Abstract

Let us attend now to the format or overall content of the presentation. I tend to think about things not just in and of themselves; I constantly relate one element to another, one part to the whole, considering the context as well as the individual idea. The content of this paper is consonant with that tendency. I begin with some accounting of what the project as a whole is as part of my UGS program. That is the Prologue. Then I discuss in Section One the importance of the subject matter and why I choose to deal with creativity in the way that I do, presenting the meaning of the work in terms of my ideas about humankind and my values, interests, and needs. ;In Section Two, I begin working directly with creativity to explore its nature, the underlying issues or component parts, and how it manifests itself. I then discuss group work and its relationship with creativity. The kind of learning that is nurtured by the group situation, the nature of the group, how it functions, the supporting values, the growth cycle of a group are all considered. I synthesize some of my ideas on creativity and group work and propose group work as a particularly well-suited setting for working toward fuller experiencing of creative potential. ;Application of my ideas in groups has been an important part of the learning process. So, in Section Three, I show how I have applied my concepts to the design and management of several workshops I have given involving creative functioning. I then indicate the directions that future workshops may take as a result of my learning during the program. ;In the final section, A Personal Odyssey, I examine my own creative development and personal growth during the program. I have been the guide as well as the traveler for this journey into learning. Generally, the changes in me, the learning I have internalized, has come through doing the kind of work I advocate. When I work with others, I work with myself, too. And I try to incorporate principles that support creative growth into my daily functioning. ;The Epilogue serves to tie up the loose ends and point the arrow in the next direction.