"Creativity is part of human nature, it can only be untaught." Creativity in schools is not only about teaching children subjects such as art and music. It is also important to teach children to be creative in subjects such as science, maths, and social science. The truth is that a creative approach to thinking and problem solving is important to all subject but the current culture that focuses on "teaching-to-the-test' which leaves little or no room for either the subjects that have traditionally been linked to creativity or indeed to introduce creative approaches to thinking in other subjects.
Mixing art and science are a great way to embrace a new approach to teaching where the lines between different subjects are blurred or even nonexisting. A movement towards this is the road taken by Finland which has recently introduced a curriculum where the focus is on topics rather than subjects.
Even though creativity and a creative approach to thinking may be part of human nature, there is a myth that ideas just "come to a person". Of course, sometimes ideas just come easy but sometimes it is important to step out of the box and look at a problem from a new perspective. One technique that can be used it to use random input to help a child generate new ideas.
I made a little booklet using aliens to inspire children to use and explore random words. Hopefully, this booklet will help to sow a little seed in how random input can be a powerful as well as useful technique to inspire children to be creative. Not all ideas will work but that is always part of a creative approach to things. Seeing and exploring possibilities is fun.
