Nurturing Creative Learners: The Mtume Framework
- Mike Lang
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Key Insights
Creativity isn’t commanded; it’s cultivated through environments that honor imitation as the foundation of original thought.
When we align the creative process with the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, we empower learners to move from inspiration to impact.
Summary (TLDR)
By pairing James Mtume’s creative process (imitation, emulation, innovation) with the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, we can design learning experiences that nurture originality, honor diverse pathways, and empower learners to grow, connect, contribute, and thrive.
The Creative Journey Begins with Inspiration
I was recently conversing with colleagues about instruction and student creativity. As different people shared suggestions, advice, and similar experiences, music began playing in my head. It was the same song that had been part of an innumerable number of my Apple Music playlists since it debuted in June 2021.
"Pardon Me" from Evidence's album, Unlearning Vol.1, is a remarkable song for many reasons. Not only do Ev's lyrics give you food for thought, but the instrumental gives you something smooth to bounce your head to. However, it's not just Ev's contributions that have kept this song on repeat on my phone and in my head. At the end of the song, he uses a sample from a Red Bull Music Academy conversation with James Mtume. As an artist who epitomized creativity, Mtume breaks down what he has found to be the key to the creative process.
The Mtume Framework: Imitation, Emulation, Innovation
Imitation
"I don't care who you are, where you come from, I don't care if you're an artist…musician, poet, painter sculptor…There's somebody you see and you say, 'Damn, I want to do it just like that.'" -James Mtume
You don't teach anyone to be creative. You create environments for creativity to flourish. Creativity is a natural part of being. Placing learners in positions in which they'll have to find gives them avenues and opportunities for creativity. However, creativity isn't Hulu. It isn't on command or demand. There's a process, a system.
Imitation comes from inspiration. It's absolutely the genesis of being able to create from a more original perspective. Too often learners are chided for "copying" but we wouldn't chide someone for following their grandmother's chicken soup recipe, would we? It's something that we know works and replicating it serves a purpose. Also, after repeating the recipe over and over again, one makes small changes due to personal preferences.
To go further, music prodigies begin by playing standards. They very rarely, if ever, begin by writing original songs. They learn by getting good at imitation. "Copying" isn't bad. It's a necessary step to helping our learners find their own voices.
Questions to consider as we imitate:
How do you think the artist wanted us to feel as we experienced their work?
Who do you think inspired this artist? What evidence do you have to support this?
Which materials or processes do you think the artists used to create this? How do you know?
Which materials or processes might we need to imitate what the artist created?
Emulation
No, Roberta Flack did not come up with the idea for “Killing Me Softly.” Lori Lieberman did. It doesn’t make Flack “less creative.”
"You still have that other person as your main influence, but you're starting to find a little bit of yourself." -James Mtume
Grandma's chicken soup recipe didn't come from grandma. It was something she imitated and tinkered with to her tastes. In short, she emulated. There's plenty in the recipe that she "inherited" and then she started to put her own spin on it. Embracing this fact allows us to rethink how we consider the creative process and the "speed" of creativity.
As an instructional designer, embed opportunities that encourage learners to examine a recipe and then find places to sprinkle changes to it. This allows them to target opportunities for originality without having the pressure of being entirely "original." Think of it as teaching your learners how to cover a more famous band's song. You might use the same lyrics, but you might change the tune. You might use the same tune, but change the lyrics. You keep something that makes it familiar, but add a bit of your style to the mix.
Questions to consider as we emulate:
How could we change how this art "feels?"
Who is the intended audience for this art? How could we change the intended audience?
What if we changed the medium used to create this art?
Innovation
"And if you're fortunate enough, you go to the third state: innovation. That's where you establish who you are and that's a result of all those things that go through your funnel." -James Mtume
Imitation? Check. Emulation? Check. Now, we can start innovation. It's adding your own signature. It doesn't have to be "invention." It could be application. I always think of music producers here. Different producers have different signatures. When you hear it, you know that's a Just Blaze, DJ Premier, Timbaland, The Alchemist, or WondaGurl beat. They might not have invented the instruments, the processes or the sounds, but their applications of these concepts allows them to create something that approaches originality.
Everything is a remix. It's just giving learners the latitude to find solutions in ways that give their version of the song a chance to be heard.
Questions to consider as we innovate:
What are you feeling?
How do you want to make others feel?
What are things that inspire you?
Who are collaborators that help with your vision?
Which tools or processes might you experiment with?
The Portrait of a Nevada Learner: A Vision for Growth
As I reflected on Mtume's framework, I realized how beautifully it complements the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, which envisions learners who are empowered, connected, impactful, and thriving. This collective vision focuses on the mindsets and skills that bring academic knowledge to life, asking:
How will I grow in my learning? (Empowering)
How do I build and sustain relationships and community? (Connecting)
How will I contribute to make an impact? (Impacting)
How will I thrive? (Thriving)
The Portrait recognizes that "core academic knowledge is the foundation from which learners can apply durable skills, enabling them to build a life, a home, and a future for themselves, their families, and their communities." Like Mtume's framework, it acknowledges that creativity and growth are processes that require intentional development.
Bringing the Frameworks Together
The beauty of these complementary frameworks is how they reinforce each other at each stage of creative development:
Imitation and Becoming Empowered
When learners begin by imitating models they admire, they're actually "approaching learning and life experiences with curiosity" and "reflecting on personal strengths and unique qualities." The Imitation stage gives students permission to learn from others while developing the self-awareness that empowerment requires.
In practice, this might look like a learner carefully studying how a favorite author structures sentences, or how a scientist designs experiments, before attempting their own.
Emulation and Building Connections
As learners move to emulation, they're naturally building connections by "actively listening, sharing ideas, and collaborating toward common goals." This stage requires learners to understand both the model they're working from and their own emerging voice.
Emulation might manifest as a learners taking a familiar research format but applying it to a topic they deeply care about, or adapting a traditional presentation style to incorporate digital media that resonates with their peers.
Innovation and Making an Impact
Innovation emerges when learners are ready to "transfer and apply knowledge across academic disciplines to make a purposeful impact." This is where they become "engaged members of their community" who can "evaluate and analyze data, ideas, and interactions as critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers."
We see innovation when a learner creates an original project that addresses a community need, or when they synthesize learning from multiple subjects to develop a unique perspective on a complex issue.
The Cycle Supports Thriving
Throughout this creative journey, learners develop the resilience, intellectual agility, and integrity that the Portrait identifies as essential for thriving. They learn to "stay resilient and courageous in the face of challenges" as they move from imitation to innovation, and they practice "continuously learning, unlearning, and relearning" as part of their creative growth.
Questions for Learning Environments
As we design learning experiences that honor both the Mtume Framework and the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, here are some questions we might consider:
How do we explicitly value imitation as a necessary first step rather than dismissing it as "copying"?
What exemplars are we providing that are worthy of imitation and that represent diverse perspectives?
How do we create safe spaces for emulation where learners can experiment with modifications without fear of failure?
What opportunities do we provide for learners to share their innovations with authentic audiences?
How do our assessment practices acknowledge and value all three stages of creative development?
How might we help learners reflect on their own creative journey through these stages?
In what ways do our learning environments nurture both the process (Mtume) and outcomes (Portrait)?
How are we modeling our own creative processes for learners?
By integrating these frameworks, we create learning environments that honor both the developmental nature of creativity and the holistic vision of student growth. We acknowledge that becoming an empowered, connected, impactful, and thriving learner is a journey that begins with imitation, develops through emulation, and ultimately leads to innovation—just as Mtume described.
What's your experience with these stages of creativity in your learning environment? How do you nurture learners through each phase while supporting their development as Nevada Learners?
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Mike Lang is the Managing Director of Reimagination and Design at the Center for the Future of Learning.