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4 Reasons Why Creativity Belongs in Every Classroom

When discussing how to implement creative projects in the classroom, a question can arise as to why? What are the benefits of creative learning activities? Actually, there are quite a few.

  1. Creativity is good for society. You might have heard before that ours is a “knowledge economy.” Our predominate export is no longer things we’ve constructed, but ideas we’ve generated. And if your economy relies on ideas then it relies on a creative populace. In her article, “The Cult of Creativity: Opposition, Incorporation, Transformation,” Kirsten Drotner writes, “If knowledge is an engine of societal survival, obviously new knowledge is its fuel” (p. 78). And you can’t have new knowledge without creativity because, as Drotner notes, “creativity is the precursor of innovation” (p. 73). 
  2. Creativity is good for the individual. And if creativity is good for society, then getting creative is good for the individual as well. Drotner writes, “Creativity is a means to an end, namely competence formation that the individual as well as society may profit from” (p. 73). In a knowledge economy, people who are creative can participate, contribute, and benefit. Drotner quotes the European Commission: “in an increasingly complex world, creativity and the ability to continue to learn and to innovate will count as much as, if not more than, specific areas of knowledge liable to become obsolete” (p. 74). So in fact, creative projects are not fun things to do on the side: they build essential marketable skills. 
  3. You can generate authentically valuable products. Classroom projects that call on creativity can be fun and fulfilling, but they can also have real-world impact. Steve Goodman, author of It’s Not About Grit: Trauma, Inequity and the Power of Transformative Teaching, wrote in an interview with David Buckingham that student-created documentaries (or any student-generated content) can become “a valuable resource for student and community advocacy groups.” How amazing is that? And as any educator knows, there’s no greater driver of student engagement than an authentic audience. 
  4. Creative endeavors get people engaged. Goodman also points out that when students create media, they are able to “shine a light on problems of injustice that they and others in their community may experience,” and the act of creating “connects [students] to those who are working to improve conditions.” These projects “shift relations of power” and “bring youth perspectives to government hearings where policy is debated.” Of course, creative projects don’t necessarily lead to engagement, but it becomes a lot easier, as the creator’s voice is honed and amplified through the creative project. 
So if you ever wonder if creativity belongs in your classroom or curriculum, just know: it does. Your students and our society will be better for it.

Published as part of Dr. Renee Hobbs' Digital Authorship class

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