Response 1
It isn’t easy not to put too much pressure on writing a response. You still have to analyze the video, think about what was said, what wasn’t said, and write something that isn’t a repetition of what we saw. This class encourages us to be creative, so this response can be a medium to try out a creative thinking process freely.
Let me start by summarizing what Kermit said. He talked about not being afraid to be creative and how it’s okay to go down less conventional paths for the sake of creativity. Even in our conventional jobs that don’t seem to allow room for creativity, we can find ways to think outside the box because creativity can be expressed in everything. He emphasized adopting a beginner’s mindset, like children, who see every idea as a path to many possibilities and inspiration. At least, this is what I understood.
He also mentioned that the people around us—friends and mentors—inspire us to be creative. Ideas don’t come from nothing; you need to start from someone else’s thoughts or ideas. Find your inspiration from a mentor, someone you know, or someone whose work you like.
I think this is all great, but it doesn’t really tell us how to think creatively. You can’t be afraid of something that you don’t even know you can do. I feel that these days, especially in university, there’s more fear of not being creative than of being creative. There is so much pressure to come up with something amazing, especially in things we barely know how to do or understand, that it makes us less creative. As you said in class, you need to release some pressure in order to be creative.
So, how do you be creative? By the end of the class, we should know that, but I would say that skills and knowledge are the most important part. There should be a buildup of information and stress, and then, when you release some of the pressure, you have enough information to come up with something interesting. At least, that is what I have experienced. Now realizing that this is to be posted where anyone can see it, I get what professor Sherwood meant by the fear of sharing what you’ve made.