative icons" to the evolution of ideas, inviting all students to engage.

In this episode, Clapp explains the participatory approach to creativity, and how it can empower students by validating diverse contributions and helping them develop purpose in the world.