It is often thought that teaching children art, music and drama is not as important as teaching them Maths, Technology and Science. Creative subjects have been maligned and are seen as frivolous time wasters. They are seen as merely part of “playtime” and that the most important subjects to teach children are academic. What’s the point of teaching little Jacob art as he’ll hardly make a living as an artist, will he?
Truthfully, to think this is not altogether incorrect. The chances of someone making a decent living on an artist’s wage are slim. However, children should not be taught creative subjects with the idea that they will grow up to be the new Banksy, or the new Adele or the new Cumberbatch (best surname ever by the way). No, children need to be taught creative subjects as creativity is needed in any job that they will end up doing. Whether they are an accountant, a scientist, a teacher, a secretary, a shop assistant or a lawyer. They will be required to use their mind creatively.
One of my all time favourite heroes, educationalist Sir Ken Robinson’s (he’s definitely invited to my dream dinner party) definition of creativity is:
I define creativity as the process of having original ideas that have value. Creative work in any field often passes through typical phases. Sometimes what you end up with is not what you had in mind when you started. It’s a dynamic process that often involves making new connections, crossing disciplines and using metaphors and analogies.
He goes on to debunk some myths surrounding creativity:
There are various myths about creativity. One is that only special people are creative; another is that creativity is just about the arts; a third is that it’s all to do with uninhibited “self-expression”. None of these is true. On the contrary, everyone has creative capacities; creativity is possible in whatever you do, and it can require great discipline and many different skills.
Considering that the same areas of the brain that are used to create music, are also used during mathematical processing, you can see how encouraging creativity can benefit across the board. You can watch Sir Ken’s excellent TED talk on the subject here
So, why is it so important for children to be taught creativity at an early age. Can’t we just encourage adults to think creatively in their jobs?
There have been numerous studies that show children’s experiences early on in life can greatly influence the developing brain. Children are born with billions of neurons, but only a small portion are connected to each other. Throughout childhood the connections that are underused are cutback to make the brain more efficient. The connections that are used regularly become stronger. Therefore, the optimum time for people to develop skills are in the early years of childhood. As you may have often heard before, the early years develop the foundations of a person.
Creative play fosters cognitive and social development. Crucially, it also helps nurture problem solving skills. Critical thinking and social skills are vital for a person once they join the workforce.
Whilst academic subjects such as Maths and Science are important, creative subjects are as important. Without the nurturing of creativity, our society will stagnate and languish. We won’t see new inventions that will help enable people and create a more dynamic society. We won’t see new cures for diseases. We won’t find easier and more efficient ways of doing things, thus deterring a more economically sound society. Our progress will halt and everything our ancestors have done for us, will seemingly be futile. For society to be able to progress and evolve, new ideas need to be “created”, new and innovative ways of doing things need to be discovered and implemented. This progress with society is not possible without creativity.
Sir Ken believes that the current education system is stifling children’s creativity due to more focus on academic subjects and the way subjects are taught. There are already studies that show a child’s creativity starts to decline once they enter schooling.
Nobody knows what the future of this planet and the human race holds. These are unpredictable times. We need all the creative thinking that we can get. Creativity is not to be sniffed at.
So in short, let your child do as many rubbish paintings as they like, let them build countless structures with Lego, let them role play, let them try out the violin and let them sing to their heart’s content. Children are the future and all that.
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
Couldn’t agree more. Your words remind me of something Neil Gaiman wrote about preserving libraries in the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming
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Oh this is just wonderful! Thank you so much for the link. I love Neil Gaiman and yes I agree with every word he said here. Cheers!
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So true! I had time/space for creative play as a child, provided the same for my son and now his two sons are enjoying this essential element of childhood. And it is so fun to see them latching onto creative play like it’s their job (which it is).
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Hi Molly, so sorry I seemed to have missed your comment before! And agree- creative play is a child’s job. Oh I wish I was a child again ha. Cheers.
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While the creativity stifling aspect wasn’t the reason we decided to homeschool (truth be told, avoiding freezing cold bus stops was more of a consideration… LOL) seeing posts like this remind me that all the stains & spills (not to mention 19 bazillion photos, most of them blurry, of faces, pets, and TV screens) was well worth it. Well stated, Hayley!
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Aah thank you. Yes my friend who home schools says this was one of the reasons she decided to home school. I just did the school run in the pouring rain. We walk & had one umbrella between us & a hole in my welly- I totally see the appeal of homeschooling haha. Very small commute 👍🏻
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Yep, the commute is very appealing, but the teachers didn’t read the fine print before they agreed to their contract. As a result, they must contend with 24 hour school days, no vacation time, zero pay, and a frequently grumpy assembly of students.
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This is so true for us too! We wanted to home educate our children in order to facilitate a proper childhood, filled with creativity and freedom. It is the most amazing and rewarding experience.
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Your lucky children. Sounds fantastic!
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Love this! As a child i didn’t struggle academically, but I never clicked with academic subjects the way I did with artier ones. It’s important that kids are lead to discover their passions; academic or otherwise. Creativity is a valuable life long skill!
Jas xx
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Absolutely! X
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I loved playing with a bag of buttons as a child
No lie! It was the coolest toy. Now I see them as potential choking hazards mainly. Which is silly if I am present with them. Love the post!
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Haha I hear ya! Thank you x
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The problem with buttons and choking is that most parents just walk away and never pay attention to what they’re child is doing.
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True. I used to string them into designs. Definitely super fun
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Hayley, I enjoyed reading this post. Being an ex-kindergarten teacher, I loved encouraging children to be creative. Creative is intelligence having fun 🙂
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Creativity not creative!! auto correct can be so annoying!
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Ha I knew what you meant.
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Oh I love that! “Creativity is intelligence having fun” I’m going to remember that. Thank you x
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Oh man don’t get me started on this!
I’m fuming thst we can’t teach music drama dance and art more at primary school because tgere aren’t enough hours in the day after we have force fed them the new national curriculum! It’s like the three R’s all over again!
Kids need those creative subjects to actually develop imaginations, empathy and social skills! For some this is their communucation….
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Oh I bet! It’s truly heartbreaking. I feel for all my teacher mates who are so frustrated by the current education system x
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It is so hard Hayley. We can’t do anything about it either! It’s not like anyone ever listens to those of us who actually teach!
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No as if an actual teacher’s opinion on teaching counts for anything 😡
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Exactly… 😐
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I agree completely. Too few children grow up being creative as adults, and it limits so much of what they go on to do.
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It does indeed & it’s very sad. Cheers x
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Well said. I don’t think putting devices in their hands is doing anyone any favors either. Well hand eye/hand/thumb coordination maybe. Also creativity should carry on into adulthood. No one should tell us we shouldn’t be creating / playing at any age. Thank you.
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I totally agree. Keep playing, keep creating. It keeps the mind alive.
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Creativity is so important to young minds. As you say, they are the future!!
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Indeed x
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Yes! Yes! Yes! No invention, vaccine or mathematical equation happened without imagination. How can you build the first wheel, train, car or rocket without first imagining that it could happen?
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Exactly! Imagination is EVERYTHING.
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My parents encouraged my writing. I found it’s a skill that’s taken for granted but boy, do people get jealous once you apply it It’s not on my resume for clerical work. It causes too much trouble. It’s discouraged in the American workplace, which is unfortunate. I think it’s a cultural problem. But creativity is necessary to create companies. Where would we be without Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?
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I totally agree Pam. Bill and Steve are/were full of creativity. People’s creativity is more often than not suppressed, which is such a shame.
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Only me again but gosh, what a post and does this stimulate my cognitive cranky!!! I went down the science route, not by choice, but by being pushed. Granted I did rather well, but my “natural” path turns out to “should have been creative.” Since I started writing several people have said what would I be now if I’d gone down that path at school and just after? I look at that with cognitive dissonance in that “Great compliment” against “Wasted life!” lol.
In terms of science/math versus creative…if you look at genius moments then most of those originate in imagination and creativity. You can excel just by being the former yes, but to really inspire development and others then the creative side has to be there too. It stops you thinking “inside the box” and allows one to reach in to other areas and draw in information there. My first paper did exactly that in Nature…It was tagged “Heresy in the world of non-linear optics.” Won’t bore you with it, but conventional “wisdom” was a shade wrong (modest understatement). I believe that happened because my natural bent is creative and allows free form thinking to problem solve.
Creative thinking should never be stymied or a distinct path. Everything needs the balance of the other side. Learning should be fun too and I would wager the best teachers of science are stuffed with creativity and imagination to make it exciting for young minds to engage with.
Shoot I may reblog this comment… as its become a ramble soap box mutterance !!!!
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Maybe you should, but that’s a fantastic response, thank you! It’s such an interesting subject. I completely agree that academic subjects and creative subjects compliment each other.
I only excelled in creative subjects. The only academic subject I was good at was strangely Maths (I think it’s because I like order). Anyway, whenever I told adults or indeed other pupils what my favourite or best subjects were, I would just get sneered at and those subjects would be referred to as not “proper subjects” or not “proper school”. On reflection, that was absolutely awful and I fear that attitude hasn’t changed much over the years (of course, I only left school a couple of years ago).
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In my day the “sneering” was more to do with workloads methinks. Here I was doing 40 hours a week plus practicals and essays. That was in Biochemistry/microbiology at Uni. English students, as an example did 8. Little wonder it was (is still?) called the hobby course in comparison. But the stigma stills stick as you say.
To me a course is a course though…although in truth I do question the validity of some that are offered nowadays. That said I have no idea if I’d have excelled creatively…its left me with an inability to even think I could be…bit of a blow when it comes to my writing that one!!
I still maintain that if you asked a genius where the ideas came from then it would not be academic brain but creative brain. The former does the math and science, the latter inspires.
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Oh yes, I do think the association with workload has something to do with it. Good point.
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Haha, yes it’s called jealousy…I’m a student, why am I working like a git and the creatives are getting creative in the pub!!!
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All the best creativity happens in the pub.
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Now that is a most compelling justification of the arts indeed. My life has been truly wasted 😰
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Hi Hayley,
I get a little choked up when I think about the 4th grade teacher that gave me extra credit for the short stories I wrote about dolphins and rainbows. Had she (and others) not encouraged my creativity I doubt I’d be the person I am today. You’re absolutely right about creativity being a practice rather than a gift. The more we think of ourselves as creative, the more creative we become. I love the idea of “play” as an adult. Not only does it help me take myself less seriously but it inspires all kinds of happy accidents. Instead of “what do you want to do today?” what about asking a spouse or friend, “What do you want to create today?” It might sound a little weird at first, but truly when we think of what we do in a day as an act of creation instead of boxes we have to check something magical happens. What was hard work or a drudgery can even become fun! I doubt I’d convince anyone–even myself–that this is possible in every situation. But I do practice asking myself the question: What do I want to create today? Do I want to create relationships? Do I want to create laughter? Do I want to find a way to make bathing a stinky dog fun?
We adults can model creative lives for our kids and it sounds like we’ll need to do that even more now if schools continue the march towards academic subjects only. I remember a high school science teacher, Mr. Pfitzner, who used all kinds of goofy jokes and plays on words to keep students engaged. He made chemistry a joy through his creative approach to teaching somewhat dry topics. Creativity, to me, is a mindset. One you very rightly, and eloquently call out as one of the most important gifts we can give our children and each other, at any age.
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Absolutely Angela. What a lovely idea of yours. Asking ourselves daily what we want to create today, is such a great way of “creating” a frame of mind and/or a wonderful goal by the end of the day. I love this idea!
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I totally agree. I’m also a big fan of Sir Ken, he’s like THE man in home education communities! I home ed my kids and also run creative writing workshops for other HE kids nearby. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I love seeing young people expressing themselves and creating new worlds.
And while yes, creativity is a transferable skill that everyone needs in whatever job they do, I also think it matters for its own sake too. Just taking time out to be and create has an intrinsic value quite apart from a distant career path. I also think young people should absoluotely be encouraged to make a living through directly using their creativity. There are so many options these days. I’m a writer, I have friends who are musicians, artists, illustrators. So what if they aren’t minted? They’re happy, that’s the most important thing. This is what I tell my kids every day, do what makes you happy, the rest will take care of itself.
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Absolutely agree with everything you say. Of course people can do/actually do creative jobs and no child (or adult) should ever be discouraged from doing so. Regardless of pay etc. Whenever I announced as a child that I wanted to be a singer/actor/dancer/writer, adults would just laugh and say “yeah, but back in the real world, what do you really want to do?” Why can’t creative jobs be the real world?! Ridiculous & so awful that many adults react like this. Anyway, yes creativity is so important for multiple reasons. Cheers x
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I totally agree with you! I’m an early years teacher and we teach a well rounded curriculum to our children. It’s important for children to learn to be creative and they love to paint, draw, colour and engage in imaginative play.
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That’s great to hear x
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This is something I feel very passionately about as well! I don’t know what people think is going to be so beneficial about churning out endless streams of students with Maths/English/Science at A*-C, but who cannot solve problems, create, or imagine. So sad.
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Absolutely agree. My daughter’s school report only focussed on Maths, English & Science. She’s 7. I don’t care if she can do division. I only care that she likes school, has nice friends & has time & space to create.
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Very true. I do have a creative job but also I want to express myself creatively outside my work through my hobbies, my blog, the clothes and jewellery I wear… creativity is really important to so many things outside of work as well!
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Yes so important for adults as well as children x
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I can’t agree more, I always believed in More open ended play with my son. I want him to make his own games. Such a well written post. I would love to share this on my Facebook page if you don’t mind?
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Of course! Thank you so much. Yes open ended play is such a good idea- let their little minds work. Cheers x
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Great post! My favourite line has to be – creativity is possible in whatever you do, and it can require great discipline and many different skills x
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Yes! That is a great line & so true.
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I already commented, but I wanted to add a thought from our friend–the inventor of general relativity–Mr. Albert Einstein,“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” 🙂
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Good ole Einstein. I correlation between science & creativity is strong I feel.
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Love this post! Teaching children to foster their creativity is important! I’ve heard theories where “Intellectual Capitalism” is the wave of the future. Being creative will be a major plus on your resume that’s for sure.
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Most definitely. I’m going to look into these “Intellectual Capitalism”. Sounds intriguing!
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This is brilliant. “There are various myths about creativity. One is that only special people are creative; another is that creativity is just about the arts; a third is that it’s all to do with uninhibited “self-expression”. None of these is true. On the contrary, everyone has creative capacities; creativity is possible in whatever you do, and it can require great discipline and many different skills.” Couldn’t agree more.
In fact, after more than 4 decades devoted to the hard sciences, I’m suddenly recognized the value and beauty in embracing creativity as a blending of what I know and what I imagine. Using these skills to bolster future talents I hope to hone.
I recently wrote a post about embracing that childlike magic. I don’t think I did a very good job of describing exactly what I was talking about, and now that I’ve read your wonderful post, I think I finally understand.
Cheers!
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Ooh I’ll check that post out, Gabe. Sounds interesting. We all need embrace childlike magic more often I feel. It’ll make us feel freer and full of life! X
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Loved reading this…As a child i always loved classes that had interesting activities..music class, library time, brownie period etc…..Creative classes even now allows children explore their skills outside the regular math/English….we should definitely think of how they keep busy when schools aren’t in session
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Yes that’s the best we can do- give them lots of creative space outside of school x
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As a teacher, I couldn’t agree more!!! We need to let our students/children play and create A LOT more than they are allowed!
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Agreed. The amount of my teacher friends who say this, is quite worrying. Teachers don’t seem to be given the space to teach how they’d actually like to x
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It’s really pretty sad!!
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This is a brilliant post and highlights the importance of creative learning. I am a parent and I have always made creative tasks an important part of my daughters days. In the early years you can have so much fun with creative tasks. We did lots of painting, glitter fun, built things out of cereal boxes, made dens and played Barbie weddings. We would make up stories about the wedding day and then act them out. Although as the kids got older there were more demands for a new game called Barbie Funerals….sigh!
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Hi Lucy! Can’t believe I missed your comment the first time round, but thank you! Also, what is it with kids and their obsession with death?!
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Great post. I completely agree. While they are small though like you say let them be children. Because let’s face it they really do grow up incredibly fast!
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Exactly and being an adult is so hard. Why push them to be more grown up before time? Thank you.
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Definitely! Great post 😊X
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I already liked this, so I assume I already commented, but I still agree with you. And all children should have blogs.
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Haha. Seriously my 7 year old wants to do one. I’ve made her write a diary instead!
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