I'm with the camp that it's hard to teach. I'm talking about "creative" in the romantic sense of the word: the kind that is stereotypically exhibited by mad scientists, hermit authors, and bipolar playwrights. The kind of "useful abnormality" that does not occur to the common mind.
In these cases, I would argue the creativity stems from a different brain structure, and I would not be wrong in saying so. To this extent, it cannot be taught. But in the same vein, everybody is creative in their own ways. But it needs to be coaxed. The coaxing is the job of the perceptive teacher, and I think the early years of life are critical for healthy development in this area.
How do you learn to be creative? I would sum it up as "de-inhibit your brain." If you grew up in an oppressive environment where you could be punished for any arbitrarily bad expression, it is imaginable that you would be conditioned to avoid thinking in certain non-standard ways.
In these cases, I would argue the creativity stems from a different brain structure, and I would not be wrong in saying so. To this extent, it cannot be taught. But in the same vein, everybody is creative in their own ways. But it needs to be coaxed. The coaxing is the job of the perceptive teacher, and I think the early years of life are critical for healthy development in this area.
How do you learn to be creative? I would sum it up as "de-inhibit your brain." If you grew up in an oppressive environment where you could be punished for any arbitrarily bad expression, it is imaginable that you would be conditioned to avoid thinking in certain non-standard ways.