My Creativity Games and Exercises

"Creativity is just connecting things." - Steve Jobs

When it comes to me as an artist--one who gets big ideas, brings them into reality and shares them with others--my biggest success would have to be my work as a game designer. For fifteen years I poured myself into the art of game design.

I wasn't so much into computer or video games, though I made a few simple ones. Mostly I worked on traditional board and card games. Many of my creations didn't go far, but I had a couple party games that trickled around the planet, making life a little more fun for thousands.

In 2004 a friend and I worked on a creativity system that spawned several highly entertaining games. Most of them can be played with just some paper and pencils. (They weren't the type of thing we could sell, so I had to keep my day job!)

Players supply the best part, which is the creativity that breathes life into the play.

In 2008 the school district where I work purchased interactive whiteboards and classroom response systems. I saw the possibility of using those tools to adapt our creativity game into classroom presentation games. That way a large group could enjoy the fun together. Those games play sort of like interactive TV game shows.

I've written extensively about the games and posted examples on my other blog. See the links at the end of this article if you are interested in those games.

For purposes here, I just want to talk about the simple concept behind the games and what it offers.

In our creativity game system, players were presented with two random items and from that they would make up creative responses. One player would act as a judge and pick his or her favorite responses.

For example, in the riddle game (eventually published as Why Did the Chicken...?) players are presented a riddle starter and two random nouns. It makes silly questions like, "Why is Santa Claus afraid of Einstein?" Players compete to give the best answers to those riddles.

The concept of the prompt was that simple--just pair two random things--but the results were astounding. I still can't believe the number of entertaining hours I have enjoyed with friends as I put different shells over that basic skeleton.

Creativity happens when we make connections between seemingly unconnected things. It actually becomes a connection between the things themselves and the person's experiences. That's the beauty of it. At their most creative, no two people form quite the same connections because no two people have the same experiences. That is how life shines through and art is born.

I eventually turned the games into some creativity exercises and I built a presentation around them. I shared the presentation with classes in my district and I posted a version on my Classroom Games and Tech blog. It has been my most popular post by far.

I learned a few very important things in sharing that activity with students.

• As we've been told by Ken Robinson and others, many students do not believe they are creative.
• There are skills for creativity that can be taught. My simple exercise of just pairing random items in a riddle and making funny responses is just one example.
• And the best thing is that people can learn to be more creative. 

Just practicing that simple exercise brings out fun and surprise for the students I've worked with. Comments I've received on feedback surveys indicate they liked practicing creativity and they plan on continuing to practice it.

I usually take one class period to give my presentation, introduce the exercises and then play some games. It can be done in smaller pieces too, though, so I encourage all teachers to look for ways to introduce such concepts and exercises to their students.

As I often point out, we don't grade on creativity in most classes. Still, it's like oil is to a machine. Oil is not the goal of the machine, but without it the system begins to wear down.

Anyone teaching secondary students can see the school machine coming to a standstill for many students and I believe lack of creativity is one big reason why.

Hopefully we can all do our part, possibly through simple, fun games and exercises, to infuse a little more life in the system!

Here are links to resources for from my other blog:

• A summary and some videos of the creativity exercise and game presentation I give - This is my most popular blog post.
• An article and video about the creativity games themselves - This includes classroom versions and traditional "party game" style versions you can play with paper and pencil.
• A generic version of my Classroom Creativity Games - A version for the whole class of a few different takes on the creativity system.
• A computer version of Why Did the Chicken...? - A good pass-n-play version for a small group with a laptop.

Passionate, Personal Project Based Learning

I know it's common to make room for "voice and choice" in class activities and I've heard it as a requirement for project based learning. In my own project designs, I like to take that a step further and emphasize those elements as part of the learning, both in planning and reflection.

I call it P^3BL--passionate, personal PBL. 

Passionate means there's something present in the project that the students put their heart into. They care about it and the expression is apparent to anyone who sees the project or presentation. 

As an example, the teacher's at my son's school made a new requirement for science fair projects this year. Students had to base the project on something they were passionate about. It made an amazing difference on the variety of projects that filled the gym. It was interesting seeing the creative ideas students explored. I also can attest that it was a lot easier getting my 13-year old to complete his own project this time around, even though the subject (computer programming) was a challenge for him. 

Personal means there is at least some element of personal style present that no one else would have, or maybe could have, done quite that way. Personality and experiences come into the mix in fresh ways. 

For this, I would point to my Smart Jams music video project we completed this year. In it, students wrote and performed songs and raps. I had groups decide who would do the vocal performances and the singers (and wannabe singers) quickly came to light. It was great hearing those students improvise their melodies. Music tastes, songs and who knows what else blended to form their personal styles. Songs were simple, but the uniqueness was magical. (The project needs some tweaking so all group members get a shot at such self-expression.)

Note that these are emphasized in planning and reflection. Students need to build them in. As a group they need to make sure each group member will have elements they can point to.

And in reflecting on the project afterward, students must point out the elements that fit these criteria. My hope is that they will also find some things (or others will point things out to them) that they didn't plan for or notice themselves. 

Thoughts for Teachers on Creativity and Inspiration

At some point I started turning the things I say regularly at school and my more popular Tweets into the little word posters we see plastered all over the internet and social media.  I compiled the best ones (including all of those below) in this post on my other blog. 

The ones below relate to the idea of teaching like an artist. They focus on inspiration, creativity and the importance of making things.

Please feel free to share or use them as slides or images for presentations. A link to my blog or my profile on Twitter is appreciated. 

One variation on my "play or make something" routine...

Here are the ones directly related to my teaching like an artist theme. 

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Artists dream big and do what it takes to make the dream real. They are motivated by letting their ideas spread and they love to share the ideas with others. School needs more of these people!

Too often we forget that technology allows us to connect and to do something big now. I know students don't think of it much. They are bombarded with free entertainment instead. The chance to do something big now is why I'm not big on talking about career planning or getting a high paying job someday. 

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This picture that came to mind when I discovered the power of creativity in school. It has received a lot of attention in the years since.

We don't often grade on the creativity and it's not on the list of learning objectives. That's fine, but that doesn't mean it's not important in all grades and subjects.

This is the key to success I always taught my students at the start of a school year. 

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It's no wonder the students get bored with school. We all are wired to learn so we can do. Focus on the doing and design it so learning happens. 

Don't forget it's not about the tools. Let students be amazed with what they can accomplish. 

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The Initial Vision

The path of an idea, from initial vision to what it becomes in reality, is central to what I call art.

While we usually think of a work of art as some inanimate thing, constructed in a relatively short period of time, are not our very lives an ongoing work shaped to a large degree by our ideas and our attempts to make them real? We make our lives as we pursue a vision of what we want it to be.

Within our lives we find many other smaller works, one of which could be our careers. In fact, teaching like an artist might be nothing more than examining ourselves and our job as art. We must consider what we make through our work and how our work is shaped in return. 

In this way, I find it fascinating to talk to teachers about when they first realized they wanted to teach. When did we get that initial vision that we could do this job? When did we want it badly enough to start making it reality? How did that change over time?

I had several false starts in my own journey to become a teacher, each with it's own lessons. I remember well the night I finally relented and decided to start in the teaching program. Knowing what I do now about the profession and my performance, it seems like a terrible idea looking back, but here is how it went. 

I was in a job I didn't enjoy and I just had another letdown with my ever present dream of having a band. I was lying in bed, sleepless and frustrated. I wanted to do something more significant and teaching came to mind, like it did other times in years past. 

It wasn't that I cared to teach math or really any particular subject. Instead, that night I was feeling my friends had given up on a dream to play music. I got the idea that through teaching I could help teenagers pursue their dreams.

I saw math class as something students would have to work through even though they hated it. As such, and as stupid as this sounds to me now, I imagined that could be a perfect example for them of working through obstacles in pursuit of a dream they really wanted. 

I'd have a talk with my former self about that idea if I could. There's so much wrong with it, so much more to what the job really entails. Yet at the same time I would not talk myself out of the decision to start in the teaching program.

That's enough of my own journey for now. What was your initial vision like?

A Lifelong Learner Challenge

Much of my thinking behind this challenge was inspired by Seth Godin's book, Poke the Box.  I also enjoyed a lot of his other book, The Icarus Deception.  (I won a copy from Jeremy Statton's blog, Living Better Stories.)

In both books Godin repeatedly challenges the reader to get started, make things and keep getting better at making them.  I started consciously putting that into practice a year or so ago and I've been encouraged by the results, some of which are these thoughts on teaching like an artist.

Last year I wrote a draft a Lifelong Learner Challenge based on some of the principles of the books.  I'm still shaping it, putting it more in the language consistent with the other things I have on this blog. In the meantime, here's my updated draft.

The Lifelong Learner Challenge

Each month make at least one thing that is:

• Inspired by something I read  - This implies regular reading, preferably from a book. Give credit throughout the project.
• New - It must be new to me and to the world--original. It must stretch me creatively or otherwise.
• Good - It must be measured against a realistic, high standard identified in advance.
• Personal - Those who know me can see me--my style, unique preferences or personal experiences--in the work in some way.
• Helpful - It must be presented or published in some way so others can find it (or what I learned from making it) and benefit in some way.

And when done, reflect on the learning. Here are some starter questions:

• What worked as planned?
• What didn't?
• How did the final project measure up on the stated standard of measure?
• Where do I still have room for growth?
• What surprised me most in the project (in good and bad ways)?
• How did this project change me?
• Is it worth it to do more projects like this one? Why?

If you do something similar or have suggestions, please share them in the comments or by email.

The idea for this challenge came from Seth Godin's very challenging list in The Icarus Deception:


Six Daily Habits for Artists

• Sit alone; sit quietly.
• Learn something new without any apparent practical benefit.
• Ask individuals for bold feedback; ignore what you hear from the crowd.
• Spend time encouraging other artists.
• Teach, with the intent of making change.
• Ship something that you created.

Are you looking for a way through or a way out?

Artists do the work required to bring their vision into reality. They often make it look easy, but that's because we didn't see the thousands of hours spent practicing, making mistakes and learning what doesn't work. 

Success is on the other side of a big old mountain of work. What's more is we probably can't even see the whole mountain or the other pitfalls waiting just over the peak. 

I have worked with a lot of teachers to help them do exciting projects using technology. Those who resist using more tech always have a string of reasons why they don't use it more. It let them down once, or maybe just the fear of that keeps them from moving ahead. 

All my hours working with the tools certainly makes some of the usual hurdles easier to get through, but I don't disagree with those who say it is hard. In a traditional school setting it takes more work than most realize to make creative tech projects work out within the system.

To make any worthwhile idea into something real it will require us to push through more than we know. There's more dull routine, more battles for time, more negative emotion, more fear and more rejection than we expect. 

If we don't really want to do it or if we lose sight of the purpose, there will always be a handy excuse nearby. And who would blame us for quitting when all the others have given up their crazy dreams and settled for "realistic" long ago?

If the work matters, expect opposition. It will be up to you, though, to decide if that opposition is simply an obstacle to work through or a good excuse to back out.

Know Your Audience

This article originally appeared on my Games and Tech blog. I made some minor edit is when I copied it to here. 

Not every artist would say she needs to know her audience. The purpose and form of the art probably makes a difference. I remember reading a recent interview in Rolling Stone with Bob Dylan.  He said something to the effect he never wrote for anyone other than himself. Some artists can get away with it.

But I remember how valuable the question of audience was when I was making games or helping other game designers. Any problem or uncertainty throughout the design process was immediately put in focus when we asked ourselves who the game was for. On the other hand, confusion resulted when the vision of the target audience was poorly defined.

I see a similar problem in school. When teaching like artist, who is the audience? I'd think the obvious answer is the students. In a sense, we'd like to perform for them--to share and connect--in hopes of inspiring them. They are the ones coming in daily, seeing our work and walking away with something of value.

But all too often school loses focus because we are bringing the students along on a different show planned for someone else. It feels like we're putting on a performance for the state--a play practiced for months and months, shown to a faceless crowd in hopes of a good review. And then there's another big show next year.

We prepare students to play for a vaguely defined employer, one who will pay their bills in the future. Day after day we rehearse our lines. The best students, even in elementary school, know they're getting ready for this person they might meet more than a decade down the road. They answer questions about why with memorized responses--"Math is most important because you use it in any job." The heart wins out, though, and study time is easily overtaken by the endless stream of more interesting options.

I see students going through the motions for so long they forget what they're really doing it for. Learning turns into routine. Check off the list for the minimal requirements and get the credit.

What if the teacher modeled a passion for life and learning that inspired the students to do the same? Is it too idealistic to think students could care so much about their work, and that the teacher designed it so skillfully, that they learn what they need to along the way? Maybe those big tests, important as they are in the process, could be more like an art show where the public sees one presentation of all those individual works.

To be sure, school is multifaceted. It takes most of a year to get through. For the teacher acting as an artist, there is enough opportunity to have more than one performance or reason for performing. There will always be those days when it looks like a rehearsal, with everyone practicing for that faceless audience. But it gets boring for the students when school done that way wears on and on.

Standards matter and the tests have their place. Obviously we are there partly to prepare the students for the world of work. But those things are not enough. We know this because we know so many students sum up the second half of their time in school with something equivalent to the word "boring". Somewhere around fifth grade, little by little, we stop reaching the intended audience. Then eventually many of them stop coming to the show.

This happens whenever we let the standards and pacing guides become an excuse so we can dodge the real work of our art.

On the other hand, we know there are teachers getting the job done and infusing some life into the system at the same time. None of them say it's easy. I never hear a hard working teacher say the pay is worth it. It's rare to hear how the principal gave them enough time to complete the project. Instead they just follow their vision, develop their talents and and play off the energy of the crowd.