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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
HUMID001H
Course Title (CB02)
Creative Minds - HONORS
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the study of creativity in human life; its sources, development, social purpose, and role in culture change. Students analyze creativity as a central source of meaning and purpose in their lives as well as a development of their unique combination of human intelligences. Lives of creative people from all over the world are examined and contextualized. The course builds commitment to civic and moral responsibility for diverse, equitable, healthy and sustainable communities. Students engage themselves as members of larger social fabrics and develop the abilities and motivation to take informed action for change. Because this is an honors course, students will be expected to complete additional assignments of greater depth and breadth, or order to gain increased insight into the study of creativity.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSUGE and IGETC and is included in the Arts and Letters emphasis in the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Liberal Arts Associate Degree. It is UC and CSU transferable. It fulfills the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Environmental Sustainability and Global Citizenship (ESGC) requirement. This course is an option for students working towards the Humanities Certificate of Achievement. This course engages students in a theoretical and practical exploration of the creative impulse in a broad range of fields and domains of human experience and encourages students to recognize themselves as active creators of cultural change in a diverse and increasingly global context. This course is the honors version of HUMI D001. and as a result, includes more advanced assignments and assessments.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GC1°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area C1 - ArtsApproved
2GC2°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
2GES°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE - Environment Sustainability and Global CitizenshipApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGC1CSU GE Area C1 - ArtsApproved
CGC2CSU GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG3AIGETC Area 3A - ArtsApproved
IG3BIGETC Area 3B - HumanitiesApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

  • (Not open to students with credit in the non-Honors related course.)
  • (Admission into this course requires consent of the Honors Program Coordinator.)

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

In-class essays

Homework and extended projects

Guest speakers

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Collaborative projects

Assignments

  1. Reading assignments from a minimum of one college-level, book length text. Reading assignments from reserve, in-class, and online articles and papers of varied length and number, including non-fiction primary texts written by creative people in diverse domains about the creative process. Viewing assignments of videos shown in-class or at student discretion accompanied with specific questions to assess and summarize.
  2. A substantial research monograph will be assigned. The paper will be a biographical analysis of the creative factors in the life of a person recognized by experts within his/her domain as "Creative."

    -AND/OR-

    a major project or series of smaller projects with written and experiential components that require students to incorporate the course objectives into their own lives and experiences. The project/s will address issues of equity, creative freedom, and creative process, with a requirement that students draw from multiple intelligences.
  3. In-class conversation and reflection, individual out of class actions, and community activities designed to connect desire for change into real life action for a sustainable and equitable future.
  4. The Honors project will include a written research paper, or a set of written assignments, and may involve service learning and/or civic engagement. The Honors project will require 10 or more hours beyond the regular (non-honors) course requirements, and will include more advanced work with higher expectations for achievement.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Short quizzes and/or writing assignments on topics from the reading and viewing assignments or lectures will assess student synthesis and mastery of learning objectives and prepare them for in-class activities. Examinations based on reading and viewing assignments or lectures will test students ability to analyze creative work and experience and demonstrate critical mastery of course objectives. A final examination and/or written project will require students to demonstrate comprehension, critical mastery, and personal engagement with the concepts, processes, and interrelationships of the course objectives.
  2. Research papers and/or projects on specific assigned topics will evaluate the student's capacity to define, structure, and analyze topics related to creative attitude and/or products.
  3. Civic engagement project/s, evaluated based on extent of mastery of course objectives, will offer opportunity to discern student empowerment to take informed action for change.
  4. The Honors project will be evaluated for depth of analysis, originality of thinking, and a comprehensive discussion of the research topic.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Berns, Gregory. "Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How To Think Differently." Boston: Harvard Business Press, 2010.
Csikszentmihaly, Mihaly. "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention." New York: Harper, 2013.
Gelb, Michael. "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci." New York: Delta Trade, 2004.
*Grant, Adam. "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World." New York: Penguin Books, 2017.
*Robinson, Ken, with Lou Aronica. "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything." New York: Penguin Books, 2009.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Ballard, Elise. "Epiphany: True Stories of Sudden Insight to Inspire, Encourage and Transform - Expanded Edition." Los Angeles: Temerity Publishing, 2014.
Bergson, Henri. "The Creative Mind." New Jersey: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1975.
Boden, M. A. "The Creative Mind." Princeton University Press, 1989.
Campbell, Joseph. "The Power of Myth." New York: Doubleday, 1988.
Cronin, Matthew A. and Loewenstein, Jeffrey. "The Craft of Creativity." Palo Alto, CA: Stanford Business Books, 2018.
Csikszentmihaly, Mihaly. "Finding Flow, The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life." New York: Basic Books, 2008.
Duckworth, Angela. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." New York: Scribner, 2018.
Dunham, Bandhu. "Creative Life: Spirit, Power and Relationship in the Practice of Art." Arizona: Hohm Press, 2005.
Dweck, Carol. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success." New York: Ballantine Books, 2007.
Gardner, Howard. "Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the Twenty-First Century." New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear." New York: Riverhead Books, 2015.
Goldenberg, Elkhonon. "Creativity: The Human Brain in the Age of Information." New York: Oxford, 2018.
Goswami, Amit. "Quantum Creativity: Think Quantum, Be Creative." New York: Hay House, 2014.
Harford, Jim. "Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives." New York: Riverhead Books, 2017.
Ito, Joi and Howe, Jeff. "Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future." New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
Johnson, Steven. "Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation." New York: Riverhead Books, 2010.
Lowenfeld, Victor and W. L. Britain. "The Nature of Creative Activity." New York: Harcourt Brace, 1939.
May, Rollo. "The Courage to Create." W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1975.
Pressfield, Steven. "The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles." New York: Pressfield Books, 2012.
Robinson, Ken. "Out of Our Minds: The Power of Being Creative - 3rd Edition." Oxford: Capstone, 2017.
Steele, Claude and Clarke, DeMario. "Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do." New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2011.
Sternberg, Robert J. and Kaufman, James C. editors. "The Nature of Human Creativity." New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Tharp, Twyla. "Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life." New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003.
Wheatly, Margaret and Deborah Frieze. "Walk Out Walk On." San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011.
Wilson, E.O. "The Origins of Creativity." New York: Penguin Books, 2018.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Identify and explain the meaning and purpose of culture as well as the role that the Humanities, as constructions of human creativity, occupy within a culture
  • Assess and evaluate cognitive theories of consciousness and intelligences and their connection to creativity
  • Analyze and synthesize the elements of creative personality and process
  • Examine and analyze the developmental stages of creative behavior
  • Examine and evaluate biographies of creative people from a variety of academic, professional, and cultural domains
  • Recognize and interpret issues of equity and sustainability in creativity within multi-cultural and cross-cultural contexts
  • Cultivate commitment to civic and moral responsibility for diverse, equitable, healthy and sustainable communities in order to develop the ability and motivation to take informed action for change
  • Fulfill the Honors requirement for this course by demonstrating intellectual ownership and risk-taking while developing a creative synthesis of one or more multidisciplinary topics from the study of creativity.

CSLOs

  • Synthesize critical thinking, imaginative, cooperative, and empathetic abilities as whole persons in order to contextualize knowledge, interpret and communicate meaning, and cultivate their capacity for personal, as well as social change.

  • Cultivate and demonstrate an awareness of the power of creativity and the potential of the creative process through direct involvement.

Outline

  1. Identify and explain the meaning and purpose of culture as well as the role that the Humanities, as constructions of human creativity, occupy within a culture
    1. Human cultural evolution and symbol systems
      1. Culture in change
      2. Humanities as culture: the arts and sciences
    2. Survival and fulfillment in human life
      1. Cultural ways to address basic needs
      2. Cultural ways to address meaning and fulfillment
      3. Creativity in culture: curiosity and enjoyment
      4. Creativity in culture: engagement and change
    3. The role of Humanities in cultural development
      1. Disciplines of self-understanding and how they evolved
      2. Self-understanding in disciplines today
      3. Rationalism and mysticism as mutually supportive and exclusive
    4. Humanities - pluralism and synthesis
      1. Pluralism- multicultural and multidisciplinary
      2. Synthesis- worldview: how do we know what we know?
  2. Assess and evaluate cognitive theories of consciousness and intelligences and their connection to creativity
    1. Definition and functions of consciousness and the human brain
      1. Perception, attention, and consciousness
      2. The unconscious and collective unconscious
      3. Cross-cultural and historical perceptions of whole self
      4. Dreaming and daydreaming
      5. The social brain and identity
    2. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (9) and Human Capability Theory
      1. 9 Intelligences and creativity explained
      2. Capability Approach/Theory and creativity explained
      3. Goleman's Emotional Intelligence compared and contrasted
    3. Social construction of domains of creativity
      1. Symbol systems in history and culture
      2. Mythology and its social function
      3. Creativity within fields and domains
      4. Creativity in rationalized economic and political systems
    4. Human welfare and development of personal skills
      1. Purpose of human development and fulfillment
      2. Creativity: its central role in human happiness
      3. Creativity: its central role in cultural change
    5. Education and development of creativity
      1. Capability theory and individual uniqueness
      2. Education, standardization, uniqueness, and creativity
  3. Analyze and synthesize the elements of creative personality and process
    1. Definition of elements found in the creative process
      1. Examination and analysis of intersections of similarity and difference of creative experience
      2. The role of dissonance in problem solving
      3. Imagination- insight and intuition
      4. Inspiration- ah-ha and beyond
      5. Biosociation- the role of humor in creativity
    2. The social character of creativity
      1. The role of the human environment and cultural context
      2. Discipline, framework, hard work, and intuition
      3. Cross-cultural attitudes about the value and meaning of creativity
    3. Typical elements in the creative personality
      1. Traits of creative people
      2. Creativity and the experience of enjoyment or "flow."
      3. Creative courage
      4. Csikszentmihaly's Ten Dimensions of Complexity
      5. Grit
      6. Growth mindset
    4. The work of creativity
      1. Dwelling in and breaking out of tradition
      2. Functions of time, domain, perseverance, and discovery
      3. Creativity and the labor of transformation
      4. Creativity, meaningfulness, growth, and happiness
    5. The politics of innovation
      1. Borders and boundaries
      2. Ideology and social milieu
      3. Social norms and conformity
      4. The role of common sense
      5. Diplomacy of invention
    6. Creativity in natural systems
      1. Trophic cascades in ecologies of change
      2. Quantum physics and models of potential and possibility
    7. Student experiential examination of the process and role of creativity in their own lives
      1. Identifying dissonance
      2. Creative process and courage
      3. Personal change
      4. Social change
  4. Examine and analyze the developmental stages of creative behavior
    1. The early years and the shaping of a creative personality
      1. Play
      2. Imagination
    2. The role of education in shaping creative potential and possibility
    3. The middle years and the making of a career
      1. The role of domains in recognizing creativity
      2. The role of fields in recognizing creativity
    4. The later years, the process of aging, and varieties of wisdom traditions
  5. Examine and evaluate biographies of creative people from a variety of academic, professional, and cultural domains
    1. The nine multiple intelligences as models of domains
    2. Primary sources offer access into the insightful, informative and interesting experiences of creative individuals
    3. Multi-cultural examples within diverse domains and fields
  6. Recognize and interpret issues of equity and sustainability in creativity within multi-cultural and cross-cultural contexts
    1. The politics of power in creativity
      1. Education- canons of history and art history
      2. Aesthetics- connoisseurship and the devaluation of craft
      3. Marginalization- revisionism, pluralism, and intersectionality
      4. Assimilation- globalization and development
      5. Media consolidation and control of information
    2. Capability theory and equity in human development
      1. Creativity in political and social institutions
      2. Human potential
    3. Creativity in cross-cultural and multi-cultural contexts
      1. Cross-cultural comparison of novelty vs. tradition
      2. Cross-cultural and multi-cultural ideas and attitudes about the unconscious
      3. Mythology and personal transformation
      4. Wisdom traditions
      5. Spiritual traditions
    4. Creativity and gender
      1. Marginalization of women's lives, experiences, creative potential, and creative contributions
      2. Gender justice - promoting equity in creativity
      3. Overcoming heteronormity
      4. Queer politics
    5. Creativity, ethnicity and race
      1. White privilege and creative recognition
      2. Marginalization of diverse voices and contributions in domains and fields of creativity
      3. Stereotype threat
      4. Overcoming racism: utilizing diversity to advantage in creative endeavors
    6. Creativity and class
      1. Capitalism, the working class, and creative opportunity
      2. Creativity as a human right
    7. Creativity and the environment
      1. Creativity in scientific problem solving
      2. Creativity and sustainability
      3. Creativity in multi-lineal evolution
    8. Creativity and standards for health, education, and welfare
    9. Creativity and social justice
    10. Creative freedom
      1. Conformity
      2. Orthodoxy
  7. Cultivate commitment to civic and moral responsibility for diverse, equitable, healthy and sustainable communities in order to develop the ability and motivation to take informed action for change
    1. Explain the interconnectivity of prosperity, social equity, and environmental quality.
      1. Definitions of sustainability, equity and justice
      2. The globalization of inequality: poverty and pollution
      3. Development and the externalized costs to people and the environment
      4. Politics of power and participation in decision making
      5. Privatization of common resources (the Commons)
      6. Rationalization of work and the marginalization of skill
    2. Identify the most serious environmental, equity, and social justice problems globally and locally, and explain their underlying causes and possible consequences.
      1. Creativity as a catalyst for change in disciplines and domains
      2. Student experience as a foundation for identifying local and global issues
      3. Critical inquiry and critical analysis of local and global problems, utilizing issues such as:
        1. Climate change and mass extinction
        2. Increasing poverty and the growing wealth gap
        3. Failing states and disenfranchised populations
        4. Systemic racism, sexism, classism and denial
        5. Global cultural assimilation and mass consumption
    3. Explore significant ways in which students can make a difference and a positive impact (locally, at a state level, or globally) with the goal to contribute to a world that is more environmentally sustainable and socially just.
      1. Participatory democracy and citizenship
      2. Ethics of personal responsibility and social change
      3. Individual efforts with friends, family and classmates
      4. Connections with local community members
      5. Transnational networking and movement building
    4. Analyze how the well-being of human society is dependent on sustainable social and ecological systems.
      1. Sustainability; resilience; creative disequilibrium; and biomimicry
      2. Tension between the well-being of future generations and the development aspirations of those already in poverty
      3. Eradicating poverty as a requirement of sustainable systems
      4. Importance of protecting and reestablishing biologically diverse ecosystems
      5. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) vs. Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) vs. Gross National Happiness (GNH)
      6. Restoration of balance in cross-cultural problem solving
    5. Demonstrate an understanding of how their activities impact the environment and their communities by participating in actions to create a more environmentally sustainable and equitable future.
      1. Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey as a cross-cultural model of civic responsibility
      2. Development of Creative Courage
      3. "Fear Means Go": identifying spaces for action
      4. Role of love in civil disobedience
      5. Flow: dynamics of challenge, skill and growth
      6. Role of purpose in social meaning
  8. Fulfill the Honors requirement for this course by demonstrating intellectual ownership and risk-taking while developing a creative synthesis of one or more multidisciplinary topics from the study of creativity.
    1. Constructions of human creativity.
    2. Connections between theories of consciousness, intelligences, and creativity.
    3. Creative personality and process.
    4. Developmental stages of creative behavior.
    5. Equity and sustainability in creativity.
    6. Civic and moral responsibility in relation to creativity and change.
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