Another interesting article on creativity - "The Joy of Creative Ignorance: Embracing Uncertainty in Your Day-to-Day" by Mark McGuinness. While this article is not written with the librarian or educator in mind, it certainly offers questions for our consideration. We function in a data driven environment. We question the time students spend in elective courses: the arts, the shops, the computer labs, especially if they are not scoring as highly as they need on standardized testing. Their extra time is spent in remediation or soon in project based assessment. We practice the multiple choice and praise the correct answer. As suggested in the article, I fear we are in danger of “cramping [the] imagination [of our students] to fit our expectations, instead of allowing it to surprise us with something unexpected.”

I found it both refreshing and some what intimidating to consider the notion that the best creativity often arises from embracing uncertainty - ignorance of where the process will take the creator. Again, in the midst of my own planning, goal setting, and completing the proper and necessary paperwork, I hope that I find the time to seek ways to offer students the opportunity to be creative.

Our Valentine’s Day blind date book promotion encouraged several readers to choose outside of the box. In their responses they were appreciative of the opportunity to read something different from what they might normally choose. I am pursuing several ideas to encourage poetry and poets in the month of April. Articles like these certainly inspire to keep moving forward with these ideas, even when it seems not time exists to do so. Ideas to foster creativity would be welcomed as comments for sure!