No one knows what the world will be like in 5 years, 10 years, or even 100 years! The world is ever changing, yet the youth have to be educated in a way that will prepare them for this "new world". They need to know how to solve the problems that may come up, in a creative manner. The way we solve problems now may not work for them in 20 years. Creativity should be something that is encouraged. Without creativity how can the world move forward? Creativity gives the world a feeling of wonder, and the anticipation of what will happen next.
A big part of being creative is the ability to take risks. Kids will take risks, they aren't afraid of being wrong. I'm not saying that being wrong is the same as being creative, but if your never willing to take risks how can you begin to be creative? If your not prepared to be wrong, how can you ever come up with anything original? Unfortunately, by the time many children reach adulthood they become afraid to be wrong.
In the school system the very worst thing you can do is be wrong, they are actually educating children out of their creativity. Schools main focus is on standardized test, they drill the youth on how to pass these different tests. What does that really teach though, when will they ever need that skill in the future? Many creative people believe they are not creative, because what they were good at was not valued in the school. All children have amazing abilities and creativity, yet schools suppress it.
The other day my mom was telling me a story about when she was in 8th grade. My mom loved to draw, and she was quite good at it. She was taking an art class at the time and she drew a beautiful picture of two trees, a pond, and a mountain. The teacher loved it and had it hung in the display case, that displayed those students with exceptional talent. A few weeks later my mom was drawing some trees again in her art class, the art teacher happened to look over and saw how she was drawing the trees. The teacher became furious and started yelling at her saying " that is not the proper way to draw a tree". The teacher then stormed out of the room, and took my mom's picture out of the display case. She then came back into the room. Began yelled at my mom in front of the whole class, that the drawing she made, did not deserve to be in the display case. She ripped it up, right in front of her and threw it on the floor. Because of this traumatic experience she started to draw progressively less. Drawing gave her a sense of accomplishment. The teacher robbed her of that opportunity, of having that feeling for the rest of her life. Perhaps that art teacher from 8th grade even changed her destiny, who knows what might have happened had that teacher handled the situation a little differently. Maybe if the teacher simply offered a different way to draw the trees instead of yelling. My mom would have kept drawing and maybe would have gotten a job in a related field. Although, that is another thing that happens often to children. They grow up with teachers, parents, and even their peers steering them away from their interest. Simply because it is believed you will never get a job doing something that interest you.
Creativity is as important now as literacy, and schools should treat it with the same respect. Also we as people need to radically rethink our view of intelligence. Intelligence is diverse, we think about the world as we experience it. Such as visually, movement, sounds, smells, and even touch. We as individuals need to encourage the younger generation to use their imagination when they are young, and keep using it all through adulthood. For Imagination is the beginning of creativity!
* all art work from google images*
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