Section A Discussion
▇ Discuss the following questions.
1. Do you see yourself as a creative person? Please illustrate your point.
2. Who do you think is the most creative person the world has ever seen? What do you know about him or her?
3. Why do you think being creative is important for a person or a nation?
4. Are there any creative activities in your college or university? Give some examples.
Section B Quotes
▇ Study the following quotes about being creative. Do you agree with each of them? Give reasons to support your view.
⊙ Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
— Pablo Picasso
Interpretation:
When we are young, we are naturally creative because we don’t know much about conventions and rules and our imagination knows no bounds. But as we grow up and know more about the world, we tend to feel restricted by conventions and rules and must live with them in order to survive and thrive. Gradually we become less creative or not creative at all because rules and logical thinking tend to limit our creativity.
About Pablo Picasso (1881-1973): Spanish artist regarded as one of the greatest and most original artists of the 20th century. He helped to develop cubism (立体主义) and other styles of abstract art. His many famous paintings include Les Demoiselles D’avignon (《亚威农少女》) and Guernica (《格尔尼卡》), a criticism of war and fascism.
⊙ An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
—Edwin Herbert Land
Interpretation:
Being creative is not about finding the right way to do something in the shortest possible time. It is about having the courage to try many different ways before finding the right way.
About Edwin Herbert Land(1909-1991): a
⊙ The world is but a canvas to the imagination.
—Henry David Thoreau
Interpretation:
Human beings,with their imagination, shape the world around them. So in a sense, the world becomes what human imagination wants it to be.
About Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862): US writer and philosopher best known for his book Walden, or Life in the Woods, (《沃尔登》或《林中生活》) in which he describes his simple life in the countryside, and for Civil Disobedience (《论公民的不服从》), an essay on refusing to obey unfair laws, which influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
⊙ Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.
—George Bernard Shaw
Interpretation:
To create things, you first need an imagination. If you need something new, you must picture it in your mind’s eye first, and then, when you want it badly enough, you will move on to create it.
About George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950): Irish writer famous especially for his clever plays which criticize society and the moral values of the time. His best known works include the historical plays Caesar and Cleopatra (《凯撒和克娄巴特拉》) and Saint Joan (《圣女贞德》), and the comedy Pygmalion (《卖花女》), which was later turned into the popular musical show My Fair Lady (《窈窕淑女》). He was a leading socialist and wrote about socialism.
