Today’s fast-paced and digitally enhanced world demands us to be competitive and adaptable. Kids are no exception. The aspiration of watching children succeed in various fields on one hand and giving them a fun-filled childhood on the other is indeed a catch-22 situation for many parents today. How nice would it be to see our children enjoy everything that they do without feeling any kind of pressure! It is indeed possible to do so when there is creativity around.
Children relate to creativity based on individual perspectives. For some, it means to be artistic, for others to think out of the box while few look upon it as a means to the end. While all are right in their own sense, creativity can be a game-changer for children in their growing years.
Research has shown that children display maximum adaptability quotient from the age of 3 years to 14 years. They are curious, inquisitive and question things happening around them. If creativity is pursued during these years, with a conscious effort to make it a norm rather than an exception in everyday life, it would indeed have a marked effect on them. It would help them to imbibe qualities that would change their perspective towards everything from studies to sports and from relations to emotions. What are these qualities? Let us look at the most crucial ones.
Creativity makes children OPEN -MINDED. A simple school activity of submitting an essay can be presented in unique ways like an essay with a portrait of the personality, a collage of text and pics or an essay submitted with calligraphy art, thanks to creativity. We often come across children who question why trees can’t be purple or why our hair can’t be in a shade of green instead of the usual colors. These seemingly childish questions display their creative bent and need to be nurtured rather than corrected.
It makes their THINKING NON-LINEAR. Armed with it, kids do not shy away from problems or issues faced by them. They rather take it as a challenge and try to find alternative ways to crack it while making it fun. Learning important historical events using acronyms or specially formed sentences is one such example. Children who are interested in coding often find themselves drawn to solve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) problems. Interestingly, they apply the coding logic to a completely different activity like learning a musical instrument and make it fun.
Creativity makes children RESPECT EFFORT & FAILURE. When they try to do things differently, they may not succeed in the first instance. However, renewed efforts to fulfil the task at hand with the intended results make them appreciate the time invested to do it. They do learn many things in the process even though success and satisfaction elude them the first time. The ability to accept failure and move on from it towards success helps them in all aspects of their lives. Let’s think of a situation where a child has been assigned the task of building huts for a school science project. She decides to make huts of different sizes and different materials. She might not succeed in the first attempt. After many attempts however, she finds the most apt one for making the huts. The additional knowledge gained in this activity would help her on some occasion if not in this instance.
Creativity builds IMAGINATION. Albert Einstein said that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Kids have unhinged imagination. Its right tapping can make them realise their hidden potential and likes. While creating an artwork a child’s desire to write a few lines about the artwork makes him/her realise his ability of creative writing. A simple activity of helping a senior citizen might motivate a young teen to develop an app to benefit them.
Creative children display a higher EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT. It makes them active listeners & doers. They explore, discover, and communicate any creative process and realize the value of others’ thoughts & opinions. It also makes them accept criticism and channel it positively.
Creativity builds CONFIDENCE. It helps them to try, experiment and innovate. They believe in themselves and their ability to carry out a task differently. It also builds SELF-ESTEEM. We all know the proud look on our children’s faces when they do small things for us like making a greeting card, doing a surprising chore or exhibiting a new hobby that they have learned.
It makes children HAPPY. Creativity in any form gives us positive thoughts. This positivity percolates into an optimistic demeanour which makes them enjoy everything they do.
When creativity is imbibed as a behavioural trait it changes their perspective and outlook. They become SOLUTION SEEKERS Their minds instinctively react to situations to make them better, find a way out, and better the existing. They accept challenges not with fear or because they must, but knowing that they can cope with them. They seek enjoyment in every single act of theirs. They find satisfaction in being creators and explorers. It assures them of their abilities. Aren’t these things that we want our children to have more than anything?
Creativity is thus the game-changer that can make children have a unique and distinct identity of their own. What are you waiting for? Let your child embark on this journey and find his / her trueself!!!
By Geetanjali Padoshi
Himanshu Nimbhorkar
Himanshu Nimbhorkar works as a freelancing assistant director on feature films, has written a yet to be aired television show, and independently writes and directs shorts (fiction as well as documentaries).
He has previously got his work screened at the prestigious Mumbai-based MAMI Film Festival, Los Angeles-based Lift-Off Sessions, etc.
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