The Creativity Crisis Analysis

The Value of Creativity

In their article, “The Creativity Crisis”, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman explore the urgency of the downfall in the public’s “creativity quotient.” Bronson and Merryman emphasize the necessity for young children to be imaginative. Through an IBM poll, they verify that with the decrease of creativity in our society comes an array of consequences seen in the work field. The authors remind readers of another reason for the importance of creativity; they argue that creative ideas can solve national matters. Hence, Branson and Merryman believe that original ideas are key for a better world. Though I concede that creativity is a vital key to the solution of many national problems, I still insist that teaching creativity,

as a class will only decline creativity.
Creativity is one’s individual approach to solving a problem. Each individual has a unique sense of creativity in them. The job of a teacher in a class is not to teach a person to be creative, but rather to give assignments that are open to the use of creativity. If one teacher stood in front of a group of students and gave a lesson on creativity, the lesson would sound like a bullet point to- do list. Students need to be inspired to be creative, not forced into it. Once creativity becomes a class in the schedule of a hectic student, it turns into just another necessity no different from a physics class that follows strict formulas.
Last year I took an art class at Juanita—it was the only class I looked forward to in the day-- but all I would ever hear from my peers were complaints such as, “I can’t draw” or “I’m not creative like you”. Truth is, they are right. But that does not matter! Drawing is not a pre-requisite skill of creativity and being creative like someone else is the same as not being creative at all.
Nevertheless, many educators argue that creativity is a waste of precious time and effort that can be better invested into teaching students the one and only right way to solve a problem.

What they neglect to realize is that most problems are unpredictable. So when a student faces a challenge not taught in the classroom, they will be incapable of solving or getting out of the situation. Once the formula does not work, creativity becomes a necessity. Some even fear the mere thought of imagination, since new possibilities open up the risk of failure or not being accepted. Students hold back their curiosity once they realize that teachers are unwilling to answer their question if it differs even slightly from the curriculum. These are the exact reasons our youth’s power to create fades. The value of creativity is beyond words; our society thrives on innovation. Take the stereotypical example of Bill Gates—he became a billionaire with the help of his creative thinking. So why would creativity not be the heart of our education system? Simply because there is not enough time or enough people willing to put in the

effort?
Rather than a designated creativity class, my proposed solution for the school board is to design classes that encourage students to be unique. Creativity is a vast concept that cannot be condensed into a classroom and organized into semesters of teaching and learning. Schools should open up schedules to leave room for electives. The mandatory classes such as English 10 are replaceable with classes such as Creative Writing that will ultimately teach the same concepts, but from a creative perspective; without an overly planned class in which each student has to follow a strict structure.
Teachers should explore single-minded concepts and art classes should have units on personal issues such as gender identity.

Teachers can show films such as Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) about a seven-year-old boy who is bullied by the kids and adults in society because he identifies as a girl. This movie can lead to discussion that challenges a student’s understanding of concepts such as identity and the priority of being yourself over conforming to the expectations of others around you. Students might finally realize the ways society limits acceptance and imagination. Although creativity may seem of concern to only the youth of our population, artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Children will grow up to be become the working class of their generation, but without creativity to guide them and society constantly dragging them further away from their creative childhood, the world will decay into mundaneness rather than blossom with

creativity.