Honors Students Embrace Failure to Expand Creativity

UT Austin class 'The Art of Failure' teaches STEM majors to take risks and find success through mistakes.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 7:34pm

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In a unique honors class at the University of Texas at Austin, students from STEM majors are learning to embrace failure as a path to creativity and problem-solving. Led by Professor Timothy Braun, 'The Kobayashi Maru, or the Art of Failure' challenges students to step out of their comfort zones and work on group projects that celebrate the transformative power of mistakes. Through field trips, creative exercises, and an 'exquisite corpse' format, the class aims to show that failure is a necessary part of personal growth and innovation.

Why it matters

For many STEM students, the idea of embracing failure goes against their typical focus on logic, procedure, and perfectionism. This class provides a rare opportunity for these students to explore a more creative and open-ended approach to problem-solving, which can benefit them both academically and professionally as they learn to navigate life's inevitable setbacks with resilience.

The details

The centerpiece of the class is a group project that challenges students to research and creatively interpret Pease Park in Austin, which was once known for crime but has been transformed through community efforts. Working in an 'exquisite corpse' format, the students contribute individual elements - from environmental analysis to mythology research - that come together to tell a story of 'healing' for the park. Along the way, students are pushed to step out of their comfort zones, whether it's a psychology major creating a 'junk journal' or an accounting major building a 3D model.

  • The class is being taught in the Spring 2026 semester at the University of Texas at Austin.
  • The students visited Pease Park on February 28th to conduct research for their group project.

The players

Timothy Braun

An associate professor of practice in creative writing at the University of Texas at Austin, who is teaching the 'The Kobayashi Maru, or the Art of Failure' honors class.

Jonathan Curl

A freshman mathematics major taking Braun's class, who had to learn to 'turn off that perfectionism side' of his brain to embrace the class's focus on failure.

Maricarmen Gonzalez Hernandez

A psychology major who created a 'junk journal' to showcase how healing is a process, not a destination, as part of the group project.

Chloe Chapa

An accounting major who used technology to create a 3D model representing the stages of healing in Pease Park through its environmental characteristics.

Devneet Biring

A student who saw the park as a 'patient' needing healing, and hand-made a medical chart as part of the group project.

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What they’re saying

“This is the only class where I actually get to do something creative. I had to work hard to turn off that perfectionism side of my brain, but with this class being about failure, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable knowing that my project isn't going to be perfect.”

— Jonathan Curl, Freshman mathematics major

“Getting out of your comfort zone can be scary, but it's something that's necessary. Failure is okay, it sucks when it happens, but I think it can be used as an opportunity for redirection.”

— Lorena Villarreal, Criminal justice major

What’s next

The students will continue working on their group projects, blending their individual research and creative elements into a final presentation that showcases their learnings about failure, resilience, and the transformation of Pease Park.

The takeaway

This unique honors class is empowering STEM-focused students to step outside their comfort zones, embrace failure as a catalyst for growth, and develop essential skills like creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability - all while making a positive impact on their local community.