Big Challenges and New Solutions: When Students’ (Unpleasant) Feelings Are Used for Good

Traditionally, much of creativity has been about bending or breaking tradition [Runco, M. A. Uncertainty makes creativity possible. In Uncertainty: A catalyst for creativity, learning and development (pp. 23–36). Springer International Publishing (2022).], but what happens when the rules themselves change underneath you? The COVID-19 pandemic provides a real-life test case. In this chapter, we focus on students’ and educators’ creativity in the face of how education was impacted by the crisis—school closures, rises in mental health challenges, fear, grief, and disconnection. We first review the science linking affect and creativity with a focus on theoretical frameworks and empirical studies that describe how unpleasant feelings can initiate, support, and even improve creative thinking and action. We then place these findings within the United States school context and the pandemic and move from the theoretical and experimental context (which generally focus on mild and moderate unpleasantness) to exploring how educators and students responded creatively during the destabilizing uncertainty, fear, and grief brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we make the case for why supporting student creative action is vital, particularly in times of great suffering. Throughout, we employ real examples of how youth can be engaged in the work of transforming unpleasant emotions into creative solutions for themselves, their peers, and their communities.