The 4 Misconceptions Of Creativity

When it comes to creativity, the problem lies in that very few have taken the time to sit down and think about what it truly means.

The UK Secretary of State for Education once told Sir Ken Robinson that the "trouble with creativity is that you can’t define it”, to which Robinson replied, “No, the trouble with creativity is you can’t define it”.

There are multiple variations of creativity uttered differently from person to person. But when it comes to one overarching definition, Robinson describes it as “the process of generating original ideas with value, involving trial and error and continuous refinement”.

Original ideas. Value. Trial and error. Repeat.

However, it would be awkward not to link creativity with being adept at the arts - painting, music, fashion - of which the skills and talents are, supposedly, possessed by a few individuals. When someone doesn't excel in the traditional artistic pursuits, as it's often thought, they aren't creative.

This is an erroneous view. It neglects the broader scope of creativity which covers a wide spectrum of disciplines and endeavours. Reducing an innate quality to a single artistic expression undermines its true essence and fails to acknowledge its presence in everyday life.

So that's the story for today: to address the misconceptions towards creativity.

Let's go!

Creativity is a Rare Talent, Reserved For The Chosen Few

If someone tells you they cannot read or write, you don’t assume that they're not capable of reading and writing, but that they haven’t been taught how.

It’s the same with creativity.

When people say they are not creative, it just means that they haven’t yet learnt what the stakes are, like the UK Secretary of State for Education then.

It’s often thought that creative people are either born creative, or not at all, just as they may have blue or brown eyes, and there is not much they can do about it. But what it is really is that some people have had greater exposure to the creative process compared to others.

If you have a drop of intelligence in you, which fortunately all of you do, then you have the capacity for creativity.

Creativity is Limited to the Creative Arts

As I've mentioned above, the word creative is often (incorrectly) corresponded to artistic pursuits. But in reality it extends far beyond the arts and is equally important in many other areas.

Anything can be creative — science, mathematics, teaching, working with people, medicine, running a sports team or a restaurant. Even in business. Different companies are creative in different areas. Take for instance, Apple, for being notoriously good at creating world-changing products, or Walmart, in their area of systems innovation, supply chain management and pricing.

Creativity is achievable whenever we’re using our minds to think or hands to act.

Future World Creators, where art intertwines with technology. Kids experience embodied cognition during a Virtual Reality (VR) art class - the combination of mind and body to create.

Creativity Does Not Lead To Failure

If you’re truly creative, you’re supposed to make less mistakes, right?

Children are often taught to avoid mistakes, fearing failure and judgment. This misconception stifles their creative spirit as they become hesitant to take risks or try new things. In reality, mistakes are valuable learning opportunities that lead to improved creativity.

And I’d argue that to truly level up one’s creativity, they have to experiment more. The thing about experimentation is that it often does not work out the way we want it to. But hear this: good ideas are born out of a moment of inspiration, great ideas are birthed in an environment of continuous trial and error.

It will take as long as it will.

Instead of aiming for the perfect outcome, which is unrealistic, strive to build a lifestyle around creativity. And the best way to do this is to build creative habits, little by little.

​James Clear, author of the best-selling self-help Atomic Habits once said,

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement

This applies to your child’s creativity, too.

Encourage your little one to make small, creative decisions every day. Draw one sketch, take one photograph, sing one song, or paint one stroke. Practice the violin or the piano for just 5 minutes a day. Craft a simple solution for a simple problem at home.

Made a mistake? Didn’t turn out the way we envisioned it?

Try again the next day, and the day after that. Do it till you find your breakthrough moment.

Creative Thinkers are Unproductive

“Creativity is sometimes associated with free expression”, writes Robinson, “which is partly why some people worry about creativity in education.” Critics often associate creativity with children running wildly, making a mess in the kitchen, knocking down the furniture rather than getting on with serious work.

There is a common belief that creative individuals are dreamy and impractical, leading to a lack of productivity.

I like to turn the argument around: creativity is also about working in a highly focused way on ideas and projects, crafting them into their best forms and making critical judgments along the way about which work best and why. But for this to realise, your kids need to take a mental breather and engage in the most important, yet overlooked exercise in this knowledge economy: think.

​Austin Kleon has a simple strategy about creativity:

Wise words that will make parents go mad.

True creativity draws on skill, knowledge and control. It’s not about holding on. It’s about letting go. It’s about taking a step back, giving your kids time and space to think about the problem which our hyper advanced technological society that prides on maximum efficiency fails to allow.

Creativity often entails going against the grain. This isn't logical for most parents. But to truly excel and think out-of-the-box, we have to first put ourselves outside the defined boundaries.

Can creativity be taught?

At Gosh! Kids, we don’t teach creativity, because it cannot be taught. We do something even better: to enable, encourage, inspire and mentor children around creativity, rather than just direct instruction.

Robinson once pointed out,

A culture of creativity has to involve everybody, not just a select few.

And if there's one thing I'm becoming to believe more each day is that everyone, young or old, have a natural capacity for creativity. Arts may not be for everyone. Sports may not be for everyone. Music may not be for everyone. But creativity is for everyone.

If your kids are to survive and thrive in times of revolution, you have to think differently about what creativity means, then go ahead and make the best use of it.

Be well,

Miss G (@gladyssoh)