Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhiCFdWeQfA

Burgess opens the chapter noting he is frequently asked how he goes about weaving creativity into his lessons? The audience of teachers at his presentations often claim they would make their lessons more creative but they just weren't blessed with the "creative gene."

Burgess notes that there are educators who feel that you are just born being creative and that creative people are spontaneously gifted with insight when they need it most. They see the need for engaging and impactful lessons but are frustrated when they are not "struck" with creative ideas.

Perhaps there are those with extreme genius among us (David) who receive that brilliant flash, but most people who hinge their success on the creative process actually work through a process. And that process begins with consistently asking the right questions!

The latter question naturally lends itself to multiple solutions rather than being satisfied with just one.

Our brains have the ability to filter out unnecessary stimuli (pencil sharpener whirring incessantly, the enjoyable smells and hum of the school cafeteria)or point out among a sea of incoming stimuli the things we have become involved in or interested in. When we buy a new car we suddenly start noticing that model/make everywhere.

Creative ideas are there and by asking the right questions, we tune our brain to notice the creative solution.

It's not luck that creative answers come to some folks just like it's not luck that a successful engineer engineers a revolutionary design. Pull back the curtain on highly "creative" people and see the grit and labor it took to hone their craft!

Burgess passionately takes issue with these words! "It's easy for you" immediately dismisses hours of purposeful planning and thought - years of trial and error. Every masterful educator will tell you that every engaging lesson they've designed came at a price.

We've worked our tails off to make it appear easy so the casual or uniformed observer will assume it was.

When you tell yourself you were not inherently born creative, you are excusing yourself from the hard work and discipline it takes to harness creativity in your thinking.

Create in your mind what you want to have at the end and then start working for it and along the way, and ""providential assistance" will start popping up (you'll be tuned into it).

Commit. Start working. Be open to inspiration and tehn trust yourself to act on what your brain is saying is a creative solution.

Your thoughts do have the power to turn dream into reality but only if you throw yourself into the process.

Our subconscious and conscious minds don't work at the same pace. We are typically most receptive to truly creative thought when the brain is on auto-pilot. We get a great idea in the shower!

Be purposeful in collecting those moments or you won't act on them and creative energy is lost. Develop a simple idea capture system!

When we put too many steps in the way, we limit our ability to act.

Whatever system you set up must be simple and easily accessible.

Lessons won't always go as you envision. Make that shift to a growth mind set - model it! There is no such thing as true failure, just "feedback." Go out on a well-planned limb and then analyze the results.

Avoid blame and taking feedback personally. What you were offering that day did not engage that audience. Take the feedback and make adjustments to improve future presentations.

The real master can make real-time adjustments on the fly - a goal for us all!

End presentation by giving a "gift" to audience - over the break, allow yourself to pursue something just because it interests you! - prompting group to pursue their own personal hobbies and passions. Burgess believes that when we allow ourselves to pursue personal passion, we explode our creative output.