Fear, not inability, is the
greatest barrier that keeps our children (like ourselves) from stepping out in
creativity. After tiptoeing through years of well-meaning correction and red
ink, we cower for fear of being judged or called wrong.
I did not model imaginative
play to my son or inspire him into inventiveness. Creativity just flowed naturally out of him
at thirty-six months old. Rather than building the towers depicted on the box,
he places his blocks in a single layer radiating out like a mosaic across the
floor. When we can’t find his toy airplane, he wedges a cardboard scrap between
the cab and bed of a pickup and flies it instead. Adults do not teach children creativity; we
teach them structure and in the words of Sir Ken Robinson, we often educate
creativity right out of them. Parents
gently correct kids’ opinions or simply load them with too much
instruction. “Apple starts with A” or
“This is a square” is beneficial. But
“No, this song is not sad; it is happy” or “Draw your snowman like this” can be
stifling. If we do not guard our
tongues, we can inadvertently limit our kids’ capacity with the very words that
we think are helping them.
What else can we do in
addition to encouraging their creations?
Be brave for them. Dance with them. Sing in front of them. Make up
stories for them. These activities can release you from the impervious walls of
your own comfort zone. Young kids are
great guinea pigs on whom to practice your storytelling skills. They haven’t any background knowledge about
the modern interpretation of plot development.
They won’t refer back to a selection of best sellers to compare your
work to anymore than they would compare your clumsy tap dance routine during
the credits of the Disney movie, Brave,
to the genius of River Dance. This blank
slate with eager ears and zero expectations will not boo you away from their
bedside. Make up a story on the
fly. You will be surprised by how
enthralled a 3-year-old can be at the tale of Dusty Crophopper rescuing Todo
from Ursula the Sea Witch in a monsoon.
Or of dragons helping a bulldozer with their daily work. You can even toss in a moral to the story if
one comes to you. For instance, the
bulldozer can thank the dragon thus teaching gratefulness. Or when Buzz Lightyear laments to Woody, Bulls-eye, Kristoff, and Sven the reindeer about his jealous longing for his own
animal companion, Woody can encourage him to choose to be content with what he
has. Tell a story and when you overcome
those old looming barriers, you can enjoy a newfound freedom and confidence.
We are made in our creator’s
image, so it comes as no surprise that we feel closest to God when we are being
creative. What do you desire to do? Do you want to try hip hop dancing, start an
art journal, write poetry, sew a skirt, paint, play an instrument or pull off
wearing those artsy glasses? Your creation does not have to be perfect. You
will not receive a grade. Don’t worry
about impressing your kids; focus on making a more lasting impression on their
personal development by cultivating their confidence. Bravery begets bravery.
Let’s be bravely creative and raise up our children to do likewise.
Disclaimer: By promoting free
thought in creativity, I am not advocating immorality, relativism, or time
tested positive social constructs. Teach children the truth every opportunity
you can and guide them toward the fruits of self-control and wise
evaluation.