Growing research in the education system holds that creativity should be at the heart of education. Innovation is unwise in a society that values conformity over creativity. The government, most school boards, and some parents desire drone-style worker-bee robots and may be afraid that encouraging a more creative education could affect the status quo. Remember, future generations need to contribute to Social Security to support an aging population. Believing that, in this century, creative minds will find more success, should not we do more to foster a more creativity-themed classroom and lifestyle? If the need to find ingenuity really does come out of necessity will the society become more creative on its own?
Gaining creativity is a feasible thing to accomplish for nearly everyone, with practice. Creativity is something often born out of pain, conflict, or necessity, as evidenced by some of the greatest and most terrible creations human kind has created, think the atom bomb, Starry Night, Trainspotting, etc. The art’s unique ability to express complex emotions through the medium of one’s choosing is something I see few too many students and adults practice in their daily lives.
Other creative aspects that do not adhere to the typical artistic endeavors we think “creative types” excel at, such as drawing and painting, are things that can be fostered into your lifestyle and education system. Gardening, decorating a room, designing a terrarium and things of this nature are easy ways to practice being creative. Forgetting preconceived notions of what types of people are creative helps one see the areas of life where “non-creative” people act and think creatively. While it may be wrong to believe that we are all inherently creative and have the capacity for great creative endeavors, I think we all have the ability to show our creative side, to the point ability allows. And I know they say if you donate 10,000 hours to something, then you have probably mastered that skill, so get going.
Creativity does not come organically. In the classroom, it is out of necessity (the grade) that new solutions (creativity) are imagined. Yet schools continue to cut art programs and focus on material students will be standardized tested on. Students that take art courses by choice in high school have lower attrition rates, higher GPAs, and are more likely to attend college, so why is art being cut? In short, No Child Left Behind and the push for better standardized testing scores are taking the majority of the limited resources that make up the education system’s funds.
Why is it important to be so creative? Jobs moving rapidly internationally is the first reason to believe that creative people will be able to find new ways to make money and stay ahead of the curve. The second reason is that automation is replacing jobs at an alarming rate that will only increase, due to the exponential speed technology increases at. Again, creative people will be better suited to be find new ways to make a day’s pay. To understand the third reason, one must better understand the modern consumer and current buying patterns. Now, it is possible to buy products that are functional and aesthetic. For example, my toaster costs the same 30 dollars it did 25 years ago but now there is a certain artistic flair in the design that previous generations did not get to enjoy. Everything from the packaging, to the advertising, to the actual inventing will best be accomplished by a highly creative individual, so please make sure your child’s school offers intermediate art and ceramics.
Once you or your child do start this grandiose creative journey, creating an audience to exhibit projects to is tantamount. Similar to the feeling of being on stage, the surge of dopamine one gets from showing off their creation to a group helps facilitate the creation of new projects and increases in skill and quality. My day job is teaching, and I do notice that the creative students, who have more developed right-brains, are better at writing, making projects etc.
I desire to see fewer consumers and more creators. Learners in this century need to be able to be creative. Ensuring that the proper framework has been set up for students to find and culture their creative side is giving them a better education. If you believe the purpose of education is for students to succeed once they have left the classroom, shaping a more creative society will be necessary.
Image credit: Aline Ponce