Creativity has long been a part of my life. From making dioramas and writing short stories as a kid, to altering my clothes as a teenager, to focusing on creative writing in college, to honing my craft as a photographer and DIYing my way through the blogosphere, it’s in my blood. I often hear people say that they’re not creative, and I firmly believe that everyone can be creative. And you can certainly nurture creativity in your kids.
To make sure we’re on the same page about what creativity even is, let me tell you how I see it. Creativity is not about being artistic (it can be, but that’s not the only mode of creativity). Creativity, to me, is really about divergent thinking. It’s about seeing beyond the obvious possibilities of something. It’s looking at a problem, question, or situation and thinking of uncommon solutions. For me it’s about looking at the possibilities within the constraints of something. The ability to think beyond the obvious answers (aka: creativity) is an important skill across all disciplines and fields of work. And even publications like the Harvard Business Review and Forbes tout the importance of creativity in the work of the future.
One of the biggest ways I’ve learned to hone my own creativity is through creative reuse. I’ve shared numerous DIY projects where I’ve taken one object and turned it into something completely different. Like using a kitchen pot lid as a clock, using denim to reupholster a chair or make a quilt, or turning a vintage napkin into a giant bow. Oftentimes I’d fall in love with a thrifted object and think about all of the ways I could turn it into something. Other times, I knew I wanted to make or do a particular project and had to think of the best alternative materials to create it.
So how can we encourage our kids to be creative?
As the English proverb says, necessity is the mother of invention. And we mamas know a thing or two about necessity! We’re constantly having to think creatively as we juggle all the challenges of mamahood. (Who hasn’t had to come up with a witty way to convince our kids that the tooth fairy didn’t forget about them?)
Practicing creativity doesn’t mean sitting down and doing a step-by-step Pinterest craft project. In fact, I’d say it’s the opposite of that. But giving your kids the supplies to create and leaving them to come up with their own makings, will encourage a different result every time! I’ve written before about how I don’t sit down and didactically craft with my kids. Providing kids with the tools of creative expression—whether it’s art supplies, musical instruments, science kits, or even just building blocks—and letting them have at it, is one of the best ways I’ve found to inspire creativity in my four kids. And I’m often pleasantly surprised to find them concocting their own creations outside of the basic supplies I have on hand.
When we don’t give kids answers right away they have to figure them out on our own. One thing that my parents used to do when I was a kid—and it always drove me crazy—was tell me to go look words up in the dictionary when I’d ask them how to spell something. I didn’t know how to spell it, so how was I going to find it in the dictionary?! But sure enough, I did. Not being given the answer forced me to think creatively about how each word might be spelled, and eventually I tracked the word down.
Another big thing that inspires my own creative thinking is curiosity, especially curiosity as a result of stories. I’m a huge book lover and podcast listener. Soaking up others’ stories and ideas never fails to spark my interest, often leading to ideas of my own. Reading (and or listening) to books and podcasts with your kids is a great way to pique their interests, too. And when we find something that excites us, it can lead to the most compelling new (and creative) ideas of our own.
I know this isn’t an exact step-by-step on how to make your kids creative, but creativity is a creative exercise all in itself—there’s no one right way to do or be it.
