The „thing“ I would like to introduce to you as being very essential to my project in many ways is Ken Robinsons TED-talk about „schools kill creativity“. I think most of you have watched his talk as it was recommended to us on one of our briefs of the first term. I, at least, have listened to him many times and still find his speech entertaining and inspiring. I even went to a talk he gave on March 13th in Convey Hall, where he presented his new book „The Element: How finding your passion changes everything“. I am so inspired by what he says that I have often recommended friends to watch his talk on TED. I am really not trying to sell anything here, but if you haven‘t watched it, you should definately do that!
As the titel already indicates, the talk is about the way our education system currently functions and how it leaves the creative aspect aside. Ken Robinson says that all children are creative but grow out of it, or rather, get educated out of it. One thing he mentioned is that young children are not yet afraid of making any mistakes. They are more willing to try out new things. Furthermore he says that all school systems educate more to the „one“ side – the left side of the brain – which is the logical side of the brain and is used for maths and languages. The creative subjects like music and art are little or not taught at all. Ken Robinson indicates that creativity should have the same importance as literacy. He also says that intelligence is diverse and dynamic. Creativity comes through interdisciplinary interactions.
When starting my project I was very interested in the mistake aspect of his talk. Mistakes are generally seen as something bad and we get educated the way that we should avoid them. However, when working creatively, mistakes can be very valuable and useful, not to mention that you can learn from you mistakes. Nevertheless, mistakes sounds very negative and I decided to rephrase it and therefore asked myself the question which I also presented at the viva: „Is striving for perfection a barrier to creativity?“ Altough my interest in this question is still very big I figured that it is a highly philosophical question with no real answer to it. I also felt that I didn‘t want to stay that theoretical but also use my visual skills. That is when my project evolved for the second time.
As Ken Robinson was saying, educational systems concentrate more on subjects for the left side of the brain and neglect the right side of the brain. However, I think we should start using our whole brain. This is why I thought of combining logic and creativity in my project. I would like to use a mathematical approach to design (probably typography, where I would like to use the grid as well as the golden section as tools for design.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
http://cargocollective.com/marthariessland
If you use a mathematical approach to typography or grid wouldn’t that be using mainly the right side of the brain? Or how would you do it for use both? What is exactly the difference? Could you to the same exercise using the right side and the left side to see the differences? How do we know which part of the brain we are using?
ReplyDeleteANNA said
ReplyDeleteDid you ever ask to children what they think about this topic? What do you means by “using our all brain”? How do you think that this could be possible? Don’t you think that both logic and mathematic are creative subjects? Don’t you think that using the grid and follow severe rules you are going against the Robinsons’s philosophy?
even mathematical perfection doesn't physically exists it's pure abstraction do you believe that you should focus on the abstract versus the realistic approach to it? is rationality the bridge between creativity and maths or in contrary what opposes them?
ReplyDeleteIs your interest to compare outcomes from different approaches to the same project? I.e., solve the same briefing using the lateral or vertical thinking? Or is it applying mathematic language to design (generative, for example)?
ReplyDeleteI) What's a mistake ? Is there a right way of processing within each country (I guess it is the case, as the right way of thinking/ doing things is closely linked to educational systems, which are country's matter)?
ReplyDeleteII) If there is a right way within each country, could you establish first a taxonomy of that different "truths"
III) How are you going to combine right brain and left brain? Cause typography is a bit mathematic, so you should combine it with something creative, and make that combination striking.