Structured Uncertainty: How Creativity Thrives Under Constraints and Uncertainty

Abstract

Creativity is often associated with slogans like “think outside the box,” which imply that creativity dwells outside of constraints. Given that schools and classrooms are filled with constraints, including increased pressures from account- ability mandates, it makes sense that people may come to believe that creativity is under duress, in a state of crisis, or that “schools kill creativity.” In this chapter, I offer an alternative perspective. More specifically, I discuss how creativity always operates in constraints and that creative expression emerges from structured experi- ences with uncertainty. Rather than viewing constraints as stifling creativity, I argue that they actually serve as a supportive structure for creative thought and action in educational settings.