The Writer's Chatroom Topic Chat

Published: Wed, 06/20/12


The Writer's Chatroom   www.writerschatroom.com

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 (Sally Franklin Christie is in charge tonight.)
 

Andrew and Gaia Grant, authors of Who Killed Creativity? And How To Get It Back, introduce us to some insidious professional killers and recommend ways to stop them.

 

In homeschooling circles we complain that our public schools teach the creativity out of children.  Usually by the third grade.  But I don't want to make this topic a debate about child-led learning.  

...It's time to identify and deal with the creativity killers. Through our surveys of thousands of workshop participants from a range of backgrounds and experiences over more than 20 years, we have narrowed down the list of suspects to 7 key profiles....

 
Creativity killer profile 1: the Control Crew 
Also known as bully oppressors, the control killer profile tends to stifle creative thinking through suppressing the ability to think freely and independently. 

Creativity killer profile 2: the Fear Family
An often unsuspected killer that can intimidate the most intrepid, this highly prolific villain thrives on anxieties about trialling new ideas and the possibility of failure. 

Creativity killer profile 3: the Pressure Pack
This seductive assassin dispatches its victims by exercising a stranglehold of real or perceived expectations. 

Creativity killer profile 4: the Insulation Clique
Also known as isolating killers, those fitting the insulation profile employ a lethal combination of segregation and homogeneity that can lead to biased conformity.

Creativity killer profile 5: the Apathy Clan
Murderers fitting the apathy profile lack motivation and drive. These villains are often themselves victims of systems that have deadened their will to succeed, and the profile can often be detected in those with cutting sarcasm and acerbic cynicism. 

Creativity killer profile 6: the Narrow-minded Mob
With a stubborn and often headstrong approach, killers fitting the narrow-minded profile ensure their dupes remain trapped in their standard, familiar patterns of behavior. 

Creativity killer profile 7: the Pessimism Posse
Another stealthy killer which operates like a chemical weapon, this profile type subtly perpetrates destruction through a toxic mindset.
 
So, you can see from my excerpts, creativity is killed by far more than organized education.  We can commit these crimes from inside and out.  
 

Join me at The Writer's Chatroom and we can address these terrible crimes, talk about preventing them, and maybe set up a 'neighborhood chat watch.' We'll take any other questions you may have, in the second hour.

 
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