Blog #2: Discourse

This quote reminds me of a model that I had learned about in my Creativity and Innovation class last summer. In reading Dr. James C. Kaufman's book, Creativity 101, I learned about his own Four C Model of Creativity which basically categorizes creative people into for sections: mini-c, litte-c, Pro-c, and Big-C. The mini-c level is where you are just starting out. It is when you take the very limited knowledge you have on a subject and apply it to your first works (i.e. singing in the shower, going for a run outside, etc.). A little-c level example for creativity is when a child keeps bringing home paintings they created in art class, and their parents put it on their fridge because it shows originality and the continuation of growth. Another example would be children in a dance class. They are not revolutionary in their creativity, but they come to dance class every week with the intrinsic motivation to move to music, improve their technique, and learn more about the art of dance. Pro-c level people are people that have accumulated so much knowledge in their given field that they are able to apply their creativity and innovative thinking skills in a professional setting, like a chef at a local restaurant. A person who is at the Big-C level of creativity is likely to be remembered in history books, because their work and expertise in their given field is transformative enough to affect the lives of others. In other words, their creativity has not only encouraged them to advance in their field, but also to contribute to it.

Something important to note is that when a person climbs up the levels (i.e. mini-c level to little-c level, then little-c level to Pro-c level, etc.) creative abilities is not the only variable that increases. The other variable that evokes creativity is knowledge and expertise. Sure, creativity is an innate trait, but creativity can not be applied without knowledge. A scientist cannot go searching for the cure to a disease without extensive knowledge on biology, physiology, anatomy and medicine. A young art student will not know how to stroke a paint brush without their teacher showing them how to first. As a dance student, I cannot create original choreography unless I have viewed the works of others for inspiration. In relation to my capstone, I will be applying the knowledge that I have accumulated over the past four years in order to express my own originality in my work.