Can creativity be taught?

The Lobby
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Is it possible to learn “how to be creative” in a broader sense, that is, to develop the ability to generate, develop, and express unique and original ideas, concepts, and solutions? Whether it manifests in art, music, writing, scientific discoveries, entrepreneurship, or problem-solving, can creativity be taught?

In my view, creativity cannot be taught or learned in a traditional sense but rather guided. I believe it is a fundamental aspect of human nature that can be nurtured and developed through practice, exploration, and learning, with the aim of providing GUIDANCE.

Guidance can be defined as the act of providing direction, advice, or assistance to someone to help them achieve a specific goal or objective. It involves sharing knowledge, skills, and experience to facilitate growth, development, and learning. The aim is to empower individuals to make informed decisions, solve problems, and achieve their full potential by helping them identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, and providing them with the necessary tools and resources to achieve their goals.

Teaching on the other hand can be defined as the act of imparting knowledge, skills, or information to others through structured or informal instruction, training, or education. It involves a deliberate and systematic approach to sharing information or skills in a way that is accessible, understandable, and meaningful to the learner.

While subjects like math, science, engineering, and medicine can be taught through traditional methods, creativity requires a different approach. Institutions and individuals who seek to nurture creativity should focus more on guidance than teaching. For example, aspiring entrepreneurs should be guided towards entrepreneurship, while aspiring doctors should be taught the profession of medicine.

In conclusion, creativity is a unique and individualized aspect of human nature that cannot be taught or learned in a traditional sense. However, with proper guidance, individuals can explore their creativity and develop their own unique style and approach to their creative pursuits.

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I think creativity can be taught, but taught vs guided is getting into semantics. Meaning, it’s more of a choice of words.

Math and science have formulas. It just kinda is what it is. But creativity, itself, doesn’t have that kind of structure. Probably because it’s such a vague concept, and it’s not a specialty.

Creativity, on its own is not a specialty. It’s just a concept that’s applied to problem-solving.

We can learn how to think more creatively, though.

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Yup. This exactly. Whether it’s guided or taught, that still involves working on improving it vs. being just “naturally” creative.

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Creativity in itself is the very lifeblood of a creative person - it cannot be taught - but it can be squashed by teachers and parents.

#"Why on earth would you inflict the curse of creativity on anyone ?"

"2017 Personality 19: Biology & Traits: Openness/Intelligence/Creativity II - YouTube

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I’m sure creativity cannot be taught. But also that the uncreative could be taught to simulate creativity - they could be taught to look at things from another perspective, in fact from a series of perspectives that are logically derived and listed, and these might lead to outcomes which look like creativity.

But they’re not.

Each is just a randomly selected example of a logically identified series - think of the “art” of Antony Gormley. Each of his banal and obvious sculptures is a repeated image of his own body, placed in random but prominent positions. Each sculpture and each location could be chosen as his logical reaction to the last in his series. This is “anti-creativity”.

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Of course, you can teach and develop creativity. Studies have shown that creative thinking skills can be developed and improved through various techniques and practices, even if some people are naturally creative.

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If you want my life experience, a great way to develop creativity is through exposure to new experiences and information, as well as engaging in activities that stimulate the imagination, such as writing, drawing, or playing music.
Like any skill, creativity requires effort and dedication, but with time and practice, anyone can learn to tap into their own creative potential.

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In my opinion, in order to learn creativity, one must pay attention to the world around them and try to notice things that others may overlook. Observe the details of objects, people, and situations, and think about how they might be used or reimagined.

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i don’t think creativity itself can really be taught, but “how to use your creativity to produce stuff” (i.e. the technical aspects of applying creativity) certainly can, in many areas

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I think while some people may be more naturally creative, creativity can be taught. To be creative, we need to be exposed to a lot of emotions and experiences to be able to come up with new or breakthrough ideas. As they say, difficult times can bring out the greatest innovation. But I think the experience doesn’t have to be negative, it can be as simple as exposing ourselves to diverse perspectives and experiences.

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Agreed! I think it’s silly to think humans are set in their ways simply because they’re used to being one thing. I mean surely there will be some limits but I feel like it removes the desire to want to improve or change if we think everything is just “nature” in the nature vs. nurture argument.

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I think it’s impossible to teach creativity. All you need to do is to let yourself be creative by removing stereotypes.