Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity

Marcie Sillman
01/27/2009 at 9:00 a.m.

"All children are born artists. The problem is to remain artists as we grow up," says Sir Ken Robinson, an international expert on creativity. He argues that creativity is stifled in the classroom. We're educated to become good workers, not creative thinkers. So how do we fix it? How do we improve our work force while encouraging different talents? Sir Robinson talks about his new book, "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything," where he asked Paul McCartney, Richard Branson and Simpsons creator Matt Groening about how they think. "Our task is to educate [children's] whole being so they can face [the] future," says Sir Robinson. "We may not see this future, but they will. And our job is to help them make something of it."

Guest(s)

Sir Ken Robinson is a creativity expert looking at how we educate our children. He is the author of "Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative and the Arts in Schools." He was previously a professor of arts education at the University of Warwick. He led Britain's advisory committee on creative and cultural education in 1998. Five years later, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him for his achievements in creativity, education and the arts. His new book is "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything."