Creating a Culture of Creativity: A Sense of Touch

Creativity is important for solving problems. Creative people are able to make connections. This tool is intended to promote creativity by directing students to use their sense of touch to tune into the environment, drawing connections between and among ideas. In her book Building Executive Function: The Missing Link to Student Achievement , Dr. Nancy Sulla defines creativity as “the generation of new ideas and processes, imagining what does not exist in your worldview.” One’s creativity is enhanced by the ability to make connections, and connections are created through experiences. Thus, exposing students to varied experiences helps build a culture of creativity. Dr. Sulla enlightens us, helping us understand that creativity is an executive function, and can be developed. With heightened sensitivity to the environment, this tool encourages students to use bisociation, the process of connecting two ideas that seemingly do not connect, in order to create something new, as a creative pro