Creativity Surges during the Pandemic
Every day we are receiving negative news and depressing predictions that I began to wonder if we could at least find some positive happenings in today’s world. I became attentive to the creative thinking that was being demonstrated throughout our country during this difficult time. Perhaps this was the light I was seeking to move me to a more positive way of thinking.
Once I focused on the creativity of teachers, parents, and health care providers, I was delighted to find many examples that demonstrated their amazing abilities to solve problems and come up with workable solutions. So many unique possibilities were found that it was difficult for me to decide which examples to share with you.
For this blog, I have selected five remarkable examples from hundreds of possibilities that I was able to identify. I hope these will spark your thinking so you will be able to appreciate the creative ways we have coped during these new challenges we had never anticipated.
Five Creative Innovations
First Challenge
Insufficient number of masks for health care workers, and community members.
Solution: Making basic mask patterns and then moving to making unique masks that demonstrate design flexibility. This creative fluency was seen in the many variations of materials used and ways to secure the mask in position.
Second Challenge
Schools and Early Childhood programs are closed, compelling parents and caregivers to plan learning opportunities at home for their children.
Solution: Determine how materials distributed by school and childcare teachers can be used in the home environment. Providing more opportunities for play with materials that are found at home. Identifying more outdoor time with parents and children exploring together. Using additional time for reading wonderful books and finding the joy inside the stories, illustrations, and meaning verbal interactions.
Third Challenge
Some children need more help than parents or caregivers can provide at home.
Solution: There are many possibilities for supporting learning but one of the most interesting was offered by the Retired Teacher Association of Illinois. They volunteered to mentor students who need extra help in reading, writing, math, or sciences. One 85-year-old retired teacher, with over 30 years of experience, explained that her life work was to help children learn, and now she could continue doing just that. Her grandson has helped her refine for technology skills.
Fourth Challenge
Communicating with others when you are confined to your home.
Solution: Use of Facetime, Zoom, and other technology platforms offer connection with coworkers, friends, and family members. An interesting twist of technology was to find ways to communicate to Health Care Workers how much they are appreciated and valued.
Fifth Challenge
We have been unable to be present at live performances of theater, concerts, or visit art galleries.
Solution: Amazing opportunities have been developed for virtual experiencing musical performances, Broadway shows, and museum visits. One of my favorites was the inventive way the Toronto Orchestra was able to play together from their homes and preform a spectacular rendition of Copeland’s Appalachian Spring.
Enjoy the video!
In this time of new challenges, it is encouraging to recognize that our creative thinking is alive and thriving!
In the next few weeks, take note of the wonderful creative ideas and solutions that are occurring around you…
You are creative,