https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i Creativity and Problem Solving en-us 2019-02-07 14:04:31 UTC 2025-11-19 22:54:34 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Pizza.png sat6wz https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328786512 I purposefully chose a MacArthur Fellow whose creative work was something completely unfamiliar to me, in order to more fully explore the concept of creativity and in the spirit of Uncommon Genius. Basil Twist is a puppeteer, theater designer, and director. Twist explores the fine lines between what is real and not real, animate and inanimate. He focuses on abstract and non-representational puppetry, and he attempts to bring raw materials to life with their natural qualities. Twist uses puppets and creative sets to tell stories, to convey and evoke emotions, and to teach lessons.

Three conclusions that our class resources have made are...
1) Creative people are passionate about what they do.
2) Creative people take risks.
3) Creative people partake in imaginative play.
In this Padlet, I will be exploring how Basil Twist holds up to these assertions. Please follow the arrows directing the Padlet, as they will guide you in the logical order.

More Information:
Link to Basil Twist's MacArthur Foundation page: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/949/
Link to Basil Twist's website: http://www.basiltwist.com/index.php]]> 2019-02-07 15:27:55 UTC https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328786512 sat6wz https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328818469 Basil Twist engages in imaginative play with his puppet creations. With the use of his imagination, he creates props and truly makes them come to life. In her chapter on creative people and their typical qualities, Starko notes that “Playfulness with ideas is an essential part of both finding and solving problems” (104). The problem he focuses on is how to make inanimate objects appear to be real on stage in front of an audience. He spends time experimenting and playing with these inanimate objects, figuring out the best way to bring them to life, and transforming them into something impressively realistic and magical. 

Watch as Basil Twist creates a rat puppet for a production of the Nutcracker; he works with the inexpensive materials he has available, manipulating and exploring their qualities while incorporating human movements to give people the impression that the rat puppets are real. In the video, he engages in imaginative play with his puppet rat creations and teaches others how to use it for their show.]]> 2019-02-07 16:14:56 UTC https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328818469 sat6wz https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328827644 Basil Twist takes risks in his creative puppet productions. While puppetry can be seen as a risky profession in itself, one that people may find strange or uncomfortable, Twist takes this concept of risk-taking a step further. One of his most popular and notable shows of puppetry is his re-imagination of Berlioz's 19th century composition Symphonie Fantastique. This innovative show is performed inside a 1000-gallon water tank with 5 expert puppeteers wearing wetsuits, who are unseen by the audience; under Twists direction, they use a variety of materials to convey strong emotions, in coordination with a live pianist, in a literally underwater world. The article in the following "pad" describes Symphonie Fantastique as "a piece that swims beyond the confines of literal representation to find visual equivalents for the sensual experience of music". Twist has clearly taken a risk by doing something as different and creative as this project; it is unlike anything I have ever heard of or experienced in the world of performance. The photo below displays the act.

]]> 2019-02-07 16:28:50 UTC https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328827644 sat6wz https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328827983 Basil Twist is very passionate about the art of puppetry, which is evident in his many productions and involvements in shows. He has produced and directed many of his own productions, he has collaborated with various ballets (Dorothy and the Prince of Oz, Nutcracker, Cinderella, etc.), Broadway (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Beauty and the Beast, etc.), and dance, drama, and opera performances. Twist has made puppetry his life and career, and he has deservingly earned numerous awards and recognition for his creative skills and products. In the video below, Twist's passion and dedication to his craft is evident in the way he describes his inspiration and creative process in his involvement in the production of Dorothy and the Prince of Oz with the Tulsa Ballet. It is passion that drives Twist in his creative process and urges him to make something innovative and worth while.

Additionally, Twist is a third generation puppeteer. Although legacy and family history does not necessarily contribute to a person's passion, it does in Twist's case. In the video below, Twist mentions that he got involved in puppetry when he was a child due to his family. It is obvious that he is proud of his family's gift, so much so that he has a puppet of his grandfather. Twist is honoring his family history of puppetry and doing what he loves at the same time. ]]> 2019-02-07 16:29:18 UTC https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328827983 sat6wz https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328857441 Click the link below for a New York Times article explaining and praising Twist's Symphonie Fantastique.

]]> 2019-02-07 17:17:48 UTC https://padlet.com/sat6wz/2ptfzd8oat3i/wish/328857441