Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. — Langston Hughes, 20th-century African American poet

This session looks at creativity in the web of life, exploring the idea that humans are not the only creatures that exhibit an urge to create. The central story, "The Most Beautiful Bower in the World," introduces the elaborate structures that male bower birds make to impress females. Female bower birds select mates based on the creativity shown in the bowers the males make. Children's creativity is fostered in a recycled art activity that encourages self-expression and imagination. For a hands-on experience of nature, see Alternate Activity 1, Birding Expedition.

Goals

This session will:

• Present creativity as a positive attribute that benefits the web of life
• Provide opportunities for participants to experience and honor creativity
• Draw on science as one of the Sources of Unitarian Universalism
• Empower participants as leaders in the group
• Reinforce the seventh Unitarian Universalist Principle, "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Discuss creativity in the non-human world through a story about bower birds
• Learn a definition of the word "creativity"
• Use imagination and creativity to make their own "nests"
• Appreciate the creativity expressed by others in the group
• Perform leadership roles.