Winter 2003

Last updated: 12/12/02

Course options for Creativity: Building the New (total credits available - 3 to 8):

Creativity as a course topic:

We make and use new things all of the time: music, a new wrinkle to an old recipe, a paper for a college course... and so on; you get the idea. We use our creativity all of the time - our ability to make something new to meet a need. Much of our society is due to major creative personalities from the first half of the twentieth century who made dramatic changes in the way we look at the world and at each other. For example, Freud defined our present concepts of the ego and the unconscious. Even though many of his ideas are criticized today, he still developed much of the language and many of the concepts that we use to criticize his ideas! Similarly, Picasso painted some of the first abstract pictures; paintings that went beyond the idea that artists are supposed to accurately represent the world we see. No one creates art today, or looks at art today, without being influenced by Picasso. It doesn't matter whether or not you like the paintings; the ideas are part of you. Major creators are important; one researcher calls it "Big C" creativity. But each of us can be creative. "Little c" creativity -- creativity that may not change the whole way we see the world -- is still very important. Corporate and personal creativity drive our progress and satisfy our beings. Creativity: Building the New is online. We will use email for assignments, and the World Wide Web for course materials and class discussions (not the same as a chat room, which requires everyone to be logged on at the same time, in an online class discussion, you set your own time). There will be several class meetings during the beginning of the semester, and an additional class meeting at the end of the semester, specific dates will be announced on the course web site (see below). For graduate credit, there will be additional meetings.

Class meetings. (All class meetings will be on Friday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and on campus. Before classes start, maps will be posted on the course web site showing classroom location):

For further information, or for questions or comments, contact the Instructor (David R. Bowen) as follows: