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 Novelist Terry Kay delivered the 1998 E. Paul Torrance Lecture on Oct. 2. He discussed the role of creativity in his own work and the importance of encouraging creative approaches by children. Some highlights:
“I wish I had something profound to say about creativity, but I don’t. I will tell you a story that says something about creativity. There was this mud dauber who built a nest on the side of our house recently. He built this nest out of the good red clay we have around here, and every time my wife noticed it she would knock it down. Now using whatever imaginative powers the mud dauber had, he found some gray mud that more closely matched the wall of the house. He even put up two little spots . . . to see which color was best. Now that’s creative. I know this because I watched it all while sitting out on my deck. The mud dauber even dropped a little blob of gray mud on me as he passed over, as if to celebrate his achievement. . . .
“It’s important to do that. We need to share and celebrate creative moments. . . . Because otherwise it becomes stagnant, and if it becomes stagnant it becomes suspicious . . . and it [creativity] shouldn’t be subjected to that. . . .
“Art, to me, is what happens to you.” |
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