Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 2, Session 4: Creative Ideas | Page 64 of 127II. Information (35 minutes)
Materials:
Flip chart 1: Get Creative
A. “Creativity Myths”
Participants learn various ways to think more creatively.
- Introduce some ideas about creativity. Say:
“I’d like to find out what you think about creativity. I’ll make a statement and if you think it’s true,
stand up. If you think it’s false, sit on the floor (or ground). If you think it might be true in some
situations but not in others, you can stand halfway! Ready?- Read each of the following statements one at a time and pause to let people stand or sit. When all
choices have been made, share the correct response and the explanation for it. If any participants
stood just halfway, invite them to explain their reasoning. Answer any questions participants have
before reading the next statement.
Statements about Creativity
a) You are either born creative or you’re not. (False. Everyone is creative! You can be creative
without being an artist or a musician. It’s also how we solve problems.)
b) You can learn to be more creative. (True. We are going to learn some ways to be more creative
today!)
c) You can only be creative in the morning or late at night. (False. You can be creative anytime.)
d) You’ll be more creative if you have a deadline. (That is the time by which something must be
done). (Usually false. Most people find that being under pressure usually makes them worried
and tense.)
e) To be creative you just need one good idea. (False. People who are creative have many, many
ideas but eventually use only the best ones.)
f) Sometimes the silliest ideas are the best. (True. Silly, odd ideas may be just the different type of
thinking you need.)
g) To be creative you have to work alone. (False. Having more people usually means better quality
ideas.)- Ask participants whether there are other statements about creativity that they have heard. Then
say:
“These statements represent some of the common ideas about being creative. Often people also
think being creative means you have to come up with an idea all by yourself. But being creative
does not just mean inventing a completely original idea. It also means being able to change or build
upon another person’s idea. In fact, most creative ideas are a variation of earlier ideas by other
people.”- Share Flip chart 1: Get Creative with participants. Say: