I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Alma Galvan for an online event, The ADHD Toolbox. The topic: “HOW TO EMBRACE CREATIVITY.” This is a subject I’m passionate about, and it applies to people of all ages, cultures, learning, levels, and experiential backgrounds. Anyone can CHOOSE to be creative.
Alma posed four hot-button questions, and I answered them over the course of the half-hour interview. Here’s an encapsulated overview of our chat.
1. Why this topic? Why should kids care about creativity?
Creativity is a choice, an opportunity, an adventure. Using the imagination can be empowering, and bring joy—especially when people experience challenges.
Friedrich Nietzsche wisely said: “You need chaos in your soul to create a dancing star.”
Pleasure, pride, and fulfillment ensue from finding your own voice and spirit, and from engaging with the world in different, playful, and creative ways. Creativity can enhance the flow of ideas, and has the potential to enrich, inform, and inspire.
Creativity can assist with problem-solving. Moreover, innovation and inspiration can transform the future. (Be part of that!)
Finally, being creative enhances neural connections, and helps to increase the breadth and depth of learning. Brain-building is vitally important!
2. What can parents do to support and encourage children’s creativity? (Practical suggestions!)
Here are five take-aways to help strengthen and support children’s creativity:
- Respect and honour children’s hopes, strengths, curiosity, and individuality. And, encourage their reflection, flexibility. and tenacity, too!
- Be available to offer guidance and constructive reinforcement as children take steps to stretch their boundaries and be creative.
- Encourage children learn to value creativity, and to make that choice to be creative. They don’t have to –they have to want to!
- Help children find resources, and ways to build connections such as partnerships and mentorships.
- Create environments where obstacles are seen as learning opportunities.
- Advocate for professional development for teachers on how to cultivate creativity. (More on this below.)
3. What can teachers do? That is, how can teachers strengthen children’s and teens’ learning spirit, and enhance their creativity?
Teachers support children’s creativity by investing in their own creative fulfillment—and showing why it’s a valuable pursuit. No two children are alike—or learn the same way—so teachers can use their creativity to make their classrooms work well.
What does that look like? Creative educators are willing to extend or sharpen what they already know, and then apply this to instructional and assessment practices across subject areas. Their existing knowledge becomes a springboard, and when they advance their understandings, it leads to further discoveries, fun, and creativity in the classroom. Providing a flexible range of options that are well-suited to individual children invites choice, creativity, technological initiative, and inquiry.
Professional development [PD} can help teachers be more creative so they can in turn share the excitement with their students. PD might involve acquiring fresh resources, engaging in collaborative ventures, trying fresh differentiated approaches and strategies, and implementing something new and potentially challenging. It can take time, patience, and hard work.
4. How can kids maximize their creative inclinations and aspirations?
Here are several ideas for children and teens:
- Talk with others about how creativity makes people feel good.
- Collaborate with others. Playful and productive explorations can fuel creative ideas.
- Ask questions, so you can tretch toward higher levels of achievement in different subjects, and in various areas of interest.
- Use already acquired skills as a foundation for building new ones.
- Enjoy the process of creating something that’s surprising or unique. Don’t worry about outcomes. Focus on the journey!
Last Words:
Those who engage in creativity learn to appreciate it more—and fuel other people’s creativity as well. Believe in yourself!
The ADHD Toolbox Event and Interview Link:
https://www.brainworxmembers.com/link.php?id=463&h=4c36af928e
Recent Book:
IGNITE YOUR IDEAS: CREATIVITY FOR KIDS
For a free gift:
Use discount code “TBS25!” for 20% off on the following five books by Dr. Joanne Foster: IGNITE YOUR IDEAS; BEING SMART ABOUT GIFTED LEARNING (3RD EDITION); ABCS OF RAISING SMARTER KIDS; BUST YOUR BUTS; and NOT NOW, MAYBE LATER – when purchased from the Bookshop at Gifted Unlimited, LLC. This offer is valid until Nov. 30th, 2025. https://www.giftedunlimitedllc.com/-the-bookshop.html
