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Ciara Phelan's avatar

Great article! As an sole child I was simultaneously the "creative/smart/responsible one" which should have set me up to be prime minister but actually left me with frequent debilitating perfectionism :D

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JustMEandering - Art To Heart's avatar

“Creativity isn’t just about craft; it’s about innovation, problem-solving, and original thinking, and one that I have found to be a vital force behind progress.” I think this is the key. Creativity and flexible thinking benefits every endeavor. It’s boundless.

I work primarily with 7-10 year olds who struggle, and many consider themselves creative rather than smart, but some have the opposite perspective. Neither works for them, and clearing that false boundary, showing them how they can build and apply their own set of strengths, is the key to their self-satisfaction and success in taking on challenges. I love my job.

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Adam MacMillan-Scott's avatar

Another beautiful article Chris. What makes you the person you are is all aspects of you, including your creativity, underpinned by a kind and compassionate character who doesn’t believe the person we see. In my coaching I see this all the time. You are hugely talented and creativity is your greatest asset.

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Lloyd Hunt's avatar

Very interesting, thankyou. Did you find that you surrounded yourself with those who shared your 'label' or actively avoid?

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Gail McIlveen's avatar

Very well written and reflects the majority of creatives for sure! Thank you

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Chris Clarke's avatar

Thanks Gail!

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AsanteSpace's avatar

Great article. I come from a culture where children are given 3 professional paths - doctor, lawyer or disgrace. I am ‘the creative’ of my family, while also being an academic and lateral thinker. The pressure to get another profession didn’t lean on me too heavily so I became a senior leader and commissioner of creative works by others thereby gaining the respect of those those who ultimately never understood what I do. Thankfully, being misunderstood was a bearable burden!

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Nigel Ball's avatar

I spoke about something similar in a lecture on ‘tensions in creative education’ last week, with the first tension being that some of our sense of worth as creatives comes from childhood experiences. I read the first two pages of The Little Prince to illustrate my point. If you haven’t read it, I’d recommend it. There’s a PDF online here, I think you might enjoy it: https://almabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Little-Prince-final-text.pdf

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