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November 27, 2011

How to Teach Creativity

How does creativity work? One family is pioneering an idea called Kaleidoscope Mind which encourages creative thinking by changing the context around any given concept.

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What’s the Latest Development?

At the age of nine, Javier Hans founded Inventors Without Borders. At 15, he was the winner and youngest entrant of the Invent Your World Challenge. Now he and his family conduct “Kaleidoscope” seminars on how to think more creatively: “The term kaleidoscope is Greek and is loosely interpreted as ‘an observer of beautiful forms.’ So what, then, is a kaleidoscope mind? The Hans family would say it’s ‘a type of mind that is agile, flexible, self-aware, and informed by a diversity of experiences.”

What’s the Big Idea?

How could someone learn to think more creatively? By changing the context of the idea or object they are concentrating on. Laura Richardson, an expert on play, gives temporary tattoos as an example. Typically thought of as a cheap diversion, they have come to replace face paint in the military and are used in the medical contexts to identify patients, rather than using a wristband. Now introduce different contexts, like zoos, produce or diapers. Can you think of uses for temporary tattoos in these situations?

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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