Tag Archives: Creativity

student blogs

Reflecting on the Journey: Final Project Ideas and Beyond

Hey all! 

As we stand near the semester’s conclusion, it’s both a reflective and anticipatory moment. The journey we’ve collectively undertaken in our graduate course has been of intellectual exploration and growth. As we approach the final group project, I am excited by the diverse and imaginative ideas many of you have suggested for the group project. 

In these final weeks, the spotlight falls on our final group projects, innovative endeavors that encapsulate not just the knowledge we’ve acquired but the spirit of collaboration and creativity that defines our cohort.

Although I missed class last week, I looked over the workshop brainstorming notes from the previous class. I was excited to see that we all have a connection with the most exciting ideas, the learning outcomes, and how we can make this group project count in a meaningful way that matters most to each of us individually. I recognized the profound connections with the themes we’ve explored in class: Identity, Multiculturalism and multilingualism, AI, Voice, Healing, Trauma and writing, and Pedagogy of the oppressed. These thematic intersections provide a wide-array framework for our project, ensuring that it aligns not only with our collective interests but also a pathway for creating something that resonates on a personal and profound level. 

As I consider how we can make this project impactful, I find myself driven by a desire to venture into the creative realm. I envision crafting a project that transcends the typical academic endeavor, a work that involves both academic exploration and personal, creative growth. This project represents an opportunity to generate content worthy of inclusion on my CV, portfolio, or website, serving as a testament to my academic proficiency and ability to engage with thought-provoking themes in a creative manner.

I enjoyed reading through everyone’s final project suggestions. I thought Michael’s idea of creating a curriculum was creative and innovative. It presents an opportunity for us to apply the readings to theoretical concepts we studied throughout the semester in a practical and impactful way. Crafting a curriculum becomes a channel for our understanding of writing pedagogy, theory, and creative expression into a dynamic learning experience. 

I also enjoyed Fran’s suggestion of writing a fictional story inspired by a real-life struggle that we have encountered, then giving our story to a classmate who will read it, digest the emotional appeal, and then write a poem that reflects the emotions they had felt while reading it. 

The idea of swapping papers and having a classmate respond with a reflective poem introduces an outsider’s perspective. This element of the project encourages a mutual exchange of empathy and understanding. As writers, we often get absorbed in our narratives, and having someone else articulate the emotions they felt while reading our stories can offer new perspectives and illuminate aspects of our struggles that we might not have recognized.

The incorporation of poetry as a response adds a layer of artistic expression. Poetry has a unique ability to distill complex emotions into concise and powerful language. The poems generated through this project will serve not only as reflections of our classmates’ emotional responses but also as creative pieces in their own right, offering a different medium through which to explore and communicate the shared human experience.

This project aligns with the goals of our writing and theory course by integrating theoretical concepts into a practical, creative context. This idea is a meaningful and holistic exploration of personal narratives and creative expression. It has the potential to deepen the understanding of ourselves, and the powerful connection between writing, theory, and the human experience.

I’m open to exploring any additional final project ideas that may arise, and I’m excited about working on this group project with all of you!

student blogs

From Ideas to Words: Navigating the Writing Process with Peter Elbow, Donald Murray, & Antero Garcia

I’m super excited and looking forward to delving into this week’s readings in class, as I remember studying authors like Peter Elbow and Donald Murray during my previous undergraduate English courses.

Writing Without Teachers is a book by Peter Elbow that challenges conventional approaches to writing and encourages a more liberating and creative approach to the writing process. In this book, Elbow argues against the traditional view of writing as a linear, structured, and heavily edited process, instead, he advocates for a more freeform and exploratory approach. He introduces the concept of “freewriting,” a practice in which writers allow their thoughts to flow without grammar, spelling, or structure to tap into their innate creativity.

On the other hand, in Donald Murray’s article, Teaching Writing As a Process Not Product, Murray emphasizes the importance of viewing writing as a process that evolves over time rather than a one-time, linear task. He argues that effective writing instruction should encourage students to engage in the entire writing process, from prewriting and drafting to revising and editing. Murray believes this process-oriented approach helps students develop their writing skills and discover their unique voices.

Elbow also emphasizes the importance of separating the drafting and editing stages of writing because he believes that prematurely critiquing one’s work can stifle creativity. He encourages writers to embrace ambiguity, uncertainty, and imperfection in their initial drafts, allowing their ideas to evolve naturally.

Furthermore, Murray encourages teachers to recognize and appreciate the individuality of each writer. He emphasizes the need for personalized feedback and guidance, as well as the importance of creating a supportive and collaborative learning environment. By doing this, he believes teachers can help students become more confident and proficient writers.

Lastly, the journal article, How Remix Culture Informs Student Writing and Creativity by Antero Garcia highlights that almost everything created by individuals or students involves some form of remixing, where existing materials transform into something new. This process is not limited to music but extends to various domains, including writing.

Garcia emphasizes the significance of understanding and engaging with remix culture for educators and students. He argues that remixing opens creative avenues for young people, from fan fiction to reinterpretations of popular stories in various media forms. However, Garcia also encourages critical examination of the dynamics and implications of remixing. He suggests that educators help students analyze what changes occur through remixing and how it influences identities.

Incorporating these strategies into writing instruction can help students become more confident and proficient writers. I believe that freewriting fosters creativity and fluency. The drafting/editing process approach emphasizes skill development and ownership. Additionally, remixing promotes creativity, critical thinking, and ethical considerations.

Peter Elbow, Donald Murray, and Antero Garcia share a unique approach to the writing process, each contributing valuable insights and strategies to the field of writing instruction. While these authors approach the writing process from different angles, they share a commitment to fostering creativity, critical thinking, and individuality among students. Their unique perspectives contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of writing instruction, empowering students to become confident, adaptable, and reflective writers who can navigate various writing tasks with proficiency and creativity.

student blogs

Nick Cave’s Approach To Nurturing His Muse and Creative Inspiration

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

This week’s pathfinding presentation is about the muse in our present world of Artificial Intelligence. A muse is a concept that dates back to ancient Greece, where the goddesses of the arts were thought to inspire artists and writers. In modern times, a muse is generally understood to be a source of creative inspiration, often a person or an idea, that motivates an artist to create their work. For some artists, the muse is an elusive and highly personal source of inspiration, while for others, it may be more tangible and concrete. The concept of a muse is often associated with the creative process and the idea that inspiration comes from outside oneself, rather than solely generated by the artist. Ultimately, the meaning of having a muse is highly subjective and can vary greatly depending on the individual artist and their creative process.

The articles chosen focused on Nick Cave, the acclaimed Australian musician, who received a nomination for Best Male Artist at the MTV Awards. However, he wrote a letter to the event’s organizers asking for his nomination to be withdrawn. In the letter, Cave thanked the organizers for their support over the years and expressed his appreciation for the airplay given to his latest album, Murder Ballads.

Despite this, Cave explained that he did not feel comfortable with the competitive nature of award ceremonies and requested that any future awards or nominations be given to those who were more comfortable with this kind of competition. He explained that he had always believed his music was unique and individual and existed beyond the realms of mere measuring. He saw himself as in competition with no one.

What made the letter particularly interesting is the way Cave spoke about his relationship with his muse, which he saw as a delicate one. Cave explained that his muse came to him with the gift of song, and in return, he treated her with the respect she deserved. In this case, that meant not subjecting her to the indignities of judgment and competition. For Cave, his muse was not a horse, and he was in no horse race. Even if she were, he would not harness her to the tumbrel, or the cart of severed heads and glittering prizes.

The concept of a muse is connected to artificial intelligence in the sense that AI is a source of inspiration for artists and creatives. With the development of AI technology, we are seeing new forms of art emerge, such as generative art and machine-learning music. These new forms of art are often created in collaboration with AI, where the artist uses the technology to generate or manipulate the artwork. In this way, AI can be seen as a muse, providing inspiration and driving the creative process.

AI can also act as a tool for artists to enhance their creative process, much like the way Cave describes his relationship with his muse. AI-powered tools can help artists generate new ideas, improve their workflow, and bring their visions to life. In this sense, the AI becomes a partner in the creative process, working alongside the artist to achieve their artistic goals.

student blogs

Exploring the Ethics and Implications of AI-Generated Art

In this week’s pathfinding session we are exploring Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated art within the realm of poetry and AI image generators, such as DALL-E and Midjourney.

The article assigned for this week, How Will AI Image Generators Affect Artists?, discusses the controversy surrounding the use of AI-generated art, particularly in the context of the Colorado State Fair’s art competition, where the winning entry was created by the AI app called Midjourney. While some technology enthusiasts applauded the achievement, many artists were critical and concerned about the implications of this technology. One of the main issues raised was that the databases of these image generators are largely built off existing images from artists, both dead and alive, which raises questions about fair use and the potential replacement of human artists. This proves that although AI generators can produce images, the ideas come from those of a human artist. I mentioned in my blog post a couple of weeks back that:

While AI has an impact on creative work, it will not replace human writers and artists. Instead, the impact is somewhere in the middle, where AI can aid and complement human creativity but never be able to replicate the personal and interpersonal nature of human communication.

Similarly, the other article assigned, Can AI Write Authentic Poetry?, expresses similar concerns about AI generators like Chat-GPT. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted discussions on its impact on art and creativity, particularly in poetry generation. Although poetry may not seem significant in comparison to AI’s broader effects on society, it serves as an early indication of AI’s challenge to human creativity. Despite computers generating poetry since the 1960s, the recent advancements in AI have led to more sophisticated programs utilizing mathematical discipline, statistics, and deep learning. However, its ability to generate aesthetically pleasing and compelling poetry is still limited. As we experimented with Chat-GPT generating poems a couple of weeks ago, we concluded that while AI can generate vast amounts of material, it has yet to fully grasp the human voice, intent, and meaningful experiences that human poets bring to their work.

student blogs

The Limits of AI and the Value of Human Creativity

The article Technology Makes us More Human by Reid Hoffman discusses the different perspectives on the potential impact of ChatGPT, an AI system that can hold human-like conversations. Some people see it as a tool for revolutionizing various industries and creating opportunities for personal fulfillment, while others fear it will lead to job displacement and dehumanization. Hoffman, who sits on the board of OpenAI and co-founded LinkedIn, sees ChatGPT and other technological innovations as a way to improve human progress and empower individuals. He argues that technology is what makes us human and that the values and aspirations we build into technology shape its outcomes. While acknowledging the potential for negative outcomes, he calls for a techno-humanist perspective that seeks to use technology for broad human benefit and envisions a future of human flourishing.

I enjoyed reading through Hoffman’s perspective, especially when he mentions, 

“What defines humanity is not just our unusual level of intelligence, but also how we capitalize on that intelligence by developing technologies that amplify and complement our mental, physical, and social capacities. If we merely lived up to our scientific classification—Homo sapiens—and just sat around thinking all day, we’d be much different creatures than we actually are. A more accurate name for us is Homo techne: humans as toolmakers and tool users. The story of humanity is the story of technology. Technology is the thing that makes us us. Through the tools we create, we become neither less human nor superhuman, nor post-human. We become more human.” 

Reid Hoffman, (2023) https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/chatgpt-ai-technology-techo-humanism-reid-hoffman/672872/

Technology has played a crucial role in defining and shaping humanity as we know it today. From the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel to the creation of modern computers and artificial intelligence, our development and use of technology have allowed us to expand our knowledge, enhance our capabilities, and improve our quality of life. Technology has become an inseparable part of our humanity because it has allowed us to overcome our limitations and reach greater heights, and as we continue to develop new technologies, we will continue to evolve and grow. 

That being so, going back to the point I mentioned in my blog post last week. I am not too worried about AI being a threat to writers. While Chat GPT can make the writing process effortless, it shouldn’t be looked upon as a replacement for a writer’s voice and creative input. Instead, it should be looked upon as, for example, when writers experience writer’s block and are looking for that bridge to help connect and identify what ideas they want to come next. It should be used as a tool to help guide writers in the direction they want to go. I believe that the purpose of language is to convey reality and establish a relational connection with other people. AI may be able to generate text and pretty sentences, but it cannot engage in real communication because it is not interested in reality and lacks a mutual commitment to truth. AI-generated writing cannot replace human writing, because it does not have the interpersonal and personal element that makes it uniquely human.