Last year as part of early research for my new book on creativity, I logged on to an ‘Ideas Jam’ Creativity Check-In on the website of the Canadian Network for Imagination and Creativity. And was intrigued to find the discussion being led by Stan Baines, Custodial Supervisor for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Someone who oversees the work of janitors and maintenance staff.
Creativity really is everywhere!
This, my second midgrade nonfiction book, is not a how-to. More of a who/why/where and when book. A chance to explore the nature of creativity, why it is so important to our lives and our world. How we use it to explore experience, solve problems, document our lives, and celebrate and record how the world works. And a chance to convey to kids that we are all – by nature – creative, and we don’t have to have a million hits on Youtube, our name on a book cover, or our art in a famous gallery, to prove it.
The book won’t be out until late-2024 or early 2025. Meanwhile, I get to research and write about kindness stones, the McCarthy Era, the history of animation, The Famous People Players, the smallest/strangest art gallery in the world, Leonardo da Vinci, opposable thumbs, The Arts and Crafts Movement, grafitti, brain science, adaptive and assistive technologies, perspective…
You get the idea… So many ways to go with this – I feel as if I am on a journey of discovery myself.
To to add an element of creativity to the whole process, I am documenting the journey in my note/sketch book – a place to note ideas, leads, resources, links and contacts and a chance to work another part of my creative brain at the same time!
If you have a particular perspective on or experience with encouraging and exploring creativity with children, or know of kids who demonstrate their creativity in innovative and surprising ways, I would love to here from you.
To repeat the quote by Albert Einstein, ‘Creativity is contagious. Pass it on”.