In my childhood, I had many great ideas. However, as I grew older, this changed and my creativity dropped. Is this really true?
The idea that children are more creative than adults is often attributed to several factors:
Open-mindedness and Curiosity
Children often ask questions that may seem unconventional or out of the box to adults. This demonstrates their ability to think outside the box.
Children have a remarkable ability to approach the world with an open mind and curiosity. They are not limited by preconceived notions and are ready to explore the unknown with a sense of wonder.
Their open-mindedness and curiosity fuel their boundless creativity. They view the world as a canvas of possibilities and engage with it with freshness and enthusiasm, inspiring continuous learning and imaginative exploration.
Fearlessness of Failure
Children are generally less afraid of making mistakes. They have not yet experienced the same societal pressures or developed the same fear of failure that can inhibit creativity in adults. Their lack of fear means they are more willing to take risks and try new things.
Children express themselves freely when painting with their fingers or building with Legos, without worrying about doing it ‘the right way’. This lack of concern for failure allows their imagination to run wild and helps them see every little mistake as a small win.
Does society beat creativity out of us?
How many times you heard: “Don’t do music, you can’t earn like musician”. Sir Ken Robinson in his TED-Talk 2006. argued school system. He states that every country has the same school principle: natural subjects are on the top, art and music are almost below the margin. The school system was designed during first industrial revolution.
Additionally, we are constantly sold images of art and beauty which are considered to be good. In almost every case, what stands out gets rejected. Everyone tends to fit in to the system which is limiting complete freedom of choice.
What does science says about it?
We should blame the frontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for maintaining acceptable social behavior, divergent thinking and creativity, among others. As we get older, frontal cortex helps us to be more rational helping us to make right decisions and judgments.
Ten years rule for creativity
Have you ever heard of ten years rule?
According to Anders Ericsson, a significant part of mastery involves deliberate practice, focusing on tasks that are slightly beyond current abilities and mastering them through feedback and repetition. In fields as diverse as physics, medicine, programming, dance and music, Ericsson observed that world-class performance typically becomes achievable after about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in the chosen activity.
This observation is consistent with the ten-year rule, as four hours of deliberate practice per day, five days per week, would add up to 10,000 hours over a decade (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Römer 1993; Ericsson et al. 2006).
Let’s wrap it up
However, it’s important to note that creativity is not just a characteristic of childhood. Adults can also be highly creative, and their creativity can manifest itself in different ways. While children may excel in spontaneous, uninhibited creativity, adults may bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and a more refined approach to creative endeavours.
Children focus more on the process of creation. Adults, on the other hand, focus on the final product. Don’t forget, you have to master the field first, and then you can do creative miracles.
