Exercising the Creativity Muscle

I had the pleasure of speaking once again to a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this week. I love the MOPS theme this year!

A FIERCE FLOURISHING.

Fierce = intense, wild, tenacious, determined
Flourishing = thriving, prospering, blooming

When my friend asked me to speak several months ago, and then asked me to choose a topic that fit in with their theme, "creativity" is what came to mind.
Flourishing with Creativity.
Because to me, really thriving doesn't mean following a formula, doing what everyone else is doing, and playing it safe.  Thriving requires imagination. It requires originality and thinking outside of the box and blazing a trail that is true to the creative spark that is within you.
Flourishing requires creativity.

What is creativity?
The dictionary definition is  "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, etc., and to create meaningful NEW ideas, forms, methods, interpretations,"
ORIGINALITY.
IMAGINATION.

Do you think of yourself as creative?

I bet you are creative and don't even know it.  

• creative in getting your kids to eat vegetables
• creative in stretching a paycheck from one payday to the next
• creative in finding time to be alone with your husband when you have little children in the house
• creative in adapting recipes to your family's unique nutritional needs
• creative in making your home warm, welcoming and comfortable with yard sale finds and  DIY projects 

When you think OUTSIDE THE BOX, when you find NEW and ORIGINAL ways, methods, ideas for dealing with everyday tasks and obstacles, you are being CREATIVE.

Do you know how else I know you are creative?
I know you are creative because GOD is the ultimate Creative Being and He created you in His image!

Genesis 1:1  "In the beginning, God created...."
Genesis 1:27  " So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Just think about the enormity and beauty and variety of God's Creation!!  Think about it.
He could have made everything black and white.
He could have made all food taste the same.
He could have made just one kind of flower.
But he didn't.  He was lavish and bold and expressive in his creation!

Young children are extremely creative.  Anyone with a toddler has been amazed at the ingenuity displayed when he pushed a box up to a chair so he could climb on the counter to get to the shelf where you hid the Oreo cookies behind the box of brown rice.   How many moms have walked back  into a room that they had just left a few minutes earlier, surveyed the disaster and thought, "I never would have thought of doing that!" ?   Creative geniuses, I tell you!
Think of the imagination that is typical of children under age 5. Imaginary friends, dress up costumes, blanket forts,  made-up songs, stories of dinosaurs and princesses and pirates and aliens, tea parties with stuffed animals.

Do you know that measures of creativity and imaginative thinking fall drastically once a child starts school?

"Sir Ken Robinson, chair of the UK Government's report on creativity, education and the economy, cites a longitudinal study on divergent thinking given to a group of 1600 children starting in the late 1960's.  When first administered to the group of 3-5 year olds, 98% of the children scored in the "genius" range for creative thinking.  Five years later, the same group was tested again and only 32% scored in the top tier for creativity.  Another five years and the number dropped to 10%.   When adults were given the same battery of tests, only 2% received top scores for divergent  thinking, or "the ability to see lots of possible answers to a question".   This is the result of more than just "growing up".  It is the result of an educational system that overly focuses  on tests, conformity, following the rules, and getting the right answer, and discourages imagination, individuality, and risk-taking. 

Another killer of creativity is the lack of unstructured time to play.  Children need to daydream, come up with their own entertainment, and make their own rules, yet between school and structured activities in the evenings and weekends, children have precious little free time that is theirs to use as they wish.

WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?
According to various researchers, practicing creativity improves both emotional and physical health, not just in children, but in adults too!

• increases feelings of positivity and well-being
• reduces stress and anxiety ( which contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems)
• improves ability to resolve conflict
• increases self-confidence and sense of purpose
• increases spontaneity  
• increases earning power
• improves social networking

What mom doesn't want these things for her children and also for herself?!

You can do some things to make your home a place that fosters and nurtures your child's creativity, natural curiosity, and sense of adventure.

• engage your children in regular discussion, asking open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no"
• read lots of stories and poetry; act out stories; make up stories.
• listen to music; dance to music; create music.
•  limit screen time to 2 hours per day or less
• encourage free play - outdoors when possible!
• let your children help you in the kitchen
• provide SPACE  and TIMES and SUPPLIES for crafts and artistic expression -  lots of kinds of paper, crayons, markers, paints & brushes, scissors, old magazines, glue sticks, yarn, paper punches, stickers, play dough, glitter, feathers, chenille stems;  ***not just craft KITS or paint by numbers that control how to arrive at a pre-determined outcome - that teaches following directions, but doesn't exercise the imagination
• look for toys and activities that exercise the imagination;  a coloring book is fun but a pad of colored paper or an endroll of newsprint is even better!  puzzles, various kinds of building blocks, cardboard boxes of assorted sizes,  puppets, musical instruments, dress up clothes and accessories, books

Now this is IMPORTANT advice from a veteran mom.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF MESSES. 

Seriously, get over it.
Creativity can be quite messy. But messes can be cleaned up.  
Buy 2 plastic tablecloths and put one on top of the table and one under that table.  Dress your kids in old ripped t shirts.  Kids and tablecloths can both be hosed off when they are done. 
Teach your kids a "Clean Up Song", and after they are done playing in the blanket fort in the living room, everyone sings and puts back the couch cushions, kitchen chairs, bedding, etc. 
Do not sacrifice your child's physical and emotional development and health for a clean house!
Enough said.


What about you?  It is never too late to exercise your "creativity muscle", and get it back in shape!
I know that sometimes even thinking about adding one more thing to your day can lead to a meltdown. But it might be that you can just adjust something you already do. Or maybe letting something in your routine go and carving a sliver of time for a creative activity that will bring you joy and a host of other benefits might be a worthwhile trade-off for your and your family's well-being!  

• garden
• write -  letters, a blog, a journal, an article, a novel
• draw - in a bible, in an art journal, on envelopes, with your kids
• make homemade cards & gifts
• experiment in the kitchen with new recipes and foods
• play that musical instrument that is collecting dust, or learn a new one
• redesign your laundry system so it works more efficiently
• sew, quilt, knit, crochet,
• decorate a room in your house

Remember, when you think OUTSIDE THE BOX, when you find NEW and ORIGINAL ways, methods, ideas for dealing with everyday tasks and obstacles, you are being CREATIVE. 

 Another benefit of creative activities is the ability to bless others with the fruit of your labors.  You are typically "producing" something that you can share.  This turns what might be a solitary activity into something that touches the lives of others, building community.

Now, being creative can be hard work.  Children and adults both, especially those of us who tend to be perfectionists,  can be very critical of their efforts and inclined to give up easily. This is where encouragement is so important.  If you want to be better at gardening or drawing or growing vegetables or playing the guitar, you must PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.   When I ask my runner friends why I can't run from my driveway to the end of the street without feeling like I'm going to die, their answer is that I need to start slow and build up my muscles.  It isn't because God didn't give me "running ability". I have the ability to run, I just haven't used those muscles in so long that they are very rusty.  I may never be a marathoner or Olympic runner, but I could stretch those muscles and strengthen those muscles and enjoy running, even a little bit, for the exercise and health benefits.  The same is true of any creative endeavor.  You have the ability to develop enough skill for your own personal enjoyment, and don't have to compare yourself to anyone else!
Comparison is the thief of  joy! 

WHAT YOU FEED GETS STRONGER, AND WHAT YOU STARVE GETS WEAKER. 

Sir Ken Robinson "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"

An Unlikely Academic Success? Why Individualization is a Better Idea Than Common Standards

My 2nd youngest child went back to college today at Appalachian State to start her senior year. She has classes this fall semester, and then an internship next spring, and she'll graduate in May. Four years of college has flown by! Now, one thing I didn't realize until today is that she is "ahead" of her classmates, meaning most people in her major (child development) have 2 semesters of classes and then the internship to do after that. I'm a bit astounded, because she did her freshman year at ECU and then transferred, and had to repeat one of her Gen Ed classes that wasn't accepted because she changed majors. So even with that, she managed to get all her college classes done in 7 semesters. Anyone with college kids knows this is somewhat of a feat, because colleges will tell you at orientation nowadays that most students take 5 years, or 10 semesters,  to complete a major. Not all classes are offered when you need them.    When I asked her how that was possible, she smirked and said, "Nobody really knows."  Then she shrugged, admitting that she did take 18 credit hours just about every semester, so that's how she got it all in.

I am not saying this to boast.  I want to make an important point to you homeschool mamas out there who have kids who are struggling, or "behind", or late readers, or whatever.  This gal, who managed 18 hours per semester ( not all A's mind you - she has a B's and C's in there too, and likes to remind me that "C's get Degrees!"), has held a campus job each semester, also worked one semester as an RA, is president of her church's college group, and  enjoys hiking, lying in her hammock, and watching lots of Netflix, couldn't read  a chapter book until she was almost 12 years old.  She took 2 years to get through 6th grade math because fractions threw her for a loop.  Algebra was not her friend, she had a hard time with  high school Spanish,  and she took 3 years to barely squeak through high school chemistry.  This is not your typical "academic" kid.

 However, she has always been very creative, enjoying art and music. She loved playing volleyball and basketball.   Although it took a while to click, by high school she was a fairly strong reader. And she was a natural leader, had a lot of friends, and loved working with children.    She has very specific gifts and talents, but isn't good at EVERYTHING.  She took a year off after high school to "decompress" and figure out what she wanted to do.  She will freely admit that she chose a college major that wouldn't require too much math or science beyond the basic gen ed requirements.   She is a success at what she is choosing to do! 

Because we homeschooled, we took the time to slowly work through the areas that were the most difficult, even if it took more than one "school year". We worked hard not to stigmatize, so there was no shame in going at her own speed!   We found or made opportunities for her to grow in the areas where she was talented, and very importantly, didn't prevent her from doing those things because her grades weren't high enough!  (isn't that what happens in schools?  sports, the arts,  social activities. etc. are off-limits if you don't have certain grades? Even many parents impose this rule, as "motivation".)  Think outside the box.   Each of us is unique in how we learn and in what we are good at, and education should be individualized to allow each person to succeed at their own pace, in what they are gifted in!  This is one reason I so strongly oppose Common Core Standards and the philosophy behind it.

Our goal should be to teach our children how to learn, and to inspire our children to love learning!   That isn't the same as loving "school".   Be gentle and persistent in working on weaknesses, but don't neglect the areas that are strengths.  Just because your child doesn't like something, that doesn't mean they shouldn't learn it. But it might be that there is a different WAY to learn it.  Or a different PART of it to learn that will make sense for your child.  Always, pray for guidance and wisdom.