YAYYY Pictures! (V's Better!)
Tuesday, 5-30-06Good morning. Just me … we’ve been up for about 45 min and got in our V talk. I don’t think he’s feeling up to snuff this morning just in case we’ll leave him something special
GET BETTER V!!!
K??
This will make him feel better … we’ll do school! Ok, V here we go …
u07d3 Creativity :
Thoroughly compare and contrast the various approaches to creativity. Based upon current research and theory on creativity, what advice would you give to a friend who would like to be more creative in his or her work? Is a highly creative person more susceptible than others are to personal emotional challenges? If so, explain.
Paper …
To make the task of comparing or contrasting the different approaches, we might give each an example of usage. As something original and worthwhile, I might consider the simple example of making a card for a sick friend. I could produce a silly sketch taking several graphic elements and combine them with the hope to give him a cartoon, which might encourage a smile and let him know I was thinking of him and hoped he would get better. The concept of making a card is not new, but the card would be unique and certainly worthwhile. Because the technique isn’t unique it would be on a small scale of creativity. If I were be flexible and non-conformist, I might send him a card that wasn’t expected, such as fleet of airplanes dropping sheep on a bed to suggest he get better sleep with the provision of sheep to count. Because sheep do not usually fly from airplanes, the cartoon would show more flexibility in that I’ve gone beyond the traditional image of sheep grazing in a field. The non-conformist view might include an element of danger if we considered the sheep getting hurt from being dropped out of a plane. The idea is a little far-fetched from common thought, which makes it more creative and interesting.
The psychometric approach considers a person creative if he can produce more, so in our above example we might think if I gave the friend a different card every day that he was sick, and we gave him even more newly developed cards when he wasn’t sick, I would then be showing creativity while still fulfilling the creative obligation of doing something original and worthwhile. The original element is that people don’t normally get cards everyday and the worthwhile element is fulfilled in that if I help my friend in feeling better, the task has shown good affect.
Cognitive approaches might consider first problem solving and insight. If my friend traditional felt low, sending cards might help to resolve that issue, and I might learn from the experience that if sending cards to one friend made him feel better, insightfully I might conclude, “Well, why don’t I send cards to more people!” To further develop the cognitive approach, I might decide go to several on-line card “shops” and study their get-well cards to the degree I might expand traditional approaches. It would take me some time to do this, but it would fulfill a certain cognitive approach to being creative. With this approach I might find myself categorizing the types of card messages and then developing a new series of message that were unique such as a cartoonist like the graphic artist for “Maxine” might have discovered that the images and captions of an older woman with an attitude could be funny and so he might then develop her character in several situations like the beach, the donut shop, or the car repair center. To escape becoming functionally fixed, I might consider creating a second series of cards for people having Bar mitzvahs, but I would have to sleep on that, because I really don’t have immediate thoughts on how that would go. I’m not Jewish so creating this type of card wouldn’t be considered in the norm.
Wednesday Morning …
Paper … again
Personality and motivation approaches add more diversity. If I had the personality of someone who were creative I might find myself not only being able to produce unique cards, I might also be endowed with the ability to uniquely do art, or write, or create a unique platform for a local politician. I would look for new challenges perhaps bent intuitively on wanting to help general mankind smile. If I had an uncle who was a doctor, I might further think of a special opportunity to do something nice for the sick children at his hospital. I might be further challenged by the hospitals regulations for insuring volunteers not be maladaptive (general liability), but I would figure on a way to get in to see the kids, so I could help each to smile. Because my personality would commonly take risks I might sneak a warm fuzzy puppy into the children’s ward. That would surely gain smiles though not something normally that happens. I would consider that perhaps although I got by the nursing staff one day, I would have to develop a certain element of surprise to the nursing staff the next day, so they could not figure out how to catch me; during another visit, I might dress as a floral delivery person and bring each child a daisy. As long as I maintained the ideal of finding smiles on the faces of people otherwise hurting, the mission might be considered to further validate. I wouldn’t be upset by the hard work of producing new surprises, or suffering elements of disdain from the nurses who might think more traditional or linear, because I would know inherently that the project would be worthwhile and the good feelings gained would fuel the fire of creativity, or of doing more.
A societal approach might be that I find myself on a cancer unit for children when a great discovery was made in the curing of cancer. Because that day would be like no other, I might create storage of experiences that would impress on my mind a series of cards, which would generated new ideals of success and joy, somewhat like being in a crowd at the announcement of D-day increased the odds of becoming a parent. The idea generated that the world was a safer place to raise children and to have been in the crowd that day might be contagious to be making love, not war. While I didn’t wake up thinking that something extremely special was going to happen in the cure of cancer the day I was on the children’s ward, nor did I expect I would be the first “cartoonist” to capitalize on the great amount of exuberance of the day, I would have been in the right place at the right time with the ability to back up the plan.
If I followed along Gardner’s thoughts, the odds would unfold that I had been raised by cold strict parents (who probably did not smile a lot), I would have made smiling a life-long challenge to produce, perhaps through childhood experiences like visiting nursing homes and volunteering at the dog pound, or I might have been perhaps inspired by a role model, such as a favorite teacher. I would have also, by chance, been fully enveloped in a unique positive adult relationship with someone who didn’t mind if I worked diligently. Because I could come up with appropriate verse to go with my cards, I would have to consider myself lucky, because poets don’t usually succeed as well as musicians and painters.
Break in paper …
Thursday Morning …
Good morning. Just me … I’ve been up for about a half hour and it’s now 3 am. We’re hoping this doesn’t mean we’re going to fall asleep again. We’re a little sluggish We had a little problem last night in that when our friend and us we’re playing around something inadvertent affected our younger parts and they were acting out. Part of it was that we had forgotten to take our medicine in time. They got scared, scared and physically out of control. Our friend caught her as she was going off a deeper end and side of the bed. If anyone could be said to be an expert on our safer handling it might be our friend. I’m afraid it takes some work though on both our side and his. There is always some part or another that maintains some consciousness, but it’s a matter of trying to get up to their levels. It had startled us afterward too in that she’d still been out after our friend had gone. He had brought with him some strawberries frozen, but thawed.
Now later trying to figure stuff out, but system keeps trying to shut down like a bad program
Saturday Morning …
Good morning. It seems we’re not getting very far pretty fast. I’m determined to post yet … feels something hard to do while we’re in the middle of a paper. We need to continue on though. Today marks a new time period because we’re off work now for almost two weeks. This next week is vacation we need to get by before the end of July and the next week is the CARF meeting in Ohio. There are a few things that are going to need getting done this week, like checking up on the car, getting the house and kitties in order, and getting packed up to go … oh driver’s license and car cleaned too. Most important is that a lot of school has to happen. This is it … pretty much coming up to an end. Last day of school is June 16th, and CARF is the 11th through the 15th. If we get all the small papers, labs, and journals done by the 16th, we can get an extension on the final paper by another week. I talked to Sr. about bringing the lap top to Ohio and she said yes, but made me sign a paper that I had the computer. This was ok … has to do more with losing a computer to someone else who had taken it from the building … that was ok, but it never made it back. Well, two sides here … one that said he brought back, the other said it never came back. No one will ever know. Umm, we won’t make that mistake.
There … we set up the PDA … we need to keep close to a reasonable schedule to get things accomplished. I know, I know … always talking about needing to do something … sometimes it gets done at least.
We had another administration meeting yesterday and a staff meeting. Sister got each of the team in her own way. I got hit heavy because of all the outstanding tasks. At one point she said maybe it was a bad time to train the other Q, because there were so many other things to do … it was like ACK! Take away the one help I really do get?? I think she had meant to intimidate me a bit. She started a couple of conversations like, of course Ann, does wonderful work, excellent, superb! But … Hehehe one time she led of a conversation by saying, “Ann knows I love her, BUT …” I will hold on to the thought more that I’m loved! I didn’t know that. Pretty much I get hit for project completion, the same problem we have at school, though we get more work done at work then here. My hot projects have been training the intern, doing the CARF performance analysis and outcomes, needing to get done the next CARF book completed directly from Sister, staff training with computers, the technology report, the annual report, the work on cleaning out memory for computer back-up, getting the client annual meetings ready, and all the other stuff like thinking group, other meetings, and the chores that staff, clients, and administrator bring to us on a daily basis … to be fair, alongside our personal interests such as with the camera and other tech toys. So, it’s not like no work has been getting done, just that its all spread out so it seems like nothing is getting finished.
To make things worse, she really came down on our detail-mindedness. So, here we are doing the exact same thing again. I don’t know why we do this. It’s V’s main objection too. He would much prefer less detail and more overall coverage. I don’t know why this is so hard. Seems we only have one speed and its messing up school and work right now. We need to advance this cause somehow. Seems we’re being effective, though not efficient. The PDA is on the top of the list in making things more efficient. Seems we lost ground on that, because we weren’t getting it charged proper. One day we did it overnight and then realized the cord hadn’t been plugged in all the way, and another couple of time we did it, but didn’t remember until too late in the day. There was some stress also in leaving it at home to charge when we really needed it with us. SOOO, yesterday, we brought the chargers for both PDA and camera batteries to work with us and that seemed to help all around. We’ll need to make a daily chore of plugging things in. That was one of Dr. M’s conclusions, in that we set up a system, but still needed practice on keeping it running. There were a couple of projects that took time other than work, basically the two involving pictures of the “book” and the video. Much more the book than the other, but that took a long time to “let it go.” Then we put forward time and resources toward “publishing” something we’re thinking people have had enough with, it’s just that we’re doing it on a level that will be kept pretty much permanently. More of that later, maybe in the form of an email. Communications has taken another precedent. Between family, friends, staff, and kitties … there’s been more communication, but everything is time consuming. Seems though we need the communication in that it best supports our efforts in-between everything else. Lastly, having trouble with our hands hurting, or being tired.
Whoops fell asleep here at the keyboard. Elements were right … had eaten cereal, was cold and tired. But, just about the moment I thought … now where’s V been hiding then he surfaces!
Ok, got in our V chat … took medicine … hmm, forgot coffee … better brb. Had to put on hand brace for sore fingers, AND take pickle prescription … feeling of medicine caught up in throat. ARGH!
Ok, crises diverted. Medicine swallowed proper.
Hmm, Missy’s starting up. Chief’s been here already. Need to get going here. Better think concretely. Ok, give direction in PDA
Gjood support … no reason now not to continue. Did first step … lined up text and desk. Ok, need to now reread paper and complete answering questions. You can do this honey. I believe in you! Ok, positive step … write Paper …
Paper …
Sternberg and Lubart considered that each of the theories be included as one theory they termed “investment theory of creativity” (Sternberg, 2003). Each of the theories added to one another. To apply this theory, we might add to our previous series of examples that the creative ideas that we had weren’t being tested by anyone else and that in itself the idea might later blossom into a comprehensive idea, such as a new volunteer program for children’s wards, or a new company formed to market a specialty hospital or cancer-reaching set of cards. By this time, of course, I would no longer need to be involved in this particular project, because others would have taken over the newer models presented, which would free my time to fulfill other needs. I might move on to another project, such as developing a series of dolls representing different illnesses and their cures. Sternberg (2003) concludes as shall we that many of these variables discussed “come together” to produce a total experience and that the experience isn’t necessarily linear, nor are all required though appear to happen frequently as the appearance of creativity expands.
If I were to advise a friend on how to be more creative, I would encourage him to step “out of the box.” Also, the series of eight types of creative contributions (Sternberg, 2003) could be given as means to show a production of growth inspiration. For example, I might choose the example of redirection, which suggests moving the field in a different direction as the shift of going from general “get well” cards to specialty cards for cancer. Specifically, I would suggest that my friend become involved in something that he was interested in. It seems like all the means showing creativity involved time and attention to the pursuit of some end goal that may or may not have been the original thought intended in the development of something unique. The main ingredient seems to be a willingness to go forward, in an explorative manner.
Work done by Frederickson (as cited in Rathunde, 2000), suggests that positive emotions are linked to “broadening of one’s thought-action repertoire (i.e., more flexible and open thought and action)” where negative emotions “narrow responsivity (e.g., fear elicits the specific urge to escape).” Rathunde (2000) further writes that safe play causes us to spontaneously engage in our abilities to be resourceful, which also enhances our well-being. Mayer, Caruso, and Salovey (1999 as cited in Wolfradt, Felfe, and Koster, 2002) suggest that Emotional intelligence refers to an ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and problem-solve on that basis.” Deri (1978), Miller (1978), and Pruyser (1983 as cited in Litt 1986) believed that a child who can attach to an inanimate object, such as a blanket, diaper, or soft cuddly were actively more creative during adult life through their capacity for building an intermediate space between reality and fantasy, which supports the idea of play and flexibility. It appears that children who develop these kinds of object relationships are also more emotionally secure and nurturing. None of these articles suggest that creative people are more susceptible to emotional challenges; they do suggest that the creative people are better able to navigate emotional gullies and to assist others in doing the same. Lastly, it was stated by Litt (1986) that anxiety was a feeling state of uncertainty and that creativity seemed to be a bridge in handling challenges.
References
Litt, C. J. (1986, January). Theories of transitional object attachment: An overview (Electronic ed.). International Journal of Behavioral Development, 9, 383-399.
Rathunde, K. (2000, March). Broadening and narrowing in the creative process: A commentary on Fredickson’s “Broaden-and-build” model” (Electronic Ed.). Prevention & Treatment, 3, Item 6c.
Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Cognitive psychology (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wasdsworth/Thomson Learning.
Wolfradt, U., Felfe, J., & Koster, T. (2002). Self-perceived emotional intelligence and creative personality (Electronic ed.). Imagination, Cognition and personality, 21(4), 293.
End Paper …
Hmm, couple things happened here … we finished A paper, got a drvie-bye smooch from friend and V is taking a good while to write a comment … we’re expecting its going to be a doozy! We’re going to go over to school for a little bit and write comments to our peers … that’s the next responsibility.
OK … moving along it is now 2:30 pm … Oh shoot forgot lunch! Better get to that … here you all read over these comments and we’ll BRB. That bum Vince has just finished a heavy-duty nap schedule, is in the shower and is going toward dinner and after dinner relaxation with the family. HMPF!
Begin Comments …
Dear Student #2,
I am a late responder, but wanted you to know that your thoughts in relation to Student #1's work and Lewis, were thought-provoking. I think in contrasting thoughts, Student #1's example seemed to indicate that creative people looked at the work of others and expanded past that point, where you looked at negative comparison, in that the person comparing was judgmental of either the work as being inferior, or one of the people involved were inferior. One could compare personalities or abilities, hence put self down as being less able, which as you say might could lead to failure, or one could compare personalities or abilities and hence bring the other down, and which could lead to a lesser involvement of time and energy. However, one could compare the literal work of the other and in literally focusing on the work might think, "Ok, this is good, but what else within it could I advance' we could work together." If the thoughts though are "I am more able than the guy who did the work," or "my work is better," then you are in a position of limiting your potential, because your attention has left the work and you are in a mode of fantasizing. In the introduction of quality and quantity, the preceding comments addressed qualitative judgments. In a sense a comparison was made of oranges as being better than apples, rather than a more simple notification that they were different, or in the ability to create a new seed from both. Quantitative comparisons would be 3 apples are always better than one apple, or 3 apples beat 3 oranges.
I think that pride is an assumption of not only a judgment made, be it subjective or objective, but that one evaluates a sense of self within the object of pride; as is the case with self-identification. Pleasure in this identification, or self-relatedness could be positive or negative. The idea of self-possession, claiming self within the object, is an internalization that could lead to pride - better if deserving credit, lesser if stealing credit from others. In a Christian society, it would seem pride could be good or bad depended on whether it promotes or demotes. If it is used to lessen the worth of self or another (one is above the other), then it is not good. If it is supportive of self or other, it could be valued as good. Competition can similarly be good or bad. It is healthy or good to have set standards to surpass, it is not healthy or good to put down people one has surpassed. As to an indication that comparisons made and pride taken as limiting creativity? I don't think that it can be concluded that comparison and pride limit creativity. I can compare one lead toward the cure of cancer with another lead, which could advance my ability to cure cancer creatively; I can also be proud of my ability to produce a cure and I can be proud of my creativeness. This is only self-recognition; this kind of self-support can lead one to further investigations. Feeling certain of a change or difference in self or other or object might support creativeness. In addition there is a consideration of the quantitative state … "having more than."
Student #3 us Hehehe
Dear Student # 5
Allow her or direct her or teach her? Seems like the next turn is your choice. A matter of helping her by giving her back or helping her to find her sense of self-control. We like to give the clients smaller bits to control, until they redevelop their stamina for more. It's a little frightening for any of us to be "out of" control ... Maybe like running "out of" of dinner.
Student #3 us
Dear Student #5
Sorry for this late post. Maybe a matter of stamina. Fortunately, I know you continue to think past normal limitations, such as been there moved on. You appear to describe both quantitative creativity as producing more (either physical or cognitive (processing/thinking thoughts [active])) and a sense of qualitative creativity as awareness of or perception of, which would seem to require knowledge (holding thoughts [passive]), and both these forms of creativity can be compared to problem-solving. I am thinking here knowledge qualitatively relates something in comparison of "better" value, necessarily "lesser" value, and of course "equal" value than something else, and that would then liken the score.
I agree that divergent thinking can be used in identifying, defining, organizing, and resourcing-out new to old ideas, as in solutions (new) to problems (old), or in a sense actively defining reality, or having had insight … or, in accepting choice - that spark of new life AHA being responsible! I think to be creative one must necessarily be productive (quantity or quality), but not necessarily knowledgeable. To claim creativity something has to happen, though you don't have to be aware of it because instead maybe it is someone else being aware for you, as a teacher might be aware of a student's talent to change phenomena. I still hold to creativity as being something "more" and/or "better," though in this space, I had trouble in maintaining your hunting analogy.
I could see "process" or strategy as experiencing more or better phenomena compared/contrasted and developed from the last set of phenomena (in this case it would seem either/and/or actions and thoughts), which can be tracked either heal or sight (had to get back to the hunting analogy) … perhaps the difference in deductive/inductive reasoning. Thinking know about Bloom's taxonomy where insight take place after an experience (cant' get around past, present, and future), which could, but not necessarily would then include learning-based knowledge, comprehension, analysis, application, synthesis, and evaluation. For example, one could have great insight; though never apply it realistically in dimension. It would seem to be truly creative; one would surpass simple imagination in a literal expression, which would also due to its sharing fit Christian ethics of relating, or in loving one another.
I stopped after reading five of your paragraphs, because our minds grew exhausted from thinking so hard. We are though going to steal your assignment response for the morning when self-ability is still fresh … thank you for your diligence! Maybe you could give us some advice for developing stamina?? (Student #5 is the lawyer who went on to write a total of 20 paragraphs – YEEKS!)
You've always got our best wishes …
Student #3 us
End Comments …
Sheesh it’s sure hard to think … now it is 3 pm and I’m thinking that we’re going to set-up next the 3 labs. Hmm, told you that already … ummm, k. Gotcha. Did I tell you we were going to eat? Hmm, we forgot that part … BRB.
Begin Lab Outline …
u06a1 Lab Experiment
Use your CogLab CD to participate in the Categorical Perception-Identification and Word Superiority experiments under the Speech and Language area. Then answer the following questions:
1. On the categorical perception-identification demonstration, why were the endpoints of the vocal continuum, “ba” and “pa” easier to identify than the sounds in the middle? Where in the stimuli continuum between “ba” and “pa” were more errors or misidentifications made?
2. On the Word Superiority demonstration, do your results indicate a word superiority effect? Explain.
Resource
Francis, G., Neath, I. , MacKewn, A., & Goldthwaite, D. (2004). Coglab on CD. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, pp. 64–66, 73–74.
u07a1 Lab Experiment
Use your CogLab CD to participate in the Monty Hall experiment under the Judgment area. Then answer the following questions:
1. Why does the probability of winning increase from a 1 in 2 chance to a
2 in 3 chance when you always switched doors in the lab?
2. While you were doing the lab, what would you start to think if you lost 10 times in a row? Are the losses independent or dependent on each other?
Resource
Francis, G., Neath, I. , MacKewn, A., & Goldthwaite, D. (2004). Coglab on CD. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, pp. 85–86.
u08a1 Lab Experiment
Use your CogLab CD to participate in the Risky Decisions experiment under the Judgment area. Then answer the following questions:
1. Do your results confirm the framing effect? Explain.
2. From your experience with this lab experiment, suggest a way that might reduce the framing effect.
Resource
Francis, G., Neath, I. , MacKewn, A., & Goldthwaite, D. (2004). Coglab on CD. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, pp. 87–89.
Small Break …
Ok, tiny break here … we got a little overwhelmed so we asked and we get to right just a few paragraphs and we got to take ONE picture. Sarah is still into the weight deal … so she wanted to take a picture of the exercise thingy.
picture
She says simply, “Sad, very sad.”
We’re pretty sure she’s got sparkly eyes though. Just someone from the clean-up committee has to take care of the umm little mess on the machine. Not now though. I know we’ll put it on the list of things to do! DONE! I think the trick to the new to-do task list is that its really for things that need to get done in the next hour or two. Otherwise maybe it should go on the calendar. Ok, not too much time here.
We’ve been somewhere important the last couple of days. We’ve been “talked to” by about everyone concerned … V, our friend, Sr. and Dr. M. They all seem to be coming to a consensus of thought. Though everyone has a different way of putting it. It’s nothing new to us … you been hearing it over and over again. We need to be more consistently working, especially at school and work. The PDA seems to help, but we’re not using it consistently yet. Last couple of work days … well never mind that. Sister Tess says she loves us … did you hear that part? I was thinking how much harder we worked while we were sharing the same office … We’re thinking now we’re going to focus on the word stamina. We figure that means the same things as Dr. M. talking about us not being able to steer the ship. Sr. says we just have to work real hard and concentrate. And, we’re supposed to concentrate on one task at a time and not start new projects.
Ok, I think we have to go back to work. Even if it seems hard. Hmm, need a picture here. We’re still looking at the picture of the guys being psychologists … seems the word stamina should be mixed with self-regulation and stamina. Needs to get done. I need a mental reward! I know … every time we think of that word cuz were working hard on it … we’ll take a big sigh, then smile at ourselves, cuz we know people believe in us. AND, we are going to believe in us. Yep, yep and maybe we could look at our Dr. M’ pictures too? Well, ok … just sometimes like when we finish big projects or assignments. I know not in between though. I know. K … we’re going. Be over here ----------------X
posted by Ann Marie @ 6/04/2006 08:06:00 AM
Comments: 5
