365 Daily Creativity Journal Results

I blogged last week about this book I bought as a way to inspire my students and develop their creativity.  It always amazes me how challenging it is for many of my students to use their imagination and creativity.  They seem to freeze in place when I ask them to come up with ideas and thumbnails because drawing is involved.  Mostly, I am talking about my beginning students, but this affects some of my advanced students as well.  The only difference is that even though they struggle with creativity they have a passion to keep trying trusting that I won't allow them to fail.  So, you can only imagine the whining that occurred when I informed them of spring break homework.  For my beginning students, it was an extra credit opportunity.  Unfortunately, the students who needed the extra credit didn't do...I'm not surprised.  A little sad because I gave all of the students the full 20 points for just completing this assignment, regardless of what it looked like.  But I was impressed with what was turned in.  Some of the pieces were as I expected they would be...very literal translations of the prompt.  But some did manage to surprise me with their inventiveness.   I wanted to share my favorites with you.

Beginning Drawing 
His prompt was to create something under water.  This was kind of gross, but also one of those "happy accidents."  He had a nose bleed and began poking the drops to create flowers in the water.

Intermediate Drawing
His prompt was to create something using tea leaves or tea bags. A very literal translation, but I like that he didn't just draw the tea bag.

Intermediate Drawing
 Her prompt was to create something using a stapler or staples.  She made a porcupine.  I thought it was interesting that she thought it was cheating to use other materials.

Intermediate Drawing
Her prompt was to create using only red.

Intermediate Drawing
 His prompt was to use or be inspired by eggshells.

Beginning Art
Her prompt was to be inspired by internal organs. 

Intermediate Drawing-
His prompt was to place a door where one normally wouldn't be.

Intermediate Drawing-
He had to reinvent the birthday song or tradition.

Beginning drawing
She had to create an image using only fingerprints.

Intermediate Drawing
She had to use her feet as hands.  This is a portrait of one of her classmates.

Intermediate Drawing
He had to create something with his before he ate it. A tree, always a favorite in my book.

Advanced Drawing
She had to create something inspired by the first fruit or vegetable she saw in her refrigerator.  She admitted she just did a literal translation of it, but wasn't feeling very creative when she did it. 

Beginning Drawing
He had to take a 5 minute walk and create something with the materials that were where he ended up.  I love the personality of it. 

Advanced Drawing
First I have to admit, this student is like my right hand.  She is my art club president, my T.A, and my drawing student.  I see her for majority of the day and we spend it talking in a very creative and imaginative banter.  My beginning students probably think we are both insane when we begin brainstorming ideas for projects, either hers or mine. 
Her prompt was to make something out of junk mail.  She made a dinosaur with an elaborate story of why he was deformed on one side. :)

 I consider this "experiment" to be a success and am looking forward to implementing it as an actual assignment in the classroom. I'm thinking of using different prompts for the last few weeks of the school year and have the students end with a product at the end of each week. It will be a nice creative way to wind down the school year. Plus, I'll get to play with the prompts, too!