Fostering Creativity

03/01/2011

I have reached a point in my life where I understand the pain and the challenges; and my attitude is one of standing up with open arms to meet them all.
Myrlie Evers-Williams, American civil rights activist and journalist

If we are looking to develop creativity in our children, what behaviors should we nurture? In Your Child's Growing Mind (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004) Jane Healy lists characteristics of creative people:

Intense absorption in activities

Seeing patterns and relationships

Combining things or ideas in new ways

Challenging assumptions because of a reasoned-out difference of opinion

Coming to a decision independently and taking action based on it

The ability to shift from one idea to another

Having a strong intuition — "seeing" the answer to a problem

The ability to take a risk

Asking "what if" questions and making insightful observations

The tendency to create and test hypotheses

Tolerating ambiguity while exploring alternatives

Finding enjoyment in thinking and working alone

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