Creativity; some thoughts on it and why we need it to survive.

Creativity: “For along time, creativity at school was just about music, poetry and painting but the true nature of creativity is much, much wider than that.

It is about ideas, imagination, dealing with change, dealing with challenge, developing confidence in oneself and, in so many ways, breaking the rules.

As Picasso said, 'Every act of creation is first an act of destruction'.

Think of it from an evolutionary point of view. For anything to survive it needs to evolve. To change. It's the same with thoughts. If we just teach young people to think our thoughts then thinking doesn't change.

And when something fails to change, it fails to survive.”

from: www.independentthinking.org.uk

Now, I had a professor, the very vivacious Diane Dowdell (like “Cowbell”), that would constantly reiterate: Creativity is not something that is intrinsically inherent. It is something that is acquired through a learning process and if practiced can become stronger and better just as any skill—like Math, English, Science, Business are learned.

As mentors, teachers, or parents to children we have the opportunity and an obligation to teach children “how to think” not “what to think”. We teach them how to think creatively—to solve problems on their own, to search for their own answers, to ask their own questions.

Creativity, as defined by Wikipedia: “a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts.”

Creativity can easily be fostered in art, music, dance, and things we general think of as creative; but also in other subjects. There are always problems to be solved, new associations to be made, and new ways of looking at things.

As far as this is concerned with my books, practice, teaching, and every day life: I believe kids respond well to creativity and open-endedness. Specifically, in teaching I mean creatively presenting the kids the material and open-endedness meaning not giving the children the answer but letting them attempt to find their own or collectively. I believe this teaches problem solving skills and creativity in the classroom. I think the idea is pretty well accepted by teachers, but I still see a lot of rote memorization and just plain old boring presentations by teachers in schools today.

I believe kids don’t learn well if it’s boring. This means we must present material in creative ways. In relation to my practice and my books, I believe kids will learn to read and enjoy reading (learning new things) if they are given something interesting to read. In addition, giving a child something to read or study that is creatively done teaches children that it’s okay to think creatively or how to think creatively.

Mr. and Miss Spider

Mr. and Miss Spider
Copyright 2008 The Caterpillar Press (37 Pages)
Author and Artist Meredith Lee Priesmeyer
www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer

About the book : Discuss emotions/feelings through word association.
Ideal for beginners in English whether that be 0 to 12.
Ideal for children who learn best using pictures.

Use word association and cute rhymes to discuss emotions and boost a child's emotional intelligence.

Ask along with Mr. and Miss Spider, saying, "What makes you feel happy?"

The facial illustration of the spiders in this book were developed using images from the clinical emotional counseling tool EMOGRAM.

Created Using: Marker Paper, Prismacolor Markers, and Pencils. Final illustrations are scanned into the computer and edited with computer software.

Hide and Go Seek
with Mr. Spider, Miss Spider, Caterpillar and Ladybug.

Practice and learn prepositions while playing Hide and Go Seek with Mr. and Miss Spider, Caterpillar and Ladybug!

Caterpillar and Ladybug at The Learning Tree

Caterpillar and Ladybug Go On A Picnic being read by the wonderful Kim Peterson at the Learning Tree School in San Antonio, Texas

Caterpillar and Ladybug Go On A Picnic

Caterpillar and Ladybug Go On A Picnic {Title Page Art}

By Author and Artist by Meredith Priesmeyer

Available at: www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer

Learn and practice counting up to twenty with Caterpillar and Ladybug. A fun book that starts with a picnic and ends on the moon. Follow Caterpillar and Ladybug through their counting adventure. An easy and fun book that introduces vocabulary and numbers up to twenty.

Appropriate for beginner ESL learners, children that learn best with pictures, and young learners, I've found ages from 3 to 11 really enjoy reading the book.

Created with

The Very Angry Little Spider

The Very Angry Little Spider {Title Art} 2008

By Author and Artist: Meredith Lee Priesmeyer
www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer 9x7 full color (28 Pages)

Publisher: The Caterpillar Press
The Very Angry Little Spider is an easy book that explains basic emotions. Why is Mr. Spider so angry? A funny book through which kids can ask questions about how Mr. Spider is feeling. The sequel to this book is Miss Spider and Mr. Spider.

The book is created using drawing paper and prismacolor color pencils. The final pages are scanned into the computer and edited with a program.

The Math-Magician and The Bizarre Expedition

The Math-Magician and The Bizarre Expedition {Title Page Art}
Still in Progress

The Math-Magician and The Bizarre Expedition is a long time project--over two years. The story is about a girl who is cast away into a far-away land by an evil math-magician. She has to navigate through an alternate world on a bizarre expedition to find her way back.

The copy for this book is meant for elementary students but could be read by a younger audience.

The book is created on marker paper with Copic and Prisma Color markers. The final images are scanned into the computer and slightly adjusted with Corel Draw.

Elie Nelie Elephant and Her Search For True Colors

Elie Nelie Elephant and Her Search For True Colors

A book about discovery and colors. First Edition 2007 and Second Edition 2009

I'm really excited about the 2nd Edition of Elie Nelie Elephant! The whole book is created mostly on canvas and occasionally I used illustrator board. Every page is painted in oil. To make the book pages, the final paintings are photographed and uploaded in to make the final adjustments in an editing program.

Artist Biography

Meredith Priesmeyer

Children’s Literature Artist and Author

Mission: I just want to inspire kids to read, imagine, and be creative.

Book Titles and Dates of Completion and Availability:

Elie Nelie Elephant and Her Search for True Colors (2007)

Second Edition (2009—still in Process)

Caterpillar and Ladybug (Go On A Picnic) (2008) (www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer)

The Very Angry Little Spider (2008) (www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer)

Miss Spider and Mr. Spider (2008) (www.lulu.com/mpriesmeyer)

Hide and Seek with Caterpillar, Ladybug, Miss and Mr. Spider (2009)

The Math-Magician and the Bizarre Expedition—coming soon

Briefly about me and my experiences:

Volunteer Activities:

Donates educational materials to schools in San Antonio (names)

----autistic school, specifically, TREEHOUSE Behavioral Services Day Program and a daycare in St. Hedwig, Texas (outside of San Antonio).

Therapeutic Riding; an organization located near Retama Park near San Antonio, Texas that helps children and adults with muscular dystrophy and other muscular problems-- Assisted with therapy lessons for physically challenged clientele

Missionary trip with the Maranists of St. Mary’s University to a very rural part of Mexico—Uxpanapa Mexico—to work on church related activities and build a cheese factory.

Junior Achievement volunteer; taught economic (Junior Achievement Curriculum) concepts to 3^rd graders at Holy Rosary Church School during university.

During college, was involved in church ministry retreats both as a ‘camper’ and as administration.

Volunteer at kid’s day fairs at various Montessori schools in S. Korea.

Church Volunteer—Teaching English to Children.

Communities in Schools in San Antonio; Volunteer Management Consultant—Communities in Schools is a non-profit organization that ensures kids graduate from school.

Volunteer copy-editor for an online China Magazine (correcting English copy)

Charity race runner (Epilepsy, Breast Cancer, etc.); Participant in Talent Shows to raise-funds for St. Jude’s Hospital (a Charity Children’s Cancer Treatment Hospital)

Education

Graduated from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio. From the Greehey School of Business.

Accepted to study in the: Entrepreneurial Scholars Program and made trips to Russia and around the US—teaching and studying about ideas and business.

Accepted to Study in London Study Abroad Program: studied such topics as Creative Writing, Theology, British Literature.

Accepted to study in Innsbruck, Austria Study Abroad Program: studied ethics and other business topics.

WAYRA Costa Rica—studied Spanish and practiced surfing in Costa Rica.

Studied art and creative writing in college. Studied these topics all around the world.

SIFE (Student’s In Free Enterprise) club president to St. Mary’s University San Antonio Chapter—an international club dedicated to educating the local community about economics and the free enterprise system.

Relevant Work Experience

University Professor at Kyongbuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea.

In addition to conducting classes at the university, she has worked with Montessori schools in S. Korea—teaching kids between the ages of 2 and 7 at the Montessori schools. Work experience in Korea exceed one year.

Tailor make lessons in accordance with Montessori style learning.

Worked in Lois Sotil Art Gallery in Key West, Florida—studied, met, and talked to artists from all around the world.

English Tutor.

Worked on a sail boat—teaching about the coral reef and showing people around the water world. (Possess Deep Water PADI Diver’s Certification)

Note about Mr. and Miss Spider Books

Spider Book made under the guidance of EMOGRAM (Chaotic’s International) to match the spider’s facial descriptions to those outlined by EMOGRAM—Emogram is a validated clinical assessment tool that provides measures of 11 basic emotions that uses photos of emotions in its assessments.

Personal

Cancer Survivor—a life changing experience that really pulled the writer and dreamy style illustrator out of her.

I have traveled and lived in 24 countries and 16 states in the USA.

My Idea: A self Introduction

Since I was very small, I have been writing and illustrating stories about my life and about imaginary lives. I have boxes and boxes of notebooks full of my childhood. I knew at that age the importance of childhood so I documented everything. I also vowed to never let that part go of me.

All I've ever wanted to do was be an artist. I didn't know how that would be possible since I would never consider myself anything like a Michaelangelo or the like. After I decided this, I backed off, discouraged, and then I decided I didn't care and so I continued on with my artistry. But, as I have traveled around the world and seen art from so many places (and even more because of the Internet--one can see everything and tour the art world all very quickly, inexpensively, and easily) I have decided that "art" is not something that I cannot do. I have been doing it all along--expressing myself through writing and paintings and the like.

During high school, I began traveling a bit: taking a photography trip with my class and my cousins around Italy (Rome, Pompei, Milan, and Florence) and Greece (Athens and some islands). During my studies at St. Mary's University of San Antonio, I traveled a bit more. I lived briefly in London, England, Innsbruck, Austria, and Tamarindo, Costa Rica. While on these travels I visited several cities around England; Cardiff, Wales; Cork, Ireland; Paris, France a few times; Barcelona, Spain; Italy (Rome, Pisa, Florence, Anzio, Milano); La Ciudad, Mexico, Uxpanapa, Southern Veracruz, Mexico, and Cancun; Brussels; Belgium a few times; Rotterdam and Amsterdam, Netherlands a few times; Munich, Germany many times and Oppenwia, Obberamagau, Germany; Split, Bar, and Hvar Crotia, and the beaches of Slovenia; and Mosow, Russia.

After finishing university, I traveled around the United States, living briefly in Key West, Florida and Virginia. Afterwards, I found myself in South Korea; at the time I was teaching at Kyongbuk University of Foreign Studies. Since I've been in Korea, I have traveled back to the US many times and also to India (Rishikesh, Delhi, Agra, and Rajastan), Bali, Indonesia for a month of surfing and playing with monkeys; I have visited Japan many times (Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Uji); China (Xian, Beijing); and South of Kenting in Taiwan; Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, and Khaoluck); North Korea; and I have traveled much around South Korea (Seoul, Daegu, Jeju-do, Gimpo, Gyeongju, Andong, Pohang, Chilpo, Youngin, Chilgok, and more).

But, it is in South Korea where I really began seriously working on the idea of creating stories for children. It's continued and has become more serious with each effort. It is my hobby, my dream, my job, and my obsession.