{"id":6815,"date":"2021-04-14T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/?p=6815"},"modified":"2024-06-20T16:03:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T20:03:19","slug":"nurturing-student-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/nurturing-student-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"Nurturing Student Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Betelehem Gulilat, Lead Editor & Writer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Betelehem<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to be creative?<\/em> At first thought, you may think of artists, designers, musicians as creatives, and indeed they are. However, being creative is more abstract than we imagined it to be. An entire field of creative studies exists that has dated back to the 1930s<\/a>, simply dedicated to understanding the concept of creativity 1<\/sup>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

It means different things for different people. Anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists \u2013 to name a few \u2013 have their own definition of creativity. And so does the general population. For one person, it may be the ability to solve a complex problem, while for another it\u2019s the opportunity to express oneself. Even though there is no exact definition of creativity that has been agreed upon, common words used to describe this concept are originality, effectiveness, expression,<\/strong> <\/strong>and innovation.<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creativity is as important as literacy in education<\/em><\/p>Sir Ken Robinson<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Being creative is enriching for ourselves and the world around us. One can argue the same for education as well. Yet as we learn and grow older, we tend to stray away from out-of-box thinking. The late Sir Ken Robinson, International Leader of Education and Creativity once stated that \u201c\u2026kids will take a chance. <\/em>If they don\u2019t know, they\u2019ll have a go. They\u2019re not frightened of being wrong\u2026and by the time they get to be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of being wrong.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Student Creativity  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, the world is constantly changing around us. If there is anything we learned this past year, it\u2019s that we can never be entirely prepared for our future ahead. This is why embedding creativity within higher education is important. No matter what field of study you may be in, there is always room for new ways of thinking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students can deeply connect with knowledge by seeking out questions, finding answers and thinking independently. This can make learning more enjoyable and fulfilling which in turn enables students to gain a better understanding of what they\u2019ve learned. But more importantly, by creating a safe space for students to think outside the box, students can develop the creative confidence they need to become vulnerable and fearless in their work.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do We Nurture Student Creativity? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the Innovation Hub, our work revolves around design thinking. Much of what we described as creativity in this blog post \u2013 originality, effectiveness, expression and innovation \u2013 is the basis of design thinking as well. The main difference between creativity and design thinking, is that one is focused on achieving human innovation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, nurturing student creativity consistently within our space is imperative for our work. With a team of students coming from a diverse array of programs and backgrounds, there is a great deal of creativity and innovation that can have a meaningful impact within our student community. Here are a few examples of how we\u2019ve nurtured student creativity at the Innovation Hub:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n