The Value ofCreativity in a

Global Society“In a world enriched by

abundance but disrupted by the automation and

outsourcing of white-collar work, everyone must

cultivate an artistic sensibility. We may not all

be Dali or Degas. But today we must all be

Designers”.(Pink, 2006)

Graeme Westwood.November, 2013.

GiftedLeaders

We are global.We are interconnected bycommunication, driven by

common goals, inspired byshared objectives.

For posterity and successwe need gifted and creative

leaders.

“According to the NationalAssociation for Gifted

Children(NAGC, 2000), gifted learners are those who

demonstrate high abilitiesin creative, intellectual, and

artistic pursuits, and frequently assume leadership

roles.”(Fletcher, 2011)

Create toSurvive

Global corporations andbusinesses value creativity,

and depend on creativeemployees in order to survive

the ever changing world economy.

“If students leave school without knowing how to continuously create and

innovate, they will beunder-prepared for the

challenges of society and the workforce.”

(nea.org)

The ImportanceOf Design

More than ever before, oursocieties place considerable

importance on design.Brands, advertising, logos,

packaging, social media and digital distribution all depend

on high-end design skills.

“In a world in which good design is increasingly used

as a means ofdifferentiating objects of

mass production, creative design skills are highly

desired in the labor force.”(nea.org)

OutsideThe Box

Individuals who demonstratean ability to think outside

the box are in high demandin corporate environments.

Creativity is seen as instrumental in improving

both products and services.

“In our society we have cometo value those individuals who

attempt new things, monitor Whether they work, cast about

Continually for new ideas and practices, pick themselves

up after an apparent failure, and so on.

(Gardner, 2009)

A Sourceof Achievement

Instead of being undervaluedin education, creativity should

be pushed to the fore. Children learn and develop

through creativity - it can be a source of true

achievement.

“Education is great … but it's really my creativity that's

taught me that I can be much more than what my education told me I am..”

(Raghava KK, TedTalks, 2013)

UntappingPotential

As educators we need to help students reach their true potential.

This involves allowing them to explore their own gifts and abilities, and taking

those skills to the next level.

“Experience suggests that some, perhaps many people feel

disaffected by education and suffer a sense of failure

precisely because they have never discovered where their

own unique abilities lie. For all of those reasons, schools

need to promote a broad approach to creativity across the curriculum

and a broad and balanced curriculum”(National Advisory Committee on

Creative and Cultural Education, 1999)

CreativeCurricula

Teachers can help studentsdiscover latent talents,

but only within curricula thatoffer flexibility and scope for

experimentation.Without backing at higher

levels, a teacher's best intentions fail.

“The real role of leadership in education…is not and should not be command and control.

The real role of leadership is climate control – creating

a climate of possibility. If you do that, people will

rise to it and achieve things that you completely did not

anticipate and couldn’t haveexpected.”

(Robinson, 2013)

References.

Fletcher, T, S. (2011). Creative thinking in schools: Finding the “just right” challengefor students. Gifted child today. 34. 37-42.

Gardner, H. (2009). Five minds for the future. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.

National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. (1999). All our futures: creativity, culture and education. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://sirkenrobinson.com/pdf/allourfutures.pdf

National Education Association. Preparing 21st century studentsfor a global society: An educator’s guide to the “four cs”. Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf

Pink, D. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York, New York: Penguin Group.

Raghava, K, K. (2012). What's your 200-year plan? Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/raghava_kk_what_s_your_200_year_plan.html?quote=1734

Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education's death valley. Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley.html