For Youth: Fostering Creativity

Imagine how this came to be.

Adolescence is a prime time to further expand skillsets.

Traditional high schools don’t always foster creativity in students. However, imagination enriches and expands their university experiences and professional lives.

Neuroscientist Beau Lotto emphasizes that creativity begins with questioning assumptions and embracing uncertainty. These steps challenge our brains tendency to seek certainty which is especially true when we are stressed.

According to Lotto, creativity isn’t chaotic or random – it’s a highly logical process where connections are formed between seemingly unrelated ideas through a series of steps that may not be immediately visible to others. This ability to think differently stems from being open-minded and practiced in questioning established beliefs.  

Ideas to Cultivate Creativity:

1)    Notice the many assumptions in our daily lives. Uncover them. Do we assume we can always do one thing or another?

What happens when we relax those assumptions?

2)    Ask open-ended questions.

Ask “why”, “what if”, and “how?”

3)    Expose teens to diverse, novel activities.

For example, try playing tennis if you normally play golf.

Maybe take martial arts or drawing classes.

4)    Support both trying new things and failing.

Create a safe space for experimenting.

Reframe mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow rather than something to avoid.

5)    Limit screen time.  Provide down time for developing imagination through drawing, writing, or building something. Boredom can spark creativity.

6)    Collaborate with others.

Engage in group activities like theater, music or problem-solving.

This expands perspectives by prompting them to learn from others.

7)    Model creativity.

If you are a parent or teacher, show them your own creative pursuits.

8)    Encourage journaling.  Freely writing down thoughts, ideas, and reflections can both help us process our emotions and develop creative thinking.

9)    Inspire a love for stories.

Read books. Write poems or other stories. Narratives ignite imaginations.