Q: How can the average person get more ideas?
A: Ah, here's where we come up against another of our cultural myths about creativity - that of the lone genius. Ideas don't magically appear in a genius' head from nowhere. They always build on what came before. And collaboration is key. Look at what others in your field are doing. Brainstorm with people in different fields. Research and anecdotal evidence suggests that distant analogies lead to new ideas - like when a heart surgeon bounces things off an architect or a graphic designer.
Q: What advice can you give us nongeniuses to help us be more creative?
A: Take risks, and expect to make lots of mistakes, because creativity is a numbers game . . . Develop a network of colleagues, and schedule time for freewheeling, unstructured discussions.
I think this is a powerful endorsement of what we are trying to do in this project - collaborating with each other across disciplines; taking the time to brainstorm and have lots of "freewheeling, unstructured discussions." But in order to be successful, I need each of you to contribute more, to truly believe that we can change our school for the better - and to follow up our discussions in class with further discussions (in person or through your blogs) and with actual change in your classrooms. We need to believe . . .
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