Creativity Is Important In Your Daily Life

    Many people when they think of creativity they think of drawing, music, dancing, or even theater. Creativity can be used in many different ways, such as gardening, writing, problem solving, movie making, ect. We also use creativity in our daily life, most of the time we don't even realize we are using it. In most of our daily interactions we incorporate creativity. Creativity is what sets us apart from the rest of the world, it's what makes us stand out. Many people assume that creativity is something that is bestowed upon certain individuals. This is simply not true. Anyone can be creative with a little bit of effort. One simply needs to surround themselves with things that spark their creativity and also with things that challenge normal thinking.

         If you have trouble keeping the "creative juices" flowing, try to surrounding  yourself with things that inspire you. I find youtube.com to be a great place to find inspiration, there are so many different videos that vary in creativity. You can watch anything from scenery to talented artists, there is a plethora of creativity on that website. Whenever I am having a creative block, I always turn to youtube. Positive thinking is another way to keep the creative juices flow. When you think in a positive way you begin to open your mind to new and different ways of thinking. Positive thinking may seem like such an odd approach to creativity. Although for creativity, I believe you need to be in a passionate or joyful state of mind. In order to find that state of mind, positive thinking is key.

         Movement is a great way to be creative, in dance especially. In dance there is no limits to what you can do. You could create anything from a classical ballet piece or an abstract piece, to a crazy and colorful piece that has elastic bands going across the stage with dancers flying through the air. Anything is possible if you use your imagination.  Movement is one of the first forms of communication in one's life. From birth, baby's love to move, and express themselves in their movements. For instance, when baby's are happy they typically lay on their back and play with their feet. Young children are generally very clumsy, because they are still getting used to their body. That is why, while children are growing up, creative movement is such a wonderful tool. Creative movement is even useful for teens and adults, especially those that dance. Not only does it help them get comfortable in their own skin, but it also develops confidence. Creative movement is also a way for kids and adults to get to know themselves, while seeing connections to their surrounding world.

            Creativity is one of the most important traits a person can possess, what is so wonderful is everyone has this creativity trait. Sometimes as we grow into adulthood we forget how to explore and use our creativity. Creativity is such a sought after skill, that if you can learn to harness your creativity, you will be come a more valuable employee and a happier individual.

* All Images From Google Images* 

Protect Your Bag

    The South Dinning Hall at Kutztown University forces students to leave their backpacks outside of the dining hall. They claim that they are experiencing food theft because students put food into their backpacks and take it back to their dorm. I understand that something has to be done to stop the stealing inside the dinning hall, but I do not believe that making students leave their book bags outside will stop theft. In all reality, it will actually cause more theft. If people are stealing food, then they will also steal unprotected book bags. I see nothing wrong with leaving your backpack outside, if it was actually protected. What is so awful about this situation is that the dinning hall had a sign last semester that read  "not responsible for lost or stolen items". They force us to leave our property unprotected. We as college student's do not have much money to replace stolen items, because all our money goes to the university. The same university that can't even protect it's students property!

        Theft is a huge problem at Kutztown University. Any property you have with you, must be glued to your side, at all times. Any person with the nerve to steal is lower then dirt, and a University that takes no action to protect its student's property is at the same level. We spend thousands of dollars to attend a university to receive a higher education. Why is it that the people running the food services are not smart enough to figure out that if there is theft inside the dinning hall their WILL be theft outside dinning hall. Of course, there is always the option that they simply don't care. In which case, I certainly don't want to attend a university that doesn't care about its students.

         I think that Kutztown University should allow students to take their bags into the dinning hall with them. The dinning hall really has no right to separate us with our property. Kutztown could always have bag checks for when you leave the dinning hall, or they could even get lockers. Something has to be done about this problem and quickly.

* All Images Taken From Google Images*

We CAN Do Something!

          We, as people, believe we can't do anything about the problems in our world or community. Simply because the problems are bigger then us. Fixing a problem starts with one person at a time. We could easily fix the problems in our world and community, if we simply stood up and fought for what we believe in. The more people we can get together, the more likely we are to fix whatever problem we have. Most of the time, if a group of people are upset about a particular problem, they try to gain acknowledgment from the media and recruit people who were not aware of the problem. By simply spreading the word about that problem they can get more people involved. There is strength in numbers and sometimes we forget that weapon. When we experience something that bothers us we tend to feel alone, almost as if we're the only one experiencing the situation. We have to remember that if there's something that bothers you, more then likely it bothers someone else. There may be strength in numbers, but it takes only one person to start it all.

          People don't like to fight big companies, because they assume all the company is interested in is money and not in keeping their customers happy. While it may be true that they do want money, keeping their customers happy is also just as important to insure their income. If their customers are upset with the company or something the company is doing, and they decide to stop buying their product the company will lose money. Companies hate losing money, so the majority of the time they will do whatever they can to keep your business.

            We also have to be realistic with what problems we want to fix, and the amount of time we want to spend. For instance, If you hate second hand cigarettes smoke, and you want to change that, then a world wide campaign to stop smoking in one month would be unrealistic. Although, you could raise awareness about the dangers of smoking, and make an impact on the problem, it still wouldn't be possible to reach that goal. If you want to achieve big goals you have to take baby steps in reaching them.  

          Most teens believe that because they are young they can't do anything about the problems they face. Many times teens don't even inform adults about problems because they assume that the adults won't listen to them. Persistence is key in achieving your goals. If anyone expects to fix a problem on the first try, they are sadly mistaken. Abraham Lincoln once said " If your don't succeed try, try again". You can't give up after your first fail attempt, you have to keep trying. Failures and mistakes are how we learn and grow. 


* All Images From Google Images*

    

Creativity and Public Schools

       

                                                                                                                                                        No one knows what the world will be like in 5 years, 10 years, or even 100 years! The world is ever changing, yet the youth have to be educated in a way that will prepare them for this "new world". They need to know how to solve the problems that may come up, in a creative manner. The way we solve problems now may not work for them in 20 years. Creativity should be something that is encouraged. Without creativity how can the world move forward? Creativity gives the world a feeling of wonder, and the anticipation of what will happen next.

         A big part of being creative is the ability to take risks. Kids will take risks, they aren't afraid of being wrong. I'm not saying that being wrong is the same as being creative, but if your never willing to take risks how can you begin to be creative? If your not prepared to be wrong, how can you ever come up with anything original? Unfortunately, by the time many children reach adulthood they become afraid to be wrong.

        In the school system the very worst thing you can do is be wrong, they are actually educating children out of their creativity. Schools main focus is on standardized test, they drill the youth on how to pass these different tests. What does that really teach though, when will they ever need that skill in the future? Many creative people believe they are not creative, because what they were good at was not valued in the school. All children have amazing abilities and creativity, yet schools suppress it.

         The other day my mom was telling me a story about when she was in 8th grade. My mom loved to draw, and she was quite good at it. She was taking an art class at the time and she drew a beautiful picture of two trees, a pond, and a mountain. The teacher loved it and had it hung in the display case, that displayed those students with exceptional talent. A few weeks later my mom was drawing some trees again in her art class, the art teacher happened to look over and saw how she was drawing the trees. The teacher became furious and started yelling at her saying " that is not the proper way to draw a tree". The teacher then stormed out of the room, and took my mom's picture out of the display case. She then came back into the room. Began yelled at my mom in front of the whole class, that the drawing she made, did not deserve to be in the display case. She ripped it up, right in front of her and threw it on the floor. Because of this traumatic experience she started to draw progressively less. Drawing gave her a sense of accomplishment. The teacher robbed her of that opportunity, of having that feeling for the rest of her life. Perhaps that art teacher from 8th grade even changed her destiny, who knows what might have happened had that teacher handled the situation a little differently. Maybe if the teacher simply offered a different way to draw the trees instead of yelling. My mom would have kept drawing and maybe would have gotten a job in a related field. Although, that is another thing that happens often to children. They grow up with teachers, parents, and even their peers steering them away from their interest. Simply because it is believed you will never get a job doing something that interest you.

             Creativity is as important now as literacy, and schools should treat it with the same respect. Also we as people need to radically rethink our view of intelligence. Intelligence is diverse, we think about the world as we experience it. Such as visually, movement, sounds, smells, and even touch. We as individuals need to encourage the younger generation to use their imagination when they are young, and keep using it all through adulthood. For Imagination is the beginning of creativity!

* all art work from google images*