How to ensure your children THRIVE (+ the most requested skill for our future generations - creativity)
When you think of the future, is it all ‘technology’, ‘robots’, ‘AI’, and ‘automation’? Perhaps it’s all of that, tinged with a sadness for the loss of what we used to cherish - human interaction, craftmanship, the personal touch, and an appreciation of nature and our ever-changing world.
Perhaps this is the case, but not necessarily so.
I believe that there is a wave of optimism for the future which currently resides only in our hopes and dreams, but which is bubbling away on the brink of explosion. And built onto that belief is one skill which, above all else, will always be needed, in every profession, in every home, in every large corporation, and in every small business, regardless of how much future technology is thrown our way. And that skill is CREATIVITY.
For the people who know and love creativity, this is obviously nothing new, but for others it may surprise you to learn that creativity is consistently ranked among the top skills businesses believe will be required in order for them to thrive in the future.
So what is it ‘to thrive’?
The dictionary definition is as follows:
“to prosper; be fortunate or successful; to grow or develop vigorously; to flourish”...
All of which are what businesses as well as people hope to do, and what any parent wishes for their children.
But for the next generation, is this really at the forefront of what they are learning? Is it at the heart of what we as parents are putting forward in our attempts to give them the best start in life?
I don’t think it is. But I don’t think it’s our fault.
The history
For years now, creative subjects have been down-graded, demoted, stripped down to their bare essentials and seen by many as a ‘luxury’ for anyone who enjoys them. We’ve seen the ‘struggling artist’ stereotype for decades and associated this with the term creativity, forgetting completely that creativity is so much more.
It’s innovation, it’s problem-solving, it’s adaptability and decision-making; it’s seeing possibilities where there are none; risk-taking; forward thinking; it’s revelations, inventions, global advancements; and it’s also fun, excitement, light-bulb moments and wonder; it’s play; it’s learning, exploration and adventure; it’s discoveries made, progress achieved, jaw-dropping creations from our own imaginations; it’s success, it’s prosperity.
It IS the future.
And yet for something so adaptable, so needed across all disciplines, it is not something which is taught to our children. Our kids are missing out on this vital ingredient in their recipe for a happy and successful life.
Every child is innately creative, curious and open to all possibilities, eager to explore the world and learn through play. It is when we interfere with this that their creativity starts to wane.
We tell them there’s a right and wrong, we restrict their playtime, provide structured pathways which they have to follow, and don’t really allow for any alternative avenues. Innovation, individuality and creativity struggle to find their place in the crowded syllabus of a child’s life, and are usually swept under the carpet along with all the other ‘nice but not necessary’ so-called ‘luxuries’.
How sad that this is the case.
My personal mission as a parent
As a parent of two, I have taken it upon myself to instil creativity in everything I do with my children - and for me this comprises three things:
creative activities,
creative inspiration, and
developing a creative mindset.
The latter of these is by far the easiest, quickest and cheapest of the three. But it is also the one which, I believe, has the biggest impact.
How we THINK is everything in life. It influences everything we do, everything we seek out in the world, and affects our entire approach to life in general, including our work, our well-being, and our parenting.
Parenting with a creative mindset encourages the same in our children - the next generation. It creates a way of thinking that our children learn, which they are then able to take into adulthood, including whatever avenue of work they choose, and THRIVE, because creativity is the skill ALL businesses require to future proof themselves.
If only we took the same approach for our children. If only we took the decision to future-proof them with creativity. What a different world we would have, with a different hope and promise for the next generation - one which consisted of human creativity working alongside technology, indeed with technology. THAT is how we ensure our children thrive in the future.
Creativity is the future, not technology. Did you know?
Follow me on instagram at @this.is.wonderlust for more insights and ideas on building creativity into your everyday life.