Some adults think that creativity is only for those who have obvious talent. Or at least for the humanities. If the child does not show the obvious inclinations of a great artist and is generally more interested in mathematics than fine arts, then it is not necessary to develop his creativity.
What can you learn from creative classes?
Drawing, modeling, dancing, theater or music – all this is not just a set of techniques. Any activity that involves self-expression requires creativity. And creativity is wider than any arts and crafts. It is a way to interact with the world and solve problems.
Creative skills are very much appreciated in the modern world and will definitely be useful to the child in the future.
This becomes clear if you look at what creativity consists of:
- originality. That is, the ability to come up with ideas that no one had thought of before, and the courage to defend them and say “and I will do this.”
- persistence. Being creative, children will make mistakes and try again and again until they achieve the result they want.
- intelligence. Any creativity requires an effort of mental strength and the ability to make the best choice from the possible options.
- imagination. Creativity allows children to turn on their imagination to the maximum. Of course, if adults help them with this. For example, with CraftOnline acrylic paint children are encouraged to draw not cubes and vases, but fantasy worlds: to come up with unprecedented landscapes, monsters and fairy-tale characters.
All these are skills that are highly valued in the modern world and will definitely be useful to the child in the future.
But, in addition to creativity, creative activities develop many other skills that can be used in situations that are very far from art lessons.
Creativity allows you to understand your emotions. During drama or dance classes, children learn to demonstrate different states of mind.
Emotion management. Children (and some adults, too) find it difficult to express and identify their feelings. Creativity allows you to express, comprehend and understand your emotions. For example, during drama or dance classes, children learn to demonstrate different states of mind, literature lessons help them describe feelings, and drawing classes help them depict them.
Empathy. Understanding that other people are different from us is very important. Creative activities help show children that others can act differently in the same situations. And at the same time they explain that being different from others is normal. A child drew a cow, but everyone thinks it’s a dog? Well, this is a good time to try to look at your work through the eyes of others and reflect on what they see and why.
The ability to control your body. It is believed that physical development is only a sport. But creativity also helps children get in touch with their own bodies. Dancing and drama develop balance and spatial reasoning, while drawing, modeling and other arts and crafts help improve fine motor skills, coordination and finger strength.
Critical thinking. In order for the drawing to get better and better each time, you need to see and take into account past mistakes. Also, remember good decisions. Reflection and the ability to look at the fruit of your work with an open mind are extremely important skills, they are needed by a programmer, an entrepreneur, and an engineer.
Faith in your own strength. By expressing themselves, children gain self-confidence and reveal their creative potential.
Any creative activities develop in children a whole range of skills and abilities that will be useful to them both in school, at work, and in personal communication. In addition, researchers see a clear relationship between creativity and academic success: the more creativity in a student’s life, the better their grades in all disciplines.
5 Myths About Children’s Creativity
Creativity is about art
While creativity is often associated with “creative” disciplines like art and music, it is independent of the subject. Creativity is an approach to problem solving that can be applied in different areas. The way children express their creativity will differ in PE, math, programming, and literature.
The creative process is just fun
Creativity is indeed a pleasure, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Drawing, sculpting, home theater can all seem like fun activities that adults oppose to more serious classroom work. But the creative process is not a game, it involves many complex tasks. Success requires focus, hard work, perseverance and determination. In fact, creativity can be a difficult process with ups and downs. Creativity deserves serious consideration.
Children can keep themselves entertained for hours if given a notebook and crayons. But without the help of adults, creative development will stall.
Creativity is a rare natural talent
It is believed that there are very few truly creative people, but they will find your way no matter what happens at school or at home.
Of course, people have a different combination of abilities, personal qualities and experience. But creativity does not always grow in spite of everything, like grass through asphalt. It can and should be encouraged. Some children miss the opportunity to develop their creativity without the support of parents and teachers. Conversely, in an environment where creativity is encouraged, it is easier for children to express their abilities at an early age.
Children can be creative on their own
Indeed, many children can keep themselves entertained for hours if given a notebook and crayons. But without the help of adults, children’s drawings can become repetitive and monotonous, and creative development will stall. Children need to set more and more creative tasks, show ways to express themselves. Without the participation of parents or teachers, children will not be able to cope with this.
Anyone can teach art
If you look at the crafts of kids, it may seem that anyone can really lead creative classes. What’s so hard about just showing kids how to cut flowers out of paper and glue them onto cardboard? But knowledge and skills are fundamental to creativity. Maybe the first application is clumsy, but it teaches composition, the ability to see proportions and combine colors. In order to develop such skills, the adult who observes must have them himself.
