In addition to being creativity researchers, both of us are fathers of young children. As we watched Olivia and Jacob develop, the importance of an educational system that values creativity has become increasingly salient. Our children have an advantage in that their fathers value creativity (perhaps too much!). Like so many other parents, we are committed to providing diverse learning opportunities for our children. However, this commitment is not enough.

As college professors, both of us have seen many types of students. We see the student who is utterly convinced she is not creative and yet surprises herself by sharing a profoundly creative idea in class or on an assignment. Another student believes he is not creative and initially has no interest in cultivating his creativity. Yet another sees herself as a creative musician but fails to see any creativity in science or mathematics. It takes time and effort for these students to shake off their (mis)conceptions about creativity.

Then, there are the students we never see, those who have had limited opportunities to develop their creative potential. Not only do these students fail to find success in school, often for capricious and unjust reasons, but they may also believe that they lost what little spark of creativity and curiosity they had before entering formal schooling.

Finally, there are those students who have been mentored, supported by inspirational teachers, and (when appropriate) left alone to develop their creative potential.