Module II: The Genius of Creativity

Curriculum Connections: Student Handout

Select one the projects below to further explore the power of music and the arts. Each project will require you to:

Research a topic or idea that will take you deeper into what it means to be a musician or artist.
Plan or design something that allows you to communicate your new knowledge and understanding to others.
Share your work through the presentation or display of the finished product.

Project #1: Wave-Makers
Curriculum Focus: Social Studies

Rita Dove
Former Poet Laureate of the United States

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Being true to yourself really means being true to all the complexities of the human spirit. And as much as we'd like to give -- and we want to be perfect, well-rounded individuals -- all of us have our quirks. We all know we've had our foibles. And we've got these embarrassing moments in our lives, and things that we're ultimately ashamed of. What writing -- what I think all the arts do -- is to reveal. Let us see again and experience again, all the ambiguities that make up -- and the contradictions that make up -- a human being: the good and the bad and how they can exist in one person and make a complex individual. And to do that, that means being very honest. Being honest all the time.

[ Interview ] Rita Dove

Challenge: Often people who are creative geniuses "make waves." They tell the truth. They stir the pot, create controversy, and call us to question old patterns, beliefs, or ways of seeing the world. Think of people in your own family, community, and the world in all areas who have "made waves." Check the Gallery of the Arts for many people who fit into this category: Rita Dove, Philip Johnson, and Wynton Marsalis, to name a few.
Outcome: Make a mural of "wave-makers," past and present, using the computer to print out photos and create your own text to attach to the mural of ocean waves.

Project #2: Note to Self
Curriculum Focus: Creative Writing

Challenge: It's time to bring the subject of creativity home. As Naomi Judd says, "You are only successful by being how you really are."

Outcome: Write a letter to yourself that identifies the uniquely wonderful and creative parts of you. What advice would you give yourself on how to encourage and develop your talents, skills, and interests in positive ways? Include mention of the people in your life who already encourage you. Include one positive short- or long-term goal for yourself along with steps to follow that, when met, will make you feel even better about yourself.

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