Creativity: Become a Recovering Adult

Jan 22, 2014 | Better Writing

Our four-year-old grandson is coming to visit on Friday. If you’ve ever been around kids that age, you know the kind of energy they bring to life. Pre-school kids are human beings before we send them to school and whip them into adult shape. But if you watch them closely, you will notice some things you may want to try.

Kids are curious. When you go to a museum with a pre-schooler, he or she is fascinated by the displays. But they’re also fascinated by everything else like the way the door works or the guard’s uniform or how the molding around the ceiling looks like teeth.

Kids ask questions. They’re not afraid that they’ll be embarrassed because they “should know.” They don’t worry about appearing “stupid.” They want to learn. They don’t know, so they ask.

Kids bubble over with ideas and play with them like toys. Adults “know” that there are “creative people” and the rest of us. Kids haven’t been taught that yet. They expect to have ideas and they do.

Kids are what human beings are supposed to be. We were born curious, questioning, and creative. Now’s the time to reclaim your heritage. Shrug off embarrassment, shred other people’s expectations, ask some questions, and play with some ideas. Become a recovering adult.