{"id":11134,"date":"2023-01-22T01:55:23","date_gmt":"2023-01-22T06:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/?p=11134"},"modified":"2022-10-18T17:50:02","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T21:50:02","slug":"spark-creativity-everyday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/spark-creativity-everyday\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Simple Strategies to Spark Creativity Everyday (In Your Homeschool and Beyond)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The word “creativity” means a lot of different things to different people.<\/span><\/p>\n

To me, creativity is the trait that allows us to look at familiar things in new ways. Often, creativity also involves the ability to present the world in a way that inspires others to see it differently, too!<\/span><\/p>\n

While many people only think of artists and poets as being creative, that\u2019s not the case. Many dynamic CEOs and excellent public speakers are creative thinkers, with the ability to engage and inspire others in unique ways. The best teachers, doctors, and lawyers are often creative, too: flexible, adaptable, and able to perceive things that others might not.<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth is that creativity is a valuable asset to anyone: no matter their occupation or stage of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creativity and Homeschooling\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

While creativity is an important trait for anyone to try to develop, it has a unique role for homeschoolers and homeschooling families. For one thing, some families\u2019 <\/span>top reason for homeschooling<\/b><\/a> is to better support their children in actively pursuing their creative interests. More generally speaking, many parents choose to homeschool so that they can teach their children how to think for themselves…which often means original or <\/span>creative<\/span><\/i> thinking!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Also,\u00a0 because homeschooling invites personalized and flexible learning education, finding creative solutions is the ever-present element of the homeschool life. For all these reasons (and more),\u00a0 it makes a lot of sense to cultivate a creative homeschool environment and find ways to inspire creativity on a daily basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(Psst: Don\u2019t homeschool, but still looking for ways to spark creativity? That\u2019s okay, you can still use these strategies–they\u2019re really relevant for anyone. Just adapt them into practical applications that work for you!)\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you want to foster creativity in your own life, your child’s life, your homeschool (or all of the above), here are 3 simple strategies to spark creativity, every day!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Practice Mindfulness<\/b><\/h3>\n

You know how a lot of people say that they get their best ideas in the middle of the night, or in the shower? I think that this is because these kinds of moments give us a bit of solitude to be more mindful of our thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our lives can be so noisy–full of multi-tasking, a constant stream of background sounds and pressing to-do lists.\u00a0 Yet, despite the fact that we may feel increasingly tempted to turn the television on for background noise, or juggle numerous tasks at once, the fact remains that creativity blooms when we are deliberately mindful of the task at hand. Perhaps this is why the art of mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is mindfulness, anyway?<\/b><\/h4>\n

At its core, to be mindful simply means to be aware and in touch with what you’re doing and thinking at that moment. It’s essentially being thoughtful and aware of what’s going on inside that brain of yours.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindfulness is also thought to help with anxiety, depression and…you guessed it… creativity<\/span>. It makes a lot of sense that being in touch with your emotions and thoughts would spark creativity. After all, being creative is all about unique perspectives –which we can’t gain without checking into our own thoughts and feelings every once in a while!<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Help Your Kids Practice Mindfulness<\/b><\/h4>\n

Mindfulness may seem to you like a very “adult” attribute to hone. I’ll be honest, to me, the word conjures up the image of a bunch of twenty-somethings in a quiet yoga studio rather than a bunch of kids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are definitely some really easy – and yes – <\/span>kid-friendly <\/span><\/i>ways, you can increase mindfulness and spark creativity in your home (or your homeschool) on a daily basis! Two of the simplest ways to cultivate mindfulness for kids are to:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Embrace boredom <\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Encourage journaling.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let Them Be “Bored”<\/h4>\n

    Something about the younger generations (and as a millennial, I include myself in this) is that we can be really resistant to quiet, to things not going on all around us. We\u2019re basically over-stimulated noise and activity addicts.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, I have a hard time not turning on music in my car. I\u2019m tempted to put a show or audiobook on while I\u2019m doing chores at home. I feel guilty if I\u2019m just doing one thing. The issue here isn\u2019t that music, audiobooks or shows are bad, but rather that sitting in silence is a real challenge. <\/span>\u00a0I crave entertainment. <\/span><\/i>However, when I do finally force myself to listen to nothing but my own thoughts? That\u2019s when I really feel like I\u2019m getting to spend some quality time within my own headspace and generally start feeling more creative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s true for kids, too. You know you\u2019ve seen it. Your little one binges on Disney + and then cannot self-entertain the whole rest of the day (tell me I\u2019m not the only one?)\u00a0 <\/span>When my daughter gets too much TV, she quickly picks up a bad attitude with a heavy side of \u201centertain me.\u201d\u00a0 Then, when I try to turn OFF the TV? The push-back is HARD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    However, the days when the noise stays down from the very beginning turn out much differently. She might push back initially, but then she settles. She does her work. She draws. She plays. She entertains herself.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span>She uses her imagination.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    Do you feel like the constant need for entertainment is hindering your child (or you) from being more mindful and\/or creative? If so, this tip is (deceptively) easy: stop entertaining! Turn the sound off, put the devices away. You might deal with a little push back (and by “might” I mean you definitely will), but then you can watch the magic happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    (On a related note, check out <\/span>this eye-opening article<\/b><\/a> to read more about why letting your kids be bored sometimes can be a really good thing.)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Practice Journaling with Your Kids<\/b><\/h4>\n

    The practice of journaling can be one of the best ways to let your thoughts flow, unfiltered.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0The habitual practice of actually stopping to observe, and write down, your thoughts taps into the essence of what it means to be mindful and creative–to know your own inner voice and embrace the things that make you unique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Journaling can be particularly awesome for children and teens. For one thing, it\u2019s extra writing practice! Even better than that, it\u2019s writing practice that instills in a child a sense of ownership<\/em> over language. Obviously, it also fosters self-expression, which is an important part of childhood development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Journaling is definitely an activity that you can introduce to your children to foster mindfulness. If you homeschool, you could even make journaling a daily part of academics–it might just stick and turn into a healthy lifelong habit!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    2. Pay Attention: Observe, Describe and Ask<\/b><\/h3>\n

    When it comes to being creative, we\u2019ve established that it\u2019s important to know what <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> think. However,\u00a0 how can you really know what you think when you haven\u2019t paid attention to some of the great works, ideas, or achievements of others?\u00a0 Your creative decisions will be much better informed if…well… YOU are well-informed. And to be well-informed, you have to pay attention!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to Practice the Art of Paying Attention
    \n<\/b><\/h4>\n

    \u00a0Whereas mindfulness is all about learning to stop and listen to your own thoughts (your inner voice), learning to pay attention to the things <\/span>outside<\/span><\/i> of yourself is another, more analytical strategy that can spark creativity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Specifically, in terms of artistic\/creative endeavors, this could mean studying a great work in the medium in which you are honing your skills in (such as a painter studying the works of great painters throughout the ages, or a writer studying techniques used in classic novels.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    However, you don\u2019t have to limit this strategy simply to the pursuit of traditionally creative (artistic) endeavors; it\u2019s also useful in fostering creative thinking!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    With your kids (or in your own daily life), you can break the practice of\u00a0 \u201cpaying attention\u201d down into three parts:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n