When Intensity Goes to School: Overexcitabilities, Creativity, and the Gifted Child

Susan Daniels; Michael M. Piechowski

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511781629.016

15 - When Intensity Goes to School: Overexcitabilities, Creativity, and the Gifted Child

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Susan Daniels and

Michael M. Piechowski

Edited by

Ronald A. Beghetto and

James C. Kaufman

Show author details

Susan Daniels: Affiliation:
California State University at San Bernardino, USA
Michael M. Piechowski: Affiliation:
Institute for Educational Advancement, USA
Ronald A. Beghetto: Affiliation:
University of Oregon
James C. Kaufman: Affiliation:
California State University, San Bernardino

Book contents

Get access

Summary

A teacher called the child's mother to show her a large sheet with a drawing of large squares on it. The mother was puzzled, so the teacher explained: “Like all other children, your daughter was asked to draw chickens in the barnyard. She drew the wire mesh. This is very disturbing.” A creative child will see things in a new way – instead of following the rules, a creative child will change them, will shift perspective. This child took the chicken's perspective. She grew up to be a world famous pianist. From an early age, she asserted with great intensity her way of approaching things and has the following remembrance (Grimaud, 2006, pp. 1–2):

“She is never satisfied!”

As a small child, I heard these words a thousand times.…Long before I understood what these words meant, I made them into a family, much like my stuffed animals. Their family name was “Un.” They were the “Uns,” and each of them had the same ability to put a surprised or worried look on my mother's face.…I created a family tree for them. The great-grandfather of the words was Uncontrollable.

After Uncontrollable, there came quite often Unsatisfied. Then Unmanageable. Or Impossible, Undisciplined. Insatiable. Insubordinate…Unadaptable. Unpredictable.

Hélène Grimaud's memoir of her growing-up years, Wild Harmonies: A Life of Music and Wolves, offers profound insight into the rocky path of a highly gifted, creative, and passionate person growing up in a world that does not always understand or appreciate such energy, intensity, and passion.

Type: Chapter
Information: Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom , pp. 313 - 328

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511781629.016 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ackerman, C. M. (1993). Investigating an alternative method of identifying gifted students. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.Google Scholar

Dabrowski, K. (1967). Personality-shaping through positive disintegration. Boston: Little, Brown.Google Scholar

Dabrowski, K. (1972). Psychoneurosis is not an illness. London: Gryf.Google Scholar

Daniels, S., & Meckstroth, E. (2009). Nurturing the sensitivity, intensity and developmental potential of young gifted children. In Daniels, S. & Piechowski, M. (Eds.), Living with intensity: Understanding the sensitivity, excitability, and emotional development of gifted children, adolescents, and adults (pp. 33–56). Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.Google Scholar

Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. (2009). Embracing intensity: Overexcitability, sensitivity, and the developmental potential of the gifted. In Daniels, S. & Piechowski, M. (Eds.), Living with intensity: Understanding the sensitivity, excitability, and emotional development of gifted children, adolescents, and adults (pp. 3–18). Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.Google Scholar

Grimaud, H. (2006). Wild harmonies: A life of music and wolves. New York: Riverhead Books.Google Scholar

Heinigk, P. (2008, June). Soothing overexcitabilities with food. Parenting for High Potential, 20–22.Google Scholar

Piechowski, M. (1979). Developmental potential. In Colangelo, N. & Zaffrann, R. T. (Eds.), New voices in counseling the gifted (pp. 25–27). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.Google Scholar

Piechowski, M. (1999). Overexcitabilities. In Runco, M. & Pritzker, S. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (Vol. 2, pp. 325–334). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar

Piechowski, M. (2002). Experiencing in a higher key: Dabrowski's theory of and for the gifted. Gifted Education Communicator, 33(1), 28–31, 35–36.Google Scholar

Piechowski, M. (2006). “Mellow out,” they say. If only I could: Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. Madison, WI: Yunasa Books.Google Scholar

Piechowski, M. (2008). Discovering Dabrowski's theory. In Mendaglio, S. (Ed.), Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration (pp. 41–77). Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.Google Scholar

Runco, M. A. (1994). Creativity and its discontents. In Shaw, M. & Runco, M. A. (Eds.), Creativity and affect (pp. 102–123). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar

Russ, S. W. (1993). Affect and creativity: The role of affect and play in the creative process. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar

Russ, S. W. (Ed.) (1999). Affect, creative experience and psychological adjustment. Philadelphia: Brunner Mazel.

Silverman, L. (Ed.), (1993). Counseling the gifted and talented. Denver, CO: Love.

Singer, D. G., & Singer, J. L. (1990). The house of make-believe: Children's play and the development of imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar

Taylor, M. (1999). Imaginary companions and the children who create them. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar

Book contents

15 - When Intensity Goes to School: Overexcitabilities, Creativity, and the Gifted Child

Summary

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive