Presenting at Columbia University on Creativity, Confidence, and Feedbak

In March, I had the opportunity to travel to New York City, to attend and present at Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Annual Convention.  It was a great experience, of course and I'm grateful for the support I received from my school to go.  Who doesn't love being in NYC? Who doesn't love a professional conference?  And who doesn't love talking about things they care about, and having other people listen?


My topic was "Invoking Creativity, Encouraging Confidence, and Offering Constructive Feedback".  I talked about these three areas within the context of running a high school literary magazine as well as teaching writing to third graders.  We discussed how these principles transcend age and context and that anyone---no matter what they are trying to accomplish in life---needs these three things:  creativity, confidence, and feedback.  The presentation went well and it was all over before I knew it, and then it was home to Guangzhou for me.

What I realized is that I'd like to present on this topic again---and explore it more---within other contexts.  How would creativity, confidence, and feedback help an active 7-year-old who is a bit reluctant to read?  How would creativity, confidence, and feedback help a smart, sensitive, 10-year-old navigate his way in the world, with the various challenges he faces every day?  And how would creativity, confidence, and feedback help a quiet, thoughtful 9-year-old girl as she moves through life exploring her various talents, capabilities, and opportunities?   How would these 3 things help all of us in our unique roles, interests, and responsibilities?

Something to think about, right?  Needless to say, I'll be thinking about it a lot.  I'd love to hear your comments on how any or all of these 3 points guides you in your life.  Thanks for reading!