What’s so great about creativity anyway?
“Creativity” is a popular educational buzzword, but is it important?
By Meg from the Hopscotch team
For as long as I can remember, my mom has been sewing. She made her own clothes as a teenager and produced plenty of outfits for my sister and me. When I grew old enough to wield scissors, my mom started teaching me. I learned how to read pattern symbols and acquired the basics of machine sewing. By the time I finished my first pillow, I was hooked.
Once I knew the fundamentals, my mom set me loose in the fabric box. I designed dresses, fashioned curtains, and mended clothes for friends. Some projects were not so successful, and I spent hours ripping out seams and cutting new pieces. At times, I got frustrated, but I kept pushing forward.
I was hooked not only because I got to wear what I made, but because I made it.
We push ourselves when we feel like we’re in control, when our ideas are coming to life.
Carving out space to discover and hone creativity is so important. In my case, I not only became a better seamstress, but I also learned how to persist through hard problems.
Creative projects are often seen as forms of self expression.
But when you practice creativity, you also get a robust tool set for problem solving. And that’s why “creativity” is so valued in the educational world.
Getting comfortable with the unknown
When you’re doing something creative, you are by definition solving a problem that doesn’t already have an answer. You have to learn how to get comfortable with uncertainty.
So how do you prepare for the unknown? Educational researcher Mary Mayesky found that when people express their creativity, they learn how to accept change and how to wrangle with problems that don’t have easy answers.
When we do something creative, we practice managing our emotions. If we don’t get things right at first, we tweak our approach and learn to deal with frustration. And when we eventually prevail, we gain more confidence.
Learning to value the process as much as the product
If you’re taking a multiplication test, there is one correct answer and you will get it right or wrong.
In a creative endeavor, there is no single right way. When you make a guess about what might solve a problem, you’ll learn by experimenting and reflecting. What worked? What didn’t? What needs to change?
Over time, the very process of getting to an answer becomes just as rewarding as actually having an answer. Complex problems like curing cancer won’t be solved unless we embrace iteration and learn incrementally over time.
To get creative: find the right environment
Want to encourage creativity? Find a safe environment that allows for experimentation. Make space to try and fail. With less structure and more freedom, you’ll learn to embrace curiosity and view boredom as an opportunity, not a gap in the schedule.
In Hopscotch, when you open a blank project, you’re tapping into an open-ended, experimental environment. Game design doesn’t always have one clear, right answer. An error may require debugging the code to find a better solution. But it’s worth all the effort. Watching someone engage with this thing that you created is amazing. So if you’re helping others learn, you don’t need to give them answers. Instead, step back and let them find their way.
We’re working something to help you express yourself in new ways. Stay tuned!