Educating ourselves out of creativity

Last night I tried to watch the Aussie film September, but half way through, just as I was getting dragged into the plot enough to start asking the inevitable (will they fight each other, and over the girl?), my DVD spat out the disc. Hmph.

So, left with a mind still stuck in the movie, I thought what better segue to sleep than to watch a TED presentation?

Sir Ken Robinson's presentation about how the education system discourages creativity, and ostensibly turns most adults into bores (my words, not his) rang so true with me. It's only now, as I near 30, that I'm bold enough to call myself a writer. This, despite writing two blogs, winning a poetry competition, working as a writer and music journalist, and making money off the back of my written words for almost ten years.

The hesitation has always been because when someone asks "what do you do?" and I say "I'm a writer", there's often that pause. That odd look. And then the question, "oh, so you've written a book then?" And what do I say to that? "Er, no, I haven't written a book because I'm not even thirty and I just don't feel like I've got that much to say yet" isn't going to cut it.

Not that it matters now because I don't care anymore that some people don't count anyone as a writer unless they publish novels, or get published in the newspapers which are delivered to their lawn on a Sunday morning. It also helps that as I get older I am naturally moving in different circles where people tend to be more creative, and yes, precariously employed as a careers adviser once warned me.

Coming back to my point though - I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I kept writing bad poetry and stories and keeping a journal and taking photos and reading profusely and going to art galleries and crap movies with one decent scene and learning rock 'n' roll dancing and doing all those other things which challenge me, and contribute to the creativity I love so much, despite being discouraged from doing just that.

Yes, Sir Ken, we do need to prioritise creativity, both inside and outside of the education system as much as the 'serious stuff', all the way from childhood right up until we've got grey hairs and hands wobbly with wisdom. I know I hope to.