Adopt+a+Genius+sample+outlines

I am including a couple of outlines from students in previous quarters as well as the working outline I created on Twyla Tharp. =Here is Twyla Tharp.=

ADOPT A GENIUS OUTLINE – TWYLA THARP Work in progress CHAPTER 2 I. Sarnoff Mednick – associational approach to creativity a. ruled by associative hierarchies ii. unique associations – weaker- fall lower in hierarchy
 * 1.** creative products result of combining elements- **combining 2 ideas in a new way – never starting from scratch**
 * i.** first responses the strongest – **shouldn’t work hard at it; she spends one hour; therefore skills are very important**

II. Creativity as Ordinary Problem Solving A. Herbert Simon & John Hayes compare PS to a search – 1. dispels myths of 1st chapter a. creative thinking is ordinary, symbolic process b. everyone has ability 2. use number of strategies a. look at past experiences for similar problems b. look for patterns (very routine driven) c. employ PS guidelines 3. factors used a. extensive preparation c. tolerance of ambiguity – put up w/ the messiness of vague dilemmas-resist easy solutions thrives on it d. calculated risk taking – apply knowledge where it will have best effect
 * i.** prior knowledge which could be decades long **hers started at 2 months w/ learning tone**
 * b.** extended effort – persistent effort – **5 years working w/ the same group and only women**

PERSON-CENTERED APPROACHES “Who”- creative people share certain characteristics III. The Creative Personality - criterion group studies A. Personality Assessment and Research (IPAR) 1. Gough Adjective Check List a. 300 adjectives –choose items that describe you b. 18 items positively related to creativity 2. Crutchfield-Conformity/Independence of Judgment i. Measures independence of judgment 3. Creative people are a. Hard working **at the expense of personal life & the creation of walls between emotion & creating** b. Independent individuals who like complexity & ambiguity
 * i.** **capable**, clever, **confiden**t, egotistical, **humorous**, individualistic, informal, insightful, intelligent, **wide interests, inventive** original, reflective, resourceful, self-confident, sexy, snobbish (**she isn’t an elitist**), unconventional **extra- restlessness-needs to be constantly occupied**

a. Personal philosophy b. Career choices, ability to use & transform symbols d. Build our lives through use of symbols not personality IV. Historiometric Surveys: A. study of historical (archival) data using quantitative or statistical analysis B. develop set of generalizations to explain/predict creative behavior C. Dean Simonton identifies variables found in creatives 1. productivity: produce most ideas 2. age – peaks in late ‘30’s, early ‘40’s 3. family background – high achievers have a. have stimulating home environment(lots of books, etc) 4. role models – model on earlier achievers 5. formal education-master field but don’t get too much training 6. marginality – on margins of a culture or profession i. **first troupe was 5 women for 5 years** 7. cumulative advantage 8. zeitgeist (spirit of the times) creativity highest during political & cultural change
 * 4.** Frank Barron – pay less attention to creative personality & more attention to the **self** which includes
 * c.** Thinking skills – **though not using traditional educators as mentors though the breadth of knowledge contributes to her ability to think**
 * i.** **@ 6 months ear training**
 * ii.** **formal music training beginning at 4**
 * 1.** **violas**
 * iii.** **dance class**
 * iv.** **painting class**
 * v.** **German done w/ tutor**
 * vi.** **Shorthand**
 * b.** **Expense of this childhood**
 * i.** **No childhood**
 * ii.** **Lack of ability to socialize**
 * i.** **studied w/ Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham**
 * ii.** **no regular teachers, but a professor of Flemish iconography @ Columbia was**
 * i.** **had to excel - valedictorian**
 * ii.** **hated school**
 * iii.** **loves geometry – study of form**
 * iv.** **loves English –writing & reading**
 * v.** **the wit of language (gives dance rehearsal in French)**
 * a.** **1960’s**

MOTIVATIONAL APPROACHES Why? identify reasons behind creative labor

V. The Intrinsic Motivation Hypothesis – Teresa Amabile (looking at social & environmental factors) A. Most creative when motivated by challenge and reward of the task itself B. Not motivated by external rewards **not the money, not the recognition**, C. Findings in research 1. external rewards lower creative performance 3. given a choice to whether to participate increases creativity
 * 2.** evaluation of performance by outsiders lowers creativity **– you know what you’re doing**

=Here is a rough draft about Alexander the Great with some notes from me.=


 * ROUGH DRAFT** - Alexander the Great

Introduction:**//LET’S SET UP AN OVERVIEW FOR THE PRESENTATION. THE BACKGROUND, ACCOMPLISHMENTS,ETC. WILL BE MENTIONED AS THE PREVIEW STATEMENT AS THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE INTRODUCTION//****.** A. Background information on Alexander provides insight to his genius.

Histriometrics A. Family Background 1. The book notes that high creative achievers are more likely to have lost a parent. Alexander looses dad at age 20 and begins his conquest to take over the world shortly after. 2. the book says should grow up in a stimulating home environment. Alexander’s mom continually told him he was a descendent of Achilles, later in life she switched to telling everyone Philip was not Alexander’s father, but Zeus was, making Alexander a demi-god. Many say that she meddled in his life so much that she was actually more ambitions for her son than Alexander himself did. Historians are not sure weather his mother honestly believed this story, or if she was doing it to increase his popularity in Greece and give backing to his career. (Zeus was known for taking on the form of a snake, his mother Olympia often did sleep with snakes in her bed, might have been crazy enough to believe it.) B. Role Models 1. Book talks about modeling achievements after those of earlier achievers. 2. Alexander was in love with Achilles. He was fascinated by homer’s Iliad. He slept with an annotated copy of the book from his teacher Aristotle under his pillow during his travels. 3. When his best friend died, Alexander killed the doctor that was helping him, and took his grief out on the cossaeans and put the whole nation to the sword. Some say he was imitating Achilles when he grieved over the death of his best friend Patroklos. Achilles had taken his grief out on the Trojans. C. Formal Education 1. Alexander was a student of Aristotle. 2. (need to find out more about that) D. Cumulative Advantage 1. book talks about how if they receive early success they will be more willing to take creative chances. 2. Alexander took chances repeatedly without the fear of defeat. He created a Macedonian empire. Intrinsic motivation A. Alexander’s mother did a large part in making him intrinsicly motivated. Always pushing him and wanting him to be the best. **DID HE ACTUALLY** **BELIEVE THIS HIMSELF? INTRINSIC MEANS IT COMES FROM WITHIN. IF HIS MOM IS THE PUSH THEN HE WAS EXTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED.** B. ‘I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity’ –Alexander. He wanted to be known. Wanted to be a legend. Could have ignored his mother, and lived like a king with the good amount of city-states he had. No reason to conquer more. C. He was a brave soldier, ruthless towards opposition even from within, in his ranks he was honest and fair towards those who showed courage and skill. Suffered from overwhelming ambition. Simon/Hayes problem solving A. Extensive preparation: Alexander saw that his father was always fighting off the Persians. Decided to not only keep them from taking his land, but to take there land. Instead of striking deep into Asia immediately, he spend two years securing the coastal areas of Asia minor to ensure that Persian navel forces would not interdict his lines to Europe. Then bit-by-bit he took over western sections of Persia, and then he went into Mesopotamia and Iran. B. Extended effort, again, he didn’t try to take every thing to fast, was patient enough, but still managed to create an empire by the age of 33. he wasn’t satisfied with what he had. Kept extending his empire C. Tolerance of Ambiguity. He did not have Greek support. Macedonians considered themselves Greek, but Greeks did not consider Macedonians Greek. He had to deal with mutinies and soldiers refusing to keep conquering lands. Didn’t see his vision. Didn’t feel they needed more land. D. Risk Taking. Every time he went into battle he was taking a risk. Must have had to face death numerous times. Began risk taking even when little. At 14 he made his father purchase him a black stallon that was untamable. He took a risk in taming the horse. Did accomplish it. Had horse for 16 years. He could have had any perfectly breed of horse he wanted. He chose a challenge. An untamed, unpredictable horse.