Parrying as an event host with the estimable educational thought-leader Sir Ken Robinson at the recent TedXFulbright Conference at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica (Sept, 26, 2015), I so enjoyed Sir Ken’s thoughtful and inspiring words about the arts:
I talk a lot about creativity, but I’m very keen not to conflate creativity with the arts. I’ve been a lifelong advocate of arts education; I was a professor of arts education and it’s a big passion of mine. But creativity is a bigger idea than the arts. It’s represented in part by the arts, but you can be creative in science, in mathematics, or technology, absolutely anything that involves human intelligence.
Aesthetics means a sense of beauty. It’s as important in mathematics as it is in music, or dance. There is a difference between an aesthetic experience and one that it anesthetic. An anesthetic is something you take to dull your senses so you become immune to the world around you. An aesthetic experience is the opposite; it’s one that heightens your experience of the world around you and opens your senses.
That’s why the arts are so important. We live in two worlds, an interior world and an exterior world. The extent to which we connect with the world around us is the extent to which we understand and resonate with the world within us. The arts are channels for that.
Photos by Dana Ross
I love your passion, John. Thank you for this comment. A pleasure to work with you.
Debra,
You did a great job all day. And, what an honor to be able to have Sir Ken onstage live at a TEDx event. COOL.
I LOVE THIS: “The extent to which we connect with the world around us is the extent to which we understand and resonate with the world within us. The arts are channels for that.”
Your life’s experience served you well! You brought out wonderful stories and quotes. Good work!
Thank you, Dana! Thank you for attending.
A brilliant quote to choose from all he said. You were witty and playful with him on stage and brought out the best in him.
Well done.