In a Galaxy Far Far Away

40 years ago, today, Star Wars was released. The world has changed since then. The world is changed because of it. The story line has permeated cultures around the world. The universality of it is based on the writings of Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey. George Lucas had consulted with Joseph Campbell and originally conceived of three trilogies. The second story of the final trilogy will be released this year and the assumption is the final capstone will be released in two years. Only two characters exist through all three trilogies – R2D2 and C3P0.

This epic is not contained in the trilogy of trilogies. It spawned Rogue One, a story tangent to the original movie, which is the first movie of the second trilogy. (George chose to begin in the middle.) There is also an animated series, The Clone Wars, which connects the first and second trilogy. A series of Han Solo movies are also in the works. George Lucas passed the baton to Disney Company when he had completed the second trilogy (chronologically the first trilogy). Not to mention all of the books, graphic novels, and merchandise.

This creative work has gainfully employed, and continues to do so, hundreds of thousands. The economy has benefited, and will do so for the foreseeable future. Perhaps we can step back and look at this as a hint of what our future work may become. The characters in this universe George created have been clarified and defined by many other writers, animators, film makers, etc. This spark has engulfed the world imagination in fire. Have you ever sat through the end credits of a movie and watched hundreds of names scroll by? It takes an incredible team of people to make a movie.

Robert Heinlein wrote a book, Mark of the Beast, where I first saw the idea that each fiction written created a new world in the multiverse. The characters in the book traveled through space and time into alternative universes and physically met characters in Oz. The human mind is unique in creative abilities. There is true synergy when two or more create together.

Education must adjust to enable and enhance a person’s creativity. Let’s let the robots take the mundane work so we can be the co-creators we are meant to be.