A few years ago, I thought I would help out the parents of my gifted and talented students by writing about some games, toys, or books that I thought might make good purchases during the holiday season. I called the series of posts, “Gifts for the Gifted,” and I have continued to do it annually on every Friday in November and December. These gifts are suggestions for any child – not just those who qualify for a GT program. Sometimes I receive a free product for review, but I am not paid for these posts, and I never recommend a product that I wouldn’t buy for my own child. For past “Gifts for the Gifted” posts, you can visit this page.
This year, I have decided to do my annual “Gifts for the Gifted” posts all in one week. This should give anyone who likes to shop ahead of time a good start! For this year’s suggestions so far, click here.
I adore the work of Gavin Aung Than. His Zen Pencils site features illustrations of inspiring quotes, and he has published several books. This year, he added Creative Struggle: Illustrated Advice from Masters of Creativity to his long list of accomplishments. I enjoyed seeing lesser know quotes in the collection, and felt particularly moved by the “Creative Pep Talk #1” entry. It illustrates the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti, and supports my philosophy that we should focus more on the process than the product in education. “Our present education is rotten because it teaches us to love success and not what we are doing. The result has become more important than the action.” He criticizes our desire for fame and lauds anyone who “is a creative human being living anonymously.”
This book would be appropriate for teens and up, or for teachers to use in the classroom with any age. As I try to convince my students to venture outside of their comfort zones and get frustrated with my own creative attempts and failures, the words of Brene Brown, so well depicted in Than’s book, keep me going:
“The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity.”
