Wisdom minds, creative wings: Igniting creative dynamics and focusing on its conditions

Subjects: Psychology >> Educational Psychology Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2020-11-12

张亚坤 陈宁 陈龙安 施建农

Abstract： Creativity is an interwoven system, encompassing individuals, groups, society, culture, etc. Since creativity is a system, the cultivation of creativity should also be systematic. We integrated some creativity-relevant theories to generate practical advice on the challenges of supporting creativity within the classroom. Based on earlier research on creativity, we put forth the “Butterfly Theory of Nurturing Creativity” to give a bird’s eye view of nurturing creativity. In this theory, the core and premise of being creative are to have creative impulses or creative dynamics (i.e., dynamic systems). We summarized the conditions supporting the dynamic systems into “two forewings” named capability and vitality (i.e., the support system). At the level of capability, creativity calls for general cognitive ability, multimethod enlightenment, attention to metacognition, and efficient knowledge information management. At the level of vitality, creative dynamics also relies on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the healthy development of personal traits, and reasonably supportive social interaction in an inclusively social and cultural environment. Besides, if an individual wants to fly freely in a creative life, he also needs “two hindwings” (conducting daily creative thinking and problem solving; forming creative habits and a creative personality) that are constantly improved in daily life to adjust the balance (i.e., regulating system). People who are creative show motivation to make novel and appropriate products for their domains of interest. Creativity cannot be taught unless teachers find ways to intrigue their students’ creative impulses. Intrinsic motivation, like interest, is the greatest autonomous motivator. The key topics of this paper are to find what the essence of interest or fun is and how to raise it. Combining theory with practice, this paper also shows a general way to activate fun or interest in the classroom.

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