Although creative prowess comes from the self, it must be acknowledged that creativity would realize its fullest potential with the help of others. Schools have always focused in the formation of the individual as evident in their mission, vision and lesson plans. They want students to become self-actualized leaders of the nation. But how can this be achieved if the students are so focused in trying to be better than everyone else in class? Their competitiveness is built on individualistic gain.
Ed Catmull mentions in his article: “If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they’ll screw it up. But if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they’ll make it work.” How is a mediocre team formed? By bringing together students who think that having diverse interests and skills is bad, that there is a single ideal that they should aim for. Parents are guilty of expecting their child to be good in English, Math, Science and on top of that, enroll him in piano lessons and advanced Chinese after class. They expect him to be good in everything.
Why not embrace individual talent and perfect it? Imagine the possibilities of putting together various students with different talents in a group. An idea, no matter how lackluster, will eventually be a revolutionary one when infused with a variety of perspectives. Schools should provide more opportunities for teamwork because only then will students truly learn to respect the opinions of others and integrate them into his own. Together, a team can learn to solve a problem without having to adhere to traditional methods all the time. As Ed Catmull mentions it: “Sort through a mass of ideas to find the ones that fit into a coherent whole.”
In radicalizing a way to solve a problem, major decisions that will effect the outcome of the experience will inevitably surface. Teachers should encourage their students to take risks because keeping safe all the time won’t lead to creative solutions.
In the end, great creative ideas will only come from teams who are able to celebrate their diversity and uniqueness.
