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Disclaimer
The publisher and the author make no guarantees concerning the level of
success you may experience by following the advice and strategies contained
in this book, and you accept the risk that results will differ for each
individual.
Introduction
The notion of the mind being the most powerful creator of one’s own life
and destiny has always fascinated me. Creativity allows for an improvement
in the status quo. One could say it shows people that they could live a
passions of individuals all over the world I had come across with Ken
Robinson’s speech on TED Talks for TED Conference in 2010. Every word,
every sentence that he said has penetrated to my heart and soon enough I
realized this was one of the most accomplished teachers when it came to
the mind, its creative prowess, and for one to find his or her purpose in life.
All doubts, questions, and uncertainties about ones true “Element”, are
likely to be reconciled by Ken Robinson through his book. And I know, this
myself about what my true calling is. It did not fail to inspire me in the
with inspiring stories about how people found their element and how they
fought to further explore their element. The book should be read not only
with an open mind but also with an open heart. One must not be sceptical
and limit one's thinking by thinking, "Is not that what the book says?" Or
"I've heard these stories a dozen times; what's up? By browsing through
each page, discover each chapter, you will find yourself reconciling your
inner doubts and your acceptance of who you are. Or, at the very least, open
appear.
The author defines "The Element" as the thing you are both passionate
about doing and good at doing. He offers some basic ideas on ways to find
Thus, finding your element allows you to tap on that proverbial “sweet
The author defines "The Element" as what you both are passionate about
and good at. It offers basic ideas on how to find the element for yourself, by
One Thing You Need to Know" by Marcus Buckingham. By finding your item,
you can use this proverbial "sweet spot" in everything you do. This allows
An idea from the book resonated with me. Talking about standards for
restaurants. Fast food restaurants apply very strict standards that apply to
the letter. The results are predictable but do not lead to excellence. The
other option is the Michelin Guide, which defines standards more broadly
as No Child Left Behind are subject to a fast-food standard, but the author
In many ways, this can be thought of as a self-help book, a book that helps
the reader find and discover his passions. Ken Robinson, however, touches
as some fantastic philosophies, making this book seem more rooted in the
truth than some typical self-help plums. The book also contains great case
studies of people who have found "The Element", both celebrities and non-
celebrities, and how their journey has been. These case studies give
speaks.
To help readers to find the call for their lives, he does not ask: "How
creative are you?" but rather, "how are you creative?" This question is one of
my favourite parts of the book. It invites the reader to search and to turn
actually in contact with and encourages the pursuit of these activities inside
or outside a quarry. He says very well that we are all talented and creative in
our way. I have already heard a speech from Steve Jobs, in which he said
that the only way to do a good job is to keep your job. This is favourable for
The most important point of the book is that each of us has a talent to
"discover". When we discover our passion, our happiness and our success
will be ours. His second point is that the formal school system prevents
people from finding their passion. Schools attract children with their
practice and hard work. The focus is almost exclusively on research. "She
just had to be who she was" is a phrase from the book and a theme that is
say that there was nothing new or unique that I did not read in another
book. I thought this book was about strengthening the beliefs I had
people who have taught teachers (or "the system") that they would be
musicals. Lynne became almost medicable for ADHD until a wise specialist
Lynne saw her feet move to music; she was a dancer. Robinson does not
offer specific practical requirements for changing school to accept someone
like Lynne instead of avoiding it, except that art programs should get more
A big aspect of the book was the many examples of the practice that are
relatable and inspiring. From the lives of esteemed people such as Matt
Ken Robinson speak several times, nothing new can be expected before
reading it.
Ask a class of first graders which of them thinks they’re creative and they’ll
all put their hands up. Ask a group of college seniors this same question and
most of them won’t. I believe passionately that we are all born with
tremendous natural capacities, and that we lose touch with many of them as
we spend more time in the world. Ironically, one of the main reasons this
happens is education.
This quote resonated with me tremendously because it shows that although
education has benefitted a lot of people, it has worsened the life of many
through its lack of appreciation for some creative endeavours. More needs
student.
intelligence on a 1-to-10 scale, with 10 being the top. Typically, one or two
people will rate themselves a 10. When these people raise their hands, I
suggest that they go home; they have more important things to do than listen
8s. Invariably, though, the bulk of any audience puts itself at 7 or 6. The
responses decline from there, though I admit I never actually complete the
get the bell-shaped curve? I believe it is because we’ve come to take for
How are you intelligent? Knowing that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and
I think it is because most people believe that intelligence and creativity are
everybody can learn to read and write. If a person can’t read or write, you
don’t assume that this person is incapable of it, just that he or she hasn’t
value.”
their lives by altering their attitude of mind. . . . If you change your mind,
But good and bad things happen to all of us. It’s not what happens to us that
makes the difference in our lives. What makes the difference is our attitude
Earlier, I argued that we don’t see the world directly. We perceive it through
frameworks of ideas and beliefs, which act as filters on what we see and how
we see it. Some of these ideas enter our consciousness so deeply that we’re
not even aware of them. They strike us as simple common sense. They often
show up, though, in the metaphors and images we use to think about
improvement of teaching and the status of great teachers. There isn’t a great
school anywhere that doesn’t have great teachers working in it. But there
and plenty of poor schools with shelves of curriculum standards and reams of
standardized tests.
The most thought-provoking notion that I found in this book was the
within the students. This idea is not entirely new to me. Robert Kiyosaki, in
his best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, went at great length in explaining
how the current school system negatively affected the resourcefulness and
money making the ability of its students. Whilst Robert focused on money,
positive value is not at the point of being debatable. Both authors give
direct examples of rich and successful people who made a name for
The truth is that everyone has great capacities but not everyone develops
them. One of the problems is that too often our educational systems don’t
The book focuses on finding and solving problems in finding talent and
ambitions, and on how we can inspire today's youth. Robinson says about
the school: "We must first eliminate the existing hierarchy of subjects. The
Too many students go through education and see their natural talents
education of students.
Robinson says our education system works against most people who find
their element and who is passionate and compelling in their calls for
education reform. This is the heart of the book, with the examples and
anecdotes that serve as proof of the failure of the current system. It also
that, in general, places science at the forefront and art as the second
poorest. Even in the arts, he argues that there are still hierarchies. This
our formal education as a means of exploration, where we can try a lot and
pretends to be a case in which every human being is unique. This book fits
Creativity
Reid and Petocz (2004) state that creativity is experienced in different ways
different areas is measured based on the standards of that field, its own
rules, approaches and conceptions of creativity (Reid and Petocz, 2004). The
and functions in higher education (Reid & Petocz, 2004). Brott (2016)
For years, it has been assumed that creativity and intelligence are closely
the most widely disseminated studies. They have shown that creativity and
Gomez (2007) found, a few years later, that creativity and intelligence were
late 1960s, these conflicting studies and others have made the question of
The idea that the most intelligent individual is necessarily the most creative
person is false. According to Reeves & Clark, all available creativity tests
suggest that there is simply a link between intelligence and creativity. They
do not suggest that one cause or necessarily contributes to the other. Most
tests require the student to apply what he has learned to new problems or
However, even the best-known creativity tests are somewhat invalid because
of the subjective nature of the elements they measure and the lack of a
brings a new insight into a given situation. The creative process includes
certain levels, although some are much more creative than others. Although
a small part of this difference may be the result of inheritance, this largely
classrooms.
positions creativity as a key literacy for the knowledge era and argues for an
education and training practices that are failing many students (and
educators):
Some of the most brilliant, creative people I know did not do well at
school. Many of them didn’t discover what they could do—and who they
were—until they’d left school and recovered from their education (p. 9).
With much flair and panache, Robinson cited how many top achievers in
diverse fields like acting, singing, dancing, visual art, directing and writing
were poor students. Many of them only shone when they escaped from the
their own family’s homes. Robinson tackles this issue by focussing on what
he calls “the element” that “a place where the things you love to do and the
things that you are good at come together” (p. 8 ) and describes how people,
your element? The most important reasons are personal. Finding your
element is essential to understanding who you are and what you can do and
live with they are often buried under your surface and you have to make an
effort to find them. The third thing is economical. While the author
suggests, "There are economic reasons for finding your element. . . Knowing
what your element is, you will have a better sense of direction than just
dancing from one job to another. Whatever your age, this is the best way to
find a job that pleases you. . . If you know what your element is, you are
This book combines well-researched tales and examples, derived from the
his way, teaching lessons, essential to the process of getting the element
and your questions to explore for yourself. Starting from his work on
"You can not plan all your life journey and you do not need to do it, but you
have to plan for the next steps." The diversity of the author's stories
simply of the current educational system. There are many other ways to
succeed and people should use their natural talents and tendencies. There
exploit the different talents at your disposal. He also discusses the need to
open the mind beyond logic, linearity and analysis. Creativity uses both our
brain and our body while penetrating deep into our intuitive and
can easily resonate with the feeling of being in the zone. Defined by the
absorbed by the task that the rest of the world disappears. When this
Along the way, you may experience personal, social and cultural barriers to
achieving your true potential. When this happens, you may have to take the
Luck has nothing to do with it. Rather, our attitudes, beliefs, and
ingredient in finding your element. They can be for short, medium or long
of course.
Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocal lens at 78, Agatha Christie wrote The
Mousetrap at 62, while Jessica Tandy won the Oscar for Best Actress at age
80.
while holding down a full-time job. This is the idea behind recreation – an
active and engaged process which uses one’s energies and engages one fully
per se, but an environment run by students from Grange Primary Primary
Newspaper, TV Studio, Food Market and Museum. What was amazing was
that the entire city was run by children under the guidance of their
Mr Ken Robinson in The Element shares one of the most important ideas of
our time that can transform our thinking, the future of education and what
discover, pursue and honour the talents we manage. He further says: "The
activities we love fill us with energy even when we are physically exhausted.
approach our physical climax." What do we like to continue and develop our
Lack of self-assurance
Fear of failure
boundary”
Find a mentor
Attitude
Maximize opportunities
Create opportunities
Connect with the people (the field) that are passionate in your domain
Read this book if you want to be inspired, are looking for filling a creative
void in life or you want to give those around you (such as your children) the
References
Brott, T.M., 2016. A Model for Stabilized Creative Education: Using Creativity
Csikszentmihalyi, M., 1993. The evolving self: A psychology for the third
De Bono, E., 2015. Serious Creativity: How to be creative under pressure and
Liao, K.H., Chang, C.C., Lin, J.S. and Liang, C., 2014. Thinking Skills and
Creativity.
Reid, A. and Petocz, P., 2004. Learning domains and the process of
Silvia, P.J., 2015. Intelligence and creativity are pretty similar after