Creative urges seems to come to me only when I least need or want them, like when I am doing some much-needed cramming the night before a midterm or pushing myself to finish my homework in a timely manner. That probably says a lot more about me than about creativity, but I just felt like putting that out there.
Ken Robinson’s short little speech brings up the idea that schools actively stifle the creativity of children. Through standardized testing and classroom interactions, students are heavily influenced to believe that being wrong is a bad thing. That kind of mindset leaves them afraid of trying new things and making mistakes for fear of judgment from their peers, which consequently discourages out of the box thinking. The key to being safe is to conform. We are indeed a society more dominated by workers than thinkers, because that is what our education system has specifically trained us to become.
This flaw in our education might be the reason as to why so many people–regretfully, often including myself–seem to dread being assigned ‘vague’ essay topics. More specific prompts means less of a need for us to think for ourselves. They are considered the safer route because the major decisions have already been made for us, and there is less pressure about being judged as ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ based on the content of the work we hand in. The more creative freedom we are given in assignments, the harder they seem to become. I’m sure that it’s a relatable struggle for many people, since we’ve probably all been taught that it’s best to color inside the lines.
