I looked back on multiple creations I made throughout my teaching career today to find that some were lost in the cybersphere and others remain. I thought about the time that went into those creations and the value of the creations. Mostly I created to experience the learning steps myself before teaching the lesson to students. I wanted to have an example of the process to show students and I wanted to know exactly how one experienced the process with multiple learning endeavors including digital stories, math problem creations/solutions, model making, science experiments, poetry self portraits, and more. I also created in order to share the teaching/learning efforts, processes, and questions. I shared these creations online and offline with colleagues to elicit feedback, discussion, and new ideas. There was value in this collective creative process. To create meant that I could better teach my students, and provide them with meaningful learning processes that they could use throughout their lives as they contributed their time, effort, and creativity to countless fields of endeavor.
As I looked back to find examples of past creativity, I thought more about the value of creativity. Why do we create? Is it time well spent? How do we keep track of our creations?
I have many, many blogs that tell the story of my career as a teacher. In those blogs, there are links to videos, slideshows, and other sources of information that add examples of what I am talking about. Some of those links are still valid and some are not. Does that matter?
As we move on in life, some of what we do and make stays present and other efforts remain in our minds and hearts, but few other places. Creativity is a process of making that is also a process of growing. We become, in part, what we create even when the creations no longer exist.
For example, I created countless stories as models for my students' writing. Some of those stories can still be found and others are lost. Altogether though they add up to the writer I am today for better or worse.
As I think about this topic, I am wondering about the creative time I have today and how I use that time. Now, I create to care for my grandchild--with him I create countless little play scenarios that challenge him to make choices, experience the world around him, meet simple challenges, and express himself. I love that creative process as that process brings him joy, growth, and engaging challenge. I create to grow a garden that brings me peace, beauty, and some nourishment. I create to look and feel good and to experience the world around me in ways that bring me happiness, knowledge, and camaraderie. I create to bring warmth to my home and my friends and relatives. I create to solve problems, learn, and live a good life. I create to share my beliefs, values, and goals. I, like most people, create to live a better life.
What's important about my creativity is that it is loving, thought-provoking, meaningful, and positive. Even if something I write is full of angry emotion, I want its intent to be positive. Sometimes anger is purposeful, valuable, and positive.
The past creations are only valuable if they bring meaning to me or others. The current creations are the same as will be future creations.
You can see these thoughts are rough--I will think more on this topic in the days to come. Onward.
