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Show page 8 , Spring 2004 Reclaiming the Creativity Within BY SARAH LEYMASTER PHOTOS BY ALY DANIELS / dwell in Possibility-A fairer House than Prose-More numerous of Windows-Superior - for Doors -Emily Dickinson One artist who used creativity to break the constraints and conventions of her time is Emily Dickinson. She took her creative powers to the limit, and expressed herself in unique and free-flowing prose. How many of us, as faculty or students at the University of Utah, really let go of the constraints that keep us in check, and allow our creative mind to take over? It seems that expressing ourselves with the kind of abandon that Dickinson displayed, or just expressing ourselves period, is more the exception than the rule. Is creativity a quality that exists innately within each of us, or is it something that is learned? Professors in engineering, biology, English and dance at the University of Utah believe that creativity is a process of self-expression that exists innately within each of us, but that we lose our ability to access our creative power over time. If creativity is innate, what causes our capacity for creativity to decrease? There are several factors that may contribute to such a decrease, including the way our current educational system is designed. Also, fear of embarrassment and fewer opportunities for self-expression censor creativity in higher education. Though creativity means different things to different departments on campus, professors from all departments feel that creativity is an important, if not essential factor in higher education. Donna White, associate professor of modern dance at the University of Utah, feels that our innate ability to be creative diminishes over time. "Creativity," she said, "is innate, but we forget it. It has to be relearned." Throughout life, we are conditioned to follow the rules. Sometimes we lose sight of our ability to come up with new ideas, and think outside the box. Assistant Professor Meghan Cooley, also of the modern dance department, said, "Our traditional education system is about imposing limits and finding categories. Growing up, children have the ability to generate new ideas, but they are not encouraged to do so as much as they get older." That's why dance fosters the creative process so much - because "there is so much play involved in dance." Part of the reason we lose our capacity to be creative is due to a fear of embarrassment. In order to be creative, students need to let go of the fear of embarrassment or failure, and need to allow themselves to exercise their creative faculty. A large part of being creative is to let go, "to surrender, and give into your ideas - to stop censoring," said Cooley. Professor Cooley agreed that what most of us think of as mistakes are actually opportunities for growth and development. She said, "I feel most creative when something goes wrong [during a performance], like when the music stops. It gives me the opportunity to solve a problem in the moment - it forces me to be creative." Creative learning happens when we make mistakes. "Mistakes are continually informing me and leading me in a new direction," said Professor Cooley. We put limits on ourselves and on our degree of expression, because we are so afraid of failure. Professor White said, "We are conditioned to feel that criticism is negative...but sometimes it is our biggest failures that give us the most information." Creativity is an essential element in the modern dance department. Professor White said, "Without a creative sense of self, you won't have a lot to express as a human being or as a performer." These views on creativity are not specific to the modern dance department. Jenn Gibbs in the writing department, Pat McMurtry in engineering, and Fred Montague in biology also feel that creativity is an inherent quality that we all have, but that our capacity for it decreases as we get older. Gibbs said, "Creativity is a faculty that we all possess - it's a capacity that all human beings have." She believes, "people can have ideas that get in the way of joyfully exercising that capacity, but that |