{William Cerf's Creativity Journal 

• Look back over the work you’ve done this semester, the ways your thinking and writing about creativity have changed, developed, and/or deepened.



I have spent the last few weeks working to develop more fully my theory of creativity and look at the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as an embodiment of creative leadership. It was challenging but I feel very good about what I’ve produced. I see myself working on this piece with the intention of submitting to a peer-reviewed journal. What a scary thought! Yes, I could get rejected but then again, my work could be ACCEPTED. Oy Veh, then what? I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.  Self-acceptance regarding my intellect and my ability to engage at the highest level possible is slow but sure. A year ago I would not have dreamed of submitting something for peer review. Now I actually want to have that as a goal for the next semester. I can handle the acceptance or rejection as a learning experience.



• What have you learned about your own creative process?



The creative process for me involves engaging in each of the seminars of the semester. In this semester I’ve engaged group dynamics and leadership theory and the next phase of learning about doctoral level research in addition to this foundational seminar. I choose to believe that the Gods and Goddesses at Union planned it that way because I’ve been using creativity in all of my work this semester. In the Group Dynamics class we played a lot with PowerPoint and I even used GooglePlus and EyeJot as ways to engage with the material and my cohorts.



• How will what you’ve learned shaped your continued work at Union?



I have deepened my engagement with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by developing my theory of creativity using the “Letter.” Courageous conversations about race is critical to an appreciation of his profound creativity and leadership and my first foray into doing a research project around how one social justice advocacy organization builds alliances is part of my path to figure out how to build a movement across the lines of division to reignite the Poor Peoples Campaign. My involvement in the ECL 720 – Group Dynamics class has led me to a desire to explore more fully integrating Nonviolent Communication (Rosenberg) with Conscious Conversations and the Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes Exercise developed by Jane Elliott. Here is a powerful video that clearly shows the depth and complexity of racial relations in the United States -

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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html



• What surprises you the most about this semester’s work and your own thinking?

The opportunity to engage the subject of diversity in reading and absorbing Conscious Conversations brought to the forefront the deep pain I carry with me as a White person in a racist society (Singleton and Linton). I intend to continue this exploration to further develop the practitioner side of my work through the integration of Nonviolent Communication, Courageous Conversations and Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes as a tool to be used to help build alliances to reignite the Poor Peoples Campaign.



• What continues to infuriate you?


This is an interesting question. Sure, every Residency I’ve had some little drama or another, but I’ve also had support and help to get through them. The only really infuriating thing about my experience at Union was the expense of housing during Residency, but thankfully, a friend of mine who lives in Covington, KY helped me find the Ghettopia hostel where I can stay very comfortably for $25/night. The # 24 bus stops right in front of the place, which is a convenient 30 minutes away from the Kingsgate. I do wish that there were a way for Union to have everything it needs in terms of facilities and technology and at the same time allow learners different housing options.  I have a creative fantasy of getting the Alumni to raise a few million dollars and build a state of the art, high tech Conference Center with dormitory type housing so that all of the Residencies for the various Union programs can be held at our own facility and meet the needs of administrators, faculty and learners. 


In Conclusion
I have loved this semester. It has been delightfully challenging intellectually and emotionally while not being at all taxing.
Is there a reason that the IRS wants your money 14 days AFTER April Fools Day.


Works Cited

Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication - a Language of Life. 2nd ed. Encinitas, CA: Puddle Dancer Press, 2005. Print.
Singleton, Glenn E., and Curtis Linton. A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools: Courageous Conversations About Race. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2006. Print.