From films to cricket—what could be more (in)appropriate for a class blog post on creativity and AI.

Here is the fifth blog post from students in my class on Human Creativity x AI in Education, documenting what we do each week. It is presented here as it was submitted, with no edits, and minor layout changes to make it fit the style of this website.

Enjoy this blog post brought to you by Team Dreamers

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Picture this: our classroom transformed into a lively cricket match, where Team Dreamers (that’s us!) took the anchor’s seat, guiding the game of abstraction. The field was set, our professors and fellow players ready to bat, and the game began with a toss choosing our discussion questions.

Toss: Choosing the Discussion Questions

Each group was assigned a question, much like the coin toss determining the fate of a cricket match. Professors Lindsey and Nicole set the lineup, ensuring an even spread of thought-provoking topics.

• AI Group picked Brainstormers’ question: “Is abstract thinking a skill that can be trained, or is it more innate?”
• Brainstormers chose Catalysts’ query: “Does abstraction bring us closer to the essence of an idea or strip away meaningful details?”
• Catalysts went for Dreamers’ question: “How do different disciplines use abstraction?”
• Dreamers tackled Energy’s topic: “Why are dreams so abstract and surreal?”
• Energy flipped the game by choosing AI’s original question.

Each team played their innings, presenting their insights and engaging in a full-class discussion—an intense over of back-and-forth ideas, just like a tight cricket chase.

Powerplay: AI Tips & Tricks

With the opening overs setting the tone, Team Dreamers shared some AI batting strategies to make creativity more powerful:

? Vincent on Perplexity – The search engine that plays like Google but gives precise summaries with source citations.

? Dhawal on Canva’s Magic Resize – A designer’s fast-track way to adapt graphics across platforms without manual adjustments.

? Kit on AI-Critical Thinking – Steps to challenge AI-generated responses and refine them like a well-timed cricket shot.

? Pornima on Adobe Express AI – Quick actions, background removals, and AI-powered video editing to create stunning visuals effortlessly.

Middle Overs: The Catalyst Challenge

Team Catalysts bowled a tricky one: turning everyday events into abstract concepts. Each group selected a word Graduation, New Year, Birthdays, Loss of a Loved One, or Wedding and had to extract tangible, intangible, and final abstract representations.

The challenge escalated as groups fed their abstracted concepts into AI to generate fresh perspectives. An unexpected googly, yet a great way to stretch our creative muscles.

Break (Pressure Building): Learning from Adobe Cloud

At the start of the class, we might have been playing backyard cricket, relying on instinct and improvisation. But as we explored Adobe Cloud and its AI-driven tools, it felt like filling our gear bag with professional equipment and the right tools to refine and elevate our creative game.

Michael Stordeur stepped in as the seasoned coach, sharing insights on Adobe’s suite of software that enhances creativity and efficiency. From AI-powered design enhancements to collaborative tools, we gained strategies to play a more structured and sophisticated match in our creative fields.

Death Overs: GPT Time – Building the AI Personality

As we neared the final overs, each group worked on refining AI responses. Like fine-tuning a batsman’s technique before the last over, we explored ways to make AI responses genre-specific, detailed, and engaging. Every suggestion counted, much like every run in a tight match.

Super Over: Analogy Speed Dating

The game ended with a thrilling last-over showdown. Team Catalysts introduced “Analogy Speed Dating,” where we paired unexpected concepts to find meaningful connections:

• Lock & Anchor – Both provide security but one unlocks, the other holds firm.
• Forest Fire & Compound Interest – Both start small but grow exponentially.
• Lighthouse & Tree Roots – Both offer stability in different ways.

With AI stepping in as our umpire, we quickly brainstormed more pairings, proving that creativity, like cricket, is all about momentum and quick decision-making.

Final Score: Abstraction Wins!

As the match wrapped up, we realized that abstraction isn’t just about removing details, it’s about finding the core of an idea. Just as a cricket match can be reduced to its essence, a straight line (bat) connecting with a curved line (ball), leading to an outcome abstraction helps us strip away the unnecessary while preserving the most fundamental interaction. Whether in cricket, AI, or design, the ability to abstract and interpret makes all the difference.

Backyard cricket: individual students; beginner level engagement

Michael’s presentation (Adobe tools): more professional gear