Creativity Commitment
Posted by dkennedy on September 20th, 2008
Hello, Creative Writers!
Can we really enhance our creativity? My reading convinces me that all of us could be more creative if we would do three ordinary things: eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and get adequate sleep. Of course, as we’ve read in class, there are other strategies worth trying.
Keith Sawyer, Ph.D., associate professor of education and psychology at Washington University, has written a book on the subject, Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation. According to Sawyer, “Collaboration is key.” Hey, you’re already collaborating as members of writers’ response groups—writing teams. To read more about Sawyer’s research, click on “Time Interview” in the Creativity category to your right.
By now you should be well into your creativity commitment strategies(creativity-commitment.pdf). Post here to describe your progress and to interact with each other. How is the effort going? Are you enjoying the strategies? Any benefits so far?
Use your first name and last initial only and fill the comment box. Oh, yes, proofread, please. Error-riddled posts earn one-half credit.
December 12th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
First week down! My creativity commitment choices were to listen to classical music and take walks/exercise. I have felt an improvement, but only slight. While I take walks, it helps me relax and enjoy the outside. As I walk my mind wanders and I think so many thoughts. The same thing happens when I listen to music, I just think. It’s kind of crazy. I feel like a different person when my mind wanders. The music I listen to allows me to express myself depending on what I’m feeling while listening to that song. Depending on how I’m feeling, is what leads my mind to think the stuff I do.
The exercise is not only getting me in shape for softball, but allowing my to allow my mind to think. When I run, it’s just me, no one else. So, I have my thoughts to myself. I hear the usual noises; cars running, animal noises, even conversations around me. When I hear that, it makes me use my brain and I start to think of how I could turn that into a work of literature whether it’s a poem, short story, or anything of that sort. I really think it’s helping and I think the more I run, the more my creativity level boost.
My creativity boost with the music is also helping. The same with running, except I hear music instead of the world. If I hear woodwinds or brass, I mean there are different feelings with those. Woodwinds make you feel light and happy and normally they carry the melody of the piece. Brass is more commanding and dominant. When you listen to them work together you get a real unexplainable feeling. That’s why I love music so much.
December 13th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Hi all,
My creative commitment is to listen to classical music and draw everyday. It’s really easy to enjoy the drawing part of my commitment, but I’m finding it a little hard to get into the classical music. As of this moment I don’t think that I’m feeling anymore creative. Yet I hope that it does work, it would be nice to be in control of my own creativity.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Hello,
For my creativity commitment I chose to draw and listen to classical music. I have been doing both things at once. It seems to be working for me. I feel much more alert and open-minded after I finish my commitment. It winds me down before I go to bed. I have trouble sleeping, and this has really helped. I usually have my creative thoughts a hour or two before I actually fall asleep. Now, all my ideas get out of my mind before I even think about sleep.
The listening to classical music portion of my creativity commitment is definitely my favorite part. The music just slips into the background when I think or draw. I can hear the music when I listen for it though. Listening to the different types of classical music is interesting. I found a website that offers classic guitar or piano music. The piano is my favorite. I think it’s because I’m used to listening to pianos over guitars. I’m really enjoying this part of my commitment.
My drawing skills have improved. I now know how to properly create guides to help me draw. I’ve noticed that I pay a little more attention to details after I started the commitment. I don’t really feel more creative though. Does it depend on what you draw? I use a book to draw. Maybe if I draw an object in front of me I will feel more creative. I’ll do that tonight and see how it goes. Hopefully, my drawing skills will continue to improve.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Hi everyone,
My creative commitment is to excercise and aroma therapy which includes dropping lemon juice onto a cotton ball and taking in the scent. It’s definitely different but I find it an interesting way to try to being out a more creative side of myself. One week in I do not feel I am any more creative than before. Hopefully next week that statistic will change, and I’ll become more creative.
December 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Hello everyone!
My Creativity commitments are listening to classical music and drawing. I believe that both of the commiiments are working wonderfully. I discovered that I actually like classical music, especially when I’m doing my homework. I’ve also noticed that drawing has boosted my creativity in scrapbooking which is one of my favorite hobbies. I am really enjoying my time during this creativity commitment and I might even keep up on it.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hi Everyone!!!!
My commitments are going really well. I chose to draw and play with my passion (coloring). I’m drawing with a , “How to draw monster book.” Then when i’m done I color them in. It’s really fun and i feel pretty good after i’m done doing each thing for a half an hour. Well hopefully everyone is doing great and keeping up with their commitments!!!!!!!
December 16th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Hello,
I just finished my first week of our creativity commitment and I have really enjoyed it. I choose to find a time to relax, which is normally curling up with my favorite book, and to exercise. Allow i feel more creative after spending time on myself I believe that the relaxation time is more useful to me rather than the exercise. Unfortunately I was ill earlier this week and was unable to run on Monday. I started feeling better however and cannot wait to get back to exercising.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Hello,
My creativity commitments were to listen to classical music and read every day. I think the classical music works better than the reading. When i listen to the music all these ideas flow through my brain. It sounds weird but it happens almost every time. My favorite part of the music was hearing the violin. When i read for periods of time it just felt like i was reading and nothing was happening. Every once and a while it would help me think of somthing creative, but not much. I’m hoping to listen to classical music every now and then to help me boost my creativity in the future.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Hello,
My creativity commitments were body & mind(exercise) and eat better. As I went through the first week I found out that I need more exercise and I’m trying to fit it into my schedule but I can’t find the energy to do so. I walk everyday, sometimes after school to the middle school.I also babysit a lot and I get a whole 2 days worth of exercise then from being on my feet most of the time. I was however eating better by eating breakfast every morning. As I went throught the day I had much more energy than I had ever before. I actually stayed wide awake in classes and payed more attention to what was going on. One thing I didn’t like about eating in the morning was that it kept me hungry all day long. I always wanted food. So for this week I am lowering my intake on food in the morning. I still have the engery and I’m not as hungry as much.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I am finding that the tea is causing headaches… allergic reaction? I am not quite sure but I have discontinued using that aspect of my “creativity” experiment.
Lemon scents are wonderful, although I do not see how they are energizing. My creativity has not fluctuated, although I do find myself drawing little lemons every time I smell them.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Classial music seems to be the highlight for everyone. I myself enjoy classical music but perhaps instead of Bach or Beethoven or even Mozart, try more urban yet instrumental composers such as Frank Ticheli, Robert W. Smith, or even John Philip Sousa.
December 17th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Well hello there,
I’m sort of hooked on the aroma therapy part, and as for eating well I love my vegetables and fruits. Yum. I actually think it might be working. At first I didn’t, but I’ve been more awake lately and I feel a lot better with everything. Although eating in the morning makes me hungry during the day. So i’m going to not eat as much in the morning and more during the day. I really feel as if my creativity commitment is working for me. I hope everyone else is getting the same outcome. 
My creativity commitments were to eat better(get minerals)and to use aroma therapy. They have been going pretty well.
December 17th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Hi,
For my creativity commitment, I had to listen to music and draw everyday. I don’t mind listening to the music, but I realized from this experience that I really do not like to draw. So far, I can tell that I’m a tiny bit more creative than I was, but it’s not by much!
December 17th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
My creativity assignment is writing three pages in a journal every other day and listening to classical music. I have noticed that i think a lot throughout the day too much and by writing down in my journal what im doing and thinking, im remembering things a lot easier, its kind of a stress reliever and i also think that its helping me with my poems that i have been writing for class. Classical music is hard for me to get into, but ive noticed listening to classical music while doing homework makes me concentrate instead of silence. I think i’am benefiting from this assignment and i like it.
December 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Hey everyone,
My creativity booster, as I call it, has helped me not only in creativity but as a student. I was to listen to classical music and exercise more. I have been running more than my 1 mile a day type of thing. I have been running 3.5 miles and i have noticed that it helps me think clearer and actually sleep better.
My other booster was listening to music. I have found that i love Yo-Yo Ma and mozart. I used to play the volin, so i have some of thiese songs ,but never have i really listen to them with out thinking about playing. I think that i will keep doing this.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
My creativity commitments were to eat better and get more sleep. i am on the end of the second week. i forgot to post the first week but the first week was kinda rocky and took some getting use to. i sometimes did miss breakfast and went to bed late but the second week i got better at getting sleep and eating breakfast and lunch. eating dinner is tough because i work everyday through dinner so by the time i get home i have to do homework and get to bed so fitting a meal in there can be tough. by getting more sleep ive noticed that is had cleared my thinking and helped me at work a lot too. i can now do activities with the little kids and make up new projects for them because i work at nortan pines childcare and believe me i do need a lot of energy for that. while eating breakfast i noticed that i dont get hungry before lunch and i can think better about class not about how much longer until lunch. i am going to try my hardest to keep up with this so i can get through the days with the energy i need for work, homework, and just feeling better about myself.
December 19th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Hello,
The creativity commitment ends tomorrow, which is kind of a good thing, because I used up most of my drawing books. I really enjoyed participating in this commitment. Many things that I used to find dull, are now very interesting. These new interests were caused by my drawings and listening to classical music.
Two weeks ago, if a person told me that I would be drawing halfway decent pictures, I would have laughed in his or her face. As it turns out, he or she would have been right. My drawing skills have drastically improved over the past few weeks.
This improvement could have been caused by the classical music I have been listening to. The music is calming, allowing my mind to wander freely. My grandpa always thought I would enjoy classical music, and he was right.
I feel that both the music and drawing have boosted my creativity. After I completed my commitment for the night, I would read the Bible. Twice, the Bible inspired me to write a poem. Currently, I am writing about one of the ideas. The other is written on scrap paper, kept in my binder. I would say that this creativity commitment was successful, and hopefully, whenever I am stuck without ideas, I will reuse these techniques.
December 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
This is last day for my creativity commitment. And I actually feel as if it worked so well, that I want to continue on with it. I feel like I have more energy and as if I can think clearer.
I’ve been more awake lately and I feel a lot better during the day. I feel as if my creativity commitment wored for me. 
I hope everyone else got something good out of doing this project.
My creativity commitments were to eat better(get minerals)and to use aroma therapy. They went well for me and were very relaxing. I’m addicted on the aroma therapy part, and as for eating well I love my fruits and veggies.
Shalom.
December 20th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Hello,
Today i am so excited that the creativity commitment is finally ending. It was great in the beggining, but now i am ready to stop. I found that i liked doing the experiments and seeing if they worked, but i hated having to write everything down. Out of both of my commitments i would say that the classical music was the better of the two. I hope to listen to it again in the future, but for now i just want a break.
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:39 am
War in cyberspace
Cory W
Here you sit in the horrid trench
Waist deep in filth
You hear the shrill screech
Of enemy missiles overhead
Blinding flashes of yet another grenade
Hit the bunkers around you,
Evermore shaking you to the core
Like a rocket at take off
Your fellow men in arms howl in pain from the enemy’s flamethrowers.
Losing men left and right
Signifies a need to act fast or risk defeat
Grabbing the machine gun from your shoulder,
You rush the enemy with the only soldier you can trust
War cries of the enemy ring from all directions
You are surrounded
Your friend at your side,
You take out about a thousand men
Before an enemy grenade explodes at your feet.
Game over
Flashes on the screen
Disappointed you turn off the TV and walk away
Maybe next time you will beat the game
But this is war.