Tuesday, May 8, 2007
learning & creativity
Learning always lies in individuals - not institutions. Just because you belong to an institution, it doesn't necessarily transfer the learning to you. You will have to constantly make your own singular effort to make that learning happen - for you.
Some of us think, learning can happen "from" others. But this, according to me, is a misplaced notion. Learning rarely happen from others. It may happen "because" of others or "through" others - but not from others.
For centuries we have sprawled on a "guru's feet" thinking learning (or even sometimes enlightenment) will happen. Some of us even keep books below the pillow at sleep time :-). The belief is the same - somebody will "give" us learning. But that's not true, for me:
Others can only stimulate you - you still need to do;
Others can only show you - but you still need to see;
Other can only explain to you - but you still need to think;
Others can only bring you to the well, but you still need to drink;
Many of us join classes, courses, institutions and even organizations thinking that we would learn.
But unfortunately that doesn't happen. People go about wearing this degree or the institutions name on their forehead touting their assumed intellect.
Converse is also true - a friend told me - "I am what I am because of this institution I went to". I said to him, "Wrong - you are you because of yourself. A particular piece of earth might be more conducive to growth of a rose, but a rose bent on growing will even grow in rocks".
The key to learning is then work - effort, diligence, and industry.
And work requires energy. Our ancestors, recognized the importance of WORK and ENERGY as core to learning. That is why all our ancient institutions expounded the gurukul system of learning where work, effort, rigor and discipline were key aspects.
But carrying much more potential, much more impact is an energy which many of us miss - that is the creative energy. The sheer energy release when we embark on a creative Endeavour is truly unmatched. Time blurs, world around us blurs, past and future blurs, when this creative energy drives our complete being into a productive and industrious state of operation.
This is the energy of being in the present. As the neurons of our brain go into a tizzy - in such an unleash of energy, we are absorbing, doing, creating and most importantly learning. Creative energy is the energy of freedom, where thoughts, emotions and effort freely mingle and explode in many directions. The result is oneness with ourselves as well as the world around us.
Each one of us would have experienced this in some form or the other - be it cooking, gardening, writing a letter, sport, and so on.
Creative energy is the energy of doing - not from a mechanical state of mind - but from an unleashed, inhibited and unassumed mind which is bent on experimenting, exploring and experiencing - itself as well as the world around it.
So the question is what releases this creative energy. Very simply purpose with passion and persistence.
For most of us, many things that we do serve secondary or unreal purpose - like making money, or completing a chore. No wonder there is no excitement (passion), we take shortcuts (no persistence) and we feel "tired" even before doing it ( no creative energy). "Oh no!" - is the beginning exclamation.
But the moment we turn to something that we believe has a great purpose for us, what we are passionate about, what we would like to persist with no matter what odds - the great well of creative energy opens up magically inside us - providing us with whatever resources we would ever need.
Gandhiji, Mother Teresa, Hellen Keller are just few names which come to my mind immediately.
So if you are in search of learning - follow this flow:
Dream a passionate purpose - dive into it with full persistence - and with your then released energy create!
And if you in the business of teaching (which we all are) - I will ensure children around me are passionate about a purpose that their potential has dreamt off and then I would encourage them to follow their calling with the true freedom of creative energy.
Let me conclude this with a quote from Gandhiji:
“I claim to be no more than an average man with less than average abilities.
I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have,
if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith."
I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have,
if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith."
Your thoughts!
Ratnesh
Comments:
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Hi Ratnesh,
Your article raises some very serious and pertinent issues of our times. I would like to raise the following issues, and would be interested in a dialogue with you on them.
(1) I think, there is a need to define Learning. Learning can be for various skills, techniques, etc. Learning can be for making a bomb, and it can be for killing, and it can be for making a kite, and it can be for making a chair. Clearly not everything is "worth learning"! Is Learning Infinite? Is Understanding different from Learning? Are we addressing Learning of (useful) skills?
(2) I think, there is a need to Define Child and Teacher - in this faceless world of Internet. Otherwise I think, it is all set for becoming another MySpace.
(3) I agree, that Learning or Understanding happens in human. The Others (or Gurus) can only Indicate/Express. As in this case, you are Indicating. As you build this platform for Thousands and Thousands of Indicators/Teachers - How do you plan to address the coherency across them? Would they be talking same thing, or different things? Would that be OK? What if one teaches how to make a bomb, and the other teaches how to practice non-violence?
Regards,
Rakesh
Your article raises some very serious and pertinent issues of our times. I would like to raise the following issues, and would be interested in a dialogue with you on them.
(1) I think, there is a need to define Learning. Learning can be for various skills, techniques, etc. Learning can be for making a bomb, and it can be for killing, and it can be for making a kite, and it can be for making a chair. Clearly not everything is "worth learning"! Is Learning Infinite? Is Understanding different from Learning? Are we addressing Learning of (useful) skills?
(2) I think, there is a need to Define Child and Teacher - in this faceless world of Internet. Otherwise I think, it is all set for becoming another MySpace.
(3) I agree, that Learning or Understanding happens in human. The Others (or Gurus) can only Indicate/Express. As in this case, you are Indicating. As you build this platform for Thousands and Thousands of Indicators/Teachers - How do you plan to address the coherency across them? Would they be talking same thing, or different things? Would that be OK? What if one teaches how to make a bomb, and the other teaches how to practice non-violence?
Regards,
Rakesh
I agree wholeheartedly with you on the wonderful and fulfilling liberation of creative energy.
In fact so much has been said on creative energy that at some point of time, the rigor of structured learning, 'sprawled at the foot of the guru' seems to be undermined.
Should we speak of it with implied derogation? hardly, not all of us are blessed with the force of creative imagination. With majority of children, parameters drawn up facilitate the release of creative energy. Remember Newton, structured learning helped the serendipity of the moment.
I am a fan of Genie kids, but the jargon that is used which seems to cast a shadow of doubt on structured learning is very very off putting, but very WITH IT in the current scenario of creativity, liberty, freedom etc.
RENU THOMASS
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In fact so much has been said on creative energy that at some point of time, the rigor of structured learning, 'sprawled at the foot of the guru' seems to be undermined.
Should we speak of it with implied derogation? hardly, not all of us are blessed with the force of creative imagination. With majority of children, parameters drawn up facilitate the release of creative energy. Remember Newton, structured learning helped the serendipity of the moment.
I am a fan of Genie kids, but the jargon that is used which seems to cast a shadow of doubt on structured learning is very very off putting, but very WITH IT in the current scenario of creativity, liberty, freedom etc.
RENU THOMASS
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