Creativity in Education

I just saw a truly inspiring program on PBS, entitled, Recreating America, on the importance of integrating the arts and creativity into all aspects of education. When education is done this way, presenting all subjects creatively, with active involvement from students, utilizing the arts at all levels of the curriculum, students do better across the board, and the entire attitude towards school and learning shifts from drudgery to inspired involvement and high achievement. Following an educational initiative in Oklahoma, the program explores how using creativity in education in a variety of ways enhances learning for students from preschool to high school levels and beyond.

NEA Chair Plays in Peoria

This past Friday, I took part in a discussion that was part of a visit to Peoria by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman, Rocco Landesman. The visit came about as a result of comments that Chairman Landesman made several months ago, saying that he didn't know if Peoria had a theatre, but that if so, it probably wasn't as good as the Steppenwolf in Chicago. Suzette Boulais, Executive Director of ArtsPartners, and Kathy Chitwood, Executive Director of Eastlight Theatre each wrote to Rocco, saying he should come see for himself what Peoria has to offer. And he took them up on it, using his visit to Peoria as the kickoff for his Art Works tour, which will have him visiting cities throughout the country to learn how art shapes the economics, city revitalization, and social development of communities. He wrapped up his visit by attending a special performance of Rent at Eastlight.

The discussion I attended took place at WTVP studios and was taped for the NEA website, as well as a special edition of At Issue, a WTVP program with producer/host, H. Wayne Wilson. I was one of the audience members who posed questions to Chairman Landesman in both tapings.

I have a strong sense that those of us in the arts have a responsibility to make our voices heard, when it comes time to shape public policy that effects how the arts are funded and allowed to thrive. One of the interesting points that Chairman Landesman made is that even some Congress members have made comments about the (comparitively miniscule) amounts of the national budget directed to supporting the arts being frivolous, and that it could instead go to creating "real jobs". Rocco pointed out that someone who'd spent their life working to become the top violinist in a symphony orchestra would not think they didn't have a "real job". And he went on to note that the number of people who have full time jobs in the arts is actually greater than the number of people with jobs in the transportation sector and automobile manufacturing industries combined.

There was also discussion of the arts in education, how it's the first thing eliminated when budgets are tight. And yet it's been shown again and again that students who have the arts as a part of their curriculum achieve higher in all areas of academic pursuit, as well as at success in life and business after leaving school, than those who don't. We need the arts if we're to compete effectively on the world stage. Those who claim otherwise are simply ignorant of the facts.

So it's obvious that the arts play a major role in the economic, academic, and cultural health of our society, and it's time that those of us who have a stake in the arts step up and educate people on the realities of not only the part that art plays in our personal lives, but also of the value it has in our economic health as a nation.

Art in Times of Crisis

With the current economic meltdown, it seems we may all be in uncharted territory. I've been thinking about the role that art plays in crisis. Historically, it is often the artists, and the creative class, who show us the way through our adversities.

Does magic have a role to play in all of this? I certainly think so. What's needed, in my view, is a perspective that we're all in this together, that whatever happens, we can rise above it and help one another to keep moving on. Competition and greed got us to this point; what will move us beyond it is cooperative effort: working together to meet the challenges that arise.

Magic, if used wisely, can bring people together; it can move people and inspire them. As Tolstoy put it, "art is a human activity that transmits to others the highest and best to which men have risen." Using magic to demonstrate our best, to reinforce our interconnectedness, doesn't mean you have to preach in your performances. It can be more subtle than that, and more direct.

Are you bringing joy to others with your magic, or are you using it to aggrandize your own ego? Are you using magic to convey, "Hey! Look at me, look what I can do that you CAN'T!" Or are you using it to connect with people, join with them in an experience of wonder, that can only be shared, and never imposed.

We do have a role to play, and a service to be rendered. Art means using your talent to share something meaningful with others, even if it's just a moment of joy. I challenge you to give some thought to what it is that you're sharing, and just as importantly, what you really want to share.

Be an inspiration, by simply being inspired, looking and finding your own inspiration, and then sharing it openly and freely with others. That's the real magic!

Oooops! Sorry!

Well, I guess I owe an apology to anyone who's bothered to check out my blog here, as it's been over a year since I've posted. I could give you excuses, such as the fact that I've been swamped with other activities in my professional performing career, all of which would be true, but bottom line is I simply need to make these entries a priority. And I intend to make more of an effort in that regard.

I'm doing a lecture for the Quad Cities Magic Club on October 23, so it's a good opportunity to re-establish my focus on promoting magic as an actual Art Form.

Speaking of which, in my local area, I've been involved recently in several projects helping to promote the arts. Among other things, I've attended several meetings sponsored by the Economic Development Council in the Peoria area on creating an "Artist Relocation Program" as part of the downtown riverfront and warehouse district development in Peoria. The idea is to encourage established artists to move to the Peoria area as one means of stimulating the local economy, increasing tourism, and improving the lifestyle choices in the area.

Studies have shown that the economic development of a metropolitan area is driven largely by the "creative class", the artist, innovators, entertainers, and others involved in creative pursuits. Without them to draw interest and appeal to a city, nothing else happens.

I firmly believe that magic has a role to play in this crucial process. In these tough economic times, magic can inspire like little else. That is, if we're willing to step out on the skinny branches and make our magic represent more than just some cool tricks. How much meaning and emotion can you put into your magic? How much inspiration? It's certainly food for thought.