We recently ran our very first Pop-Up Lab School. What an incredible experience – so many amazing connections and ideas have sprouted from that magical day. We invited each educator to recreate or represent their learning journey using the same materials children had used earlier in the day for investigating seasonal changes. I was moved by the rich learning and fascinating conversations that emerged from this provocation. There is a great deal to learn about ourselves by digging into the past and recognizing how our teaching and learning has changed along the way.
These days there's a lot of buzz about creativity. Traditionally, the concept of creativity was something out of reach for anyone not closely aligned with fine arts (drawing, painting, sculpture) or it was relegated to arts & crafts status (gasp!)
PEOPLE! A “craftivity” designed to produce uniform results is not art – nor is it even remotely creative! Thankfully, we are beginning to see the concept of creativity infused back into education to enrich thinking and enhance problem solving skills. This is a promising development for the future of innovation.
These days there's a lot of buzz about creativity. Traditionally, the concept of creativity was something out of reach for anyone not closely aligned with fine arts (drawing, painting, sculpture) or it was relegated to arts & crafts status (gasp!)
PEOPLE! A “craftivity” designed to produce uniform results is not art – nor is it even remotely creative! Thankfully, we are beginning to see the concept of creativity infused back into education to enrich thinking and enhance problem solving skills. This is a promising development for the future of innovation.
So what does all this have to do with our recent experience with learning journeys at our Lab School? I’ll tell ya! The very essence of our human existence is the ability to create – to create life, to create thoughts, to create ideas, knowledge, you name it. So imagine what you'd learn about yourself if you went beyond observing and reflecting on your individual learning journey and moved closer to genuinely embracing and understanding your creative journey.
I distinctly remember how creativity lived inside me as a child. I recall long stretches of unassigned time to think and wonder and question the world around me. I remember pursuing creative ideas, feeding my curiosity, imagining impossible things. I wasn’t told how to think, when to think, or when to stop.
Whenever we run a program we inevitably encounter adults who swear they are not creative. So many of them can pinpoint the moment when creativity was unceremoniously squashed during their childhood. For others it slowly, imperceptibly slipped out of their grasp. And yet, most of us are drawn back to creative work/play when we’re older because we miss it. We need it. We can’t live without it.
As parents and educators, why on earth would we deny children opportunities to preserve this intrinsic drive? Creativity helps us appreciate difference. It helps us live authentically and solve ‘insurmountable’ problems. And the best part about creativity is that the more we use it, the more creative we become. We have so much to learn from embracing creativity and nothing to gain from stifling it.
I distinctly remember how creativity lived inside me as a child. I recall long stretches of unassigned time to think and wonder and question the world around me. I remember pursuing creative ideas, feeding my curiosity, imagining impossible things. I wasn’t told how to think, when to think, or when to stop.
Whenever we run a program we inevitably encounter adults who swear they are not creative. So many of them can pinpoint the moment when creativity was unceremoniously squashed during their childhood. For others it slowly, imperceptibly slipped out of their grasp. And yet, most of us are drawn back to creative work/play when we’re older because we miss it. We need it. We can’t live without it.
As parents and educators, why on earth would we deny children opportunities to preserve this intrinsic drive? Creativity helps us appreciate difference. It helps us live authentically and solve ‘insurmountable’ problems. And the best part about creativity is that the more we use it, the more creative we become. We have so much to learn from embracing creativity and nothing to gain from stifling it.
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