Why Creativity is Important
“The Earth without ‘art’ is just ‘eh’.”
Emphasis being placed on core academic subjects coupled with funding pressure means that many schools in the UK are cutting back on the Creative Arts. Less money is spent on facilities; timetabled lessons are reduced; specialist staff are few and far between. In some cases, parents are relied upon to donate voluntarily to art and music classes. As a self-proclaimed creative, I see this as a crisis.
Why are the Creative Arts continually undervalued? Does society see Art, Music, Dance, and Drama as inferior in comparison to Maths and Science? In short, a creative profession simply does not have the status of “commercially useful”. Academia is crucial, of course, but for those of us that need a reminder, here are some reasons why creativity is important, too.
Education
Learning should not be limited to just English, Maths, and Science. Learning extends well beyond those three subjects. Through the Creative Arts, we learn how to express ourselves and how to channel our energy. Creativity allows us to generate ideas and understand the world around us in a way Science cannot teach us. Perhaps portraits and songs aren’t measurable quantities, but that doesn’t mean they are any less valid observations. A Psychologist can tell us how people think through scientific studies. But, so can a Branding Expert with sales records of big businesses.
Culture
Cultural awareness is something we can never have too much of, especially in this day and age. As society grows increasingly more transparent and more tolerant, creativity allows people from all walks of life to communicate with one other, providing an insight to their daily lives. Understanding one another is key to harmony, and connecting with someone from a different culture is a beautiful thing. A Palaeontologist can tell us what life was like several centuries ago courtesy of fossils. Then again, so can a Literature student with excerpts from novels and diaries.
Belief
Just as the Copernicus Theory revolutionised the way we see the world; creativity challenges the way we see society. Creativity is a mind-set; a proactive way of finding solutions. Maths and Science certainly present resolutions, but they have their own limitations. Creativity allows us the freedom to tap into parts of our brain we wouldn’t normally use in order to find equally valid resolutions.
We don’t all have to be artists, musicians, or graphic designers. Some us are born with a creativity, but it can also be situational. For example, I was asked to curate a seasonal menu for one of my clients for Spring 2018, and generated some good ideas. Then I was given a tight budget; my resourcefulness to stick to the budget meant the ideas I produced were out of the box and craftier. Clearly, how to employ creativity can be taught.
Earlier this week, I was at a local primary school, filming a documentary to celebrate their 25 years of service. A little girl ran up to me, pointed to my camera, and excitedly told me she wanted to be a photographer because she loved capturing special moments on film. Then she disappointedly whispered that her mother didn’t think it was a credible profession.
Children aren’t clouded by the restraints of adult logic. Instead, the sky is the limit. Let’s feed their inspiration and help them achieve their dreams. After all, the world is boring as it is, let’s shower it with a little colour and a whole heap of creativity. Equal sums should be allocated to creative subjects. Children who want to study Creative Arts should be encouraged, not made to feel disheartened. Doctors and Lawyers will always be important, but it’s high time we Creatives had a space at the table.