Syllabus

ProfessorAaron Sherwood
Emailsherwood@nyu.edu 
Aaron’s Websitehttps://www.aaron-sherwood.com/
Office HoursBy appointment
Class Times1:30 – 4:30pm
Class Room101/Prenzlauer Berg
Course Name and NumberCreating – CADT-UH 1076J

Course Description

What is creativity? How does it manifest? How does it make us feel, both when we are creative as well as when we encounter others’ creativity? Creating delves into these topics through a multi-faceted, hands-on exploration in the city of Berlin. Students will visit with various artists, studios, and musicians to learn firsthand how various practitioners think of, and engage with, creativity. Students will also explore daily exercises in lateral thinking, imaginative play, mindfulness, flow states, opening to experience, and more. Through discussion, readings, and research, students will focus on the emotions of creativity and will identify works that move them, exploring why. Students will also be tasked to incorporate all they’re learning into their own creations by making things daily. This making isn’t limited to one paradigm or medium, though several audio/visual platforms will be introduced to provide some tools for students to use. Students will be encouraged to explore various mediums and even be inventive in their choice of medium! The course will culminate in a mini-symposium, surveying what students explored and made during the class.

Credits: 4
Prerequisites: none

This course counts toward the following NYUAD degree requirements: 

  • Core Curriculum > Arts, Design, and Technology
  • Majors > Art and Art History > Visual Arts Projects Electives
  • Majors > Interactive Media > Media and Design Thinking
  • Minors > Interactive Media

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) and Link to Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able toLinked to Core PLOs (refer to Appendix 1)
Critically examine, engage with, and communicate about, creativity as a human capacity1, 2, 3, 4
Implement effective strategies that enable creativity1, 2, 4
Demonstrate self-understanding and the ability to engage directly in the contents of consciousnesses through the aid of contemplative practices3
Demonstrate an ability to engage with and synthesize a plurality of perspectives, from creative masters1, 2, 4
Develop a creative practice1, 2, 3, 4

Teaching and Learning Methodologies

This is both a seminar and production based course. Students will be learning through hands-on experience, iterative experimentation, play, contemplative exercises, lectures, readings, discussions, writing, examples, workshops, and presentations. Students will also get to engage deeply with the creative community in the city of Berlin.

Course Materials

Required Bookstore Texts

  • Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step; Edward de Bono; ISBN: 0060903252; Harper Colophon; Reissue edition (February 24, 2015)
  • Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking; David Bayles & Ted Orland; ISBN: 0961454733; Image Continuum Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2001)
  • Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience; Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; ISBN: 0061339202; Harper Perennial Modern Classics; 1st edition (July 1, 2008)

Recommended Texts

  • Creators on Creating: Awakening and Cultivating the Imaginative Mind; Frank Barron, Alfonso Montuori, Anthea Barron; ISBN: 0874778549; TarcherPerigee; 1st edition (April 14, 1997)
  • The Creative Act: A Way of Being; Rick Rubin; ISBN 0593652886;  Penguin Press; 1st Edition (January 17, 2023)
  • Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind; Scott Barry Kaufman; ISBN: 0399175664; TarcherPerigee; Reprint edition (December 27, 2016)

Other materials

Video:  The Creative Act of Listening to a Frog; Kermit the Frog, TEDx Jackson (2015)

Tools:

Markus Popp
Robert Seidel
https://field.io/
https://ephemeraltomorrow.com/
https://harshinijk.com/
https://www.marianacarvalho.me/
https://kollagekollectiv.com/
https://onformative.com/
Ryoichi Kurokawa
Tomás Saraceno
https://lighthouse.berlin/en/home-eng/
https://www.marcobarotti.com/WORKS
https://artcom.de/en/
Public Art Lab (Susa Pop)
https://www.maazamengiste.com/
https://mingapur.com/
https://en.darkmatter.berlin/
Kling Klang Klong
Natascha Sadr Haghighian
Hito Steyerl
Feld
Haus der Statistik
Floating Berlin
Flora & Fauna
Otis Sandsjö
Petter Eldh
Merche Blasco

Assignments and Grades

Activity DetailGrade PercentageSubmission Date/DayLinked to CLOs
Daily “Making” Documentation 25%Daily1, 2, 3, 5
Reading Responses25%Daily1, 2, 3, 5
Participation10%Daily1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Midterm paper10%Class 8, May 311, 3, 5
Final Paper15%Class 12, June 61, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final Presentation15%Class 13, June 71, 2, 3, 4, 5

Grading Rubrics

Daily “Making” Documentation and Reading Responses will use a simple rubric:

  • Excellent: A
  • Satisfactory: B+
  • Unsatisfactory: C
  • Unacceptable: F

Participation (see more info below under Expectations):

  • A – Almost always prepared for class including: seated and settled, with notebook and assignment ready, at the beginning of each lesson, ready to engage in class discussion. Has questions or observations prepared, and ready to answer questions from the instructor. If encountering any difficulty with an assignment, seeks help. Asks questions in class. Almost always engages in discussion with the instructor and other students. Frequently offers assistance to other students.
  • B – Occasionally prepared in most of the ways indicated above.
  • C – Infrequently prepared in most of the ways indicated above.
  • D – Rarely or never prepared in most of the ways indicated above.

Midterm Paper:

  • 20% Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation/Appropriate Length
  • 40% Analysis – Clearly articulates, in detail, why the piece you chose moves you. Specifically identifies and articulates how the artwork moves you 
  • 40% Originality and creativity – going beyond the minimum requirements, making the writing your own (it’s a class on creativity after all!)

Final Paper:

  • 20% Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation/Appropriate Length
  • 40% Reflection – Successfully weaves together the various aspects of this course into a cohesive narrative: the visits and reflections, the mental/emotional aspects, the contemplative practices, the readings, and the daily practice of “making”. Goes beyond a summarization of the facts, interpreting, connecting, commenting, synthesizing, breaking down, etc. 
  • 40% Originality and creativity – going beyond the minimum requirements, making the writing your own 

Final Presentation/Exhibition:

  • 50% The presentation/exhibition is creatively organized and well executed. It synthesizes the disparate elements from the semester in a novel way as a final making project
  • 25% The presentation/exhibition clearly and succinctly articulates student’s reflections on how the various aspects of the course have informed their understanding and practice of creativity
  • 25% The presentation/exhibition incorporates the “making” that happened throughout the course

Grading Calculation

A 95+
A- 90 – 94
B+ 87 – 89
B 83 – 86
B- 80 – 82
C+ 77 – 79
C 73 – 76
C- 70 – 72
D+ 67 – 69
D 63 – 66
F 0 – 62

Expectations

Attendance:

Due to the condensed nature of J-term, each absence is the equivalent of missing a full week in a regular semester – with less of an opportunity to make up for missed material. Each unexcused absence results in the deduction of one mark from the final course grade (e.g. from an A- to a B+). Attendance is mandatory at all classes as well as co-curricular activities (class trips). Unexcused absences from co-curricular activities are treated the same as absences from classes. Excusing absence is at the discretion of the instructor. Students who miss more than three classes, excused or unexcused, cannot pass the course. If the absences are excused, the student will be withdrawn from the course. If more than one of the absences is unexcused, the student will fail the course. Lateness counts as half an unexcused absence.

Participation:

  • Sustained in class participation that demonstrates careful reading and reviewing of all materials is a requirement for succeeding in this course. Participating during class helps me get to know you as an individual and keep track of your progress. It also provides you and your classmates greater opportunities to learn from each other.
  • Ways to participate:
    • Be present, attentive, and mindful during class time.
    • Contribute to class discussions
    • Support or challenge points of interest
    • Highlight items of significance or make connections in readings and assignments
    • Share personal experiences and perspectives
    • Raise questions
  • Please DO ask questions. If you do not ask questions, I can only assume you understand the material completely.
  • You will be expected to present work in class. Explaining your work to other people is a great way to better understand the material and answer questions for yourself.
  • Respect the “Laptops and Phones” policies described below.
  • Communicate with me and let me know if you have any concerns pertaining to the course. If you would like extra help or additional instruction, please let me know. You can email me, sign up for office hours, speak with me before class or after class, or all of the above.

Assignments:

All assignments are due before class starts on the due date. This includes making the blog post. 

Documentation:

Document your daily “making” work thoroughly as you go; don’t put it off until the end.  Photos, video, drawings, and notes are all valuable forms of documentation. Explain the project at the beginning of your documentation, so that people who come to your site from outside this class can understand your work quickly.

Use pictures, drawings, and videos liberally to explain your work. Don’t directly upload videos to WordPress. Use Vimeo, Youtube, or another video hosting site and embed the video in your post.

Reading Responses:

For reading assignments, students are expected to write a short response (approx. 100-200 words) with their reactions, prior to the class discussion on the material on the class blog. 

Artist/Studio Visits:

  • Maintain a personal journal of reflections from the artist/studio visits
  • Research the artist/studios the day before we go and come prepared with at least 2 questions you want to ask them about (I will ask you what these are).

Laptops:

Laptop use is fine if you are using your laptop to present in class, or if we’re in the middle of an exercise that makes use of it. Whenever classmates are presenting or we’re in the midst of a class discussion, please keep your laptop closed. The quality of the class depends in large part on your attention and active participation, so please respect that and close your lid.

Mobile Phones:

Please put them on vibrate or turn them off before you come to class. If you have an emergency that requires you to answer your phone during class, please tell me ahead of time.

Academic Policies

Integrity:

At NYU Abu Dhabi, a commitment to excellence, fairness, honesty, and respect within and outside the classroom is essential to maintaining the integrity of our community. By accepting membership in this community, students, faculty, and staff take responsibility for demonstrating these values in their own conduct and for recognizing and supporting these values in others. In turn, these values create a campus climate that encourages the free exchange of ideas, promotes scholarly excellence through active and creative thought, and allows community members to achieve and be recognized for achieving their highest potential.

Students should be aware that engaging in behaviors that violate the standards of academic integrity will be subject to review and may face the imposition of penalties in accordance with the procedures set out in the NYUAD policy: 

https://students.nyuad.nyu.edu/campus-life/student-policies/community-standards-policies/academic-integrity/.

Generative AI:

Limited Use: You may use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) in this class for specific purposes, each instance requires advance permission from the professor. You are NOT allowed to use AI to write a blog post, paper, presentation, audio/visual composition, code, reading response, or other course assignments from scratch. You are responsible for the information submitted based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly and clearly documented and cited.

Mental Health Awareness:

As a University student, you may experience a range of issues that can interfere with your ability to perform academically or impact your daily functioning, such as heightened stress, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance, strained relationships, grief and loss, personal struggles. If you have any well-being or mental health concerns please visit the Counseling Center on the ground floor of the campus center from 9am-5pm, Monday – Friday, or schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor by calling: 02-628-8100, or  emailing: nyuad.healthcenter@nyu.edu. If you require mental health support outside of these hours, call NYU’s Wellness Exchange hotline at 02-628-5555, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also utilize the Wellness Exchange mobile chat feature,  details of which you can find on the student portal.  These services are available remotely for students studying outside of the UAE.  If you need help connecting to these supports please contact me directly.

Moses Center for Student Accessibility (CSA): mosescsa@nyu.edu                   New York University is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for students with disabilities. CSA works with students to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations that support equal access to a world-class education. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. Disability-related information is never disclosed without student permission. If you have any questions or would like to have further information about the Moses Center, please visit the following link.

Appendix 1 – Core Program Learning Outcomes

1)  Critically examine historical and contemporary topics of global significance, which includes   formulating clear, precise questions and arriving at well-reasoned conclusions using
                          a) qualitative,
                          b) quantitative,
                          c) contextual, and
                          d) creative modes of reasoning;
2)  Communicate effectively for various audiences and purposes, including participation in public settings;
3)  Demonstrate self-understanding and intercultural competency; and
4)  Identify and reflect critically on conceptual and ethical complexity.