Charlize Gougouniani

Critical Creative Thinking Reflective Essay

Portfolio Capstone WI24

As an IAS student, I enhance critical and creative thinking by spotting assumptions, examining
various perspectives, and grasping controversial issues. The curriculum promotes exploring
central questions, nurturing self-awareness, and crafting clear animating questions. The learning
objective underscores a comprehensive thinking approach, encompassing interpretation, analysis,
argumentation, application, synthesis, evaluation, and reflection.

Developing critical and creative thinking is central to the IAS curriculum, empowering students
to navigate complexities, understand diverse perspectives, and engage in productive
controversies. Honing skills like assumption identification, central question formulation, and
self-awareness prepare students for intellectual discourse and real-world challenges.

The essay serves as a platform to showcase tangible evidence of my personal growth in critical
and creative thinking. Through selected artifacts, I demonstrate how I applied these capacities to
my academic work, highlighting moments of assumption identification and engagement with
diverse perspectives. The purpose is to provide a nuanced understanding of the IAS learning
objective in practical terms, showcasing the depth and breadth of my critical and creative
thinking abilities.

The critical and creative thinking objective at IAS prompts a mindset focused on questioning
assumptions, embracing diverse perspectives, and fostering innovation. It calls for a personal
commitment to continuous inquiry and the exploration of unconventional ideas.
Key skills include identifying assumptions, analyzing multiple perspectives, engaging in
constructive controversy, and mastering interpretation, analysis, argumentation, application,
synthesis, evaluation, and reflection. These skills empower individuals to think critically and
creatively across various disciplines.

Assessing assumptions uncovers implicit beliefs, promoting analytical skills and nuanced
understanding. Engaging in controversy encourages intellectual growth through diverse opinions,
boundary-pushing, and finding common ground. Considering multiple perspectives fosters
empathy and the ability to navigate the complexities of the interconnected world. Together, these
aspects contribute to a well-rounded approach to critical and creative thinking.

The first artifact I've chosen to analyze is my ethnographic interview assignment for a cultural
anthropology course at Cascadia College. This written interview delves into a conversation
between myself and my grandmother, exploring her cultural significance and the impact of
migration on various aspects of her life. Reflecting on this assignment reveals a stage in my
development where critical and creative thinking were less developed. I selected this artifact to
highlight the progression of my critical and creative thinking abilities from the early stages of my
writing. During the interview, I found myself lacking in the depth of interpretation and
perspective, particularly in exploring the complexities of immigrant experiences. Looking back, I
recognize missed opportunities to engage in thought-provoking questions and to employ
enhanced critical thinking skills to discuss challenging topics such as immigration. The
significance of choosing this artifact for comparison lies in illustrating the distinction between
critical and creative thinking. Despite the potential for multiple avenues of exploration within the
interview, my initial lack of awareness regarding the multifaceted skills required hindered the
development of the assignment. However, I view this assignment as a starting point for my
journey in cultivating critical thinking skills.

The second artifact I chose to examine is the Event Response for BIS 40: Advanced Seminar.
This artifact represents a response paper that emerged from a mandatory event attendance for the
course. Spanning eight pages, it stood as one of the culminating assignments in the class. The
primary objective entailed attending a cultural event and crafting a creative response. Through
this assignment, I found myself able to intricately develop both critical and creative thinking
skills, largely influenced by the course's exploration of art as a vehicle for activism. The course's
nuanced examination of creative projects offered a fresh perspective, prompting me to rethink
conventional approaches and engage with artistic endeavors more dynamically and expansively.

This artifact serves as a testament to my heightened proficiency in critical and creative thinking,
showcasing a deepened understanding of historical events and concepts. Throughout the
assignment, I adeptly incorporated terminology and insights gleaned from my studies at UW,
infusing my descriptions with a newfound level of creativity. The experience of crafting this
response illuminated the interconnectedness of creative and critical thinking, underscoring the
realization that creative expression thrives on a foundation of rigorous analysis. Through these
connections, I demonstrated the ability to synthesize complex ideas and engage in nuanced
discourse, thereby enriching the interpretation of the artworks. This exercise not only expanded
my understanding of diverse cultural narratives but also reinforced the symbiotic relationship
between creative expression and critical inquiry. In comparison to my ethnographic interview, I
see a vast difference in cultural knowledge and how to engage in conversation when it comes to
creative and critical thinking.

Throughout this essay, I have explored the journey of developing critical and creative thinking
skills within the context of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) curriculum. Through the
analysis of two artifacts—an ethnographic interview assignment and an event response paper—I
have demonstrated the progression of these skills from the early stages of development to a more
advanced level. The artifacts serve as tangible evidence of personal growth and reflect the
multifaceted nature of critical and creative thinking.
Critical and creative thinking plays a central role in the IAS curriculum, empowering students to
navigate complexities, understand diverse perspectives, and engage in productive controversies.
These skills are essential for intellectual discourse and real-world challenges, fostering
innovation and preparing students for success in academic and professional pursuits.

As I continue my academic journey and beyond, I am committed to further honing my critical

and creative thinking abilities. The exploration of assumptions, engagement with diverse
perspectives, and fostering of innovation are ongoing endeavors that enrich both academic and
personal experiences. Embracing the challenges and opportunities presented by these skills is
integral to a lifelong journey of growth and discovery.