Growth Mindset: Creativity Article

me when i'm painting an apple but it's blue (MusicBakery)

I read Creativity Is Much More Than 10,000 Hours Of Deliberate Practice by Scott Kaufman

This article's main message is basically: "Practice makes perfect, but it doesn't make anything new". It summarizes some key points on creativity. Some of them are obvious, such as outsiders having a creative advantage. Of course an outside perspective would have more creative ideas! Some I disagree with, at least to an extent, such as genes being relevant. I think they're relevant to a point but I also think nurture more powerful in developing creativity. I think the article defines practice as practicing on refinement of your technique. I think practice can have a huge impact on creativity if you practice the right things. If you gain more insight on other perspectives, if you try to see your field in a different way, if you try exercises to reduce your rigidity. Of course this is possibly the opposite of practicing for refinement. I think it helps to think of it as say, drawing apples. If you draw apples as close to real life as you can 100,000 times, you're going to be damn good at drawing apples. But if someone asks you to draw an apple as creatively as you can, you're going to draw an apple then color it... blue or something. Meanwhile, if you expand your perspective and start to dabble in different mediums and art forms, maybe you could draw an apple in more creative ways than just drawing an apple and coloring it blue.

Growth Mindset: Another Article Again

'Brain Training' (Mind Lab Pro)

This time I read 25 Simple Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset by Saga Briggs

Although I expected the list to fall in quality by the 25th due to listing 25 things being difficult, it stayed strong all along. Just goes to show there's a lot to talk about when it comes to achieving and maintaining a growth mindset. Reading through these 'tips' is like reading a summary of all the other growth mindset articles and videos I've read and watched, with one addressing brain plasticity, another addressing the use of the word 'yet', and one discussing the redefining of 'genius'. One thing I'd like to note about 23, taking risks in the company of others, is that it also helps against procrastination. I read that you become more obligated to finish a task if you tell people around you that you're going to do that task. The only tip I didn't really get was 17, which says to separate learning from "brain training". What's brain training? Maybe some kind of mental exercise over stuff you already know, like math homework?

Growth Mindset: SMART article

Wooden Art Palette (123RF)

I think I came to the same realization as the article explains a few years ago. I like the acronym they presented though, SMART. S for Specific goals, M for measurability of those goals, A for achievability of those goals, R for relevant goals, and T for time-bound goals. A good goal incorporates all of these and leads to success. I think I first came across this in the realm of drawing, where without clearly defined goals you end up procrastinating or getting nowhere. For example. having a goal of "I want to be as good at drawing as this person" as your sole goal isn't going to do your any favors because you don't have a path to reach that goal or a time limit set. Deciding that you want to get better at hands and that you'd draw, say, 20 hands a day for a week is a more concrete goal that requires you to work as soon as you start. These kinds of goals get you much farther.

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/smarter-living/how-to-stick-with-new-years-resolutions.html

Growth Mindset: Growth Article

May Company Building (Wikipedia)

I read "7 Key Maxims Of A Mindset Focused On Growth" by Martin Zwilling.

The article applies growth mindset to managing a company, interestingly. It introduces some familiar concepts, such as success through taking bite sized chunks of work instead of trying to do it all at once. I didn't know that growth mindset was so compatible with being an entrepreneur, but it makes sense in retrospect. I'm not quite ready to start my own business and become an entrepreneur but it's always a possibility, and if I end up doing that I'll keep these tips in mind.

Week 7 Growth Mindset: Random Growth Mindset Cats

Growth Mindset Cat Meme (Growth Mindset Blog)

I chose this one because I think chess is a really good representation of putting in effort and learning. The more you play, the better you get. You refine your strategies and learn to predict a couple moves ahead, becoming a better player. The cat in the picture isn't playing right though.

Growth Mindset Cat Meme (Growth Mindset Blog)

I chose this cat because it reminded me of a school fieldtrip I took where we met a pottery artist. I learned how to make a pot on a spinning wheel and after it was fired they had us paint them. I ended up making something that resembled blue and white porcelain but instead of having detailed art it was just stripes and instead of being elegantly made it was a little lopsided. It's probably because I skipped the planning and designing process and went straight at it.

Growth Mindset: Pinterest Cats

Cat Meme (Growth Mindset Blog)

I chose this one because it's funny when cats get scared of harmless stuff. My friend has a cat that gets scared of everything, probably even itself sometimes.

Cat Meme (Growth Mindset Blog)

And I chose this because Skyrim belongs to the Nords!

Growth Mindset Motto: Never Give Up

When I thought about growth mindset motttos and mantras, I was immediately reminded of the tennis player Matsuoka Shuzo, a tennis player who recorded himself harvesting Asiatic clams and giving an inspirational speech to his viewers, encouraging them not to give up. So of course my motto would be "NEVER GIVE UP!!"

Growth Mindset: More Cats

Reflect (Growth Mindset Blog)

I chose this picture because it really captures the concept of reflection. It seems like a perfect spot to reflect is alone staring into a lake, though it does seem a bit cliche. Well, I guess it's cliche for a reason anyways. The picture looks nice as well.

Feedback Discomfort (Growth Mindset Blog)

This picture is really good at symbolizing discomfort from feedback. The cat is looking at its own reflection (a viewpoint of itself projected from something other than its own point of view), and is surprised as what it sees. I feel like this is the case a lot with feedback. You take feedback from people who don't share the same opinions and viewpoints as you and it can be quite an experience if you haven't dealt with feedback before.

Growth Mindset: Random Cats

Poor Goldfish (Growth Mindset Blog)

I picked this one because the cat reminded me of my friend's cat named Kenya. Also because there's humor in making a cat's attempt to eat a goldfish into a motivational image.

Online Presence (Growth Mindset Blog)

And I picked this one because that cat on the right is having its mind blown. Technology is really spectacular, huh?

Growth Challenge: Student Quotes

Stars (Wikipedia)

"The way I saw it, I couldn't get higher than an A, so why put in any extra effort? Then college happened and I all but failed my first semester. My perspective and my GPA have grown a lot from that point of failure. I know how to deal with failure now, and I can push through when it happens."

"In order to perform well in a course, I cannot limit my learning to what's required. Difficult topics become easier when I dive deeper into details beyond what I will be tested over. Memorization is no good; I pay tuition in order to truly learn and better myself with the help of my professors."

Never really thought of going beyond what's required of me when it comes to schoolwork. I always do the minimum of what's required to make an A, but I can see the use in delving in deeper and putting forth extra effort to really grasp these concepts. It's a good point the second quote is making with the fact that I'm paying for all this. I shouldn't be seeing schoolwork as an obstacle to overcome, but rather as an opportunity to gain more knowledge.

Of course, I'm probably going to end up seeing them as both.

Bibliography: Growth Mindset padlet

Growth Mindset Thoughts

Growth Mindset Meme (Growth Mindset Memes)

So, I learned about Carol Dweck and the Growth Mindset concept when I took the Mythology and Folklore class. It was nice to be able to put a name to something I had in my head for some time. I shared a personal experience with having a growth mindset when it came to art. Early on with drawing, I felt discouraged when I encountered an obstacle. Eventually I would come to tackle these obstacles, understanding that I could overcome them through practice and effort. It ended up being a rewarding experience for me and when I draw unfamiliar things today I loosen up instead of prepare myself for failure. This applies to my other hobbies as well, such as piano and guitar. When I start learning a tough song, I see it as a challenge in a positive way. As I play (and make mistakes), I'm still having fun because I realize that I'm getting better every pass through. To me, realizing that you're constantly improving is really important for maintaining a growth mindset.

That said, I still groan when I need to do something really difficult and I have a short time to do it (it's only natural to feel frustration at these times). But when I think of these things I keep a quote from Laozi in my head: "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step". This makes things seem a lot more approachable and if I didn't have this mindset I don't know where I would be, since I'd end up giving up when things get too difficult.

My stay at OU has taught me that I'm capable of putting in more effort than I thought I was. I spent dozens and dozens of hours on projects that just seemed like way too much work when I first saw them, but I ended up finishing anyways. Just by pushing through and working bit by bit, learning as I go.