Inlet Classroom

I just watched an interesting TEDx talk on creativity by Chris Wink, who is a founding member of the Blue Man Group. He and his fellow group members, after reflecting on the varying success of hundreds of performances, noticed their strongest, most magical work came when they were able to assume the mindset of 6 related characters: the scientist and the shaman, the trickster and the group member, and the innocent and the hero. I immediately recognized a handy frame for explaining the creative, serious play of my kindergarten students. I also loved thinking about visual art as being on the “scientist-shaman” continuum. It is a good framework for understanding emotional expression, team work, analysis and curiosity, perseverance, innocent self expression, and out-of-the-box thinking at both their benign, optimal and extreme manifestations. The trick is to know these characters well and to remain in the centre of them, venturing to try out their characters when approaching creative tasks. It’s definitely worth a watch: