What I've Learned from My Son About Creativity

As parents we rule the world for a brief period in our children's lives. I'm guessing it will be about ten years for me. In his brief one year of existence, my son has managed to teach me more about life at a fast pace than I have learned in 30 something years.. These might not be lessons you haven't seen before, however, they're impressive when you see them work in a kid. I know we're not all blessed with children so I'm sharing this as a reminder to self and for those who don't have daily experiences with children.

Lesson #1: Embrace the Happy Accident

One day I watched my son slip and slide as he walked over flash cards he'd spread all over the living room floor. He didn't quite fall. I'm guessing he liked the slide experience as he continued to make it happen again, again, and again--until he fell. His experience taught me not to dwell too long on mistakes and to embrace accidents. While I don't always do this, his experience is a reminder that we can learn from everything.

Lesson#2: Less Is More

This cliche phrase applies to my son's "relationship" with his toys. Through watching him, I learned that the less a toy can do, the more it encourages creativity. Through using an object without a specific form of usage, my son is able to be creative to be entertained. For him, a box is a step stool, a car, a shoe, skates, and a drum; while an electronic drum is just an electronic drum. His idea of a toy taught me that tools can influence our level of creativity. Although  a computer can help us accomplish our job, it can also be a huge impediment when it comes to creativity. Because computers can do so much, they have the potential of becoming a crutch.

Lesson#3: Don't Stare, Just Gawk

You've seen them. Babies and toddlers stare at YOU. Okay sometimes, they just GAWK. I'll admit it's embarrassing for me when my son stares because I live in New York but I know it's part of his learning experience. I'm sometimes surprised when he does something I haven't seen before and I certainly haven't taught him. Children learn by watching everyone and so should we as adults. Forget, about norms and just stare and see the intricate details. Watching someone perform their job gives us insight and may help us get in their shoes even for just a few minutes.

I have loads more to learn and I'm looking forward to many more years of lessons.