How to spark your Teenager’s creativity?

O creativity, embrace my child!

To all the parents looking for a bright career for their teenagers, this is for you. Your child is not an experiment. Your child was never supposed to be a mixed version of everything already existing. Every time you ask your teenager to sing a song,  or recite a poem, or perform a dance move, you are simply killing their creativity. Instead, ask them to sing a song that they composed, recite a poem that they wrote, perform a  dance move that they created. That is how creativity grows.  That is when children start to learn not just to imitate the existing, but to use their imagination to create something which never existed. 

Every day we wake up desiring something new in our life.  The evolution of humans was based on 50% natural factors and 50% curiosity. Being curious helps us achieve new dimensions in life. We see a lot of young professionals switching from their full-time engineering job to become a  comedian. Many people quit their high paying management jobs to become a writer. Was there more money in those other things? It never mattered. They did it because they were tired of practising the same equation every day. They did it because they were not able to create something new. Their current job hampered their creative outlook which they were not able to exercise in that position. Of course, not all of those transitions ended well but there is a very important aspect lying underneath. Your vision of a better life cannot be restricted by money or success. A better life is when you start looking clearly. Few of them might have switched back to their old paths after failure in their new stint, but all of them definitely gained a clear vision towards everything they want in their lives. 

The most important thing in life is to have a different perspective. If it’s good enough, we will have a chance of getting something better than before. If it’s bad, well then it strengthens the current process.  

The first step towards developing your teenager’s creativity is to make them stop fearing the change. Do you like red apples?  Well, time to switch to green ones now and be comfortable doing so. It’s as easy as that. Make them change the setup of their rooms now and then. Help them in becoming more flexible. That is when they will start leaving their comfort zone and try to create something original from their ideas.  

Ideas are generated where there is curiosity. Humans only started space missions when they got curious about life forms beyond earth. Every event on our planet is driven by curiosity.  

For starters, start giving them a new book every month. A  book that has nothing to do with what they are taught at school. That is the first step towards making them realize that there is a world beyond the boundaries of the school. Let them read at their pace. Comprehensive growth happens when the child starts finding answers to their questions on their own.  

Another major factor that comes into play here is the baggage of legacy. Our parents lived in different times. They didn’t have the internet. They were happy with the non-existence of technology in their lives. Their vision of life had different objectives. We do not need to carry forward the same ideas. We must not apply the same methods that our parents used on us. As stated in the beginning, do not make your child an experiment. Instead, experiment with your parenting. It might sound similar somehow but it has a deeper underlying meaning.

You don’t have to fight dragons to develop creativity in your child. Just observe their behavioural patterns and give them exactly what they need. The harm comes from ignorance, not mistakes. To make a mistake means at least you tried.  To ignore is a regret of a lifetime.  

The world around us is changing every day. We might be slow to adapt but our teenagers are not. They can do a  somersault and eat their breakfast simultaneously. Do not stop them from doing it. Instead, put cushions around the dining table so that they don’t hurt themselves. 

At Clever Harvey, we are exactly the cushion your teenager needs to support them with their bright ideas. Our courses are designed in such a manner which will help in bringing out the best version of them. It matters less if they do not become a CEO. What matters is that someday they will be leading in whichever path they choose.