While society often places importance on logical thinking, it’s important to recognise that creativity is an exceptionally powerful element to success. Some of the world’s most famous scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and inventors have utilised creativity to achieve their results.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of creativity and how to encourage creative kids to shine on their educational journey and beyond.
Why Creativeness is Important
Creativity holds a profound significance in a child's development, shaping them into well-rounded, successful adults. It serves as a catalyst for innovation, empowering them to devise fresh and practical solutions to complex problems.
Furthermore, creativity fosters adaptability, equipping them to gracefully navigate change and excel in unfamiliar environments. Later in life, this creative mindset will fuel personal and professional growth, encouraging them to envision and strive for improved circumstances.
In the realm of productivity, creativity is the cornerstone of working smarter, not just harder. It empowers these creatives to scrutinise existing processes and uncover innovative, time-efficient methods without compromising quality.
Beyond productivity, creativity offers the ability to perceive the bigger picture. While attention to detail is crucial, creative thinkers can step back and grasp the broader context, which propels progress and prevents stagnation.
Moreover, creativity provides an avenue for self-expression, a vital aspect of healthy communication, building relationships, and achieving success and happiness. Whether expressed through artistic endeavours or clear communication in the workplace, self-expression is the key to fostering personal and professional fulfilment.
Therefore, creativity is not just a skill; it's a transformative force that empowers children to adapt, innovate, grow, and flourish throughout their lives.
Which Side of the Brain is Creative?
Creativity is linked to the right hemisphere of the brain, while logic and analytical thought processes take place within the left hemisphere of the brain. Therefore, those who are exceptionally creative are known as ‘right-brain thinkers’, while those who rely on logic, are referred to as ‘left-brain thinkers’.
However, everyone uses both hemispheres of their brain; there are just certain hemispheres that are favoured by certain people. This does not mean that these less-preferred hemispheres cannot be developed.
For example, children who are more naturally inclined to be creative can be taught to be more logical and strengthen their left hemisphere, while logical children can increase their creativity through activities that reinforce their right hemisphere.
Both logic and creativity are important and should be encouraged in children, as a healthy balance of the two often leads to true success and happiness.
Encourage Creative Hobbies
Engaging in activities like writing, art, pottery, woodworking, sewing, gardening, cooking, knitting, and chess offers children a myriad of opportunities to nurture their creativity and hone their creative thinking skills.
- Writing and art: writing encourages imaginative storytelling, while the world of art allows them to express themselves through a rich array of mediums.
- Pottery and woodworking: when children delve into pottery or woodworking, they engage in tactile creativity and develop problem-solving abilities, all the while learning the patience required for intricate 3D thinking.
- Sewing and knitting: sewing and knitting not only enhance their fine motor skills, but also encourage resourcefulness and patience when creating intricate patterns.
- Gardening and cooking: gardening immerses them in outdoor creativity, fostering observation skills and a sense of responsibility for their natural surroundings. The realm of cooking invites them to explore creative ingredient combinations and adaptability in the kitchen.
- Chess: while chess might not spring to mind when thinking of creative hobbies, this activity sharpens strategic thinking and hones critical problem-solving abilities, which is also supported by creativity.
These diverse activities collectively provide children with a rich tapestry of experiences to explore, innovate, and develop essential creative skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Jobs for Creative People
Creativity can be applied in almost every job title, from engineering to finances, and business development. This is due to the fact that creativity will allow for innovation and problem-solving.
However, there are certain jobs that lend themselves to highly creative children who truly find joy in the arts.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers use their artistic and technical skills to create visual content. They design everything from logos and websites to posters and packaging. It's a career where creativity meets technology, bringing ideas to life in captivating ways.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketers leverage their creativity to develop engaging content and strategies for brands or individuals on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They craft compelling posts, run ad campaigns, and analyse data to connect with audiences and tell stories through social media.
Copywriting
Copywriters are wordsmiths who use their creativity to craft persuasive and captivating written content for advertising, websites, and other media. They have the power to evoke emotions and convey messages effectively through words.
Interior Designer
Interior designers have a knack for transforming spaces into visually appealing and functional environments. They use their creative flair to select furniture, colours, textures, and layouts that reflect a client's style and needs.
Industrial Designer
Industrial designers blend creativity and functionality to design products that people use in their everyday lives. From smartphones to furniture, they shape the look, feel, and usability of a wide range of items.
Architect
Architects are the visionaries behind innovative buildings and structures. They use their creativity to design spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, sustainable, and safe.
Creative Director
Creative directors are leaders in the world of advertising, media, and design. They oversee creative teams, guide projects, and shape the overall artistic direction. It's a role where creativity combines with leadership to inspire and bring out the best in others.
Game Designer
Game designers are responsible for creating the rules, gameplay, and overall experience of video games. They use their creativity to craft immersive worlds, unique characters, and captivating challenges, making gaming a form of interactive storytelling.
Creativity in Education
The reality is that creativity can be present in education at all times. Creativity isn’t exclusively tied to artistic endeavours. It’s the ability to think outside of the box, recognise similarities, solve problems in unique ways, and ultimately utilise learnt skills to come up with innovative solutions.
Therefore, one could say that science, mathematics, language, and every other subject can be utilised creatively. The key is for the educator to encourage creativity within these subjects. Both parents and teachers can encourage creativity within the learning environment in a number of ways.
For example, encouraging cross-disciplinary learning is a fantastic way to show children how subjects and concepts all support one another. Once children learn that they are able to apply knowledge and skills from one subject to another, they’ll start to discover innovative ideas and solutions.
Another way to introduce creativity in education is for teachers and parents to ask open-ended questions, that require the student to think about what they have learnt, and apply that knowledge to compile an answer.
For example, a child could learn about photosynthesis in biology. While this might be a logical concept, creativity can be introduced by posing a question that requires a child to use their knowledge of photosynthesis to come up with the answer. This question might involve one plant being put in a dark corner and another plant (of the same species) being placed in a well-lit area. The plants would otherwise have the same conditions. However, the one in the dark corner seems to grow more slowly than the one in the light.
The child should then be asked to unpack why there is a difference in the two growth patterns.
At CambriLearn we believe in developing a creative mind in our students. This is present in our teaching methods as well as in the variety of cultural events we host. By approaching education in this way, children will learn to apply creativity in a multitude of ways, which will benefit them on their educational journey and beyond.
