Lin-Manuel Miranda: Grown-up gifted kid

Gifted intensity is the opposite of blasé. It is nearly always turned on. It is ruled by the child’s interests and drives, not the wishes and expectations of parents or society. It has an affective or emotional component, which many people do not expect. And it can be exhausting and confusing for everyone, including the gifted themselves.

Wreck Your Creativity

An important part of creativity is giving ourselves permission to be messy and imperfect. By the time we are adults, however, we’ve often been trained in the art of avoiding messiness and mistakes. School in particular rewards playing it safe rather than taking chances.

Lessons on Play from a Betta Fish

Recently I made a small change in my work that has resulted in an unexpected giant step in everyday enjoyment: I began to listen to music for a good chunk of the day, most of the time through headphones attached to my phone that also allow me to take hands-free calls. I’m not sure when …

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